Law School

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Solomwi
I just graduated law school last May.

Congrats

What are you doing now/what state? You were in...Alabama, right?

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Alinestra Covelia
Yeah, right now I'm taking gov't internship after gov't internship. First it was with a labor agency last summer, then it was with a trade agency for this fall semester. I'm seeing whether I can get a commerce industry internship for spring. The way I see it, there's going to be a change in budgets for the Presidential agencies come January, and that may be my best way of riding out the economic downturn.

What Solomwi said about the big firm jobs is true. My law school only really promoted those jobs and internships, and made it sound like such a big deal if you didn't get in - you were finished. Not true. There are plenty of midsized and small sized law firms and gov't agencies that want good help, and if you can show you're genuinely interested in their field of expertise, they'll be happy to take you on for internships and jobs.

Are you in your 3rd year?

I do not envy new/recent grads. My firm posted an opening before thanksgiving and received over a hundred resumes in the first day. Houston, Texas. Brutal.

I agree with your big firm points and gov't internships.

[flash9286]

I'm just finishing up my 1st semester of law school. Got Contracts and Criminal Law left to go, then I'm done with exams.

Congrats, Solomwi

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by flash9286
I'm just finishing up my 1st semester of law school. Got Contracts and Criminal Law left to go, then I'm done with exams.

Congrats, Solomwi

And how have you found it? Loved/Hated?

Which state are you in? I'm not going to ask what law school for obvious reasons, though I'm curious.

You really timed it well-got accepted before the crash, will graduate in 3 years during which the economy should recover and bounce back in time just in time for you to be on the job market.

[flash9286]

And how have you found it? Loved/Hated?

I like the material, I don't like how the classes are set up. One test at the end of year that determines your whole grade, isn't how I would set up the classes, but I hear all law schools are like that.

Which state are you in? I'm not going to ask what law school for obvious reasons, though I'm curious.

I'm in NC

You really timed it well-got accepted before the crash, will graduate in 3 years during which the economy should recover and bounce back in time just in time for you to be on the job market.

Hopefully, the law school said there probably very few summer firm jobs for 1Ls this year. But I'm hoping I can an internship with a judge, or some kind of government job for the summer.

[asleepathewheel]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by flash9286


I like the material, I don't like how the classes are set up. One test at the end of year that determines your whole grade, isn't how I would set up the classes, but I hear all law schools are like that.
[QUOTE]

Yup. A bit unforgiving, but everyone's in the same boat.

I'm in NC

Cool.

Hopefully, the law school said there probably very few summer firm jobs for 1Ls this year. But I'm hoping I can an internship with a judge, or some kind of government job for the summer.

Yeah, I've heard firms are cutting way back on summers. I did summer government internships, both criminal, and got credit for one of them. The problem of course is when firms hire primarily from their summer associate pool...

[Kuciwalker]

My dad's firm had to rescind (as-yet unaccepted) offers they'd sent out because so many more people accepted than they'd expected.

[flash9286]

Yeah, I've heard firms are cutting way back on summers. I did summer government internships, both criminal, and got credit for one of them. The problem of course is when firms hire primarily from their summer associate pool...

Yea, our career counselors encourage us to do non-firm summer jobs for 1Ls, because you are pretty much required to do a 2L summer firm job if you want to work in big-law.

What kind of law are you in asleepathewheel?

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by flash9286


Yea, our career counselors encourage us to do non-firm summer jobs for 1Ls, because you are pretty much required to do a 2L summer firm job if you want to work in big-law.

What kind of law are you in asleepathewheel?

Primarily med-mal defense. Smattering of other defense work-auto defense, slip/fall or other premises liability work-got our first hurricane Ike case last week. I previously was a criminal defense attorney in IN.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
My dad's firm had to rescind (as-yet unaccepted) offers they'd sent out because so many more people accepted than they'd expected.

What size firm is your father at-I take it that its a 100+sized firm? Some big firms have just been decimated recently, for obvious reasons. Have they shed young associate attorneys, or just had to freeze the hiring?

[Kuciwalker]

They have a little under 1k lawyers. My comment was specifically about summer associates - they want X summer interns, Y% of the people they give offers to typically accept, so they give offers to Z = X / (Y/100). Because of the economy, Y changed dramatically this year.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
They have a little under 1k lawyers. My comment was specifically about summer associates - they want X summer interns, Y% of the people they give offers to typically accept, so they give offers to Z = X / (Y/100). Because of the economy, Y changed dramatically this year.

I'm familiar with how summer associates are hired, but thanks for the refresher

Guess the lesson for the next year or two is accept earlier than you want. Though that can be said for most legal positions in this market.

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by asleepathewheel


Congrats

What are you doing now/what state? You were in...Alabama, right?

Thanks, and right. I have doubly perfect timing. I got an offer from a summer gig in Nashville. Everything was perfect about it, great firm, salary, etc., except that I had gotten engaged between summer and offer (and married in March), which led to my having to stay here (she has a 10-year old son whose dad and dad's family are here). So I turned that down and, fortunately, my 3L clerkship (staff counsel office for large insurance firm) stayed active. Basically, I'm getting hammered by this job market right now, but still luckily managing to work part-time. I do have a very promising lead that should move forward in the next week, though, and in med-mal defense, to boot.

Flash, the main thing to remember is to do something this summer. If all else fails, take a few classes so you have a reason for that hole in your resume.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Working for a law professor can be good too. I worked for a Crim Law guy and he's well known throughout the state. Plus the profs will have cool houses and hold great BBQ parties.

[Alinestra Covelia]

My grades for the most recent semester came in. Two classes were Bs, and one was a C. Easily the worst grades I've ever gotten.

One class that I had been shooting for an A, I got a C+. I just finished meeting the prof and he said he was very surprised at that. He also said he'd be happy to act as my referee and to explain to anybody who'll listen that I knew the subject in all classes and just bombed on my exam. More importantly, he has contacts in places where I want to work. So it's sort of a no-score draw. :l

Still, I can't complain too much. Despite this dismal showing in grades, my GPA has dropped by only 0.03. It's still in the high "B" range.

I graduate in May and this is my last semester so I'd be surprised if my grades this semester could move my final GPA +/- 0.03 in any direction, no matter how good or bad they were.

Right now, internships and job leads are far more important.