life fail Forum

[fornicator]

what is my fate?

applied to over 200 law firms at OCI and by mass-mailing this fall, got 3 callbacks, no offers. took mostly business-law kinds of courses during 2L hoping to boost my marketability in the private sector. in the spring i emailed lots of small firms in small towns that i have connections to, asking whether they're looking to expand. all said no--even ones that would have only paid 35k. then i get an email from career services yesterday saying to expect basically no 3L hiring next year.

so it looks like private sector law is basically out, unless i go out on my own, and risk committing malpractice writ large.

it seems that the only way i'd ever escape financial collapse would be to use IBR's public interest provisions, but i don't see how i could even do that. how could i even get into public interest, with courses like securities regulations, bankruptcy, and tax, with no crim pro, no trial ad, etc., and never once having done anything for the public good? obviously, the SEC or IRS would be attractive candidates, but if i can't even break into shitlaw, i can't see that happening either.

so, should i just leave the country?

[annapavlova]

School? Grades?

[fornicator]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

[Kchuck]

If true, this is terrifying.

[isaiah6v8]

what is my fate?

applied to over 200 law firms at OCI and by mass-mailing this fall, got 3 callbacks, no offers. took mostly business-law kinds of courses during 2L hoping to boost my marketability in the private sector. in the spring i emailed lots of small firms in small towns that i have connections to, asking whether they're looking to expand. all said no--even ones that would have only paid 35k. then i get an email from career services yesterday saying to expect basically no 3L hiring next year.

so it looks like private sector law is basically out, unless i go out on my own, and risk committing malpractice writ large.

it seems that the only way i'd ever escape financial collapse would be to use IBR's public interest provisions, but i don't see how i could even do that. how could i even get into public interest, with courses like securities regulations, bankruptcy, and tax, with no crim pro, no trial ad, etc., and never once having done anything for the public good? obviously, the SEC or IRS would be attractive candidates, but if i can't even break into shitlaw, i can't see that happening either.

so, should i just leave the country?

wouldn't there be some public options with the SEC? Or other regulatory commissions that work in the areas you referred to?

[Mattalones]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

Don't believe it. I know plenty of people in good law schools, both in and out of T14, who did way better than this with similar grades. Something has to be missing here.

[lawschoollll]

If true, this is terrifying.

[Z3RO]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

Don't believe it. I know plenty of people in good law schools, both in and out of T14, who did way better than this with similar grades. Something has to be missing here.

Yeah. The user has 3 posts...

[Mattalones]

If true, this is terrifying.

If not true, you can still be terrified, but, I think studying would be a better use of your time either way

[bigben]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

Don't believe it. I know plenty of people in good law schools, both in and out of T14, who did way better than this with similar grades. Something has to be missing here.

Are you in law school? There are plenty of people in situations like this.

Are the people you know in the class of 2011? That is where it started getting a lot different than prior years.

[bigben]

OP - if you keep plugging away I'm sure you will get something eventually if you want it (probably a small law firm or maybe some state government job).

I wouldn't worry too much about your coursework being irrelevant. But you might want to take more varied classes next year.

For this summer, just take whatever you can get. Don't ask small law firms if they are "looking to expand," ask them if they have any work this summer for student eager to learn. Otherwise look at RA jobs, clinic work at your school, etc. Stay busy.

[fornicator]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

Don't believe it. I know plenty of people in good law schools, both in and out of T14, who did way better than this with similar grades. Something has to be missing here.

I know plenty of those people too. Unfortunately, I'm not among them. I also know people on law review with top 10% who struck out; it really isn't that unusual for class of 2011. I'm not bemoaning that--the economy sucks for everyone--just trying to figure out how to mitigate the harm.

[annapavlova]

I mean...just top 1/2? It doesn't sound unreasonable that finding a job would be hard to me. I understand that T14 grads with sub-par grades got jobs in the past, but the legal market was clearly bloated. I guess I don't think this seems so scary, because it is a purely logical result of the real demand for recent grads in BigLaw. Top 1/3 and I'm sure OP would do better.

[A'nold]

School? Grades?

top half, t14

Don't believe it. I know plenty of people in good law schools, both in and out of T14, who did way better than this with similar grades. Something has to be missing here.

Yeah. The user has 3 posts...

TITCR, beat me to this post. It's totally just a coincidence that every single supposed top 14 student on here opens a new account.....

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

[270910]

If true, this is terrifying.

Hi Kchuck! Welcome to this economy. Stories like these are quite common these days

Hope you enjoy your stay!

[fornicator]

TITCR, beat me to this post. It's totally just a coincidence that every single supposed top 14 student on here opens a new account.....

Where are the regulars in this situation? They never admit it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

Fixed.

[270910]

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

I'm a TLS regular and a 1L at a T14. I know several 2Ls and 3Ls in positions very similar to the original poster.

Above median, do students with either big firm jobs or other 'decent' employment outnumber those without? Yes.

Above median, do students with big firm jobs outnumber those with other / no summer plans? Yeah, definitely.

Above median, are students in a position similar to the OP uncommon? Not in the slightest.

Pull your head out of your ass, A'nold. I'm here on t'other side of the fence. The grass is greener but the patches of brown are still alarmingly numerous.

[bigben]

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

I'm a TLS regular and a 1L at a T14. I know several 2Ls and 3Ls in positions very similar to the original poster.

Above median, do students with either big firm jobs or other 'decent' employment outnumber those without? Yes.

Above median, do students with big firm jobs outnumber those with other / no summer plans? Yeah, definitely.

Above median, are students in a position similar to the OP uncommon? Not in the slightest.

Pull your head out of your ass, A'nold. I'm here on t'other side of the fence. The grass is greener but the patches of brown are still alarmingly numerous.

Yep.

[astro1819]

what is my fate?

never once having done anything for the public good...should i just leave the country?

Yes.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

Have you met Corsair?

[A'nold]

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

I'm a TLS regular and a 1L at a T14. I know several 2Ls and 3Ls in positions very similar to the original poster.

Above median, do students with either big firm jobs or other 'decent' employment outnumber those without? Yes.

Above median, do students with big firm jobs outnumber those with other / no summer plans? Yeah, definitely.

Above median, are students in a position similar to the OP uncommon? Not in the slightest.

Pull your head out of your ass, A'nold. I'm here on t'other side of the fence. The grass is greener but the patches of brown are still alarmingly numerous.

No, you guys are right, I was way too blankety with my statement. I just get sick of all the JDU trolls that come on here and open new accounts and assume that we will believe them.

I actually really meant what disco just said above, that above median good jobs are more common than not. I mean, I'm sure there are quite a few top 50% HLS grads in trouble right now, but I'm talking on average.

[Anonymous User]

Where are the regulars in this situation? You never see it. And, even if you do, many would be lying about their class standing.

I'm a TLS regular and a 1L at a T14. I know several 2Ls and 3Ls in positions very similar to the original poster.

Above median, do students with either big firm jobs or other 'decent' employment outnumber those without? Yes.

Above median, do students with big firm jobs outnumber those with other / no summer plans? Yeah, definitely.

Above median, are students in a position similar to the OP uncommon? Not in the slightest.

Pull your head out of your ass, A'nold. I'm here on t'other side of the fence. The grass is greener but the patches of brown are still alarmingly numerous.

No, you guys are right, I was way too blankety with my statement. I just get sick of all the JDU trolls that come on here and open new accounts and assume that we will believe them.

I actually really meant what disco just said above, that above median good jobs are more common than not. I mean, I'm sure there are quite a few top 50% HLS grads in trouble right now, but I'm talking on average.

Not sure if I can agree with the bolded part of disco's statement, at least at some (lower) T14s. He may be right at most of the T14, but I don't think it's "yeah, definitely" right. NYC SA hiring seems to be 33% to 50% of what it was last year, which itself was off from 2008. I suspect at some of the lower T14 hiring is off by even more than that, and I wouldn't be too surprised if less than 25% at some T14 got SAs.

[BetterCallSaul]

i can totally see a person striking out both in oci and a mail merge.

if mail merge was the extent of your Plan B I have no sympathy.

jesus cristo, ITE you can't just mail a random list of firms a letter!

[Mattalones]

How much do you think it helps to have a wife who is established in BigLaw with connections at several BigLaw firms? I know it may sound ignorant, but I really have no idea if things work like that in the BigLaw world. Does anyone here have info on that from family connections? My family had nothing to do with law.

[bwv812]

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