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It seems a bit gloomy on the horizon for 2010 graduates. What is the prediction for the job market in 2013? Share any evidence you are basing your answer on if possible. Also, where will the jobs be? Midwest? Southern states? Eastern Atlantic? West (except CA)? California?

I don't see it getting worse than 2009/2010.

I think it'll be far better than 2009 / 2010, but I don't think we'll see 2007 levels for some time.

There will be a natural built up demand for legal services, and it'll come out over the next two years. During this recession, many large projects (debt issuances, M&A, real estate transactions) have been put on hold.

I voted worse.

I assume because you're talking 3 years down the road you're talking about non-BigLaw jobs, because BigLaw jobs for the class of 2013 are only 1 year away, not 3. So for all the other legal jobs out there, there's a glut of unemployed lawyers, many from top schools, waiting to snatch up jobs that open up. The backlog of law students is only going to get worse and worse as time drags on, so by 2013 I'm guessing it's going to be extremely difficult to get any small-firm or PI/gov't job that opens up, especially if it's a good job.

I think people have grossly underestimated how severe this problem is.

Even if the market turns around in 2011 / 2012, this will not impact OCI for the c/o 2013. There will be a couple year lag.

I'll believe better when I see it. However I don't think it'll get worse.

Then again, lawyers are terrible business people, even worse managers and even worse economists.

What about lawyers going into business? Wouldn't they have a stronger business sense?

chadwick218 wrote:Even if the market turns around in 2011 / 2012, this will not impact OCI for the c/o 2013. There will be a couple year lag.

And I think firms will be more cautious. But I think deferrals screwed class of 2011 much more severely than 2012 or 2013 will be screwed.

Nowhere near class of 08 levels.

At what point was it great (as far as obtaining a high paying job out of law school)? 2008? or was it more like 2005?

mommamia wrote:At what point was it great (as far as obtaining a high paying job out of law school)? 2008? or was it more like 2005?

People at T18 were golden until OCI in 2008. People outside the T18 were always marginal for high-paying jobs out of LS.