The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by insertusernamehere » Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:42 pm

3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Phys1calk1ller » Wed Feb 01, 2017 2:04 pm

insertusernamehere wrote:3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?
From my limited understanding of staff attorney positions at big firms, you'll be doing pretty much the same work as a normal associate would, but I believe there's less pay and very limited upward mobility. Depending on the firm, there may be a possibility of having them convert you into a regular associate after a specified period of time, but I imagine that's firm-specific and something you would need to ask about in the interview.

If nothing else, it's a job that will probably give you decent experience where you could lateral to another firm or government agency after a few years.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by TTH » Fri Feb 03, 2017 1:26 pm

insertusernamehere wrote:3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?
It can vary according to firm. Some firms have staff attorneys who act essentially as internal doc reviewers. It's a lot better than contract doc review, but it's still doc review and there typically won't be much of an avenue for advancement. Other firms use staff attorneys in the same manner as associates, typically where the work is low-margin but the firm has a strong desire to keep it (prestigious client, part of a broader client relationship also encompassing higher margin work).

I had to take this route. I came out of law school without an offer and got a staff attorney gig at a big firm. I started out just doing doc review, but because of my pre-law school background I was able to move to a different group. Still in a staff attorney role, but there's no difference in the things that I work on versus associates in my group. A staff attorney in my group got promoted to partnership-track associate, and I have a realistic hope that I can make that happen for myself. The biggest downside is money. I'm in my fourth-year out of law school and starting first-years make more than I do. That said, I still do really well for my market and am bonus eligible. Also, my hours requirement isn't as high.

It really is what your firm makes of it. Are there any current staff attorneys in that office? If so, reach out to them, they will most likely be happy to tell you what their day-to-day is like.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Feb 03, 2017 2:43 pm

TTH wrote:
insertusernamehere wrote:3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?
It can vary according to firm. Some firms have staff attorneys who act essentially as internal doc reviewers. It's a lot better than contract doc review, but it's still doc review and there typically won't be much of an avenue for advancement. Other firms use staff attorneys in the same manner as associates, typically where the work is low-margin but the firm has a strong desire to keep it (prestigious client, part of a broader client relationship also encompassing higher margin work).

I had to take this route. I came out of law school without an offer and got a staff attorney gig at a big firm. I started out just doing doc review, but because of my pre-law school background I was able to move to a different group. Still in a staff attorney role, but there's no difference in the things that I work on versus associates in my group. A staff attorney in my group got promoted to partnership-track associate, and I have a realistic hope that I can make that happen for myself. The biggest downside is money. I'm in my fourth-year out of law school and starting first-years make more than I do. That said, I still do really well for my market and am bonus eligible. Also, my hours requirement isn't as high.

It really is what your firm makes of it. Are there any current staff attorneys in that office? If so, reach out to them, they will most likely be happy to tell you what their day-to-day is like.
What does your typical day look like? How much less are you making exactly?

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:27 pm

losing hope sitting for the bar a third time.. was a 1L SA bu couldnt stand the work and doubt they'd take me back anyway, second summer was internhip on the hill. I'm beyond confused and stuck..... fml

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:46 pm

fuck the hiring freeze.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 04, 2017 6:33 pm

Anon who asked the staff attorney question, thanks for everyone's input. I'll be sure to ask these questions and get a better feel for it.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by TheFutureLawyer » Sat Feb 04, 2017 8:05 pm

x
Last edited by TheFutureLawyer on Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Genius » Tue Feb 07, 2017 2:15 am

im one of those ppl who graduated with no job prospect a couple of years ago. I had to MM like hell and I gotta say I got about 10/120 bites. I hear this is not too shabby for MM. If anyone needs advice on cover letter, let me know. I truly believe cover letter matters and that's probably what got me my interviews.

my quick advice is: be realistic about your chances at certain firms based on your GPA and school name.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 07, 2017 12:57 pm

Broke down today. Didn't get selected for two OCIs. They are 2 out of the last three that will occur this semester for third years. I've applied to over 200 places in the last three weeks and haven't heard anything. One bad semester is going to wreck my life. I hate law school. Idk what I'll do now. I hate myself for not attempting to go to a T-14.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 07, 2017 3:52 pm

Genius wrote:im one of those ppl who graduated with no job prospect a couple of years ago. I had to MM like hell and I gotta say I got about 10/120 bites. I hear this is not too shabby for MM. If anyone needs advice on cover letter, let me know. I truly believe cover letter matters and that's probably what got me my interviews.

my quick advice is: be realistic about your chances at certain firms based on your GPA and school name.
My standard cover letter is:

1. intro para: interested in firm/practice area for X reason (took class, did 2L work in that firm, etc.)
2. Middle para: qualifications. I try to do a "show, not tell" by writing what I've done at my past internship/jobs and trying to tie it together with what makes a good associate (contract drafting experience, negotiating experience, attention to detail, ability to juggle multiple projects, etc.)

I've been getting no bites. Median at T6. I've gotten interviews for open positions before but haven't had any luck 3L year or post-grad with MM.
Any way to improve my letter? is it too "standard"?

Also, do you usually send your materials to a partner or recruiter? Any follow up? networking?

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Genius » Tue Feb 07, 2017 4:04 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Genius wrote:im one of those ppl who graduated with no job prospect a couple of years ago. I had to MM like hell and I gotta say I got about 10/120 bites. I hear this is not too shabby for MM. If anyone needs advice on cover letter, let me know. I truly believe cover letter matters and that's probably what got me my interviews.

my quick advice is: be realistic about your chances at certain firms based on your GPA and school name.
My standard cover letter is:

1. intro para: interested in firm/practice area for X reason (took class, did 2L work in that firm, etc.)
2. Middle para: qualifications. I try to do a "show, not tell" by writing what I've done at my past internship/jobs and trying to tie it together with what makes a good associate (contract drafting experience, negotiating experience, attention to detail, ability to juggle multiple projects, etc.)

I've been getting no bites. Median at T6. I've gotten interviews for open positions before but haven't had any luck 3L year or post-grad with MM.
Any way to improve my letter? is it too "standard"?

Also, do you usually send your materials to a partner or recruiter? Any follow up? networking?
How many years out are you?

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by TTH » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:12 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
TTH wrote:
insertusernamehere wrote:3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?
It can vary according to firm. Some firms have staff attorneys who act essentially as internal doc reviewers. It's a lot better than contract doc review, but it's still doc review and there typically won't be much of an avenue for advancement. Other firms use staff attorneys in the same manner as associates, typically where the work is low-margin but the firm has a strong desire to keep it (prestigious client, part of a broader client relationship also encompassing higher margin work).

I had to take this route. I came out of law school without an offer and got a staff attorney gig at a big firm. I started out just doing doc review, but because of my pre-law school background I was able to move to a different group. Still in a staff attorney role, but there's no difference in the things that I work on versus associates in my group. A staff attorney in my group got promoted to partnership-track associate, and I have a realistic hope that I can make that happen for myself. The biggest downside is money. I'm in my fourth-year out of law school and starting first-years make more than I do. That said, I still do really well for my market and am bonus eligible. Also, my hours requirement isn't as high.

It really is what your firm makes of it. Are there any current staff attorneys in that office? If so, reach out to them, they will most likely be happy to tell you what their day-to-day is like.
What does your typical day look like? How much less are you making exactly?
I usually get into the office sometime between 9:00 and 9:30. I'll come in earlier when I have something on my schedule that requires it, but my SOP is not to schedule anything before 10:00. I return any calls or emails that I need to return, then start on whatever work I need to do. Eat lunch at my desk. Leave somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00. On average, I probably do 1-2 hours of work at home a couple nights each week.

I do a mix of traditional labor law and employment litigation, which is mostly in federal court, so I hardly ever go to court. I probably travel 3-4 days per month on average, which mostly consists of driving trips to clients for meetings.

Our firm isn't lockstep, so I don't know what I make relative to class-year peers, but I'm around 20K behind first-year pay. That sucks, and I'm a pretty bitter guy each year new first-years start, but my life is pretty chill otherwise.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:16 pm

Genius wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Genius wrote:im one of those ppl who graduated with no job prospect a couple of years ago. I had to MM like hell and I gotta say I got about 10/120 bites. I hear this is not too shabby for MM. If anyone needs advice on cover letter, let me know. I truly believe cover letter matters and that's probably what got me my interviews.

my quick advice is: be realistic about your chances at certain firms based on your GPA and school name.
My standard cover letter is:

1. intro para: interested in firm/practice area for X reason (took class, did 2L work in that firm, etc.)
2. Middle para: qualifications. I try to do a "show, not tell" by writing what I've done at my past internship/jobs and trying to tie it together with what makes a good associate (contract drafting experience, negotiating experience, attention to detail, ability to juggle multiple projects, etc.)

I've been getting no bites. Median at T6. I've gotten interviews for open positions before but haven't had any luck 3L year or post-grad with MM.
Any way to improve my letter? is it too "standard"?

Also, do you usually send your materials to a partner or recruiter? Any follow up? networking?
How many years out are you?
That was my cover letter during 3L year. I'm a 2016 grad.

I'm 6 months into my 1 year fellowship now doing work that is very similar to work at a big firm but less high profile clients/assignments.

I just started mailings again but haven't had much luck with bites

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:22 pm

TTH wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
TTH wrote:
insertusernamehere wrote:3L still stuck in the vale, anyone have any advice on a staff attorney position? This position would be with a top firm in the legal market I would like to stay in. Any thoughts?
It can vary according to firm. Some firms have staff attorneys who act essentially as internal doc reviewers. It's a lot better than contract doc review, but it's still doc review and there typically won't be much of an avenue for advancement. Other firms use staff attorneys in the same manner as associates, typically where the work is low-margin but the firm has a strong desire to keep it (prestigious client, part of a broader client relationship also encompassing higher margin work).

I had to take this route. I came out of law school without an offer and got a staff attorney gig at a big firm. I started out just doing doc review, but because of my pre-law school background I was able to move to a different group. Still in a staff attorney role, but there's no difference in the things that I work on versus associates in my group. A staff attorney in my group got promoted to partnership-track associate, and I have a realistic hope that I can make that happen for myself. The biggest downside is money. I'm in my fourth-year out of law school and starting first-years make more than I do. That said, I still do really well for my market and am bonus eligible. Also, my hours requirement isn't as high.

It really is what your firm makes of it. Are there any current staff attorneys in that office? If so, reach out to them, they will most likely be happy to tell you what their day-to-day is like.
What does your typical day look like? How much less are you making exactly?
I usually get into the office sometime between 9:00 and 9:30. I'll come in earlier when I have something on my schedule that requires it, but my SOP is not to schedule anything before 10:00. I return any calls or emails that I need to return, then start on whatever work I need to do. Eat lunch at my desk. Leave somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00. On average, I probably do 1-2 hours of work at home a couple nights each week.

I do a mix of traditional labor law and employment litigation, which is mostly in federal court, so I hardly ever go to court. I probably travel 3-4 days per month on average, which mostly consists of driving trips to clients for meetings.

Our firm isn't lockstep, so I don't know what I make relative to class-year peers, but I'm around 20K behind first-year pay. That sucks, and I'm a pretty bitter guy each year new first-years start, but my life is pretty chill otherwise.
Don't even be bitter. This sounds pretty awesome.

You work a standard 9-6 job and get paid 6 figures. Most people would kill for that opportunity. In fact, if what you're saying is accurate, I'd rather be a staff.

Based on my observation, it seems like many people regret working biglaw hours for biglaw salary... however, I'd imagine very few people will regret working a 9-6 job getting paid less (but 6 figures).

Money has diminishing returns. You're already making a good amount and the additional amount doesn't seem to be worth the stress and unpredictability that comes with it

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by andythefir » Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:37 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Broke down today. Didn't get selected for two OCIs. They are 2 out of the last three that will occur this semester for third years. I've applied to over 200 places in the last three weeks and haven't heard anything. One bad semester is going to wreck my life. I hate law school. Idk what I'll do now. I hate myself for not attempting to go to a T-14.
I was in the same position as a spring semester 3L. Sorry to hear that. I applied to around 400 when I got my first bite, and when I did, I got 4 offers in 1 week applying to rural NM DAs offices. This week's bar bulletin has 3 different entry level DA jobs: http://www.nmbar.org/NmbarDocs/PubRes/B ... -02-08.pdf. It's true that it's grim if you're unwilling to move, but there are jobs out there. Those jobs can actually get you some pretty sweet experience you can leverage back to your home market. Good luck.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by andythefir » Mon Feb 13, 2017 3:10 pm

Even more entry level jobs this week, including jobs with the top civil plaintiff and defense plaintiff in the state:

http://www.nmbar.org/NmbarDocs/PubRes/B ... -02-15.pdf

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:19 am

andythefir wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Broke down today. Didn't get selected for two OCIs. They are 2 out of the last three that will occur this semester for third years. I've applied to over 200 places in the last three weeks and haven't heard anything. One bad semester is going to wreck my life. I hate law school. Idk what I'll do now. I hate myself for not attempting to go to a T-14.
I was in the same position as a spring semester 3L. Sorry to hear that. I applied to around 400 when I got my first bite, and when I did, I got 4 offers in 1 week applying to rural NM DAs offices. This week's bar bulletin has 3 different entry level DA jobs: http://www.nmbar.org/NmbarDocs/PubRes/B ... -02-08.pdf. It's true that it's grim if you're unwilling to move, but there are jobs out there. Those jobs can actually get you some pretty sweet experience you can leverage back to your home market. Good luck.
What are the salaries like at these offices? And would you be competitive with just DA internships and relevant coursework?

Worried I may have struck out at the big, pre-bar-hire DA's offices. I wouldn't mind relocating to NM, just not if I'm making $18K.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:01 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Broke down today. Didn't get selected for two OCIs. They are 2 out of the last three that will occur this semester for third years. I've applied to over 200 places in the last three weeks and haven't heard anything. One bad semester is going to wreck my life. I hate law school. Idk what I'll do now. I hate myself for not attempting to go to a T-14.
I'm so sorry to hear that! I feel that way too. Do you feel comfortable disclosing what firms were conducting 3L OCI at your school?

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by andythefir » Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote: What are the salaries like at these offices? And would you be competitive with just DA internships and relevant coursework?

Worried I may have struck out at the big, pre-bar-hire DA's offices. I wouldn't mind relocating to NM, just not if I'm making $18K.
I made $50 in my first job, $64 in the 2nd a year from that. Low cost of living, defined benefit pension, benefits. I agree that $18 would be un-workable, but $50 with PAYE is very livable. I also did 50 trials in my first year, 80 by the time I was 2 years out.

As far as internships/coursework, I participated in hiring decisions where the person never had a minute of experience, never took a relevant class, and got hired anyway. ABQ/Santa Fe/Cruces can be competitive, but Hobbs, Farmington, Deming are not.

If you've got a wife and kids I get that you can't take a flying leap to work for $50 in the middle of nowhere. But if you're 25, have no real experience, and turn that job down you're choosing to risk not being an attorney. A pulse and any state's bar passage are dang competitive in rural NM.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by mazatec » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:48 pm

Out of the Vale with a clerkship for the 2017-18 term! :D

Another judge in that same courthouse is still looking for a clerk, so PM me if you're interested.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by zot1 » Tue Feb 21, 2017 3:52 pm

mazatec wrote:Out of the Vale with a clerkship for the 2017-18 term! :D

Another judge in that same courthouse is still looking for a clerk, so PM me if you're interested.
Congrats!!

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by mazatec » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:22 am

zot1 wrote:
mazatec wrote:Out of the Vale with a clerkship for the 2017-18 term! :D

Another judge in that same courthouse is still looking for a clerk, so PM me if you're interested.
Congrats!!
Thanks! It's in a very rural community, but the judge handles cases in just the practice areas I have interest in (family, criminal, etc.) Now I finally know what state to take the bar in, lol.

Best of luck to those still searching. This forum has helped me a lot, so I will definitely pay it forward by posting job leads in this thread. I know folks on this board are obsessed with the prestige of federal clerkships, but don't overlook state ones as they can be rewarding experiences (esp. if you want to go the PD/DA route).

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by mazatec » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:23 am

andythefir wrote:
Anonymous User wrote: What are the salaries like at these offices? And would you be competitive with just DA internships and relevant coursework?

Worried I may have struck out at the big, pre-bar-hire DA's offices. I wouldn't mind relocating to NM, just not if I'm making $18K.
I made $50 in my first job, $64 in the 2nd a year from that. Low cost of living, defined benefit pension, benefits. I agree that $18 would be un-workable, but $50 with PAYE is very livable. I also did 50 trials in my first year, 80 by the time I was 2 years out.

As far as internships/coursework, I participated in hiring decisions where the person never had a minute of experience, never took a relevant class, and got hired anyway. ABQ/Santa Fe/Cruces can be competitive, but Hobbs, Farmington, Deming are not.

If you've got a wife and kids I get that you can't take a flying leap to work for $50 in the middle of nowhere. But if you're 25, have no real experience, and turn that job down you're choosing to risk not being an attorney. A pulse and any state's bar passage are dang competitive in rural NM.
andythefir, do you know anything about hiring for NM's public defender offices? The earliest I can take the NM bar is February 2018.

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Re: The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls)

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:59 pm

So it looks like we wouldn't be able to apply for these rural NM DA/PD jobs until we pass the bar aka we should shoot for our desired job in our desired market, and if that fails apply in NM (around September-ish)?

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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