What practice groups are in demand?

[Anonymous User]

Hi, all. Getting ready to craft my cover letter. I am going to put in some practice areas that I am interested in. Any suggestions for a practice area (except IP) that is in high demand? Or will this not help all that much?

[Anonymous User]

Restructuring junior here.

I get endlessly bombarded with recruiting emails and calls, so restructuring for sure (sorry if that’s obvious).

[Anonymous User]

Restructuring junior here.

I get endlessly bombarded with recruiting emails and calls, so restructuring for sure (sorry if that’s obvious).

I've never heard of that, so not obvious. Does someone need a big business background for that? After doing a quick Google search, it seems pretty interesting.

[Anonymous User]

I'd honestly be general as possible if you're applying for jobs - like corporate or litigation. Doesn't really help to pigeonhole yourself early, especially if you don't know anything about those fields.

[Anonymous User]

Hi, all. Getting ready to craft my cover letter. I am going to put in some practice areas that I am interested in. Any suggestions for a practice area (except IP) that is in high demand? Or will this not help all that much?

There are a few things (extremely) wrong with this approach.

Specifically calling out a practice area will likely lead to a question about why you want to be in that practice area, a question that 99% of law students cannot answer well. If you try and lie through it, unless it's subject matter you're familiar with, it will be obvious and a bad look.

If the interviewing attorney likes you, they may ask "Would you be interested in [___] practice area? We have some need we will need to fill." Much better to emphasize your strengths and be guided towards the right result than forcing the issue.

In addition, just because there is a generalized need for certain practice groups doesn't mean that every firm is doing a lot of work in that area. If you tell STB for example that you're dying to do some L&E work (a field which is hot right now), you'll look silly because even though it's hot right now, STB might not be doing a ton of L&E work (compared to a shop like Reed Smith).

[Anonymous User]

Labor & employment is pretty much always in demand. And its not cyclical or economy-dependent. Even in the worst of times, L&E lawyers are the ones counseling on the reductions in force, drafting the separation agreements, and navigating the thorniest workplace issues. Plus its not just firm demand. L&E is one of the best pathways if you eventually want to go in-house. Once I hit around 5th year at my firm, I was getting quite a few calls about in-house openings, including calls straight from the companies themselves at times.

[trebekismyhero]

I'd honestly be general as possible if you're applying for jobs - like corporate or litigation. Doesn't really help to pigeonhole yourself early, especially if you don't know anything about those fields.

Agreed. OP, assuming you're a 3L right now, you have no experience, so apply for everything broadly. No need to call out a specific practice area in your cover letter unless you're applying for an open position in that practice area

[bajablast]

Restructuring junior here.

I get endlessly bombarded with recruiting emails and calls, so restructuring for sure (sorry if that’s obvious).

I've never heard of that, so not obvious. Does someone need a big business background for that? After doing a quick Google search, it seems pretty interesting.

You do not. Many restructuring attorneys, like other types of attorneys, majored in the liberal arts. I was interviewing for jobs before the Covid-recession, when the economy was going gang-busters, and firms still basically auto-offered me simply for saying I wanted to do restructuring. Unless everyone applying for law firm jobs are pretending to be interested in bankruptcy right now, this practice has to be at the top of the list.