Advice for Post-Fellowship Job Searches Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm currently in a fellowship that is set to end upon the completion of the 2013-2014 academic year. I graduated 2013 (top 25, top 33%, LR, MCB). I was wondering what others in fellowships typically do after they have completed their work. Would you look for firm work as a "lateral?" Conduct the job search similar to other rising 3Ls? Gov't Jobs? Looking for any advice from others who participated in any legal fellowships. Thanks

[Anonymous User]

bump

[mr. wednesday]

What are you actually doing in the fellowship and is it firm-sponsored?

[Anonymous User]

OP here, the fellowship is academically funded through a university center focusing on information privacy and cybersecurity law and policy. This is not firm funded, however, I suspect as this practice area continues to grows over time, more firms will start similar fellowships. The field is still a bit new, so I'm not aware of any firms that fund a similar fellowship.

[Anonymous User]

I was in a similar position last year, having worked for 6 months after graduation as a policy fellow. I ended up finding a job in-house, but almost all of the interviews I had were with people I had worked with during the fellowship. I also had some luck finding opportunities through informational interviews with alumni.

The few law firm interviews I had were for entry level positions, not lateral opportunities.

[Anonymous User]

Really helpful advice,

Most in-house look for experience, so how were you able to leverage your 6-month of fellowship work? Was the company already familiar with your work and who you were?

May I ask why you decided to go in-house instead of starting entry-level?

Were you're firm interviews for entry level BigLaw with similar practice areas as your fellowship, or where these small/mid firms?

Thanks again for the insight! Very helpful

[mr. wednesday]

If you want to be at a firm (and hopefully you were at one your 2L summer), you'll be applying as a first year most likely. I doubt you've done much that would be applicable to most firm practices.

If you want to be in fed government, you could look to policy positions or see if any honors programs will still allow you to apply. A few allow non-clerks/non-3Ls but certainly not all. Most city governments won't have anything in that area, except NYC. Maybe some state AG offices, depending on the state.

Basically you'll be shut out from some 3L options but not have enough practical experience to be a lateral. If you are licensed, that could help with 1st year positions, and of course if you find something policy related in that area, you'd definitely have an advantage. If you haven't already taken a bar, you probably should in feb.

[Anonymous User]

Really helpful advice,

Most in-house look for experience, so how were you able to leverage your 6-month of fellowship work? Was the company already familiar with your work and who you were?

May I ask why you decided to go in-house instead of starting entry-level?

Were you're firm interviews for entry level BigLaw with similar practice areas as your fellowship, or where these small/mid firms?

Thanks again for the insight! Very helpful

The assistant general counsel is an alumni of my school working in the same sector as my policy work. I also had work experience in that same sector prior to law school. I had talked with him about his work a couple months before my fellowship was up. Just one of those networking calls. He emailed me when the company had an opening for a junior attorney and thats how I got the interview.

The interviews I had with big firms were similar. Generally people I had met through my fellowship who knew I was looking for a job. I think it helped a lot that the policy folks I worked with were willing to go to bat for me and introduce me to people.