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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thanks for your responses everyone. I am trying to network more and have expanded my search beyond law firms. I guess I just feel beaten down because all of my friends were able to secure jobs right after graduation. It's good to know that others struggled at first but eventually landed on their feet. Do you think working as an unpaid "law clerk" for a state court judge would be valuable experience, or would law firms see it as a waste because it isn't an official "clerkship"? [/quote]

I think working as a law clerk would be a valuable experience. I had an official "clerkship" but the things you learn are the same. I also wouldn't be averse to contract reviewing. I think a lot of the advice about what is and is not a career killer is a bit outdated at this point. Lots of good lawyers have been laid off from biglaw in the past 8 years, and I imagine the same is true of mid-sized and smaller firms on down. Those people need to pay their bills and take the jobs they can get. This is atypical, but my old firm did once or twice promote contract reviewers and non-associate reviewers with JDs to associate positions.

But I echo the advice to talk to your career services people, to network, to expand your range of places to apply to (lots of smaller cities within Virginia). Look for unpaid legal work where you can do real work (though I didn't disparage contract review work, more substantive work would be better) and learn about how to practice law. It may take time and hustle, but if you are a good lawyer you will succeed eventually. However, graduating from law school and studying for the bar doesn't teach you much about being a good lawyer.[/quote]

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