How to parlay 3L Class taught by adjunct into a job? Forum

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How to parlay 3L Class taught by adjunct into a job?

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:04 pm

At one of CLS/NYU so there are always biglaw adjuncts who teach or coteach classes.

1. Obviously, one'd have to ace the adjunct's class to even broach the topic with the adjunct. But assuming this hurdle is cleared:

2. Would the class have to be a seminar instead of a huge lecture hall class where I'm just one of a sea of faces, where each student is coldcalled at most twice the entire semester, and hand-raising is extremely awkward/discouraged?

3. Should I wait until early 2017, when grades come back so I can see if I had aced it to determine if it's even worth asking, or should I bring it up during one of many regular trips to office hours during the fall?

4. Finally, wouldn't it be awkward to reveal to the adjunct that I'm still on the market? I'm thinking that if I mention it before grades come back, an adjunct teaching a non-blind seminar would subconsciously think there's something wrong with me and discount my work's quality. And yes this presumes that the work will be good in absolute terms which is no guarantee but work with me here.

RW65

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Re: How to parlay 3L Class taught by adjunct into a job?

Post by RW65 » Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:12 pm

Step 1: Do very well in the class.

Step 2: Build a relationship with the adjunct. Go to office hours, participate in class. Stand out, in a good way.

Step 3: After grades come out, assuming you did well, reach out to discuss to discuss the job market and get advice. Don't ask for a job, just ask what advice he/she has for a 3L who is still looking. At that point, if they like you and think that you would be a good candidate, they might try to help you. They might also know of other positions that aren't posted.

If you don't end up getting a job through this you should still keep in touch. You never know when they're going to need someone.

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Re: How to parlay 3L Class taught by adjunct into a job?

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:30 pm

RW65 wrote:Step 1: Do very well in the class.

Step 2: Build a relationship with the adjunct. Go to office hours, participate in class. Stand out, in a good way.

Step 3: After grades come out, assuming you did well, reach out to discuss to discuss the job market and get advice. Don't ask for a job, just ask what advice he/she has for a 3L who is still looking. At that point, if they like you and think that you would be a good candidate, they might try to help you. They might also know of other positions that aren't posted.

If you don't end up getting a job through this you should still keep in touch. You never know when they're going to need someone.
Thanks. Have you done this yourself, or seen it work?
1. All else being equal, for someone in my position, an adjunct teaching/coteaching some practice-related class is more helpful than some tenured Prof who's been a doctrinal (ConLaw, Property, etc) expert for decades, right?
2. Assuming adjunct: seminars over lecture hall style classes? Or doesn't matter?

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