CA T30 grad, bottom 10 percent, uemployed, retire? Forum

[Anonymous User]

T30 graduate
Unemployed...been job searching for 3 months
Bottom 10 percent
No significant work experience, very young in age
Just 1L and 2L summer gigs
CA Licensed
No debt
Interests:Anything to do with criminal law, torts and I wouldn't mind real estate. I honestly wouldn't mind a 50K/year job with the PD office. I would love to get into criminal defense and I wouldn't mind working unpaid for a few months either.

1. First off, I sometime dread doing legal research and writing. I can write, but I still struggle with Lexis and Westlaw. Would I focus on doing more transactional work then? I think I got into the wrong profession if I don't like to research and write a lot. I don't mind doing a bit of it though.

2. What resources should I use for job searching for BOTH LEGAL AND NONLEGAL JOBS? I am using monster, indeed, lawjobs, careerbuilder, craigslist...etc, but all these job opportunities require MINIMUM 1 year of legal experience after graduation. I have zero post graduate work experience. Where do I find that one year?

3. Getting my real estate license in CA is another option if law doesnt pan out. I hear I don't have to take the required coursework(due to my JD and license) and all I have to do is take the real estate exam and thats it?

4. What other career options(with a JD) if I can't find a legal job?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Honestly, I don't think there's nearly as much writing/research in (most) criminal law as in (most) civil. What were your 1L and 2L gigs?

[DUBcity]

T30 graduate
Unemployed...been job searching for 3 months
Bottom 10 percent
No significant work experience, very young in age
Just 1L and 2L summer gigs
CA Licensed
No debt
Interests:Anything to do with criminal law, torts and I wouldn't mind real estate. I honestly wouldn't mind a 50K/year job with the PD office. I would love to get into criminal defense and I wouldn't mind working unpaid for a few months either.

1. First off, I sometime dread doing legal research and writing. I can write, but I still struggle with Lexis and Westlaw. Would I focus on doing more transactional work then? I think I got into the wrong profession if I don't like to research and write a lot. I don't mind doing a bit of it though.

2. What resources should I use for job searching for BOTH LEGAL AND NONLEGAL JOBS? I am using monster, indeed, lawjobs, careerbuilder, craigslist...etc, but all these job opportunities require MINIMUM 1 year of legal experience after graduation. I have zero post graduate work experience. Where do I find that one year?

3. Getting my real estate license in CA is another option if law doesnt pan out. I hear I don't have to take the required coursework(due to my JD and license) and all I have to do is take the real estate exam and thats it?

4. What other career options(with a JD) if I can't find a legal job?

1. Unless you can work some connections, you probably (read:90%+) won't get a job as a lawyer regardless of what type.
2. ETA: legal aid clinics
3. 99.9% of ppl here aren't a credible source to answer the real estate specific questions. RE license or certs or exams I don't have the knowledge to speak on specifically. You could get another degree that usually ends up working with a lawyer (i.e. accountants need attorneys, but you could do both if you had a CPA). I personally think this is a dumb idea. you're grades don't invoke confidence that you'll graduate in a favorable position from another grad school and even if they did, throwing away more money on school is probably dumb. The first quarter mil didn't get you a job, don't expect the next to either.
4. most ppl hate hiring lawyers. everyone cuts corners and the last thing they need is an employee who knows the law detailing all grey activities and suing later. Best bet is find someone who owns a small company that needs a position filled and usually hires a lawyer when he needs one - but is of the variety that hates to hire them and tries to avoid those costs. Then offer rudimentary legal advice and help for free and work the position offered. Just my .02

you have an uphill battle to salvage the expended time and money for your JD. best advice possible = don't get caught up trying to salvage the degree - salvage your career instead. Look for all kinds of jobs, not discriminating jobs based on how much legal aspects they have but picking the best one for a stable career- whether or not it involves law. Sooner or later (if you don't suck) you should move into a position within that field that would allow your JD to become an asset. You'll have to keep current with legal stuff until then but that is much better than trying to find any way to utilize a JD that might end up being worthless for the first 20 years of your career. gluck

[ResIpsa21]

If you're interested in criminal defense, have you considered taking on court-appointed cases? I'm not sure of the requirements for this in CA, but if you can become eligible (maybe requires training and a certification?) you could take on misdemeanor cases and get some good experience. Once you have the fundamentals of criminal procedure down, criminal defense doesn't require much legal research or writing for each case. You file boilerplate motions (as a tactical matter, so as not to give away too much of your argument to the prosecution) and the bulk of your success comes during oral arguments, during plea negotiations, and at trial.

[mw115]

This is the list of panel rep's for fed courts.

http://www.uscourts.gov/FederalCourts/A ... ectory.pdf

[objctnyrhnr]

1. get good at WL and lexis...extend your memberships

2. use your free time to publish something in a 4th tier school's secondary journal. this will also help you with the research aspect.

3. apply to public sector research and writing jobs and don't tell them that you suck[ed] at research and writing.


I am assuming you either missed the boat or did not get any of those CA DA's office one year clerk things?

[Anonymous User]

Maybe I rushed into law school, but I realized how much legal writing scares me. When I hear of attorneys writing 90 page complaints and motion after motion...Every lawyer will need to do some writing, but I can't imagine myself sitting behind a desk on lexis/westlaw and typing away for hours.

That is great to hear that there isn't AS MUCH legal research and writing in criminal law. More court appearances and oral arguments? However, even PD offices are so competitive so I guess I don't know where to begin.

[DUBcity]

Maybe I rushed into law school, but I realized how much legal writing scares me. When I hear of attorneys writing 90 page complaints and motion after motion...Every lawyer will need to do some writing, but I can't imagine myself sitting behind a desk on lexis/westlaw and typing away for hours.

That is great to hear that there isn't AS MUCH legal research and writing in criminal law. More court appearances and oral arguments? However, even PD offices are so competitive so I guess I don't know where to begin.

just fyi usually when lawyers write those large 90+pg documents they work in groups. Not nearly as daunting of a task as it may initially appear.

[Anonymous User]

Maybe I rushed into law school, but I realized how much legal writing scares me. When I hear of attorneys writing 90 page complaints and motion after motion...Every lawyer will need to do some writing, but I can't imagine myself sitting behind a desk on lexis/westlaw and typing away for hours.

That is great to hear that there isn't AS MUCH legal research and writing in criminal law. More court appearances and oral arguments? However, even PD offices are so competitive so I guess I don't know where to begin.

You need to begin by volunteering at a PD office. I am still in school but I have been at a CA PD office and I know that some of the less desirable areas (think Central Valley) would probably be pretty into the idea of a volunteer attorney. If anything you build experience, make connections and maybe take on a court approved cases.

As a summer I have done a lot of research and writing but I have also found it to be pretty dang interesting.

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/students/ca ... gGuide.pdf

There was a more updated version that Davis I think did but the link doesn't seem to be working. Maybe start with that. Good Luck.