Laid off attorney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:be thankful your husband has a good paying job and use this as your chance to get out of law. what a miserable field, especially these days. firms are heartless. more and more law schools every year. and with the big firms losing leverage, that means way less jobs. run and do not walk out of this profession.

The rest of your post makes me think that by "these days" you mean 1956.

OP said that she wants to get back into law. Not something you would choose, but she didn't ask whether you thought she should be grateful to have a breadwinner.

moron, you don't think anyone laid off who is married to someone with a good job these days should be very very thankful? I've seen tons of professionals lose their houses because they were laid off. Stop looking at everything through some weird feminist prism. My comment would apply equally to male or female. Law sucks.

New poster here. This got off-track really fast. The OP said, in a subsequent post, she was grateful her husband has a job. But that does not mean she doesn't want to get back to work as she clearly stated, and at this point, she seems to be open to jobs in the legal profession. Sounds like you are/were ready to get out of law, and I am sure you could start a "law sucks" thread that would get a great discussion going. But OP is not ready for that yet. It sounds like she is still interested in pursuing opportunities in this field.

[Anonymous]

OP here--I didn't think this thread would go off track so soon. I am incredibly thankful that my husband's income provides us security. I feel very fortunate given the financial hardships that many are facing. However, with that being said I don't think it is ungrateful for me to want to return to work.

My family struggled financially growing up and it was always important to me to be in the position to support my family independently of my husband's income. Additionally, my husband's field is not immune to the economic downturn so it would provide us with more security if I was working. Even if I wanted to transition out of the legal field, this is not the time to do so. Employers in every field want specific experience to their industry.

I was a sixth year associate and I am looking at in house positions as well as government positions. Thanks to the poster who provided the link to the SAHMs providing pro bono legal service.

[Anonymous]

OP, may I suggest a different way of looking at things. I am the OP on the "I don't want my daughter to have my life style".
I know that your post is about finding work in a bad market, but try to think of this as time to look at other options like caring for your child. Perhaps consider having another child. This may be the right time to slow down. I have never had that chance, and my husband's income will not support us. I am the hardest working woman in my family. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about not working. Since age 17 I have been at it. Went to work three days after being in a car accident (while pregnant with son) and returned to work 2 weeks after having daughter. It has been a complete drain.

This opportunity to be a mom might never come up again in this way.

[Anonymous]

OP, I made the transition from BigLaw to the government so here is my advice. If you got the interview, they have decided you can do the job. The question that remains open is whether you will be a good addition to the team and are you a serious candidate.

No one wants to be "Plan B" so you need to convince the people who are interviewing you that you want to work there for a reason other than you can't find a BigLaw job. They will not hire someone who has no intention of staying more than a couple of years. Saying you want to work less hours, is obvious not a good answer. However, in most cases, it is fine to express that you want to get away from a position that requires you to be on call 24/7/365.

You also need to convince them that you have carefully considered the money issue and that you have determined that your family can live on your new government salary. I was amazed at how many questions I had on this topic while interviewing. Practically every person I met asked me if I had crunched the numbers. It is not uncommon for BigLaw associates to become frustrated with work, motivating them to send out a resume and interview, without considering the money issue until after they receive the offer, at which point they turn down the position. Getting the approval to make an offer is a pain in the ass so no one wants to make an offer to someone who will turn it down.


Good Luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I suggest a different way of looking at things. I am the OP on the "I don't want my daughter to have my life style".
I know that your post is about finding work in a bad market, but try to think of this as time to look at other options like caring for your child. Perhaps consider having another child. This may be the right time to slow down. I have never had that chance, and my husband's income will not support us. I am the hardest working woman in my family. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about not working. Since age 17 I have been at it. Went to work three days after being in a car accident (while pregnant with son) and returned to work 2 weeks after having daughter. It has been a complete drain.

This opportunity to be a mom might never come up again in this way.

Wow. OP did not ask for a pep talk about being a SAHM. She stated her reasons and she is clearly ready to go back to work.

It sounds like you have every reason to want a break - you've worked hard, had a bad run of it with the car accident, and are working to support your family. But OP has had a break and is ready to get back to it. I for one would like to support her. The fact is, the longer you are away from the work force, the tougher it is to get a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I suggest a different way of looking at things. I am the OP on the "I don't want my daughter to have my life style".
I know that your post is about finding work in a bad market, but try to think of this as time to look at other options like caring for your child. Perhaps consider having another child. This may be the right time to slow down. I have never had that chance, and my husband's income will not support us. I am the hardest working woman in my family. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about not working. Since age 17 I have been at it. Went to work three days after being in a car accident (while pregnant with son) and returned to work 2 weeks after having daughter. It has been a complete drain.

This opportunity to be a mom might never come up again in this way.

OP here. I am really sorry for your situation and I guess it seems like the grass is always greener on the other side. I would not want the burden and stress of being the primary breadwinner and I really feel bad that you had to return to work so soon after the birth of your child. I am trying to enjoy the time I have with my son because I know it is a privilege to actually be able to spend this time with him. With that being said, there is this nagging fear in the back of my head that I am further jeopardizing my career with each day that I remain out of the workforce. I read "The Feminine Mistake", which although long-winded and redundant at times, still struck a chord with me. I was taught to be self-sufficient and never envisioned myself not having an identity outside the domestic sphere. Plus, I genuinely feel bad that my husband has the sole responsibility of being the breadwinner particularly in this economic climate where everyone feels that they will be next to be laid off.

To 19:55 thanks for the helpful advice regarding transitioning to the government from Biglaw. I've done lots of specific research regarding the agencies I'm interested in and have prepped solid, substantive reasons for why I want to work in the government. Generally, I do well in interviews. The problem I'm having is that I have yet to land one single interview despite the fact that my cover letters are tailored specifically to each agency with all the right buzz words. I think it is just a blow to my ego because I have never had a problem finding employment before.

Anyway, thanks to the posters who took the time to provide such helpful advice. I'm going to compile a list of things I can do now that will help strengthen this gap on my resume.

[Anonymous]

OP, what level government jobs have you been applying for? I have been a federal government attorney for over 10 years and am currently a GS-15. I have 2 friends who want to switch to fed govt, but they have both applied only for GS14/15 positions - they have not had any luck and have not gotten any interviews.

Even if you made much more than a GS14/15 in a firm, it would be VERY hard to walk into a GS 14/15 b/c you are competing with attorneys who have been in the federal government for many years, as say GS-13s, or GS 14/15s who want to transfer to a different agency.

I'd recommend applying for a lower position, if you have not already done so. You can leave the job after 1 year and advance to the next higher level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to work at a large law firm and was laid off a little over a year ago. Luckily, the timing coincided with the birth of my son so I wasn't super anxious about finding a job immediately. However, now I am getting really depressed about being at home. I just never envisioned myself as a SAHM and I miss the identity I had carved for myself outside of the home. I try to keep myself busy by taking classes with my son, playdates, etc. but the monotony and lack of any intellectual stimulation is just difficult to handle.

I just want to say, I can relate...kind of. I thought I wanted to be a SAHM after the birth of my first child and did that for 18 months and then realized that my brain needed more food to remain engaged. I returned to the workforce luckily before the economy tanked. Have you thought about switching careers, completely? Applying in a completely different field? When I did return to work I definitly wanted something with more flexibility than my current job and took a bit of a step back. However, since then my career has excelled, but I've been able to retain the flexibility, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

I hear you on the 2 income thing. Even though my DH makes a good living, it is very comforting knowing that if he did get laid off, I could equally support him during his job search. Many of us don't realize no matter how comfortable we think we are, we are just one major disaster or illness away from financial hardship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I suggest a different way of looking at things. I am the OP on the "I don't want my daughter to have my life style".
I know that your post is about finding work in a bad market, but try to think of this as time to look at other options like caring for your child. Perhaps consider having another child. This may be the right time to slow down. I have never had that chance, and my husband's income will not support us. I am the hardest working woman in my family. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about not working. Since age 17 I have been at it. Went to work three days after being in a car accident (while pregnant with son) and returned to work 2 weeks after having daughter. It has been a complete drain.

This opportunity to be a mom might never come up again in this way.

OP here. I am really sorry for your situation and I guess it seems like the grass is always greener on the other side. I would not want the burden and stress of being the primary breadwinner and I really feel bad that you had to return to work so soon after the birth of your child. I am trying to enjoy the time I have with my son because I know it is a privilege to actually be able to spend this time with him. With that being said, there is this nagging fear in the back of my head that I am further jeopardizing my career with each day that I remain out of the workforce. I read "The Feminine Mistake", which although long-winded and redundant at times, still struck a chord with me. I was taught to be self-sufficient and never envisioned myself not having an identity outside the domestic sphere. Plus, I genuinely feel bad that my husband has the sole responsibility of being the breadwinner particularly in this economic climate where everyone feels that they will be next to be laid off.

To 19:55 thanks for the helpful advice regarding transitioning to the government from Biglaw. I've done lots of specific research regarding the agencies I'm interested in and have prepped solid, substantive reasons for why I want to work in the government. Generally, I do well in interviews. The problem I'm having is that I have yet to land one single interview despite the fact that my cover letters are tailored specifically to each agency with all the right buzz words. I think it is just a blow to my ego because I have never had a problem finding employment before.

Anyway, thanks to the posters who took the time to provide such helpful advice. I'm going to compile a list of things I can do now that will help strengthen this gap on my resume.

OP: It sounds like you're doing everything right! Don't get discouraged -- it can be a very slow process to get an interview for a govt. attorney job. It can also happen very quickly, and there's often no rhyme or reason to distinguish the two situations. Keep plugging away with the tailored cover letters and try if at all possible to network, too. For each application you send in, see if you can find someone who knows someone you can talk to about (a) the agency, if not the position (so you'll have a leg up if you get an interview); and (b) putting in a word for you if possible.

Also, I wanted to share links to a few articles that might be helpful:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125651346748206969.html

and projected hiring numbers:

http://data.wherethejobsare.org/wtja/field/1489

Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

"No one wants to be "Plan B" so you need to convince the people who are interviewing you that you want to work there for a reason other than you can't find a BigLaw job. They will not hire someone who has no intention of staying more than a couple of years. Saying you want to work less hours, is obvious not a good answer. However, in most cases, it is fine to express that you want to get away from a position that requires you to be on call 24/7/365."

I think this is right. I work in a govt office and have had input into recent hires. We have seen several former biglaw attorneys come in due to their layoffs. We didn't get the sense that they really wanted to be in government but wanted to hold over until they could go back to the big firm. That is not something we were interested in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:be thankful your husband has a good paying job and use this as your chance to get out of law. what a miserable field, especially these days. firms are heartless. more and more law schools every year. and with the big firms losing leverage, that means way less jobs. run and do not walk out of this profession.

The rest of your post makes me think that by "these days" you mean 1956.

OP said that she wants to get back into law. Not something you would choose, but she didn't ask whether you thought she should be grateful to have a breadwinner.

moron, you don't think anyone laid off who is married to someone with a good job these days should be very very thankful? I've seen tons of professionals lose their houses because they were laid off. Stop looking at everything through some weird feminist prism. My comment would apply equally to male or female. Law sucks.

God I hope you aren't an attorney...

And for what it is worth. I am one. And I love practicing law. Don't always love the hours or the client demands, etc. But it is a great profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, may I suggest a different way of looking at things. I am the OP on the "I don't want my daughter to have my life style".
I know that your post is about finding work in a bad market, but try to think of this as time to look at other options like caring for your child. Perhaps consider having another child. This may be the right time to slow down. I have never had that chance, and my husband's income will not support us. I am the hardest working woman in my family. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about not working. Since age 17 I have been at it. Went to work three days after being in a car accident (while pregnant with son) and returned to work 2 weeks after having daughter. It has been a complete drain.

This opportunity to be a mom might never come up again in this way.

OP here. I am really sorry for your situation and I guess it seems like the grass is always greener on the other side. I would not want the burden and stress of being the primary breadwinner and I really feel bad that you had to return to work so soon after the birth of your child. I am trying to enjoy the time I have with my son because I know it is a privilege to actually be able to spend this time with him. With that being said, there is this nagging fear in the back of my head that I am further jeopardizing my career with each day that I remain out of the workforce. I read "The Feminine Mistake", which although long-winded and redundant at times, still struck a chord with me. I was taught to be self-sufficient and never envisioned myself not having an identity outside the domestic sphere. Plus, I genuinely feel bad that my husband has the sole responsibility of being the breadwinner particularly in this economic climate where everyone feels that they will be next to be laid off.

To 19:55 thanks for the helpful advice regarding transitioning to the government from Biglaw. I've done lots of specific research regarding the agencies I'm interested in and have prepped solid, substantive reasons for why I want to work in the government. Generally, I do well in interviews. The problem I'm having is that I have yet to land one single interview despite the fact that my cover letters are tailored specifically to each agency with all the right buzz words. I think it is just a blow to my ego because I have never had a problem finding employment before.

Anyway, thanks to the posters who took the time to provide such helpful advice. I'm going to compile a list of things I can do now that will help strengthen this gap on my resume.

OP - You said you are tailoring your cover letters, but are you tailoring your resume to work in key words that appear in the job description posted? Many agencies use resume scanning software (which is programed to look for certain key words) to do the initial sorting of the resumes. Also, don't be discouraged, the new fiscal year has just started.

[Anonymous]

You have gotten some great advice but I just wanted to chime in as someone who is doing a lot of interviewing right now at my government agency. We are flooded with resumes from firm refugees, and so landing an interview is much more challenging than it has been in the past. I think, as other posters have mentioned, that you have to make clear that you want to work for that agency, and have clear, specific, reasons. We have so many resumes from people who are applying for tons of gov't jobs -- it's not too hard to see the ones that have experience most relevant to our agency and can articulate reasons why they are a great fit.

I also want to add that I totally understand your desire to go back to work. I too, read the Feminine Mistake, and yes it was redundant at times but it resonated with me as well. I left a big firm during my fourth year and have now been with this agency 5 years. I am a GS 15 and and started as a 13. I work four days a week and have two toddlers. I can say with enthusiasm that I am very happy to work, very happy to love my job, and very happy to have found this balance. Sometimes it seems chaotic but I am just not one of those people who was meant to stay home. DH's firm salary would cover us -- but that isn't the only factor. Good luck and don't lose hope -- it may be slow but there are definitely jobs out ther.

[Anonymous]

a new GS 13 makes about $90K? plus I guess really good health insurance, etc. is there a 401K or pension or what? tough salary cut from $200Kplus or whatever you are making as a mid-level associate.

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks again for the words of encouragement. To the PP, I am okay with the salary cut. I would still be contributing to retirement, savings, and most importantly in the event of an emergency I would have the security of being an active member of the workforce and not having to scramble for a job. Also, the intellectual stimulation and other intangible benefits are also important.

I think prior to having my son I idealized the life of a SAHM but now I see that even though it is immensely rewarding, it is not for everyone. And, I hate to admit this but I can not even vocalize to people that I am a SAHM. I always feel the need to relay that I am an attorney looking for employment. I guess part of me is embarrassed that I studied, excelled, and worked for so long and now I'm not using any of those skills. (Note, I am not trying to start a SAHM/WOHM debate. Everyone must make the right choice for herself and family).