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I am a recent graduate with no jobs and some partners that I have cold-emailed have asked me if I would be interested in contract work - firm size varies from 100 attorneys to 500 attorneys (but a smaller office). They don't have anything going on at this moment, but they will contact me when an opportunity comes along. (but it does sound real (with a long email response) and they ask me to apply again in summer)

What does this mean by "contract work"? Are they interested in hiring me so they want to test-drive me like a summer asso? Or do they just need hands from time to time? Do large law firms make a hiring decision AFTER they test-drive recent graduates who didn't do summer at the firm? I am not from one of T14.

Any anecdotes would be appreciated. Please do not respond like it varies. (I know hiring needs really depend on the situation. I just want to understand the situation)

I'm not sure i think it's a good idea if you can sustain yourself financially without doing K work.

From my experience, lawyers are INCREDIBLY hierarchical. The partners/associates tend to look down on staff attorneys and contract attorneys. I personally don't have this mentality but have observed it all over the place.

I think if you're a K attorney, you'll still be marketable for small law associate positions, but it would be a very hard sell for biglaw (though your shot at biglaw now is also going to be tough).

I'm not sure I'm convinced they're test driving you like they would a summer - it's rare enough to make the transition from staff attorney to associate, let alone K attorney to associate. They probably have doc review they need done.

I have a friend (T14 classmate) who did K work, and she's been doing it for 2 years now. I sort of suspect it's locked her out of more long term employment. I know a few other people who did it too, and one left the legal field entirely to do consulting, another got a job at a bank, another got a small firm associate position, and one got a state trial court clerkship.

OP here. Thanks for the response.

Partners who responded to my cold emailing about contract work encourage me to apply in summer again ( I guess when they hire summer associates) so I thought they would be interested in test-driving me.

So I guess I shouldn't put a value on this type of suggestion?