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2013 Grad. T35 School. Top 65%, no journal. Yet very attractive resume. Prior work experience. multiple gov. internships and clinics.

Pay is 63k in midwestern secondary market. 45 person firm. Don't want to live in the city at all. Simply the first offer I've received.

How much debt do you have? Any other interviews or callbacks lined up?

Less than 90k in debt. Have a few other options in the pipeline, but they are longshots. Originally wanted to get into federal or state government work, but it's just not plentiful.

I feel like once I am barred, the options will open up for me, based on my credentials.

This might be a nice starter job, but I feel guilty taking it (while I'm not even barred) and simultaneously looking for opportunities to lateral out.

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I'm originally from SC. So, the biggest cost is spending an additional 1-3 years outside of SC and away from my network. Other than that, no transition costs.

Is 63k fair?

Take it unless you have something else solid lined up. You have already graduated and the risk of not landing another gig is high. If you have no employment by the time you take the bar, you will become a less marketable with every day that passes.

You can always lateral 1-2 years from now.

Sideways wrote:Is 63k fair?

It's low for that size firm, but I've seen worse.

2013 Grad. T35 School. Top 65%, no journal. Yet very attractive resume. Prior work experience. multiple gov. internships and clinics.

I feel like once I am barred, the options will open up for me, based on my credentials.

Is this a flame? Unless the prior work experience has the word "engineer" in the title, this isn't an attractive resume. It's someone with mediocre grades from a non-elite school, no journal, no clerkship, no paid summer experience. And this assumes that you graduated in the top 35% of the class -- if you're really the "top 65%" (i.e., below median), it's bad grades plus all of the above.

Take the job. It's very likely the best offer you'll get.

mod: anonymous user was outed

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Anonymous User wrote:

2013 Grad. T35 School. Top 65%, no journal. Yet very attractive resume. Prior work experience. multiple gov. internships and clinics.

I feel like once I am barred, the options will open up for me, based on my credentials.

Is this a flame? Unless the prior work experience has the word "engineer" in the title, this isn't an attractive resume. It's someone with mediocre grades from a non-elite school, no journal, no clerkship, no paid summer experience. And this assumes that you graduated in the top 35% of the class -- if you're really the "top 65%" (i.e., below median), it's bad grades plus all of the above.

Take the job. It's very likely the best offer you'll get.

No, it's not flame. You put too much stock into the intra law school competition aspect of a legal education as it relates to actual professional life. There's very little actual value created in the intra law school games, and to be successful in the long haul you need to have people skills and the ability to talk to clients and counterparties, a knack for particular industries or fields of law, and credibility. I've garnered significant collegial relationships with my professors and work colleagues, interest from big law and big fed based on those three traits. To address the point about the bar exam and my credentials, I was turned down for two positions based on not taking the bar in the state of the firm. Unfortunately, I can only take one bar at a time.


Thanks for all the input. Having seen the latest employment statistics and projections, I'll probably take it.

It's fine to take a job with the expectation that you'll lateral out. It's what everyone (well not everyone, but close) does with biglaw anyway. Being risk-adverse, I'd take it and look for other things in the meantime.

As far as whether this is a flame, the anon is correct about your resume being objectively unattractive. It appears to be your networking skills and specialization that's getting you places--not your credentials. That being said, it doesn't really matter what is getting you such interest, the only thing that matters is that you are getting such interest. In this case, I think only you can really tell how likely you are to get something you really want if you turn this offer down.

Sideways wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

2013 Grad. T35 School. Top 65%, no journal. Yet very attractive resume. Prior work experience. multiple gov. internships and clinics.

I feel like once I am barred, the options will open up for me, based on my credentials.

Is this a flame? Unless the prior work experience has the word "engineer" in the title, this isn't an attractive resume. It's someone with mediocre grades from a non-elite school, no journal, no clerkship, no paid summer experience. And this assumes that you graduated in the top 35% of the class -- if you're really the "top 65%" (i.e., below median), it's bad grades plus all of the above.

Take the job. It's very likely the best offer you'll get.

No, it's not flame. You put too much stock into the intra law school competition aspect of a legal education as it relates to actual professional life. There's very little actual value created in the intra law school games, and to be successful in the long haul you need to have people skills and the ability to talk to clients and counterparties, a knack for particular industries or fields of law, and credibility. I've garnered significant collegial relationships with my professors and work colleagues, interest from big law and big fed based on those three traits. To address the point about the bar exam and my credentials, I was turned down for two positions based on not taking the bar in the state of the firm. Unfortunately, I can only take one bar at a time.


Thanks for all the input. Having seen the latest employment statistics and projections, I'll probably take it.

You are 90% wrong, 10% right. You are not getting a big firm with your numbers ever. Yes, background and skills can make you much more attractive to a non-biglaw employer.

I would take it in a heartbeat. Of course if you are somehow a truly excellent candidate for reasons not clear here, maybe that changes.

I think you will continue to get a bit of snark in response to this thread because, based on what you've said here, you seem to have an inflated sense of confidence. Again, maybe your circumstances are unique and you will continue to get a lot of interest from employers, but it's unlikely. Frankly, most of the very desirable candidates already have jobs; if you're not in that group, the odds of your actually being an especially desirable candidate are slim and you should adjust your expectations accordingly.