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So, I'm a 1L at a T20 school, and the job market still sucks. Next year I will be able to pick my classes and have a lot more freedom to pursue clinics, externships etc....I love studying the law and don't really have a preference yet of what type of law I want to practice. It all seems interesting too me (for now).

Other then getting good grades (Right now I am almost top 1/3 and expect to be so by the end of this semester.) What can somebody like me do to improve their employment prospects at graduation. I know an internship for the summer is essential (I am in the process of securing one) as well as networking.

are there any legal fields that are doing better then others? Are there any particular classes that look good to employers? anything else i can do in the next two years that can benefit me?

Network/Hustle

bk187 wrote:Network/Hustle

This, and take easy classes. You can go from top 1/3rd to top 10% by the end of 3L. Even top 1/3rd to top 25% makes a big difference.

How would you figure out which classes are easy? You can talk to other students, sure, but.

I'd recommend reaching out to alumni, though. The ones who have jobs are usually helpful and friendly.

Metaread wrote:How would you figure out which classes are easy? You can talk to other students, sure, but.

I'd recommend reaching out to alumni, though. The ones who have jobs are usually helpful and friendly.

My scool publishes grade curve by class and professor. If op's school does that, that could work.

looking at grade distribution is actually a great idea. Thanks:D

how to improve job prospects?

Transfer to HYS. HTH.

InGoodFaith wrote:

how to improve job prospects?

Transfer to HYS. HTH.

get a fucking MBA from HBS.

dood wrote:

InGoodFaith wrote:

how to improve job prospects?

Transfer to HYS. HTH.

get a fucking MBA from HBS.

TITCR

Aside from the obvious (grades): networking, hustling, and learning how to interview well is TCR.

yes, i know the general ways to make yourself marketable. this isnt really specic to the legal field,. hustling/interviewing/grades are the main criteria wherever you go. I was asking more about specific little things that can improve marketability (such as taking certain classes/clincs having externships...stuff like that)

stolli wrote:yes, i know the general ways to make yourself marketable. this isnt really specic to the legal field,. hustling/interviewing/grades are the main criteria wherever you go. I was asking more about specific little things that can improve marketability (such as taking certain classes/clincs having externships...stuff like that)

I have heard clinics and externships can lead to jobs.

Load up your resume with stuff others dont have. Clinics, internships during the year, journals, moot court, mock trial, etc.

The "general things" are mentioned as often as they are because they are the most (and really only) important things. A Westlaw "black belt" isn't going to get your foot in the door somewhere, and firms aren't going to place an enormous amount of value on whatever externship you had. Get the best grades you can, try to get a legal job somewhere after your 1L year, and work with a career counselor to make your resume, writing sample, etc., etc., as air-tight as it can possibly be.

Interviewing skills are a fantastic way to separate yourself from you classmates and can make a world of difference. Again: learning how to interview really well can make a huge, huge difference.

Excellent advice above. I would add, learn the difference between then and than. Some attention to the difference between to and too will also help you along the way.

Interviewing skills are a fantastic way to separate yourself from you classmates and can make a world of difference. Again: learning how to interview really well can make a huge, huge difference.

Making a good first impression can be more important than being in the top 10%.

Look for opportunities to do pro bono work that will put you in contact with local attorneys and judges.
Getting a job still depends on who you know.

Yvonnella wrote:Excellent advice above. I would add, learn the difference between then and than. Some attention to the difference between to and too will also help you along the way.

Yes, and always take the time to point out people's grammar mistakes in casual conversation. Nothing says "I'm a fun employee!" like grammar correction outside of formal editing.

spleenworship wrote:

Yvonnella wrote:Excellent advice above. I would add, learn the difference between then and than. Some attention to the difference between to and too will also help you along the way.

Yes, and always take the time to point out people's grammar mistakes in casual conversation. Nothing says "I'm a fun employee!" like grammar correction outside of formal editing.

I was sincerely trying to be helpful. The OP misapplied the word "then" twice in one brief post. This tells me that he or she is careless and/or may not be clear on the difference. People who are clear on the difference don't make that mistake often, and certainly not twice, even when writing casually on an internet forum. It looks illiterate. If you want to find a job as an attorney, little mistakes like that in a cover letter may tell prospective employers that you do not have the eye for detail that an attorney should have, and your fundamental command of the written language may be lacking. If this had been a casual conversation about which brand of beer drunken law students most favor when dumping it over each other's heads, I would not have said anything.

Yvonnella wrote:I was sincerely trying to be helpful. The OP misapplied the word "then" twice in one brief post. This tells me that he or she is careless and/or may not be clear on the difference. People who are clear on the difference don't make that mistake often, and certainly not twice, even when writing casually on an internet forum. It looks illiterate. If you want to find a job as an attorney, little mistakes like that in a cover letter may tell prospective employers that you do not have the eye for detail that an attorney should have, and your fundamental command of the written language may be lacking. If this had been a casual conversation about which brand of beer drunken law students most favor when dumping it over each other's heads, I would not have said anything.

+1
Feel free not to like this fact, but people judge you based on your writing. And if they're assessing whether to hire you as a lawyer, they damn well should.

You could try reading the tips on http://lawschoolfail.blogspot.com, which has some interesting advice.

Otherwise, visit career services, do internships all the time, meet people, and try to have fun learning the black letter law