Navigating the post-crash legal field can be depressing for recent law school graduates. There are virtually no jobs for newly admitted attorneys. I know this to be true because I graduated from a top law school in 2011 and have had no luck finding any work in the legal field since. I'm not alone. Virtually all of my classmates are still unemployed or have left the legal field entirely. Some opted for any government job they could get just so that they would qualify for loan forgiveness in 10 years time. Others went into consulting. I do know a handful of people who did get work as attorneys but most of them have in-demand specializations like IP (had engineering or science backgrounds) or were at the very top of our class and also had a military background.
Though I was not in the top 10% of my class I should be a competitive candidate for an entry level attorney position with a mid-sized or small firm. I went to a top law school. My grades were solid and I got a great deal of hands on experience through my summer jobs. I also participated in a school clinic which allowed me to appear in court and represent actual clients. My background before law school is also desirable -- I attended an Ivy League university and I worked for a highly regarded corporation before I attended graduate school. Despite the many years of hard work it took for me to become an attorney it has not led to my being able to support myself or have a career. In fact I am way worse off financially now than I was before I went to law school.
The question all of us unemployed recent grads are now asking ourselves is whether it is even worth trying to be an attorney any more. Many of us feel hard pressed to continue our job search because of the massive student loans that are hanging over us (usually around $200K) and are accruing interest every day. If we could just find that one legal job we need to get started maybe we would still have a chance at financial recovery. On the flip side, many employers are hesitant to hire law graduates for non-legal positions. The public still has the illusion that being an attorney guarantees a person a high salary. They don't understand that this is simply no longer the case.
Although it has been a full year since I've graduated from law school I still haven't given up hope that a job may come my way one of these days. However, my expectations for that job have fallen dramatically since I've graduated. At best I hope to be able to find some contract work so that I can get some additional experience and *maybe* open my own office one day.
As far as I can tell traditional job search methods just do not work for new attorneys any more. There are no job postings for us to apply to. Every post I've seen in the past six months requires at minimum 2 years of experience with a large to mid sized firm. Because of this I am relying on networking and cold calling to try and find some part time or temporary opportunities. I intend to continue blogging about my search and will let you know what seems to work and what doesn't.
This week I'm attending several networking events in an attempt to get some leads. A couple of them are being hosted by local bar associations and one of those is focused on mentoring new attorneys. I am also trying to tap into my undergraduate school network and am attending a CLE on a topic of interest.
I am eager to hear about your success stories and any words of caution you might have to share. Please feel free to comment if you do!
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