Lavender Law for Recent Graduates Forum

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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:43 am

I wouldn’t waste money going to it. I remember going as a third year and having a difficult time. Also, most firms were strictly looking for 2Ls or lateral candidates. You don’t fall into either group so you may be disappointed.

Second, it’s essentially a glorified resume drop. Some firms send very junior (first or second year associates) to man tables.

Third, I don’t know many friends who got jobs through the actual job fair. I know people who hooked up with attorneys and made connections that helped them out later, but I wouldn’t consider that a job through lav law.

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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 05, 2018 10:49 am

3L, planning to go. I'm a member of LGBT Bar so I registered for free.

I'm in the exact same boat. Struck out from a mid-T14 school, no CB. Mass mailed hundreds of firms, if not thousands. Not even small personal injury firms responded.

Would you mind sharing what you've been doing after graduation?

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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jul 05, 2018 1:22 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I recently graduated from a T10 school back in May. I have a GPA .1 below median, but I have been completely rejected from biglaw. I am not entirely sure what happened, but I struck out of all my OCI screeners and have not really had any screener interviews since. I did bid really poorly, but I still can't figure out what happened. I've tried mass mailing, but nothing has worked for about two years now. Is it really rare for someone to be in my position, and why do you all think it happened? The only places that seem to be interested in me are insurance defense firms that offer half the pay for biglaw billables or smaller personal injury firms.

One thing I have been thinking about is that I should maybe attend the Lavender Law career fair this year in New York. I'm gay but not really out to many people. I honestly don't really feel too comfortable coming out, but I am willing to push myself and go if it means to have a realistic chance at a firm. I see there are so many employers attending. Are they really only interested in hiring 2Ls for summer associate positions, or would they consider a recent T10 graduate? I likely haven't taken the bar in the state that the jobs will be offered for either, so I'm not sure how that would work.

Any advice on what I should do generally and how I should approach Lavender Law? I'm really surprised striking out so hard can happen to someone at a T10, but I guess it does happen :/
Wrt to striking out from biglaw, I think it does happen pretty regularly to folks below median at a T10. At HYS, yes that would be unlikely, but if you're at a place ranked around 10, it can definitely happen, especially if you bid poorly, as you say. I'd reach out to career services if yours is any good and see what they recommend and ask what others in your position have done in the past.

I'd also start mass-mailing. Some firms may still be hiring for first years to start in the fall, but probably not many. Apply to any city where you have ties, and probably focus primarily on NY. I'd also take the NY bar if it's not too late.

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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 20, 2018 2:46 am

Recent grad (May 2018), I'm bottom 20% (had a brain tumor in law school, found out my 3L year, all better now...probably not going to disclose that to recruiters ever) at a T25 with a couple of Fortune 500s that I summer'd at. I'm a great interviewer and hard worker despite my grades (my recommenders can attest to this!)...bold of me to ask but are interview skills, writing sample and great recommendations enough to overlook a black female's grades at Lav law? thank you

Anonymous User
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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 20, 2018 9:33 am

Anonymous User wrote:Recent grad (May 2018), I'm bottom 20% (had a brain tumor in law school, found out my 3L year, all better now...probably not going to disclose that to recruiters ever) at a T25 with a couple of Fortune 500s that I summer'd at. I'm a great interviewer and hard worker despite my grades (my recommenders can attest to this!)...bold of me to ask but are interview skills, writing sample and great recommendations enough to overlook a black female's grades at Lav law? thank you
There’s obviously more leeway since (from a firm’s perspective) you’d check 3 boxes (black, female, gay). But not sure since bottom 20%.

Where are you looking to work?

Anonymous User
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Re: Lavender Law for Recent Graduates

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Recent grad (May 2018), I'm bottom 20% (had a brain tumor in law school, found out my 3L year, all better now...probably not going to disclose that to recruiters ever) at a T25 with a couple of Fortune 500s that I summer'd at. I'm a great interviewer and hard worker despite my grades (my recommenders can attest to this!)...bold of me to ask but are interview skills, writing sample and great recommendations enough to overlook a black female's grades at Lav law? thank you
There’s obviously more leeway since (from a firm’s perspective) you’d check 3 boxes (black, female, gay). But not sure since bottom 20%.

Where are you looking to work?
I'd like to work 1) big law or even mid law 2) in-house (but I know they rarely hire entry level, but it's worth a try!) , but I just didn't qualify for OCI in school b/c of my grades so that's why I worked in-house, which I did enjoy too

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