Just laid off at Biglaw - advice?

[Anonymous]

Also no need to take another bar exam for federal govt. You only need to be in good standing in 1 state.

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of journalists who are currently on DC Medicaid, many peds take it. It is not a bad program. Subsidized COBRA might be doable for a while.

[Anonymous]

Assume the law firm told you about the fed gov COBRA subsidy? -- it was extended again this year.

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html

[Anonymous]

I haven't read every post-stopped at page 3, so I apologize if I repeat something. So sorry you all are facing this especially with all the other stressors. Are you a member of a church or temple? If so, can you talk to the leader about a.) not paying dues and b.) getting on their list for prepared meals. I know people can feel humiliated by this, but plenty of people face hard times and this can at least save some money. Plus, you have children who have SN, you deserve some extra help! Do you owe medical bills? Id so, let the hospital know the situation. You never know if they have grants to help people in these situations. Re: extra work while collecting unemployment. You have to report all extra income and sadly it sometimes pays to use that time to job hunt since unemployment may pay less. This is according to a friend who was unemployed in another state after BigLaw let her go. I assume it applies here. Thinking of you and hoping your DH find work very quickly!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. I am looking into any programs we might be eligible for. Our church does not have a food program but we did reach out and additional people are now networking for us. I'm past humiliation, I am terrified of becoming homeless and am grateful for any kind of help we can get. We have always been generous with time and money in the past as we were able, and hopefully we will be in that position again ourselves one day.

DH will not be eligible for unemployment until the end of severance, so any other earned money now can be stashed for later. A PP had the great advice to have me temp while DH is collecting unemployment rather than DH so that the money will not count against those checks.

Thanks so much for the well wishes everyone.

[Anonymous]

So sorry for your predicament. If it were me, here's what I would do:

1. Cut all expenses down to the bare minimum. This means: lose the landline; turn off cable; stop the newspaper; no eating out; no date nights; steer clear of the mall, Target, etc.; only buy what you absolutely need (ie: food and essentials); no splurges; no pampering.

2. Start looking for less expensive housing; consider temporarily moving in with parents or inlaws if possible. Most people avoid homelessness by relying on the familial safety net --- there's no shame; that's what family is for.

3. Both of you should start looking for jobs right now. If you get one first, then you can temporarily work until your husband gets another job. DH should look into contract work so at least some income is coming in the door. With contract work, he can work from home and keep up his own job search. If he's well versed in an area of the law that lends itself to private practice, then perhaps he can hang out a shingle or work a deal with a solo to help him get off the ground.

Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Some tips for looking for another Biglaw job: Get a list of all of the big firms and look at their websites and see if they are hiring. Dickstein Shapiro, for example has openings in some practice groups and expressly says it is not accepting applications through headhunters. If you apply to any biglaw jobs, tell the placement firm to not submit your resume there, if you both submit it, then the firm still has to pay the headhunter fee. Look at the attorney listing and look for alumni or any other connections and ask to meet for an informational interview or a drink, and see if any of your friends know any associates at the firm. It can help to have your resume submitted by an attorney already there, and usually attorneys are happy to do it because sometimes the firms give a fat referral bonus. Also, once you send in a resume, consider calling the hiring partner and/or the head of the applicably practice group, introducing yourself and saying you sent in a resume, you are very excited about the firm for xyz reasons, and you hope the firm will give you the opportunity to interview there. If you aren't up for trying to catch the partner in person, ask the secretary to put you through to voice mail. I know one attorney who got a biglaw job by doing just that because the partner was impressed with the message and instructed HR to schedule an interview. Every little bit to make them know you helps.

[Anonymous]

OP - I'm so sorry to hear you and your family are going through this. Keep in mind that you and your husband are capable, intelligent, and resourceful people -- you must be if you both have JDs and have been taking care of two special needs kids -- so you will get through this. I would look at all government jobs in the area -- not just federal. If you or your husband are licensed in MD or VA, look into any legal jobs at any of the state govt agencies in the suburbs near DC. Of course something federal would probably pay better, but as PPs have pointed out, the application process takes forever (it may also take forever with state agencies -- I'm just suggesting this as another idea.) If you are not licensed in those states, I would still call every judge's chambers (state/federal/whatever) in nearby MD/VA and see if any of them might be hiring a law clerk anytime soon. Of course those jobs are usually filled way in advance and are few and far between, but you never know if someone's law clerk has made plans to leave early or had to back out unexpectedly -- it is not likely, but if you have the time on your hands during the day, you might as well look into it. Is there any possibility of sub-letting your current residence and moving into a friend's or a cheaper place? I have heard the rents are lower in MD and while I know you don't want to live far away or away from a metro, don't forget there are commuter buses that come into DC (not sure how much those cost). Rents are cheaper for places that are farther from metro stops of course, but in many neighborhoods there are buses that take you to a metro stop -- it is not fun but if it comes down to it, it could be an option. And do seek any resources your church/other community might be able to provide. Don't be shy about asking for help -- if someone you knew were in this situation, you would want to know and help them. I'll keep you in my prayers.

[Anonymous]

OP -- I was thinking about your situation, especially the car. I have a suggestions. I don't know how good it is though. But I'll share it with you anyway and I'm sure other people will pick it apart if it is a bad one!

I think you said that you had an old car, just one, and you were worried it could need repairs soon? If so -- what about taking it to a really reputable, hopefully cheap repair shop and asking the car repairman to give it a really good checkup -- like the kind you get if you are thinking of buying a used car. And ask him what looks like it might need to be repaired in the next year or so. Then get those repairs done -- and pay for it on your (hopefully very low interest) credit card?

This way hopefully you won't have a major repair to pay for down the line, when you might not have the cash to cover it; and you ge the repairs done now, not at a more stressful time (like the day before a job interview) when you don't have the time to shop around for the best deals.

[Anonymous]

op, i haven't read all of the posts but...you have a JD? are you interested in work? what kind of law/expertise do you have?

[Anonymous]

You've received lots of good suggestions, so I don't have anything more to offer, except that I'm sending big hugs your way and will keep you and your family in my prayers tonight. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

1. Double check that the unemployment he can get actually more than what he can get temping. Some contract work pays well.

2. Move NOW while you still have some income and can qualify for a new contract. There are plenty of apartments near the suburban metro stops that are in good areas but cost less than DC proper. Montgomery and Fairfax have metros and good services--good neighborhoods near metros (further out, check out Dunn Loring, Vienna, Glenmont, Rockville).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP -- I was thinking about your situation, especially the car. I have a suggestions. I don't know how good it is though. But I'll share it with you anyway and I'm sure other people will pick it apart if it is a bad one!

I think you said that you had an old car, just one, and you were worried it could need repairs soon? If so -- what about taking it to a really reputable, hopefully cheap repair shop and asking the car repairman to give it a really good checkup -- like the kind you get if you are thinking of buying a used car. And ask him what looks like it might need to be repaired in the next year or so. Then get those repairs done -- and pay for it on your (hopefully very low interest) credit card?

This way hopefully you won't have a major repair to pay for down the line, when you might not have the cash to cover it; and you ge the repairs done now, not at a more stressful time (like the day before a job interview) when you don't have the time to shop around for the best deals.

Worst suggestion ever? Go out and incur a bunch of expenses that aren't really necessary at this time on things that may not ever break -- on a credit card, which will inevitably require payment at 20+%? OP, don't do this. If your car develops a problem, then address it at that time, with the last resort being paying for it on a card. Get a few recs so that when something does go wrong you know who is good and cheap to call -- that part is a good suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, sorry to hear about your situation. I was laid off from Biglaw in September, with 2 days notice that I would need to leave and my insurance would end. It was not pretty. I was not laid off for cause, it was a reduction in force and they just didn't want me around any longer than necessary (probably because I was pregnant, but that's a different story.

1. Has your husband signed his separation agreement? I assume he will have one if he is getting a severance. If not, make sure in his agreement :A) the firm states that it will not fight against him filing unemployment, B) that he is being laid off without cause, C) that certain people at the firm may be contacted as references (often firms only want to be able to say "yes, x worked here and I can't give any more information" which is usually interpreted into that you were fired, not laid off), D) that no one at the firm will may any disparaging remarks about you (some firms want to cover their tracks, they hate to admit any laying off is due to economics, this is a BIG one here, he should really fight for this, I know several people who were laid off from BIGLAW, and when submitting resumes to other firms, those places would call their contact at the old firm, and the contacts said "I don't know X, but he must have sucked if he isn't working here anymore", E) negotiate longer insurance coverage

2. with regards to insurance, the laws changed late last year to increase the length of cobra coverage to the amount of the subsidy. My entire family is on my insurance. We stayed on the cobra. The change in law ended up saving us $1000 per month. Make sure he talks to his HR department regarding the amount of COBRA subsidy, etc.

3. I agree this is a crappy time of the year to be looking for a new job, esp since law school is getting ready to graduate. Try looking for local, state and government jobs, inhouse positions, and business. Try usajobs and attorneyjobsonline.com. He can also try to get a letter of reciprocity from his law school to use a local law schools career services that might have postings for experienced lawyers. I know GW law school often participates in this. Also, have him contact his law school's career services to see what they can provide for an alum.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Forget about big law. No other big firm is likely to hire you right now (sorry, but it's true). Call every smaller firm lawyer or government lawyer you worked with and tell them you are starting your own practice and will do ANYTHING. What do you care if it is glorified filing if it pays well per hour. You have an advantgage of being cheaper than an associate right now - use that.