T30 Below Median 3L...Freaking Out, Need a Strategy Forum

[Anonymous User]

Here is my dire situation:
-No debt
-I attend one of the Boston T30s.
-GPA is 3.006, but strong upward trend as it was well below 3.0 right after my 1L year because of personal issues. 2L average was a 3.5.
-No journal.
-No Moot Court
-Did Legal Aid my 1L summer (Immigration)
-Did Legal Aid my 2L summer (Family Law)
-Did public interest internships during the school year (an immigration non-profit and at Probate and Family Court) Have amassed over 500 pro bono hours
-Doing a 10 credit Civil Litigation Clinic this fall
-Taken relevant classes like Evidence, Family Law, Immigration Legal Research, Domestic Violence & the Law, Family Court Practice, etc.
-Fluent in Spanish and Hindi

What should I be doing now to prevent myself from being forever ensconced in the Vale? Currently applying to EJW and my school's public interest OCI and fellowships. If anyone has any tips for a student in my situation, I would really appreciate it because even though it's super early, I feel as if the Vale's dark walls are closing in on me.

[Anonymous User]

You know what you need to do. Try to get a job that requires a JD. 2l grades don't matter and 3.5 is not that impressive b/c the curve is more lenient. Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

You know what you need to do. Try to get a job that requires a JD. 2l grades don't matter and 3.5 is not that impressive b/c the curve is more lenient. Good luck.

well, duh, of course i'm trying to get a jerb that requires a JD. i'm asking how to go about doing it. should i be mass mailing small immigration and family law firms like crazy right now?

[Anonymous User]

You know what you need to do. Try to get a job that requires a JD. 2l grades don't matter and 3.5 is not that impressive b/c the curve is more lenient. Good luck.

well, duh, of course i'm trying to get a jerb that requires a JD. i'm asking how to go about doing it. should i be mass mailing small immigration and family law firms like crazy right now?

Poster from above. Well, duh, whats the cost of mass mailing to "like crazy" right now? Seems obvious that, yes, you should mass mail "like crazy". Do some networking if possible. Also I don't know if you really understood what I meant when I wrote "a job that requires a JD".. apply to every job opening out there that will allow you to become a lawyer... that means not limiting yourself to immigration/family law firms.

[andythefir]

I spent a lot of time grieving a lost career after my 2L summer firm didn't hire any summers. This forum got it in my head that big firms, clerkships, and big city DA/PD offices were the only jobs for lawyers. I found the address of every DA's office in my home state and sent unsolicited applications to every one. Without spending either summer in criminal work, I had 4 offers. The DA office where I work in rural NM has Cooley, Thomas Jefferson, and Valpairaso grads. My boss told me straight up she doesn't care about grades. I know of 3 jobs that can be had by only sending in a resume. In the event that I pass the bar (and therefore don't need to use those vacancies to my advantage), I will be happy to post those jobs.

If you can only be happy in a big firm, federal clerkship, etc., then this forum's advice is accurate. If you're flexible geographically, there are jobs. My school's CDO had no idea how to get small town jobs. If you can't stand to live in rural America, then you may in fact be stuck. If you're willing to relocate to have a job, I guarantee you will find something.

[Anonymous User]

I spent a lot of time grieving a lost career after my 2L summer firm didn't hire any summers. This forum got it in my head that big firms, clerkships, and big city DA/PD offices were the only jobs for lawyers. I found the address of every DA's office in my home state and sent unsolicited applications to every one. Without spending either summer in criminal work, I had 4 offers. The DA office where I work in rural NM has Cooley, Thomas Jefferson, and Valpairaso grads. My boss told me straight up she doesn't care about grades. I know of 3 jobs that can be had by only sending in a resume. In the event that I pass the bar (and therefore don't need to use those vacancies to my advantage), I will be happy to post those jobs.

If you can only be happy in a big firm, federal clerkship, etc., then this forum's advice is accurate. If you're flexible geographically, there are jobs. My school's CDO had no idea how to get small town jobs. If you can't stand to live in rural America, then you may in fact be stuck. If you're willing to relocate to have a job, I guarantee you will find something.

yeah i am willing to relocate anywhere

[rickgrimes69]

If you can only be happy in a big firm, federal clerkship, etc., then this forum's advice is accurate. If you're flexible geographically, there are jobs. My school's CDO had no idea how to get small town jobs. If you can't stand to live in rural America, then you may in fact be stuck. If you're willing to relocate to have a job, I guarantee you will find something.

Oh did you hear that OP? andythefir guarantees you will find something. Breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge that your future is taken care of! Just be flexible and everything will be A-OK. If only somebody had given that advice to the ~50% of law grads without jobs!

[Anonymous User]

If you can only be happy in a big firm, federal clerkship, etc., then this forum's advice is accurate. If you're flexible geographically, there are jobs. My school's CDO had no idea how to get small town jobs. If you can't stand to live in rural America, then you may in fact be stuck. If you're willing to relocate to have a job, I guarantee you will find something.

Oh did you hear that OP? andythefir guarantees you will find something. Breathe a sigh of relief with the knowledge that your future is taken care of! Just be flexible and everything will be A-OK. If only somebody had given that advice to the ~50% of law grads without jobs!

yeah, i thought he was a bit too dangerously optimistic.

[A. Nony Mouse]

You know what you need to do. Try to get a job that requires a JD. 2l grades don't matter and 3.5 is not that impressive b/c the curve is more lenient. Good luck.

well, duh, of course i'm trying to get a jerb that requires a JD. i'm asking how to go about doing it. should i be mass mailing small immigration and family law firms like crazy right now?

Poster from above. Well, duh, whats the cost of mass mailing to "like crazy" right now? Seems obvious that, yes, you should mass mail "like crazy". Do some networking if possible. Also I don't know if you really understood what I meant when I wrote "a job that requires a JD".. apply to every job opening out there that will allow you to become a lawyer... that means not limiting yourself to immigration/family law firms.

I mean, I agree with the above, but I think the OP will have a much better return targeting family/immigration law firms than just applying to, say, general civil litigation firms. Their resume sounds semi-specialized, rather than generic law student fits-many-slots. That's not to say they shouldn't throw apps anywhere they can, but I think once you're outside the biglaw bubble, specialization/targeting tends to help more than it hurts.

OP, I would suggest joining the local family and immigration bar associations (and/or the relevant sections of your local bar association). Go to every possible event that they sponsor that you can, and talk to as many people in the field as you can. If there's an Inn of Court you can join, do that, and do the same. Ask people if they're willing to have coffee and give you some advice about how to break into the field. Your grades aren't going to change significantly after one more year and the classes you take aren't going to make/break you. But you have experience that's relevant to family/immigration law.

Also, while I get that not having a job lined up is scary, I don't think you're in the Vale in the way that people who targeted big firms/got no-offered are in the Vale. PI/government/legal aid people (even small law people) really rarely have a job lined up heading into 3L (unless they get a clerkship and so have more time to get a permanent job). This is normal for your chosen fields. That doesn't mean you can sit back and hope a job lands in your lap, you have to work at it, but it's way too early to panic about not getting something.

[Anonymous User]

You know what you need to do. Try to get a job that requires a JD. 2l grades don't matter and 3.5 is not that impressive b/c the curve is more lenient. Good luck.

well, duh, of course i'm trying to get a jerb that requires a JD. i'm asking how to go about doing it. should i be mass mailing small immigration and family law firms like crazy right now?

Poster from above. Well, duh, whats the cost of mass mailing to "like crazy" right now? Seems obvious that, yes, you should mass mail "like crazy". Do some networking if possible. Also I don't know if you really understood what I meant when I wrote "a job that requires a JD".. apply to every job opening out there that will allow you to become a lawyer... that means not limiting yourself to immigration/family law firms.

I mean, I agree with the above, but I think the OP will have a much better return targeting family/immigration law firms than just applying to, say, general civil litigation firms. Their resume sounds semi-specialized, rather than generic law student fits-many-slots. That's not to say they shouldn't throw apps anywhere they can, but I think once you're outside the biglaw bubble, specialization/targeting tends to help more than it hurts.

OP, I would suggest joining the local family and immigration bar associations (and/or the relevant sections of your local bar association). Go to every possible event that they sponsor that you can, and talk to as many people in the field as you can. If there's an Inn of Court you can join, do that, and do the same. Ask people if they're willing to have coffee and give you some advice about how to break into the field. Your grades aren't going to change significantly after one more year and the classes you take aren't going to make/break you. But you have experience that's relevant to family/immigration law.

Also, while I get that not having a job lined up is scary, I don't think you're in the Vale in the way that people who targeted big firms/got no-offered are in the Vale. PI/government/legal aid people (even small law people) really rarely have a job lined up heading into 3L (unless they get a clerkship and so have more time to get a permanent job). This is normal for your chosen fields. That doesn't mean you can sit back and hope a job lands in your lap, you have to work at it, but it's way too early to panic about not getting something.

Thank you! I will definitely become a student member of AILA.

[Anonymous User]

Should I also be attending CLEs?

[Drummingreg]

Should I also be attending CLEs?

I did in one of the areas i was interested in. The CLE itself is pretty useless for meeting lawyers but if they have a cocktail hour it is like an all you can network buffet.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I don't know if this sounds remotely appealing, but North Dakota and South Dakota both have an undersupply of lawyers. The unemployment rate in ND is the lowest in the country: around 2%. My school has been encouraging students with any interest in the Dakotas to apply to jobs there (also low cost of living).

[Anonymous User]

I don't know if this sounds remotely appealing, but North Dakota and South Dakota both have an undersupply of lawyers. The unemployment rate in ND is the lowest in the country: around 2%. My school has been encouraging students with any interest in the Dakotas to apply to jobs there (also low cost of living).

oh, i am certainly willing to relocate anywhere, including the boonies.

[Anonymous User]

Won't it be difficult to get to SD/ND w/o ties?

[yabadabadoo]

This is simply outrageous. You have NO debt from Boston College Law School.

You'll find something eventually; even if you take a job at a small family law firm in Newton and moonlight as a bartender/waitress you'll be clearing ~80k a year, which ya know, is good money if you have NO DEBT.

I am enraged right now; you have no business complaining.

[lonerider]

This is simply outrageous. You have NO debt from Boston College Law School.

You'll find something eventually; even if you take a job at a small family law firm in Newton and moonlight as a bartender/waitress you'll be clearing ~80k a year, which ya know, is good money if you have NO DEBT.

I am enraged right now; you have no business complaining.

Because OP either

(1) took a lower ranked school from his choices to get financial aid,
(2) delayed going to law school to earn money to pay his tuition
(3) has family who can help him out

or a combination of all three, he shouldn't go online asking for job advice. Because he could be a bartender.

[yabadabadoo]

This is simply outrageous. You have NO debt from Boston College Law School.

You'll find something eventually; even if you take a job at a small family law firm in Newton and moonlight as a bartender/waitress you'll be clearing ~80k a year, which ya know, is good money if you have NO DEBT.

I am enraged right now; you have no business complaining.

Because OP either

(1) took a lower ranked school from his choices to get financial aid,
(2) delayed going to law school to earn money to pay his tuition
(3) has family who can help him out

or a combination of all three, he shouldn't go online asking for job advice. Because he could be a bartender.

Never once did I say he shouldn't be asking for job advice. I only indicated there is no reason to "freak out," as he suggests he is in the title of this insipid post.

Quite frankly I don't understand why you have to be such a dismissive, smug twat. OP's language indicates that he is in a frenzied panic and will soon be joining the "vale of tears." That's simply outrageous. With no outstanding debt obligations, and 9 months before graduation to secure employment, what's the panic for?

A post like OP's should be reserved for someone, who, ya know, has no employment and ~150 in debt. That is scary; simply moonlighting for 3 months or so before finding fulltime legal employment simply does not warrant OPs panic.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I don't think it's really fair to criticize someone for what's an emotional reaction. Job searching is stressful and especially if you know lots of people who have jobs lined up already, it can be scary not to know what you're going to do.

That said, I agree it's early to freak out. It's only "late" to be getting a job if you were trying for biglaw through OCI and that didn't work.

[andythefir]

The judicial district where I work has had 4 jobs go unfilled for several months. Why? They have literally no resumes come in. One got filled last week with someone who didn't have a great application, in my opinion, but was seriously the only person to apply. Send a cover letter and resume to Janetta Hicks, 400 N. Virginia Suite G-2 Roswell, NM 88201, and say you want either the Hobbs NM or Carlsbad NM jobs.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't live in Hobbs or Carlsbad if I had options, which I'm sure is why they don't get many applicants. But there are jobs there and in other gross parts of states.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Won't it be difficult to get to SD/ND w/o ties?

I can't really say but given how low unemployment is I doubt it. There are not that many people with a professional background in either state and the way it's been presented to us basically you pass the bar in either state and you will work as an attorney.

[Anonymous User]

The judicial district where I work has had 4 jobs go unfilled for several months. Why? They have literally no resumes come in. One got filled last week with someone who didn't have a great application, in my opinion, but was seriously the only person to apply. Send a cover letter and resume to Janetta Hicks, 400 N. Virginia Suite G-2 Roswell, NM 88201, and say you want either the Hobbs NM or Carlsbad NM jobs.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't live in Hobbs or Carlsbad if I had options, which I'm sure is why they don't get many applicants. But there are jobs there and in other gross parts of states.

Thanks for looking out for me! I will definitely inquire about this opportunity.

[Anonymous User]

This is simply outrageous. You have NO debt from Boston College Law School.

You'll find something eventually; even if you take a job at a small family law firm in Newton and moonlight as a bartender/waitress you'll be clearing ~80k a year, which ya know, is good money if you have NO DEBT.

I am enraged right now; you have no business complaining.

Sorry for being insensitive; I realize I'm in a better situation than most. I said "dire situation" to refer to my shitty GPA, which I calculated as being in the bottom 10% of the class. I have C grades on my transcript.

[Anonymous User]

Is taking Tax I important if I want to go into family law?

[mirage1287]

Is taking Tax I important if I want to go into family law?

Just curious, but why aren't you asking your CSO about things like this instead of relying on an anonymous Internet board comprised of mostly law students?