What's out there for law students?
The students I talk to can't find a job.
Why would someone hiring pick a law student over a 10 year laid-off lawyer who will work for the same money and need no training?
Are firms recruiting at law schools?
What's up?
Talk to me.
Located in Miami, Florida, Brian Tannebaum practices Bar Admission and Discipline and Criminal Defense. Read his free ebook The Truth About Hiring A Criminal Defense Lawyer. Please visit www.tannebaumweiss.com
5 comments:
Last year, and the year before, there were at least a half-dozen firms recruiting through my law school's career services center every month. This year, there was ONE non-military job opening in January, and they only interviewed four applicants. I know that my current employer will retain me at full-time hours after I graduate and take the bar, but it's a very, VERY small practice not looking to expand or hire new attorneys. Not a viable long-term prospect. I have a decent lead on a clerkship at our state court of appeals, but am not counting my chickens yet, as such positions are highly competitive.
I don't have the luxury of being able to work an unpaid internship or volunteer at legal services indefinitely.
I'm getting on the phone with every lawyer I've ever met, asking them to let me know if they or anyone they know is hiring law grads. I'm looking up area firms and trying to figure out if I have a connection with them. My plan is, if I have not wrangled a law job by August, I will find some other full-time employment with benefits, etc., and keep on plugging until something opens up. Right now though... crickets.
I have a small firm and plan to hire a new associate by September. I would rather have a new law student than a 10-year laid off lawyer because I want to train them to practice the way I want them to practice. What I will be looking for is personality. I don't want the top of the class. I want someone who can learn what I'm doing and who can make clients feel at ease and who can get along with other staff. So, I'm probably the norm, but just thought I'd add my two cents!
Sorry, just to clarify, I meant newly graduated law student.
I attended a a top 60 law school, was on a law journal, graduated cum laude in May, I have substantive litigation experience from summer jobs and from clinic, I passed the bar on the 1st shot, sworn-in in December, and I'm still trying to find a job. It's tough out there right now.
The military is hiring. I have heard several law students "freaking out" about the current job situation. I don't really understand why people quickly overlook the military. As a JAG, you start out making 65-70 thousand a year, you don't pay anything for any medical or dental services, the military pays your house note on top of that or you can live on the base for free, you don't pay taxes for any of your groceries etc...they will pay your tuition to get most any other degree you want and give you several hundred dollars a month for going to school or let you trasfer it to your spouse. I don't agree with all of the policies of the military, but I have never worked for a company that I agreed with all of their policies either. It is certainly possible to be deployed, but speaking quite frankly, as a JAG, your not some infantry soldier kicking in a door. Not saying there aren't risk, inconveniences, and prices, but I don't know anything worthwhile that is free of these things. For the next 4 years I will work Mon-Fri, 9-5, w/Fed Holidays, go to a job that pays me to work out in their gym and when I'm done I will have an automatic foot in the door at almost any federal agency as a lawyer. I'm not concerned about the job market at all.
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