The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

[Holly Golightly]

Some tentative good news to add to the pile...one of the recipients of the school PI fellowship that I didn't get back in April got a real job and turned down their fellowship award, and it was offered to me!!!! I still have to see if the host employer I'd lined up (prosecutor's office in Portland area, where I have moved back to) is still able to host another fellow (or maybe the school could give me a week to scrape something else up really fast), and it's still contingent on passing the bar, but I'm feeling something other than negative and hopeless about my job prospects for the first time since I was pretty well rocked by not getting the fellowship.

I have a Tuesday meeting with the hiring person with whom I did NOT work to arrange the fellowship to begin with (he was out of town). I never interviewed or anything with anyone originally, so maybe he wants to take a step back and do that before re-committing to hosting me as a fellow this time. Understandable, but ugghhh stress.

Meeting went fine and he says they're happy to host me. He's double-checking with the boss to make sure hosting me as a fellow is still approved, but it looks like (contingent on passing the bar) that I'll be a prosecutor for a year! The fellowship is $50k+cost of health insurance.
I haven't been this happy in...ages.

That's wonderful, congrats!

[Danger Zone]

Yay rink and pleaseye! Congrats you two, glad to see my fellow c/o 2015ers making big moves

[rinkrat19]

Rinkrave.

I like this.

Thanks, everyone!

[minnbills]

Congrats!!!! That is awesome.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody else out there just feel incredibly hopeless about all this shit sometimes? I get fucking angry. This thread at least gives some hope.

[gortega86]

Anyone know the process of interviews?

I recently was emailed for a position at a Vault 100 firm and they are asking me to come into a local office for a video conference interview. The position is for another office in another city.

Would this be deemed the "call back" or is this the "first interview"?

Anyone been through a similar process and know how this works?

[El Pollito]

Anyone know the process of interviews?

I recently was emailed for a position at a Vault 100 firm and they are asking me to come into a local office for a video conference interview. The position is for another office in another city.

Would this be deemed the "call back" or is this the "first interview"?

Anyone been through a similar process and know how this works?

that's a screener. they want to see if it's worth bringing you in for a real interview.

[Anonymous User]

Deleted, thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Theoretically, the non-legal job could help you get an attorney-adviser position with at SSA down the line, but that's it. It won't help with anything else federal. Even the attorney jobs at SSA are a dead-end in that regard. Their reputation among other agencies is... not good. If you absolutely need the money and want to be decision writer for the rest of your life, by all means take the job. But if you're looking to lateral into another agency down the line, hold out for something else. SSA is not "bigfed," and it won't help you get there.

[Anonymous User]

...

[A. Nony Mouse]

I suspect if you worked for OGC it would be comparable to being in any other agency's OGC and it would transfer reasonably well to those jobs. My sense is that would primarily be internal employment and personnel matters, FOIA and ethics stuff, maybe things like contracting, and maybe some more policy work wrt legislation etc. pertinent to the agency; it would be more like being in-house to the agency than working directly on social security stuff. But that's my general impression of OGC jobs - I don't know anything about SSA specifically. I can see how the other attorney jobs would have some of the issues already raised.

[Anonymous User]

Okay, thanks Nony. Yeah, at this point I guess then it's just balancing whether it would be worth it to work for awhile in a non-attorney position for the possibility to get an attorney position. Sounds like it could be worth it since there are (at least basic) legal skills that cross-over. There are also a fair amount of attorney positions on USAJobs where I'm looking. Just hoping it wouldn't look like I'd been out of the legal game too long if say, I worked maybe a year (or two even) in that position while I kept an eye out for fed attorney gigs. Getting fed pay+benefits+PSLF while I look seems like a pretty sweet deal if it wouldn't hurt my future attorney prospects too much.

[Anonymous User]

Have a semi-interview over the phone tomorrow for an executive recruiting position at a firm that focuses on general counsel searches. Not a law position really - but something is better than nothing for the time being, so please keep some good vibes heading my way.

[ranthum]

Been following this thread for the last couple years, but haven't bothered to post. C/O 2015, July bar, no job, no prospects. Top 25% at top 30 school but struck out at 2L OCI and have been looking for a firm job ever since. No dice. I know it's still relatively early, but I'm rather depressed. I've been looking for a firm job for 2 1/2 years now and haven't found one. I'm about ready to go back to my old industry and write off the last 3 years. I didn't go to school to take a pay cut or practice an area of the law that I don't want to, but that's all I'm seeing out there for jobs (looking for IP lit in Midwest). Advice?

[ckelly85]

Heyo, Vale. July 2015 bar, no job, a couple of interviews. Interview for a midlaw post-bar clerk position tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Been following this thread for the last couple years, but haven't bothered to post...

Hang in there Ranth. You have the numbers to score something once you pass the bar. I've noticed in my area a lot of the IP lit firms hire through recruiters. Maybe it would help to speak with one (cautiously).

[diowad]

New to this thread, but since there's very little action on the other threads, I figured I'd ask here.

Anyone know anything or anyone who got a JD and then became a Trust Officer with a Bank? Currently studying for the July Bar. My law school credentials aren't landing me any biglaw jobs anytime soon, nor do I really care. Money isn't a huge deal to me. The dollar goes a lot further out here in the Midwest than it does on the coasts and my fiancé makes a good living. Never really found an area in law school that I absolutely loved, but enjoyed estates classes and some basic estate planning in Clinic.

So anyway, I put in an app for an entry-level trust officer job at a bank and recently received an interview. Still don't think I'll get it because I don't have quite enough experience, but if I get offered I need to be ready. The internal dilemma I face is I'll effectively be turning my back on private practice (and maybe someday, a lot of money, who knows) in exchange for more stability, regular hours, an area I know I'm at least interested in, but obviously a lower salary until several years down the road where I could advance within the bank itself. I have my name in at a few law firms but none have given me any indication of a sure job after the Bar.

So just looking for any general info about working in a Bank's trust department or anything like that. Thanks.

[sparty99]

There are lawyers who are able to go from trust office into private practice. I met two people who have done this. I would take whatever offer you can get, you can always continue to look for other legal positions after you pass the bar. But once you start working, you might get in the groove of your current career and will feel that you don't even want to be in actual lawyer.

[TheFutureLawyer]

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[BVest]

Do you all keep the hours worked or exact dates of employment on your resume?

I've always just had month/year and, for the job I currently have, noted that I am part time. Even for jobs (mostly government) where they asked for more specific dates and hours worked, I just submitted this. Would my failure to follow directions be a huge red flag, or (as I kinda assumed for w/e reason) is the way I have my resume the way that everyone has it?


Another resume question: For the place I'm at now, I've had on my resume that I'm a law clerk. Just admitted to the bar. I haven't really done anything for the firm as an attorney that I didn't do as a law clerk (don't do much at all actually; only work a few hours per week). Should I write that my position there is "Attorney"? If so, should I write it as a completely different position as beginning when I was admitted? Two problems with that are that I have no experience to really list under that position and that it would finally push my resume to two pages, cause I'm at the limit with the seven positions (mostly internships) I have listed on it.

Did they promote you to attorney or hire you on with the explicit agreement that your role would change upon admittance to the bar? If not, you should not put Attorney as your position. ETA: And if you do get promoted, you would have different dates, though you can use the same header for the firm. E.g:

Johnson, Smith, and Jones, LLP
Attorney (June 2015 - present)
[description of duties/job]

Law Clerk (January 2015 - June 2015)
[description, though I believe that once you have some time in the new position you can drop the description for the old position]

I do not keep exact dates, just month and year. I've never had an employer ask for specific dates without having their own form that included a place to put those specific dates. In those cases, I've provided the dates on the form but not amended my resume.

[TheFutureLawyer]

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[sparty99]

I would put "Attorney/Law Clerk." Additionally, I would not notate on your resume that you are part-time. Lastly, you need to start doing more now that you are admitted. You should be going to court, performing depositions, etc. Don't let the firm limit your marketability based on the fact that your formal title is Law Clerk. Let it be known that you are an Attorney. You are licsnesed and the firm is holding you out as an attorney.

[sparty99]

Some federal government jobs require that you put the hours worked on the resume.

[Anonymous User]

2015 grad here. Interviewed for my dream firm job on Monday and haven't heard anything yet. Starting to lose hope

[EvelynS]

2015 grad here. Interviewed for my dream firm job on Monday and haven't heard anything yet. Starting to lose hope

Congrats! At least, it is some movement. I hope you will get a job.

I applied to several firms that had job postings and heard nada. Start losing hope

[TheFutureLawyer]

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