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Lots of the folks in my graduating class are whining about not being able to find associate positions.
I am working at it, but it gets rather depressing. See this article about what it takes to get a job in this market --
members.aol.com/Ethesis/mw3/oth5d.htm
Should I discourage my cousin who is considering going to law school if she can't get into a top tier school?
Or, do you think that the market is really not that bad, and the internet is fully of whiners because they have time to post, since they are unemployed?
www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp
Or this quote, from Vault.com, which offers "career info"
"Contract Attorney" -
Advice to Jobseekers -
Do not consider this field. Do not go to law school, unless it is an Ivy League school or if you have the connections to guarantee you a job upon your graduation. Otherwise, it is a collosal waste of time and money. There are too many unemployed lawyers, and, as a result, the starting salaries have tumbled into the $28 - $40K per year range. That is a non-living wage (in NYC) folks. And for that, you will be absolutely busting your ass. Ignore the dumb-ass shows on TV that show how glamorous it is to be a "young lawyer." The reality is, it sucks. ALL of my friends who barely graduated from college are making way more money than me -- building houses, selling mortgages, etc. -- and their quality of life is WAY better. Go into the health professions, or computer sciences, of financial arena, but don't waste your precious life on a law career. It's not worth it.
Are we all just SOL?
I am working at it, but it gets rather depressing. See this article about what it takes to get a job in this market --
members.aol.com/Ethesis/mw3/oth5d.htm
Should I discourage my cousin who is considering going to law school if she can't get into a top tier school?
Or, do you think that the market is really not that bad, and the internet is fully of whiners because they have time to post, since they are unemployed?
www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp
Or this quote, from Vault.com, which offers "career info"
"Contract Attorney" -
Advice to Jobseekers -
Do not consider this field. Do not go to law school, unless it is an Ivy League school or if you have the connections to guarantee you a job upon your graduation. Otherwise, it is a collosal waste of time and money. There are too many unemployed lawyers, and, as a result, the starting salaries have tumbled into the $28 - $40K per year range. That is a non-living wage (in NYC) folks. And for that, you will be absolutely busting your ass. Ignore the dumb-ass shows on TV that show how glamorous it is to be a "young lawyer." The reality is, it sucks. ALL of my friends who barely graduated from college are making way more money than me -- building houses, selling mortgages, etc. -- and their quality of life is WAY better. Go into the health professions, or computer sciences, of financial arena, but don't waste your precious life on a law career. It's not worth it.
Are we all just SOL?
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SF Bay Area
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Wed, January 9, 2008 - 5:00 PMIf it makes you feel any better, folks were saying the same thing when I graduated.
Having said that, it took me about 9 months after being sworn in to land my first real job. And I had to move to LA for it.
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Wed, January 9, 2008 - 8:47 PMIt's always the same old story.
The job market always sucks. Even when the market is great, it still sucks for most people.
There are only four good reasons to go to law school.
(1) to avoid the draft;
(2) because daddy is paying for it;
(3) because you are a Kennedy and it's a good stepping stone; or
(4) because you really, really, really WANT to be a lawyer.
___________
Can you guess which category I fell under?
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Thu, January 10, 2008 - 3:47 PMI am not sure that I "really really" want to be a lawyer.
I DO know that I really really want a job where I can help people out of trouble and be an advocate for them. -
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Fri, January 11, 2008 - 4:50 PM"I am not sure that I "really really" want to be a lawyer.
I DO know that I really really want a job where I can help people out of trouble and be an advocate for them. "
_____________
Okay, let me rephrase the question.
Do you really want to help people out of trouble and be an advocate for them BY BEING A LAWYER?
Yes or no?
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Sat, January 12, 2008 - 9:12 AMTo clarify on the "really really" want to be a lawyer part -- it is a means to an end for me.
I think that a lot of students want the prestige of being a lawyer. For my circle of friends and family, lawyers have a bad name, so I was just doing the same type of qualifying there that I usually do.
I don't need to make cash, make partner, I need to do something that satisfies my soul.
There are a lot of parts of being a lawyer that I am seeing in my current job that I don't like, mainly because the lawyer I work with right now is not a good mentor for me and I disagree with a lot of his tactics.
Treating EVERYONE with respect and taking every opportunity to act with integrity are top priorities for me. I think he is exhausted from long years of practice and doesn't care very much any more.
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Thu, January 10, 2008 - 8:30 PMI dunno about the ivy league school thing. The Washington University School of Law's been in the top 20 for several years and it hasn't done me much good as far as placement goes. On the other hand, I've found a great short-term job while studying for the California Bar exam in February, so I've been pretty lucky. Personally, I'm kinda grouchy at the people who take up slots in selective schools who have "no idea what they want to do" when there are so many people out there who really want to do law, but that's mainly because I have a number of friends who were denied opportunities. I'm still hunting an IP job, so I guess I'll race you to employment.
Good luck -
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Sat, January 12, 2008 - 9:07 AMI am not unemployed right now, just underemployed. I am working as a legal assistant and doing pro bono work in San Francisco.
I have only been hard on the job hunt for a month and a half, with the expectation that it will take 6 to 12 months to land an associate or staff attorney position. I just read those articles and it gets me down, and I wanted to hear what other people had to say.
I think that part of the problem with all the whining is that after working so hard through law school, lots of folks feel like they deserve a good job or good money. One of the things that helps keep it in perspective for me is comparing myself to other professionals. For instance, if I was any good at science and had chosen medical school, I would be staring down 2 more grueling years of student loans and final exams PLUS a 2 year internship making peanuts and working 24 hours at a time.
Or, if I had been one of the OCI, Summer Associate to Associate students (I didn't even do OCI because I got the wrong idea about the big firms), I would be looking down some pretty grueling hours, and depending on the firm and practice area, probably not too happy about it.
Dave - IP is so huge in CA, you are in a good place!
I want to get involved with non-profits, for the big firms, labor, employment, class actions and/or toxic torts.
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 6:24 PMHaha! Guess who got the job of her dreams today? Yeah, that's right, ME! I am so ecstatic. I am joining a woman in solo practice who wants to mentor me. We get along great, the pay is great, and it is plaintiff's Employment & Labor Law--something I am very passionate about.
Dreams do come true. Ahhh.
I got the job by responding to her ad on craigslist.
Don't Stop Believing! -
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Thu, February 28, 2008 - 8:08 AMThanks for that. I am so in need of some encouragement as I am lookin for a job. BLEECH!
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Re: Legal Job Market Woes
Thu, February 28, 2008 - 11:29 AMCongrats! And your search was shorter than many.
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