Is it impossible to find work as an attorney right now?

[Anonymous]

Here's another open SAUSA position, this time in Maryland:

https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/uncompensated-special-assistant-united-states-attorney-26

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - Thank you again for all the responses. There were about 450 of us so I will divulge that I went to GW. My class rank was between top-half and top-40%, I was just short of Thurgood Marshall scholar and I was devastated. I understand that some of the responses here may be the harsh truth, but I am committed to finding a job in the DMV at least until May - one year from graduation. Thank you to those who suggested taking whatever I could find as I need a push to accept an unpaid offer. I think that working for a judge could be beneficial to my career so that is my top choice at the moment.

I have a lot of friends who graduated from GW over the years and it seems weird to me that you weren't able to secure a job with a 2016 GW JD and those grades. GW top 40% will generally all get "good" jobs; as in, big law (might have to go to NYC for those, though), entry level government, etc. The next chunk of the class is going to get "fine" jobs: local prosecutors, small firms, backroom fed jobs with no advancement. I'm surprised you didn't get traction in that latter group of jobs. Did you aim too high at first and not bother applying for that second chunk of jobs? Because it seems by aiming too high, you stayed unemployed too long, and now probably aren't a viable candidate for the second chunk of jobs either. In all seriousness, what have you been doing since July 25, 2016? Because you need something that's going to "refresh" your resume at this point. Certification. Volunteer/industry work. Etc.

[Anonymous]

Being an attorney is a really difficult thing. First, I don't know if you know this, but the profession has a HUGE attrition problem. Ten years out, I think roughly half of the people I know who went to law school are entirely out of the game. They changed career, being stay at home parents, etc.

Also, big law is not the end all be all. I actually lasted three years before running away (clerkship). I was a fed and now work in-house, which is fraught with its own issues (business stability is required otherwise I'm out of a job).

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you're in this situation, OP. I've been there, and it sucks.

If you haven't already, start harassing your school's career services office. Yes, they're generally useless, but you have. nothing to lose. Ask them for alumni contacts. See if they can set up meetings with professors (including ones whose classes you never took). If they give you a lead, follow through on it and tell them how it turned out.

[Anonymous]

If you must stay around here, I would take the unpaid work with the judge and ALSO start doing whatever volunteer work you can that will get you networking and meeting other lawyers who might be impressed with you and willing to help you out down the line.

Can you qualify for guardian ad litem work? Have you waived into DC yet--there are a lot of pro bono opportunities with the DC bar that will get you some experience, even if its in landlord/tenant court.

What about volunteering with the ACLU's big immigration rights push going on right now? They are staffing major airports with volunteer lawyers every day. Find something you are really interested in and excited about-it will make you feel better about working for free.

[Anonymous]

THere are so many local law schools AND people moving to DC to work from other parts of the country-it is really hard to find an entry level job if you are not in the top of the class. The bottom half of Georgetown struggles too.

[Anonymous]

Learn Arabic and take the foreign service exam.

[Anonymous]

OP. Hang in there! I think that you can still turn all this around. Some suggestions:
1. Network x 10
2. Have you looked into doing any state court clerkships either in VA or D.C.? Some actually aren't that competitive to get (judges are idiosyncratic). They don't pay well but it can buy you some time to get the next thing lined up. I actually know a few people who went from state court to federal court to big law and one who went from state court to small firm to big law.
3. I personally would not do doc review work but I would do any other low paid or even unpaid work that can build on any sort of specialized area of law you know. things to look at would be: becoming a clinical instructor at another law school, any sort of advocacy type organization (areas that come to mind are education law, media law, and tax)
4. Apply to any openings to mid sized/large law firms anywhere in the country. I would imagine it would be easier to lateral back to this area than to just magically secure a job at a big firm (since that seems to be what you want to do) here. I know you don't really want to do this but it's better to move somewhere you don't want to for a few years than it is to never be able to support yourself somewhere you do.
5. I'm not super familiar with virginia outside of NoVa but I think you should look everywhere in the state since you are barred there and I can't imagine things are quite as competitive outside of the D.C. Area. I'd imagine there are a decent number of firms in Richmond? Also have you looked at their DA and public defender offices?

The reality of the situation is that D.C. Has way too many lawyers. Don't let it make you feel bad because it's just a numbers game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Thank you again for all the responses. There were about 450 of us so I will divulge that I went to GW. My class rank was between top-half and top-40%, I was just short of Thurgood Marshall scholar and I was devastated. I understand that some of the responses here may be the harsh truth, but I am committed to finding a job in the DMV at least until May - one year from graduation. Thank you to those who suggested taking whatever I could find as I need a push to accept an unpaid offer. I think that working for a judge could be beneficial to my career so that is my top choice at the moment.

I have a lot of friends who graduated from GW over the years and it seems weird to me that you weren't able to secure a job with a 2016 GW JD and those grades. GW top 40% will generally all get "good" jobs; as in, big law (might have to go to NYC for those, though), entry level government, etc. The next chunk of the class is going to get "fine" jobs: local prosecutors, small firms, backroom fed jobs with no advancement. I'm surprised you didn't get traction in that latter group of jobs. Did you aim too high at first and not bother applying for that second chunk of jobs? Because it seems by aiming too high, you stayed unemployed too long, and now probably aren't a viable candidate for the second chunk of jobs either. In all seriousness, what have you been doing since July 25, 2016? Because you need something that's going to "refresh" your resume at this point. Certification. Volunteer/industry work. Etc.

Unfortunately, top 40% at GW doesn't "generally" land you any good jobs anymore even outside DC/NY/Chicago/LA when we're talking about traditional job-seeking methods. For GW grads to land these "good jobs" (we're talking Big law only) if you didn't get a 2L summer associate position and you're not ranked in the top 20%, the name of the game nowadays I'd say is an interplay of like 60% intern experience and network as they go hand-in-hand and 40% luck....

I'm an AU grad and I so happen got that 40% luck through my internship and am happily employed at a gov agency doing work transferable to the private sector.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Thank you again for all the responses. There were about 450 of us so I will divulge that I went to GW. My class rank was between top-half and top-40%, I was just short of Thurgood Marshall scholar and I was devastated. I understand that some of the responses here may be the harsh truth, but I am committed to finding a job in the DMV at least until May - one year from graduation. Thank you to those who suggested taking whatever I could find as I need a push to accept an unpaid offer. I think that working for a judge could be beneficial to my career so that is my top choice at the moment.

I have a lot of friends who graduated from GW over the years and it seems weird to me that you weren't able to secure a job with a 2016 GW JD and those grades. GW top 40% will generally all get "good" jobs; as in, big law (might have to go to NYC for those, though), entry level government, etc. The next chunk of the class is going to get "fine" jobs: local prosecutors, small firms, backroom fed jobs with no advancement. I'm surprised you didn't get traction in that latter group of jobs. Did you aim too high at first and not bother applying for that second chunk of jobs? Because it seems by aiming too high, you stayed unemployed too long, and now probably aren't a viable candidate for the second chunk of jobs either. In all seriousness, what have you been doing since July 25, 2016? Because you need something that's going to "refresh" your resume at this point. Certification. Volunteer/industry work. Etc.

Unfortunately, top 40% at GW doesn't "generally" land you any good jobs anymore even outside DC/NY/Chicago/LA when we're talking about traditional job-seeking methods. For GW grads to land these "good jobs" (we're talking Big law only) if you didn't get a 2L summer associate position and you're not ranked in the top 20%, the name of the game nowadays I'd say is an interplay of like 60% intern experience and network as they go hand-in-hand and 40% luck....

I'm an AU grad and I so happen got that 40% luck through my internship and am happily employed at a gov agency doing work transferable to the private sector.

Never got the appeal of attending any DC school - AU, GW, or Georgetown - too many lawyers in a small city, so you go to a factory producing more lawyers? And these schools aren't particularly good in terms of ranking either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - Thank you again for all the responses. There were about 450 of us so I will divulge that I went to GW. My class rank was between top-half and top-40%, I was just short of Thurgood Marshall scholar and I was devastated. I understand that some of the responses here may be the harsh truth, but I am committed to finding a job in the DMV at least until May - one year from graduation. Thank you to those who suggested taking whatever I could find as I need a push to accept an unpaid offer. I think that working for a judge could be beneficial to my career so that is my top choice at the moment.

I have a lot of friends who graduated from GW over the years and it seems weird to me that you weren't able to secure a job with a 2016 GW JD and those grades. GW top 40% will generally all get "good" jobs; as in, big law (might have to go to NYC for those, though), entry level government, etc. The next chunk of the class is going to get "fine" jobs: local prosecutors, small firms, backroom fed jobs with no advancement. I'm surprised you didn't get traction in that latter group of jobs. Did you aim too high at first and not bother applying for that second chunk of jobs? Because it seems by aiming too high, you stayed unemployed too long, and now probably aren't a viable candidate for the second chunk of jobs either. In all seriousness, what have you been doing since July 25, 2016? Because you need something that's going to "refresh" your resume at this point. Certification. Volunteer/industry work. Etc.

Unfortunately, top 40% at GW doesn't "generally" land you any good jobs anymore even outside DC/NY/Chicago/LA when we're talking about traditional job-seeking methods. For GW grads to land these "good jobs" (we're talking Big law only) if you didn't get a 2L summer associate position and you're not ranked in the top 20%, the name of the game nowadays I'd say is an interplay of like 60% intern experience and network as they go hand-in-hand and 40% luck....

I'm an AU grad and I so happen got that 40% luck through my internship and am happily employed at a gov agency doing work transferable to the private sector.

Never got the appeal of attending any DC school - AU, GW, or Georgetown - too many lawyers in a small city, so you go to a factory producing more lawyers? And these schools aren't particularly good in terms of ranking either.

You have to be a troll.

[Anonymous]

Has OP answered yet what they did for the past year? It would help for advice and context to know.

[Anonymous]

sounds like she was job hunting and networking...BTDT...i treated it as a full time job and those habits of habitually checking job websites still stick to me....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:sounds like she was job hunting and networking...BTDT...i treated it as a full time job and those habits of habitually checking job websites still stick to me....

I think people are asking if he/she hasn't had a paid job in almost a year.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the advice in this thread is mixed. Some people who aren't lawyers mean well, but don't understand the field.

1. Temp work can be a good beginning if it's not doc review. Doc review is tough (not impossible but tough) to move out of. If you have an opportunity for temp work other than doc review, do it.

2. State court clerkships are often overlooked and can be very good first experiences. I am a bit surprised that you were offered an unpaid quasi clerkship. If you've had nothing on your resume since graduation, however, I would jump at this chance. And look for "real" state court clerkships in the meantime.

3. I too wonder if OP overshot early on. What's done now is done, but it would explain some things.

4. Definitely make use of GW's career services office. Find out who the best person in the office is and go to them, if you can. As a now alum, you may be limited to the person who handles alumni. But ask hard questions about the types of work you should be targeting. Get that office and other people to scrutinize your resume and cover letter with a fine-tooth comb.

5. It's really hard to get a legal job with a non-profit as a new graduate. Don't waste your time trying. Ditto most federal jobs. Don't waste time on USAJOBS.

6. Can you approach your former summer employers and ask who handles their outside legal work? I have known people whose in-house internships led to a permanent job with that company's outside counsel.

7. Go to live CLEs in your area of interest. CLEs are an often overlooked source of networking. They are boring, so people are often happy to chat. It's harder now because so many CLEs are online, but live options still exist.

8. Do informational interviews, NOT with an eye to getting a job from that particular person, but with a goal of truly obtaining information. I've changed fields three times within the legal industry, and informational interviews were incredibly instrumental in each change. Google for tips on law school informational interviews.

This is an old but good advice: http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/id=1202484439762/Job-Search-Tips-for-the-Unemployed-Law-Graduate

And I would rethink moving. Not necessarily out of state, so you don't have to take another bar exam, but look at smaller cities within the state. State, city, and county governments sometimes have legal jobs for new attorneys. And it's easier to get hired into a small firm in a smaller city.