Too late to network? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Above median 3L at a T50

During the summer after 1L I worked at a non-profit/small firm doing immigration law. I was interested in this area but had a hard time finding work with an immigration firm for 2L school year (the firm i worked at during the summer was in a different market) so I ended up working at a small litigation firm. I tried again to find work at an immigration firm for 2L summer but couldn't (wanted to stay in the market my school is in so didn't go back to 1l summer firm) and ended up at another small lit firm where I'm still working and have an unofficial offer. I'm not very interested in litigation though and would like to do immigration.

Is it too late to email attorneys at immigration firms to network? Does it look odd that I haven't done anything immigration related since 1L summer?

Also, I'm in a state with a large hispanic population but don't speak Spanish. Should I forget about doing immigration?

[lolwat]

Never too late to network. Every law student (and I think many junior associates) underestimates the value of networking; it's not just about your immediate goal of finding a job, it's about making connections with people practicing in the area of law you're interested in.

Still, even with your immediate goal in mind, networking now can lead to a job after graduation. So, no, not too late.

Re not doing immigration related work since 1L, it probably doesn't look odd, and you can probably and reasonably spin it as trying out different practice areas while you're still in law school and concluding that you are in fact really interested in immigration law.

No idea re your last question.

[bretby]

Above median 3L at a T50

During the summer after 1L I worked at a non-profit/small firm doing immigration law. I was interested in this area but had a hard time finding work with an immigration firm for 2L school year (the firm i worked at during the summer was in a different market) so I ended up working at a small litigation firm. I tried again to find work at an immigration firm for 2L summer but couldn't (wanted to stay in the market my school is in so didn't go back to 1l summer firm) and ended up at another small lit firm where I'm still working and have an unofficial offer. I'm not very interested in litigation though and would like to do immigration.

Is it too late to email attorneys at immigration firms to network? Does it look odd that I haven't done anything immigration related since 1L summer?

Also, I'm in a state with a large hispanic population but don't speak Spanish. Should I forget about doing immigration?

I don't know if this is true across the board, but I was told that you are not competitive for immigration law jobs unless you speak Spanish.

[Anonymous User]

Above median 3L at a T50

During the summer after 1L I worked at a non-profit/small firm doing immigration law. I was interested in this area but had a hard time finding work with an immigration firm for 2L school year (the firm i worked at during the summer was in a different market) so I ended up working at a small litigation firm. I tried again to find work at an immigration firm for 2L summer but couldn't (wanted to stay in the market my school is in so didn't go back to 1l summer firm) and ended up at another small lit firm where I'm still working and have an unofficial offer. I'm not very interested in litigation though and would like to do immigration.

Is it too late to email attorneys at immigration firms to network? Does it look odd that I haven't done anything immigration related since 1L summer?

Also, I'm in a state with a large hispanic population but don't speak Spanish. Should I forget about doing immigration?

I don't know if this is true across the board, but I was told that you are not competitive for immigration law jobs unless you speak Spanish.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[personwholaws]

Above median 3L at a T50

During the summer after 1L I worked at a non-profit/small firm doing immigration law. I was interested in this area but had a hard time finding work with an immigration firm for 2L school year (the firm i worked at during the summer was in a different market) so I ended up working at a small litigation firm. I tried again to find work at an immigration firm for 2L summer but couldn't (wanted to stay in the market my school is in so didn't go back to 1l summer firm) and ended up at another small lit firm where I'm still working and have an unofficial offer. I'm not very interested in litigation though and would like to do immigration.

Is it too late to email attorneys at immigration firms to network? Does it look odd that I haven't done anything immigration related since 1L summer?

Also, I'm in a state with a large hispanic population but don't speak Spanish. Should I forget about doing immigration?

I don't know if this is true across the board, but I was told that you are not competitive for immigration law jobs unless you speak Spanish.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

I've heard the same. Especially if you are in a state with a lot of hispanics.

[IExistedOnceBefore]

Above median 3L at a T50

During the summer after 1L I worked at a non-profit/small firm doing immigration law. I was interested in this area but had a hard time finding work with an immigration firm for 2L school year (the firm i worked at during the summer was in a different market) so I ended up working at a small litigation firm. I tried again to find work at an immigration firm for 2L summer but couldn't (wanted to stay in the market my school is in so didn't go back to 1l summer firm) and ended up at another small lit firm where I'm still working and have an unofficial offer. I'm not very interested in litigation though and would like to do immigration.

Is it too late to email attorneys at immigration firms to network? Does it look odd that I haven't done anything immigration related since 1L summer?

Also, I'm in a state with a large hispanic population but don't speak Spanish. Should I forget about doing immigration?

I don't know if this is true across the board, but I was told that you are not competitive for immigration law jobs unless you speak Spanish.

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

It's more difficult. You're better off looking for a firm that handles immigration for companies, corporate immigration. The language isn't as important because you're dealing more with HR.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I agree with the above, wrt language (it doesn't have to be Spanish - you could probably succeed also with something like Russian or Chinese if you lived somewhere where you could appeal to that pool of clients; or go the corporate route, as suggested, because not only will you be dealing with HR, the immigrants at issue are more likely to speak English). That said, some attorneys do get by with Spanish-speaking paralegals, but I don't think it's a hugely effective way to work.