Unemployed Baltimore law grad with 120k in debt - options?

[Anonymous]

What's your undergrad degree? I bet you'd make more money in 5 years using that than your law degree. sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true. You know banking . . . in finance, they say dont make decisions based on sunk costs.

However, if you must get a law job, and if you refuse to do contract work in DC that pays really well (you have to sign up with like 3 places and hustle and call every friday and say you are available for that monday) - apply at the Board of Veteran's appeals. They are constantly hiring, but the pay is very very low (starts at GS 9 with a level increase every year). IF you can manage to pay your law debt on time every month, lots or all of it can be forgiven after 10 yrs of federal employment. But that is nearly impossible to do I know I am in that boat myself.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's your undergrad degree? I bet you'd make more money in 5 years using that than your law degree. sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true. You know banking . . . in finance, they say dont make decisions based on sunk costs.

However, if you must get a law job, and if you refuse to do contract work in DC that pays really well (you have to sign up with like 3 places and hustle and call every friday and say you are available for that monday) - apply at the Board of Veteran's appeals. They are constantly hiring, but the pay is very very low (starts at GS 9 with a level increase every year). IF you can manage to pay your law debt on time every month, lots or all of it can be forgiven after 10 yrs of federal employment. But that is nearly impossible to do I know I am in that boat myself.

Good luck.

I forgot to mention - sounds like you'd be a shoe-in at the big accounting firms in their consulting groups - like PWC, Deloitte, Ernst, KPMG, or also try Accenture or Bearing Point (if bearing point still exists I dont know. . ). These places would pay you more to start than most firms in Baltimore anyway.

[Anonymous]

you could do temp work. it sucks and is mindless but usually pays around $30/hr. i graduated in the mid-2000s from UMD law, and it took me about a year to land an actual attorney gig (in shitlaw). i got into labor and employment and am now working at a national firm.

the PPs advising that OP look into working for a federal agency or go solo and hope to land some banks as clients are smoking crack. neither is going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Here's a Program Analyst (Compliance) position at FDA.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/383187700

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you could do temp work. it sucks and is mindless but usually pays around $30/hr. i graduated in the mid-2000s from UMD law, and it took me about a year to land an actual attorney gig (in shitlaw). i got into labor and employment and am now working at a national firm.

the PPs advising that OP look into working for a federal agency or go solo and hope to land some banks as clients are smoking crack. neither is going to happen.

I agree. Where are you barred, OP? I see tons of ads for doc review. Helps if you're fluent in another language, too. Sadly that might be your best bet right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you could do temp work. it sucks and is mindless but usually pays around $30/hr. i graduated in the mid-2000s from UMD law, and it took me about a year to land an actual attorney gig (in shitlaw). i got into labor and employment and am now working at a national firm.

the PPs advising that OP look into working for a federal agency or go solo and hope to land some banks as clients are smoking crack. neither is going to happen.

I agree. Where are you barred, OP? I see tons of ads for doc review. Helps if you're fluent in another language, too. Sadly that might be your best bet right now.

I agree, the solo idea is not a good one. you need a regular income with twins. get a job in consulting. not law. or temp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What's your undergrad degree? I bet you'd make more money in 5 years using that than your law degree. sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's true. You know banking . . . in finance, they say dont make decisions based on sunk costs.

However, if you must get a law job, and if you refuse to do contract work in DC that pays really well (you have to sign up with like 3 places and hustle and call every friday and say you are available for that monday) - apply at the Board of Veteran's appeals. They are constantly hiring, but the pay is very very low (starts at GS 9 with a level increase every year). IF you can manage to pay your law debt on time every month, lots or all of it can be forgiven after 10 yrs of federal employment. But that is nearly impossible to do I know I am in that boat myself.

Good luck.

How is it nearly impossible to make your loan payments with IBR/PAYE? The payments are a ridiculously low percentage of your income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps look into government financial industry regularoty agency? I'm thinking Securities Exchange Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, etc.

Another direction to explore might be international development work through places like World Bank and IFC which often list prior financial sector background and law degree as a requirement for some of the technical positions.

Idk about fdic but you can't realistically get in these other places even with honors from Baltimore grad. They turn away T14 or ivy law grads, former biglaw associates all the time. Of course even those with years of experience and one who has all of that. Even staff attorney positions are hard to come by. Baltimore law grad could get hired maybe in the boom times of yesteryears. I know of one that successfully did who now would be able to at his firm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps look into government financial industry regularoty agency? I'm thinking Securities Exchange Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, etc.

Another direction to explore might be international development work through places like World Bank and IFC which often list prior financial sector background and law degree as a requirement for some of the technical positions.

Idk about fdic but you can't realistically get in these other places even with honors from Baltimore grad. They turn away T14 or ivy law grads, former biglaw associates all the time. Of course even those with years of experience and one who has all of that. Even staff attorney positions are hard to come by. Baltimore law grad could get hired maybe in the boom times of yesteryears. I know of one that successfully did who now would be able to at his firm.

I meant the being able to get hired as a staff attorney during boom times and that the Baltimore grad I know would not be able to get his staff atty position in 2014 had he not joined in 2006-7.

[Anonymous]

a federal attorney job is an unrealistic pipe dream for someone with OP's stats. sucks, but it's the truth.

one exception is attorney adviser for the SSA. this is a horrible, crappy, mindless job involving cutting and pasting shit into ALJ "decisions." but it's a federal gig. i was offered this job a few years ago, and i think they are available with some regularity. i passed on the job to take a position with a sole practitioner. people told me i was nuts at the time, but it was the best decision i ever made.

[Anonymous]

The only way the majority of people get jobs (any jobs, not just law jobs) is networking. DH went to a law school that I'm sure people would mock on this board, without great grades, and has been consistently employed and now works in-house. With the exception of one job that he got because of specialized experience, he has gotten every job he has had through someone he knew. Go to networking events - the bar holds them - and hustle. Ask everyone you know who they may know in law that you can meet for coffee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone reading this board who is considering going to law school, especially outside to top 25 or so, you have been warned.

Sorry OP -- try to get some doc review to pay the bills and look for jobs outside the legal profession. Compliance sounds like a good possibility.

KEep hustling. It may take a while. Don't give up. YOu WILL find something. Once you do, kick ass at it, network like hell, and think about a medium-term career plan based on where you are starting. Start to focus in on particular field, preferably something that is growing, and make yourself an expert on it. CHances are, you won't ever end up in biglaw, but as someone a decade out of law school who has been down that road, you will be better off. THere are MANY ways to have a successful law career, but when you're just out of school it's hard to imagine all of the paths you can take. But you will find one, and you will be fine.

You don't need to move to Asia.

[Anonymous]

Figure out what areas of law would match your banking background best - finance/M&A/Bankruptcy. Then go to the ABA, DC and MD bar websites. Join as a student and go to the section meetings and network your butt off. Make some of you own creative calling (business) cards and hand them out. Networking works, but you can't just network with classmates. You need to find lawyers with jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:a federal attorney job is an unrealistic pipe dream for someone with OP's stats. sucks, but it's the truth.

one exception is attorney adviser for the SSA. this is a horrible, crappy, mindless job involving cutting and pasting shit into ALJ "decisions." but it's a federal gig. i was offered this job a few years ago, and i think they are available with some regularity. i passed on the job to take a position with a sole practitioner. people told me i was nuts at the time, but it was the best decision i ever made.

Even SSA has upped its hiring standards due to the crappy economy. It depresses me to think of all the people I know working three who went to really great law schools (Northwestern, Georgetown, UVA) ... and not bottom of their class either.

Times are tough for lawyers still.

[Anonymous]

Apply to become a bank examiner. It is low starting pay, but with a JD and banking experience, moving to BSA examination or fraud could be your ticket up.