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

[Anonymous]

Seeking career advice -

I'm a 2014 Baltimore law grad who has a significant 6 figure debt load. I cannot find a job in DC - or Charlotte, or Atlanta, or New York.

I graduated with honors, with a background in banking (I managed a Bank of America location before the crash).

I passed the bar - and am being shut out of jobs. I've interviewed a couple of places to no avail.

Should I go solo? Move? Any advice? Wife is about to birth twins (we have 1 daughter), and recently got let go from her job as a kindergarten teacher this summer. I'm a HARD worker and willing to hustle. I never knew getting a law job would be this hard.

[Anonymous]

I feel for you. As a recent grad going solo will be tough, but your prior experience might help.

The problem, of course, is that banks have the money to pay for larger firms. Could you turn your experience around and provide assistance to clients in dealing with banks - i.e., helping entrepreneurs/small businesses get through the process, maybe help them deal with compliance/reporting requirements/etc.?

There's a strong community of sole practitioners in the DC/MD/VA area, many of them came out of larger firms and work in their areas of specialization while referring clients to each other for other needs. You might want to talk to some corporate solo types who might have clients that could use your expertise.

I assume you're already trying to break into in-house positions are local banks/financial institutions. Consider other options like trade associations related to banking/finance, lobbying firms associated with your industry, etc.

You might also try consulting firms that have banking clients. They like lawyers and you would bring experience and cachet to their practice.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Try to get a job in compliance (even if it's not an attorney job). It pays well and there is a shortage of AML/Compliance people now.

[Anonymous]

You need to contact head hunters. Maybe something about how you're presenting yourself is coming across wrong. Africa Lindsey.

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised anyone decides to go to law school nowadays with such a bad market for lawyers. I currently am working at BigLaw and have been looking to lateral for over 2 years with no luck. Good luck to you OP, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm surprised anyone decides to go to law school nowadays with such a bad market for lawyers. I currently am working at BigLaw and have been looking to lateral for over 2 years with no luck. Good luck to you OP, but I wouldn't get your hopes up.

Oh, and I still have $190k of just law school debt to pay so you are ahead of me in that regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seeking career advice -

I'm a 2014 Baltimore law grad who has a significant 6 figure debt load. I cannot find a job in DC - or Charlotte, or Atlanta, or New York.

I graduated with honors, with a background in banking (I managed a Bank of America location before the crash).

I passed the bar - and am being shut out of jobs. I've interviewed a couple of places to no avail.

Should I go solo? Move? Any advice? Wife is about to birth twins (we have 1 daughter), and recently got let go from her job as a kindergarten teacher this summer. I'm a HARD worker and willing to hustle. I never knew getting a law job would be this hard.

OP,

I know someone who might be able to help you. He does law school consulting but is a great career counselor and has worked in admissions for a T14 school and is a current corporate recruiter. If you are interested, please post some kind of contact info and I can put you in touch. He always offers new clients free consultations so you could probably get some good feedback just by talking to him.

[Anonymous]

Try doing contract/doc review if you want to just bring money in. Many 2012-2014 grads in staff attorney positions, a couple firms pay low 6 figures.

[Anonymous]

move abroad, preferrably to asia - they are not going to get your debt. I know a number of people that had 6 fig student debt that said fuck it and left for vietnam, thialand, and malaysia. they're not going to pay it back and they're not coming back

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

has career services been any help to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:move abroad, preferrably to asia - they are not going to get your debt. I know a number of people that had 6 fig student debt that said fuck it and left for vietnam, thialand, and malaysia. they're not going to pay it back and they're not coming back

what can a person do with a law degree from the US in there? Surely their law is different.

I am curious as to shy op says he is willing to hustle. What does that mean? Break the law?

[Anonymous]

I second the suggestion to look into jobs like compliance where a legal background would be helpful but are not attorney jobs. This strategy worked well for a friend of mine (in a smaller market a few years ago) that was having trouble landing a legal job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:move abroad, preferrably to asia - they are not going to get your debt. I know a number of people that had 6 fig student debt that said fuck it and left for vietnam, thialand, and malaysia. they're not going to pay it back and they're not coming back

So you're recommending that a guy with a wife and one child, plus twins on the way, skip out on his law school debt by moving to Asia forever? What an interesting point of view.

[Anonymous]

I would honestly check out JAG and what debt forgiveness offers are available.

Otherwise PPs gave good advice.