Continue Low Pay Work or Job Search Full Time? Forum

[Anonymous User]

TL;DR: I’m working as a law clerk at no expense to the firm (see below) and want to write a cover letter requesting an offer to become an associate. I’m from the area and have developed a strong working relationship with 4-5 attorneys here, but I know the firm isn’t doing great business-wise. I can also obtain future grants and am wondering whether I should include this in my cover letter. Any recommendations?

I couldn't find permanent employment after graduation so I elected to apply for a grant program. In short, the school pays me $1,000 a month to work at a firm of my choosing (what firm wouldn't accept free labor?), the firm pays me nothing, and I'm an independent contractor that clerks at the firm. In other words, it's an exchange of free labor for experience for my resume, networking, and minimal funds to get by until student loans are due.

I was luckily able to get a grant approved to work at what is likely the most reputable firm in my hometown (think small town like Scranton, Youngstown, Roanoke, etc). It's a good mid-sized firm (about 20+ attorneys) and I've really enjoyed working here the past two months. More importantly, the firm truly does have a great work-life balance and essentially allow associates to build whatever practice they want within the confines of the firm's infrastructure.

This grant funding expires at the end of November, and I'm certainly not guaranteed future employment. I'm in the process of drafting a cover letter to the Board requesting an offer to become an associate. I'm having a lot of trouble writing this so I'm looking for some help.

Here’s a few specifics about the firm and my brief here tenure thus far:

-Like I said, I really want to work at this firm. There really aren't any other jobs in the area and I really don't want to move away from home again (family, girlfriend, best friends all live here).
-I’ve developed a steady stream of work from 4-5 attorneys that's kept me reasonably busy.
-I'm from the area (actually grew up in the same neighborhood as several of the attorneys here), so I'd like to market that I'm a local guy that can eventually acquire a client base.
-The attorney I work most closely with is retiring in two years, and he wants me to study under him and transition into representing his clients. If it were his choice, I’d already be hired.
-But, the firm hasn’t hired an associate since 2009, and...
-Like most firms, the firm isn’t doing great business-wise. It’s “just getting by,” as one attorney here put it to me.

So here comes the conundrum: more grant funding is available in December (I can essentially keep getting these grants until April). On the one hand, I really want this to work out and am considering workng here for four more months under a grant relationship. On the other, I feel like I'm selling myself short and should suck it up and move to the bigger cities that are about 1.5-2 hours away (I think I have pretty good qualifications, but what do I know).

Do you have any recommendations about my cover letter? I know the firm isn't doing great, so how can I position myself as an asset to the firm? Should I inform the firm about future grants? How do I not come off as desperate? And if they don't extend an associate offer, should I just quit and job search full time?

Thanks for your help.

[AreJay711]

I'm not sure a letter is the best way to approach this. I think you should talk to the attorneys you work with and directly indicate your interest. Tell them that there is work for you to do and why you want to work for them. Ask them how to proceed. I don't think your cover letter doesn't need to cover much ground -- they already know you.

As for whether you go to the city, why do you need to apply first? Just send out applications.

[sgoodman]

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[Anonymous User]

OP here. I left out that the attorney I work most closely with is not on the Board (he's been here 35 years, but is beginning to phase out of the firm and only works about 4-6 hours a day). He recommended that I write a letter to the Board because they do things pretty formally here.

So, I think a cover letter is necessary. I'm just stuck on the language and what to put in it.