part-time lawyer out of ideas for full-time work

[Anonymous]

What about trying to get an adjunct position at a law school teaching trial skills or legal writing? Or working at a law school Innocence Project clinic?

[Anonymous]

Getting a policy job is highly competitive. You are too experienced to be a research assistant, but may not have enough subject area expertise for higher level jobs. Have you managed people? This may be another area you're lacking.

If you want to do policy or lobbying work, how about do a stint on the Hill. Then you can start looking for policy jobs as a former lawyer rather than a current lawyer.

BTW, for all the folks advocating that you do pro bono work. I have worked with battered women in a social service delivery organization. It is not all sunshine and roses and feeling good about yourself all day. Their problems are overwhelming, frequently caused by their own poor decisionmaking, and they are typically bringing kids along for this terrible ride. It is emotionally exhausting.

[Anonymous]

I think you'd have more luck outside of DC. Just too many lawyers here. Any other city where you could work?

[Anonymous]

volunteer. volunteer. volunteer. Find a new area and volunteer. join a womans law organization. network.

if you are a good litigator, and you do well in front of juries, you probably can speak well and come across great to people.

get out there and put yourself into situations where you meet people!

An MPP is only as valuable as the school you get into -- can you get into princeton or harvard or columbia? otherwise, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Getting a policy job is highly competitive. You are too experienced to be a research assistant, but may not have enough subject area expertise for higher level jobs. Have you managed people? This may be another area you're lacking.

If you want to do policy or lobbying work, how about do a stint on the Hill. Then you can start looking for policy jobs as a former lawyer rather than a current lawyer.

BTW, for all the folks advocating that you do pro bono work. I have worked with battered women in a social service delivery organization. It is not all sunshine and roses and feeling good about yourself all day. Their problems are overwhelming, frequently caused by their own poor decisionmaking, and they are typically bringing kids along for this terrible ride. It is emotionally exhausting.

I don't think anyone would disagree with that. But there's plenty of pro bono opportunities that could be low stress/rewarding. Think about estate planning/wills for seniors, or helping organize tenants to purchase their apartment building.

[Anonymous]

I think you're doing fine, OP. I don't think you need another degree - no reason you can't transition to policy work, just keep plugging away at what you're doing. I like the suggestions to teach or try a stint on the hill, or how about writing, blogging or getting speaking engagements. Be proud of what you do.

[Anonymous]

OP, it sounds like you are having no luck finding a lobbying/policy job - is that correct?

I would think that would be one of the most difficult positions in law to obtain, so I would not be surprised if you NEVER get a lobbying/policy job.

I got fired too from a firm. Started my own practice too. And was absolutely miserable. So I took a government job. Now, I am even more miserable. Just an FYI.

It sounds to me like you've got options financially. I didn't. You can work part-time. I would take your extra time to just explore what it is you really want to do to make ends meet other than what you are doing now, and other than lobbying/public policy. Maybe you'll find you don't even want to do legal work. I don't, but then again, I'm at the worst agency imaginable.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Just wanted to thank you all for your thoughtful replies and suggestions. Thanks for giving me some more ideas and letting me know I'm not alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What about being a claims attorney at a place like GEICO or Allstate? It's steady work but not intellectually challenging (it's really fill in the blank on forms kinda stuff). Pay is decent and hours are decent and sometimes that's all you need.

Not OP, but any idea how you find out about those sort of openings? While it's not the job I always dreamed of doing, I need something with more reasonable hours for my family.

Start with indeed.com, acc.com, or goinhouse.com. Many of the openings on those boards include those types of positions. Also, if you're willing to accept a paralegal type position, I know several people who have used those positions to get in the door, and later been promoted to attorney. (Obviously, find out if that's a realistic option before taking something!)