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I got the talk a few months ago and my firm recently took me off their website and I am officially unemployed. I'm a 4th year corporate associate from a top 6 law school and this was my second firm. Two big questions:
1. Do I have any chance a getting offers from biglaw firms or in house jobs now? What do people usually do in my position? I still have 6 figure student loan debt so I really need a steady income.
2. I have a couple of second and third round interviews coming up where my first round was before I was unemployed. I'm planning on telling them about the recent development so they don't find out on there own. Is that a good idea? Are they likely to cancel the interviews?

Honestly I might tell them about your interviews and beg them for website time to avoid a scenario where the other firms realize you were pushed out at the last minute. I don’t think it’s super likely that they would check at this stage, but I think it’s possible.

objctnyrhnr wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Honestly I might tell them about your interviews and beg them for website time to avoid a scenario where the other firms realize you were pushed out at the last minute. I don’t think it’s super likely that they would check at this stage, but I think it’s possible.

Agree with this. Convince them to put you back on the website for another couple of months while you seal the deal - it's not a huge ask and if it means you get the soft exit they presumably want for you then they should agree to this. And I'm sure you know this, but if you're officially unemployed and otherwise eligible, make sure you file for unemployment.

objctnyrhnr wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Honestly I might tell them about your interviews and beg them for website time to avoid a scenario where the other firms realize you were pushed out at the last minute. I don’t think it’s super likely that they would check at this stage, but I think it’s possible.

OP here. I already begged my firm and they said no. I literally cried on the phone after just asking nicely and professionally didn't work.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:57 pm

objctnyrhnr wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:23 pm

Honestly I might tell them about your interviews and beg them for website time to avoid a scenario where the other firms realize you were pushed out at the last minute. I don’t think it’s super likely that they would check at this stage, but I think it’s possible.

OP here. I already begged my firm and they said no. I literally cried on the phone after just asking nicely and professionally didn't work.

I'm sorry OP. What a bunch of dicks. Fuck those guys.

Our industry sure seems to brew jerks. Sorry to hear you go through this OP.

OP, you're posting anonymously. Mind outing the firm name? Maybe after you find new employment if you're worried about anything at all?

I am so sorry your firm will not increase your website time by just a few weeks. I was in the same situation as you and my firm gave me an additional 3 weeks of time as things were finally moving along by this fall.

Best wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 11:58 am

OP, you're posting anonymously. Mind outing the firm name? Maybe after you find new employment if you're worried about anything at all?

I'm still trying to get severance so I can't do that. It is a smaller NY firm.

But to ask again, what jobs should I be pursuing at this point other than in-house jobs and firms that will now insta-reject me? I am in a pretty niche transactional practice.

Do future employers even check whether potential candidates are still on their old firm's website? I personally never check. Maybe don't bring it up unless they ask?

be prepared to spend the next 4-6 months just hunting. 50% of your time should be working your network for not just referrals, but people who are willing to push your candidacy. other than that, your best bet is working with a recruiter.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 2:36 pm

Do future employers even check whether potential candidates are still on their old firm's website? I personally never check. Maybe don't bring it up unless they ask?

OP here. The problem is that I can't say they are my current employer on my resume and they'll find out if they do a reference check.

I've seen people successfully deflect any attention by doing some other job during the down time. E.g., a guy I knew went to the DA for a non-pay job. Two other guys I knew founded startups. A woman I knew started a company where she'd give presentations on diversity. Another woman worked full time for a popular political campaign. They all tacitly sold it as a voluntary thing they pursued for a short time to fulfill some ambition they had, but it was now time to go back to biglaw.

If it were me, I'd do something related to both COVID and your legal experience. That way you can say you saw a need you could fill, so you did, but now it's time to get back to what your true strengths are, or whatever.

If worst comes to worst, maybe a volunteer gig in the interim to fill the employment gap period?

I’m in government but I’ve never searched an applicants name to see if they’re on their firms website. And due to the pandemic I would assume anyone laid off right now (especially from a smaller form) was laid off for economic reasons and not due to performance.

I’m not sure if this is useful to your niche practice but regional federal agencies in NYC have had some new postings as have local/city agencies.

At my previous firm, a junior associate was laid off. The firm kept him on the website for a few months, but he did not find a job. He asked HR to keep him on the website for a few more months. HR agreed. He found a job a few weeks later.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 30, 2020 5:20 pm

At my previous firm, a junior associate was laid off. The firm kept him on the website for a few months, but he did not find a job. He asked HR to keep him on the website for a few more months. HR agreed. He found a job a few weeks later.

I mean the OP has already said that their firm won’t keep them on the website any longer.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:03 pm

I got the talk a few months ago and my firm recently took me off their website and I am officially unemployed. I'm a 4th year corporate associate from a top 6 law school and this was my second firm. Two big questions:
1. Do I have any chance a getting offers from biglaw firms or in house jobs now? What do people usually do in my position? I still have 6 figure student loan debt so I really need a steady income.
2. I have a couple of second and third round interviews coming up where my first round was before I was unemployed. I'm planning on telling them about the recent development so they don't find out on there own. Is that a good idea? Are they likely to cancel the interviews?

If it is a third round interview, they might not look you up. I would not bring this up until the actual interview and I would wait for them to ask if you are still employed. Just say, no and say it was because of COVID and your firm is smaller so it doesn't have the resources to bounce back. If they don't ask if you are employed, but ask why you are leaving, say you want to join a larger firm or some b.s. reason. I would not worry too much. For all future interviews you can use COVID as an excuse. You could definitely return to Big Law or In House Jobs. In the interim, I would apply for dock review jobs. Although you do get $800 unemployment for 11 weeks.