$20/Hr post-grad private firm law clerk gig... How to transfer experience to real job at another firm? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I posted a thread about three months ago being offered $20/hr as a post-grad law clerk at a firm near LA. Shitstorm ensued and everyone discouraged me from taking the job because it was disrespectfully low. I took the gig for the experience, and experience i got. I was able to do some cool stuff like write motions, complaints, and appellate briefs (including doc review). Not a lot, but at least one or two of each. I don't feel like I am doing anything I haven't learned in law school anyway, so it was good knowing I could handle it.

So with meager 3 months or so experience that I will get here by November 20 (CA Bar result), how can I sell myself to real firms paying reasonable pay after passing the bar? I'd appreciate any insight into application/cover letter strategy. my guess is that firms won't be hiring in December and I will likely have to wait until their spring hiring. That would net me possibly 5-6 months of substantive work experience.

[zot1]

I'm not sure there's an answer beyond emphasize your experience in resume and cover letter.

[Bron Burgundy]

You've got a 3 month head start on the other job applicants who have been sitting on their couches all day while waiting for bar results. While that is not exactly going to make employers jump to hire you, you can emphasize the little things you learned in drafting your motions and complaints. The little things like knowing the formatting requirements of the motion or the notice requirements or how to draft a complaint that won't get demurred will put you miles ahead of your competition.

I was in your position a year ago and emphasizing the little things I learned in my post-grad law clerk position was one of the ways I sold myself to my current employer. That is one less thing that they will have to teach you and trust me, there are a lot of things that your partners will have to teach you in your first year. So going back to your question, you should emphasize that you already have a little experience and that you essentially have a running start into your future attorney position.

Also, firms of all sizes are hiring all the time when their need comes up. I got my job a week after I found out that I passed the bar. You just have to hustle and apply to every job that fits your qualifications and sounds reasonable. Good luck on your job search and let me know if I can answer any other questions for you.

[Anonymous User]

How did you get this position in the first place?

[Bron Burgundy]

How did you get this position in the first place?

I got my current job by applying to a job posting on my school's symplicity website. Same with the law clerk position. I must've applied to 50+ postings and went to a handful of interviews before landing my job.