Long time lurker, first time posting topic.
I am in my 1L year at a jersey school but went to undergrad in MD and want to eventually practice there. Went to my current school bc it was more than half the price and am very debt concious. However, I am trying to figure out the best way to get to practice in MD with the likelyhood of graduating from a jersey law school. What are some paths to accomplish this?
Want to practice in MD, from NJ Forum
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keg411
- Posts: 5923
- Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:10 pm
Re: Want to practice in MD, from NJ
1) Apply to 1L and 2L summer jobs in MD. Network over the summers and try to get a permanent offer there for after graduation BEFORE you actually graduate.
2) Network during the year with local attorneys, use your local/family connections, and do externships with judges/employers during your 2L year so that if MD fails, you still have a chance to get a jerb in NJ. If you don't have a job in MD lined up at the end of your 2L summer (and don't think you will get one before you pass the bar), suck it up and apply to NJ state clerkships and deal with working in NJ.
I think you made the right choice in not going into debt, but just be comfortable knowing you may end up having to end up in NJ. Better that then to be unemployed.
2) Network during the year with local attorneys, use your local/family connections, and do externships with judges/employers during your 2L year so that if MD fails, you still have a chance to get a jerb in NJ. If you don't have a job in MD lined up at the end of your 2L summer (and don't think you will get one before you pass the bar), suck it up and apply to NJ state clerkships and deal with working in NJ.
I think you made the right choice in not going into debt, but just be comfortable knowing you may end up having to end up in NJ. Better that then to be unemployed.
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LawIdiot86
- Posts: 1159
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2011 5:21 pm
Re: Want to practice in MD, from NJ
Do your 1L summer at the USDC in MD, work for the US Attorney in MD, work for a MD state judge, or work for the MD AJ. Join the MD bar and go to events thereover your 1L summer (not now, you need to study now). Also, contact UG and LS alums who work in firms in MD as ask them out for coffee and advice.paintbynumbers wrote:Long time lurker, first time posting topic.
I am in my 1L year at a jersey school but went to undergrad in MD and want to eventually practice there. Went to my current school bc it was more than half the price and am very debt concious. However, I am trying to figure out the best way to get to practice in MD with the likelyhood of graduating from a jersey law school. What are some paths to accomplish this?
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KidStuddi
- Posts: 465
- Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:35 pm
Re: Want to practice in MD, from NJ
Grew up in Maryland and always wanted to practice here. I'll share the advice I got from multiple attorneys when I started law school.
Unless you're thinking of targeting Baltimore city, Maryland proper has a tiny legal market for its population size (and even Baltimore's is small).
The vast majority of people in Maryland are in the suburbs surrounding DC and are within 30-45 minutes of the city. When you're that close to the second biggest legal market in the country, the "local" legal scene is pretty sparse and specialized. Consider that there are ~5.5 million people in MD and two law schools here (both in Baltimore) vs. 600k people in D.C. and 6 law schools there (7 if you want to count George Mason which is right in Arlington). That kind of tells the tale. Even the natives here target D.C.. I don't have any numbers, but I'd go so far as to say the majority of lawyers living in Maryland work in D.C. or for a federal agency that's based in Maryland. Even though D.C. is a notoriously difficult market to break into, if your ultimate goal is to be back in the geographic area, targeting D.C. would probably be the best way to do it.
Unless you're thinking of targeting Baltimore city, Maryland proper has a tiny legal market for its population size (and even Baltimore's is small).
The vast majority of people in Maryland are in the suburbs surrounding DC and are within 30-45 minutes of the city. When you're that close to the second biggest legal market in the country, the "local" legal scene is pretty sparse and specialized. Consider that there are ~5.5 million people in MD and two law schools here (both in Baltimore) vs. 600k people in D.C. and 6 law schools there (7 if you want to count George Mason which is right in Arlington). That kind of tells the tale. Even the natives here target D.C.. I don't have any numbers, but I'd go so far as to say the majority of lawyers living in Maryland work in D.C. or for a federal agency that's based in Maryland. Even though D.C. is a notoriously difficult market to break into, if your ultimate goal is to be back in the geographic area, targeting D.C. would probably be the best way to do it.
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