Is it too late? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I graduated from a T25 this past May. Did not start my job search until, well, now. Participated in OCI before 3L year, nothing panned out, then - I don't know how else to put this - "forgot" about the fact that I need a job this fall. I sound like an idiot, but I have no other way of explaining the position I am in. Looking for work in Texas. Have 3.47 and Law Review. No firm experience, however - did public interest work both summers out of convenience (maybe explains lack of success re: OCI?).

Is it too late to earn a firm job - small or mid-size is great - for this fall? If so, any recommends on where to look for this sort of work in Texas - firms still hiring, events at which to network? If not, any advice regarding public interest work, even district attorneys' offices?

I would really appreciate any advice that anybody has, I'm a little lost and a lot panicking!

[3ThrowAway99]

You need to pass the bar in the in the state/market you are targeting and then I think you probably have a shot at small firms if you do some serious footwork.

Just my speculation, but it does seem that there are a lot of ppl who exit top25 schools without job at time of graduation and then get hired somewhere once they pass the bar...

[Anonymous User]

Join JAG. Fall back plan for many. They will hire you before you even pass the bar.

[ran12]

Sucks for OP but it seems like firms shy away from kids who have a lot of public interest experience on their resume. At this point you gotta just pass the bar and then get your hands dirty networking and contacting every firm that might hire you. You have a good gpa from a good school and LR so once you get things rolling things could fall in place. Then again, the legal market's a bitch so you could be screwed. JAG idea sounds good but it might be too late for the upcoming cycle and you gotta be physically capable.

[flcath]

There are worse positions to be in, and a lot of hiring occurs after passing the bar. Texas is a good place to be, too.

Try to network: this means contact alums of your LS, maybe even people you actually know from LS, who work in your market, and develop a rapport with them without explicitly asking them for a job. Apply as well, but your results will be limited until you actually pass the bar.

[flcath]

My situation is different from yours, but there's an analogy to be drawn. I had no job offers at all at the end of my 2L fall semester; since then, I've gotten 4 offers from firms paying market rate (for what the various market is, e.g., $110K in Nashville), this despite the "hot season" for hiring being totally over.

It's a weird situation: firms are not especially turned-on to hiring at these off times, but of the grads left unhired at this stage, you're among the best ("best of the rest," if you will). Take advantage of the situation by applying prolifically: maybe 85% of the firms (completely made up #) you apply to won't be hiring entry-levels at all, but at the 15% that are, your resume will stand out.

And you're an idiot for waiting this long.


Edit: One more thing. I'm a rising 3L, and I normally hate giving "advice" on stuff I haven't actually done yet (here, the post-graduate job hunt), but I'm inferring from your lack of job-hunting experience that any grounded, constructive advice would be helpful to your situation.

[rad lulz]

Join JAG. Fall back plan for many. They will hire you before you even pass the bar.

I often also use anon when giving shitty advice.

Not a fallback. Acceptance rates are like 2% or something.

[2012JayDee]

Join JAG. Fall back plan for many. They will hire you before you even pass the bar.

I often also use anon when giving shitty advice.

Not a fallback. Acceptance rates are like 2% or something.

Couldn't have said it any better!!

OP--as far as your 2L OCI goes, do you have any idea of what went wrong?
Sometimes if all of your rejections come at the same stage it's something you're doing. With your grades +LR I assume you at least got a few screening interviews (if this is not the case and you truly struck out at stage 1 then there's not much you can do except maybe revise your resume).
But if you got past the screening interviews and you went to the callbacks but didn't land anything, perhaps you are not giving the right impression. This can come from nervousness, being over anxious, or being too introverted or passive (or obnoxious).

If you were hired and then didn't get an offer then you should have gotten some very specific feedback as to what went wrong and it should be something other than "the economy" prevented them from hiring you.

What kind of industry are you interested in? Was your public interest work in any area specifically?
Did you intern with any judges during school? Have you considered a clerkship? Many times there are judges out there that still don't have clerks yet. These won't be the most prestigious clerkships, but 1 year of working with a judge is still valid legal employment, that produces a paycheck, gives you a good network, and 1 year to pass the bar and have something relevant on your resume. If your school's career services has a list of judges that still don't have clerks I strongly suggest you apply to them. Also, consider looking just outside of Texas but maybe still in the general vicinity (Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas) just to expand your horizons.

Small firms are likely still in need of associates. The problem with starting at a small firm that practices in an area in which you have no interest is that it can pigeon hole you into an area of law and into a job that is not beneficial for you to make your next move. If you do decide to look at a small firm try to look at firms that do broad work like, labor and employment. Stay away from firms that do personal injury or construction law. You'll have a hard time getting out from underneath that. But, of course, if they hire you then you may discover you actually like it. Or at least you like being paid.

If you're female or a member of a minority group make sure you look at diversity career fairs.

I wouldn't count on getting any work at the DA's office--that kind of work is generally very competitive and involves a lengthy interview process that is pretty much over. Like many law firms DA offices usually get most of their new hires from recent grads. But if you pass the bar you may still have an opportunity there. The question is, do you want to be a DA? That's not a job you want to just fall into. It's kind of like joining the JAG on a whim.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. I really appreciate the responses.

During OCI, I was painfully nervous. When I get nervous, I tend to look more towards the ground than at face level, and I hunch my shoulders forward - which I am positive is a total turn-off to interviewers. Think Gollum. I don't know why I used to do it, but it definitely gave the impression of an anxious child not fit to be an attorney. I'm sure my nervousness showed in my speech as well. I have since grown out of that by forcing myself to network more and gain that social confidence, and I always remind myself to keep better posture.

In terms of private firm work, I am obsessed with securities law. Dream job would be structuring a variety of securities offerings. I also have a "thing" for white collar crime. (I am one of those people who like anything stemming from TBTF. One a side note, has anyone read The Big Short? Thinking about picking up a copy for bar study downtime.)

I have begun the process of mass mailing small-ish firms who do the sorts of things I would like to do. I think that this point, to agree with some of the responses, it really is a numbers game. I'm not in the worst position of other students I know, academically speaking, and, I really hate to give this mention (I really do, but I have heard that, in reality, these factors count in the equation), I am a minority, female, attractive/fit and very neat in appearance. If I get my foot in the door, and I manage to not stroll into that office like Gollum, and keep the nervousness at bay, I know I could be just fine. The issue is whether any firms are even considering still hiring entry-level associates at this time, or if I'm truly royally screwed until November. At which point, I will be broke.

I may give the DA's office a shot, since I'm certain they will have an economic crimes unit (most do nowadays, right?), but word has it that a great number of DAOs don't consider any applicant at all who has not first passed the bar, including the one I would be applying to. I wonder if there is any way to get around that, get them considering me before November? Volunteer, maybe, for the next month or two?

[flcath]

I graduated from a T25 this past May. Looking for work in Texas. Have 3.47 and Law Review.

I am a minority, female, attractive/fit and very neat in appearance.

Christ.

Talk to your CSO, and don't quit bugging them until you're hired somewhere (this is easier if you're still around your school, but possible even if you're not). They pay attention to ppl who are a thorn in their side; this normally isn't that helpful (e.g., to the white kid with the 3.1 GPA on the Journal of Law & Women's Sexual Liberation Studies), but it could be for you. They talk to lost causes all day, while you're someone who's really too good to end up unemployed (a rare thing to hear these days).

There are still open clerkships at the state level in TX (you should have applied to fed spots), which is a good option that gives you time to prestigiously (i.e., not as an unemployed loser) seek permanent employment. I have a friend who just graduated WITH a biglaw job in TX, and he deferred at the last minute to take a clerkship in state, so it's doable. You really have better creds than he does, too.

[Eco]

It's not too late. Pass the bar. You're in Texas, economy's not doing so bad- you can get a job. Pretty sad though, with your gpa and law review you should've applied early and you would be looking at great job prospects.

[NotMyRealName09]

It's not too late. Pass the bar. You're in Texas, economy's not doing so bad- you can get a job. Pretty sad though, with your gpa and law review you should've applied early and you would be looking at great job prospects.

Don't feel sad if OP doesn't. Panic isn't sadness, just sadness's negligent bitch of a mother.

[shock259]

Join JAG. Fall back plan for many. They will hire you before you even pass the bar.

Thanks for the laugh