ATOT Lawyers

[sjwaste]

As I probably have mentioned here and there, I am a graduating law student this year. For those ATOT lawyers that did not do a biglaw summer/follow-on, how did you go about finding your first job?

I've worked all four years of (night) school doing various corporate work. Right now I'm a management consultant with a big firm, but have worked in the insurance industry, and also have about a year of in-house counsel clerking experience. My grades are good, between top third and top quarter, and will probably graduate between top 25 and top 20% of my class. I'm not at a top tier school, but it's not a Tier 3/4.

For various reasons, I did not want to go the big firm route. I'm considering government, but also looking harder at small and mid-size firms. The traditional advice is to start sending out letters and resumes the spring of your graduating year, now for me, but I'm wondering what the other avenues are. I've networked a bit and know a few folks, definitely following those paths. Is there anything else? Do job boards work for entry level legal positions?

It's a tough market, so I'm fine with the fact that I might not lock something in before I pass the bar. The job I have now is great, likely getting promoted this year, and the money isn't bad. Practicing law is what I went to school to do, so I'd like to do it, but I dont necessarily have to in order to pay my loans.

Any advice, other than networking and the famous mail merge?

EDIT: Other threads have pointed out that there is no more market for lawyers and that I should just quit. Let's not go there

 

[looker001]

I am not a lawyer and have nothing to do with law. With that being said, i hate to tell you but finding job right now for lawyers is pretty hard being that a lot of them are looking for jobs and got 15-20 more years of expereince then you do. Sorry to tell you, but you might just have to wait this market ou before you start working as a lawyer.

 

[Newbian]

Originally posted by: looker001
I am not a lawyer and have nothing to do with law.

That's all you are going to get.

 

[compuwiz1]

Ah, just get out there and chase some ambulances!

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
Ah, just get out there and chase some ambulances!

Metaphorically, isn't that what I already do as a consultant?

 

[RKS]

It's not what you know... I actually worked for a large (there's only really 2) legal research company as a reference attorney. After a couple years I moved to the private practice via a friend of a friend.

edit: At worst you can always hang your own shingle. Find a mentor to ask questions and also become friends with the clerks at the courthouse; they'll be a great resource. Put some ads in the local paper or church bulletin and take whatever comes in the door.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: RKS
It's not what you know... I actually worked for a large (there's only really 2) legal research company as a reference attorney. After a couple years I moved to the private practice via a friend of a friend.

edit: At worst you can always hang your own shingle. Find a mentor to ask questions and also become friends with the clerks at the courthouse; they'll be a great resource. Put some ads in the local paper or church bulletin and take whatever comes in the door.

Yeah, definitely about who you know. I don't know a ton of folks, but know a few. I know the current clerks at the courthouse, so I'm hoping I can get them out for beers with the new clerks during their july transition.

Worst case for me is to stay in consulting. It's a bad time to go solo right now, too. I had an adjunct professor last semester who just went solo. I gave him a call the other day and he was telling me how bored he was. He has a pretty good book of business that he took with him, too. Not sure what I'd do w/o that just yet.

Assuming you went to a large firm after working at west/lexis, how hard was it to make the jump with the connection? I've been told that if you don't go into private practice right out of school, it's hard to do it later, let alone with a large firm. Any truth to that? I might want to go big firm after I have some experience, much like I went to big consulting after building up my "brand" at smaller places.

 

[RKS]

The firm I'm with is pretty small and ranges from 15-20 lawyers. I didn't find it too difficult to make the jump from LN but I do have a supervising attorney who is a great resource, unfortunately he is just as big of an asshole who nobody likes. I also have a pretty steady flow of wacked-out clients which makes everyday interesting. I currently have about 60-70 clients and working towards about 125. I have a decent salary and get a percentage of my settlements. I should have about $3K in bonus money this month. I usually get in anywhere between 7:30 to 9:30 am and get out about 5:00 pm.

Honestly I think you want to go big, get experience, meet a lot of clients and then go smaller in a specialty you like. I'm not sure if big law takes in too many lateral associates. I would definately take advantage of your career office and

 

[Kanalua]

I went the small/boutique firm route. I got my job based on the recommendations of law school faculty and some attorney's I worked for during the summers.

I did have a Gov't job lined up, but about two weeks before the bar it fell apart. A couple of attorneys working at the office I was going to work at called their former employees and firms that worked with the office to see if they needed anyone. A couple of teachers at the law school did the same thing, and thankfully one of my teachers and one of the attorney's I worked with both contacted the managing partner at the firm I'm at now.

I must say, I love the boutique law firm atmosphere. Only 4 attorney's in the firm. We do Worker's Comp and Labor/Trade Union work. The biggest difference between big law and small law: attorney development. While most of my classmates (c/o 2008) are doing document discovery or the grunt workers for junior partners, I'm running entire labor arbitration, fielding Workers Comp clients and doing real legal work. My boss gives me help and advice when I need or ask, but mainly I learn as I go. I routinely go up against named partners of big law firms! I first year associate taking on NAMED PARTNERS at the big law firms in town.

The atmosphere is really relaxed, I come in when I want and leave when I want. As long as I stay on top of my work, I can schedule my days as I please. One of the best things about controlling your own cases is that you can pace yourself. Ex. I know that at the end of a labor arbitration I have 30 days to submit a post-hearing brief. I can schedule it out over the next 30 days and pace my work at my pace. Contrast that with one of my friends working at a large law firm in town; his junior partner sat on a brief until the week it was due and handed off a major portion of the brief to his new associate (my friend) about 3 days before it was due...this is on a $20 million lawsuit! My friend spent two nights at the office working to complete his portion of the brief!

Another thing: At big law firms, your bonus is dependent on how much your partner fights for you to get one. If your partner is a douche, you may not even get a bonus (happens). My bonus is determined by my boss, no one has to fight for my bonus. I worked at the office only three and a half months before Christmas last year and got a nice end of year bonus because my boss directly over saw my work and progress.

 

[Zee]

temp agency. Hopefully temp to perm