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Failed the bar and lost my job.

Besides Simplicity, Indeed, and LinkedIn, where else should I be looking for jobs?

I'm sure this is asked a lot and I don't mind if this thread gets pruned, but can I be pointed in the right direction? I wasn't expecting this, and now I have no idea what I'm doing anymore.

You're currently a 3L who somehow got to take the bar early, before graduation? You aren't in a bad position at all. Employers won't even know (and you should definitely not volunteer) that you've already taken and failed the bar; they'll simply assume you're planning to take the July (or is it now September) 2020 bar along with the rest of the class of 2020.

(Of course, if an employer asks you point-blank whether you've taken the bar, you should be 100% honest. But taking the bar pre-graduation is so unusual and rare that I can't imagine any employer would even think to ask the question; they'd simply assume you haven't taken the bar yet.)

Simply make no mention on your resume of having taken the bar, and hustle for jobs just like any other 3L. What kinds of work are you looking for?

QContinuum wrote:You're currently a 3L who somehow got to take the bar early, before graduation? You aren't in a bad position at all. Employers won't even know (and you should definitely not volunteer) that you've already taken and failed the bar; they'll simply assume you're planning to take the July (or is it now September) 2020 bar along with the rest of the class of 2020.

(Of course, if an employer asks you point-blank whether you've taken the bar, you should be 100% honest. But taking the bar pre-graduation is so unusual and rare that I can't imagine any employer would even think to ask the question; they'd simply assume you haven't taken the bar yet.)

Simply make no mention on your resume of having taken the bar, and hustle for jobs just like any other 3L. What kinds of work are you looking for?

Anything will do, but preferably a law firm. I'm in a state that let's you take the bar early and my employer paid for it, so I knew they would find out and didn't hide it.

Sorry to hear that you lost your job because of this.

By law firm, do you mean biglaw or mid law? If biglaw, the only realistic channels this late into 3L are probably symplicity postings for specific positions.

Can't you just take it again? Unless the firm was looking for an excuse to cut people anyway, I can't imagine this becoming an issue.

notinbiglaw wrote:Can't you just take it again? Unless the firm was looking for an excuse to cut people anyway, I can't imagine this becoming an issue.

Sounds like OP's firm paid for/knew they were taking the bar in Feb. and may have made their employment contingent on them passing the bar (which sucks).

Have you checked out the "legal job board" tab on TLS? That might be a good place to start. Your state bar website might have some great positions available too. HiringPartner is a free legal job board you can check out. Another legal job board is LawCrossing.com.

Those would be the places I would start
-Megan

I thought this site did a great job of compiling job openings at the big law firms (https://www.gobiglaw.com/)

Check the BYU reciprocity job board or see if your school has access to job postings from other law schools.

Check your state bar's website because they should have job postings.

Flarmanarnar wrote:

notinbiglaw wrote:Can't you just take it again? Unless the firm was looking for an excuse to cut people anyway, I can't imagine this becoming an issue.

Sounds like OP's firm paid for/knew they were taking the bar in Feb. and may have made their employment contingent on them passing the bar (which sucks).

Don't want to specify anything about the firm, but this is right. I'll just take the advice of not even telling anyone I took it already.

AdminMegan wrote:Have you checked out the "legal job board" tab on TLS? That might be a good place to start. Your state bar website might have some great positions available too. HiringPartner is a free legal job board you can check out. Another legal job board is LawCrossing.com.

Those would be the places I would start
-Megan

The job board was the first place I checked before I came here but I realize until now that it's active/has recent entry level positions I'll be using that and thinking of some of the others. Not sure what luck I'll have since I have to retake the bar, but thank you.

legalese_retard wrote:I thought this site did a great job of compiling job openings at the big law firms (https://www.gobiglaw.com/)

Check the BYU reciprocity job board or see if your school has access to job postings from other law schools.

Check your state bar's website because they should have job postings.

I don't know how I got to the end of law school without knowing about some of these sites.

Thank you everyone.