I am a 2016 graduate of a t-10 law school, clerked for a federal judge and am now at my second law firm (first firm was V15, current firm is V100). Litigation, don't like it, won't miss it.
No debt, modest (mid five-figure) savings, paid off car, a small(er by the day) retirement account.
Trying to get a policy job in L.A. (would be happy being a staffer to city councilmember/supervisor), open to think tanks, or anything else in that field.
So far I've just been emailing chiefs of staffs / people in that industry.
Does anybody have any idea on what else I could do / jobs I should be looking at / people I should be talking to?
Is an MPP necessary?
Pivoting from Biglaw to Policy Career Forum
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LBJ's Hair
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Re: Pivoting from Biglaw to Policy Career
Feel like MPP isn't necessary, but could have value here. Usefulness of MPP is partly credential, but also the year (or so) it gives you to make this transition in a deliberate way?
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Lurk2020
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Re: Pivoting from Biglaw to Policy Career
MPP isn’t strictly necessary- it would just give you time to do volunteer internships in that space to develop a network or demonstrate that you understand the policy area.
Do you have experience in the policy area you are interested in? You’ve been a litigator for a bit now, but is there anything pre-law you’ve done? Have you written op Eds/letters to the editor to show you are still engaged? Do you volunteer with a charity focused on that space? Serve on a board for one? There will be a learning curve going into a policy shop, but you want to demonstrate that you already have insight and understanding of the issue area apart from just having a subscription to The NY Times.
Have you been involved in local politics at all? Helping out with a campaign can get you introduced to office holders and staffers.
Are there any fellowships you could do in LA? Might be too far out of school for some but worth exploring.
The coffees you are hopefully exploring with your emails to chiefs of staff can be another good venue to better understand how shops operate and are structured so that you can craft your approach appropriately.
The more time you have to network, meet people to understand what the job entails, and create a few good impressions, then the more time you have for a job to come along. I assume you aren’t trying to go for an entry level gig - that means it will probably take a bit more than just submitting a resume to get your foot in the door of an elected’s Office. Networks can matter here with office staff numbers usually fairly small for a city council member (may be different in a huge city like LA).
Also may be worth exploring state and local agencies that work on your policy area of interest.
Do you have experience in the policy area you are interested in? You’ve been a litigator for a bit now, but is there anything pre-law you’ve done? Have you written op Eds/letters to the editor to show you are still engaged? Do you volunteer with a charity focused on that space? Serve on a board for one? There will be a learning curve going into a policy shop, but you want to demonstrate that you already have insight and understanding of the issue area apart from just having a subscription to The NY Times.
Have you been involved in local politics at all? Helping out with a campaign can get you introduced to office holders and staffers.
Are there any fellowships you could do in LA? Might be too far out of school for some but worth exploring.
The coffees you are hopefully exploring with your emails to chiefs of staff can be another good venue to better understand how shops operate and are structured so that you can craft your approach appropriately.
The more time you have to network, meet people to understand what the job entails, and create a few good impressions, then the more time you have for a job to come along. I assume you aren’t trying to go for an entry level gig - that means it will probably take a bit more than just submitting a resume to get your foot in the door of an elected’s Office. Networks can matter here with office staff numbers usually fairly small for a city council member (may be different in a huge city like LA).
Also may be worth exploring state and local agencies that work on your policy area of interest.
