Page 9 - Law Schools

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Law Schools | MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 | S9
coverage, which leads many law students to the erroneous conclusion that they must focus all of their energies on finding a post- graduate job as soon as possible after they enter law school.
Myth #2: Most students obtain permanent job offers before they graduate from law school.
Nothing could be further from the truth, yet many law students see themselves as “fail- ures” and waste precious time with which they could be acquiring essential skills by applying for jobs too soon. Two-thirds of lawyers in private practice are in firms of 10 lawyers or fewer, and/or they specialize in areas of practice that have been “priced out” of the large firms. These areas include trusts and estates, matrimonial law, most types of employment law, most real estate law, any type of litigation that isn’t of the “bet your business” type, and virtually all areas of practice that operate on a contingency fee rather than an hourly fee model. Firms in these categories hire the vast majority of entry level lawyers, but they rarely hire them until after a law school graduate is admitted to the bar. (HINT: If you take both the New York and New Jersey bars simultaneously, it will open up a vastly larger number of job prospects, and will facilitate movement between states) You are not actually a lawyer until you have a license to practice, and most smaller firms need junior associates who can appear in court and do other real “lawyer stuff.” It is for this reason that the statistics for entry-level employment of law graduates are not reported by NALP or U.S. News & World Report until March of the year after students graduate.
Myth #3: Entry-level lawyer jobs are generally obtained through passive means.
This is the most pernicious myth, and the one that is most harmful to students. From the moment you begin law school (or even ear- lier) you must make connections and gather information that will enable you to know what skills you will need to be marketable and to identify the universe of firms that are most likely to be realistic for you. So whom should you talk to?
• Lawyers who have jobs or work in practice settings that are appealing to you. Ask them about: their education and training, their “career steps”; the current realities of their organization and area of practice; what skills are in demand and future growth potential; compensation; experience and credentials the firm requires in an entry-level lawyer; and your potential “fit.” Ask them to be completely candid, or you may get a misleading response.
• Lawyers who are graduates of your school and work in practice areas that are of interest to you. They can tell you what kinds of employ- ers were receptive to them, what classes, internships and/or clinics were most valu- able to them, and what means of job search worked best for them.
• Lawyers in small firms. Ask them what qualities they are looking for when they hire entry-level attorneys. You may hear that they want someone who is well-organized, atten- tive to detail, good at research and writing—
and that may be a catalyst for changing your approach from substantive interests and skills (particularly if you did not work full-time prior to attending law school) to emphasis on some of the more basic skills that are necessary for success. One attribute that law firms will rarely admit that they are seeking is a willing- ness to be “always available.” If that is true of you—and especially if you can provide demonstrable evidence of it—don’t hesitate to make that point with potential employers. One student with whom I worked this year had slightly below average grades, and had received rejections from all of the law firms to which he had been applying. He had worked at a paralegal for a notorious sweatshop for two years between college and law school. When I suggested that he inform interviewers of the large amount he had earned in overtime pay during those two years, his interviewing outcomes changed dramatically. He received four job offers.
How do you find people with whom to network?
• Make a list of everyone you know, includ- ing friends, classmates, former co-workers, parents of your friends (and, if relevant to you, your children’s friends), accountants, real estate and securities brokers, medical professionals, gym buddies, and people who attend your religious institution.
• Establish an account on LinkedIn, which is the largest and most powerful business- focused social media network. It’s easy to do, and it’s free. Create a detailed profile, includ- ing current and past employment, education, and skills. Connect with other members and build your network. The more connections you have, the more information you can gath- er; when you are connected with someone you can see who is in their network, and ask them how they got from Point A to Point B. Obviously, this only works if you connect to people you know and trust or with whom you have a business relationship. Join alumni groups and substantive interest groups on LinkedIn, and “follow” firms and companies that are a match with your skills and inter- ests. Many law firms and companies now have internal recruiters who look for candidates online, and may contact you directly if they have a job for which you may be a good fit.
• Join local and state bar associations and become active in programs sponsored by sec- tions that are of interest to you. In Manhattan, the New York County Lawyers Association has many programs that are oriented towards smaller law firms, and the New York City Bar has a special center dedicated to solo prac- titioners and small firms.
Avoid search firms (aka “headhunters”). They cannot obtain jobs for entry-level law- yers; no employer wants to pay a gigantic fee for a newly-minted attorney.
Other categories of people who are gener- ally not helpful are your parents, spouse, or significant other (unless they are lawyers or work frequently with lawyers), law school professors who have never done anything other than teach, and older lawyers who have only practiced in one large firm for a long time. It is clear to me that the last group does not know the current legal market, because such lawyers frequently ask me to assist their law student children in the nuts and bolts of a job search.
Do not waste your time sending letters to NALP and vault firms after the beginning of your second year in law school. Those firms have already hired.
And other firms that hire summer interns generally don’t even start the process until the spring, when they have a better sense of what their needs will be. As you all know, law school grades matter tremendously, so focus on taking the classes that have been recommended to you by the lawyers with whom you have been networking, and don’t
Two-thirds of lawyers in pri- vate practice are in firms of 10 lawyers or fewer, and/or they specialize in areas of practice that have been “priced out” of the large firms.
worry about your job search. (HINT: Spring Break of your 2L year is a good time to set up meetings with lawyers and firms which you have identified as good potential matches with your skills and interests.)
Do stay in touch with students and gradu- ates of your law school who have obtained jobs in order to keep current on what needs their firms may have. Even some of the larg- est firms have occasionally hired newly admitted lawyers who have skills that are suddenly in demand by their clients. For example, this year corporate lawyers have been in short supply, and a number of newly-admitted lawyers with prior relevant work experience were hired by large firms, although they had been unable to obtain interviews with those firms while they were students.
The Bar
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be a dead end. Every lawyer can pick up a law review and note one or more articles that seem far removed from the heart of our pro- fession. But these same law reviews provided avenues for the development of concepts such as privacy, sexual harassment, citizen suits and new property. It would be hard to imagine the world as a richer place if we cut off opportunities for experts to re-imagine
Myth #4: A one size fits all resume and cover letter is all you need.
By definition, any resume and cover letter that could be used to apply to any law firm would be so generic that it would be com- pletely worthless, yet the vast majority of law students send exactly the same documents to every potential employer. Although there is certain basic information that is relevant to most firms, never forget that the only purpose of a resume and cover letter is to spark suf- ficient interest in the recipient of those docu- ments to make the reader want to meet you in person. Consequently, your resume and cover letter should be an advertisement for yourself that is customized to demonstrate that you can hit the ground running at that particular firm. A lawyer you know at the firm can be the best source of the information you will need to emphasize the aspects of your skills and experience that are most important to that firm. He or she can also suggest which lawyer or lawyers would be your best potential contacts at the firm. You will almost always make a positive impression with a letter that starts out: “I was recently admitted to the New York bar, and have become aware of your high quality practice in the area of _____ from [name of contact], an associate at your firm who was a fellow member of my study group at _____ Law School. My relevant skills and experience to your practice include the following: [It’s fine to use bullet points].
So network, network, network; take the right classes; get involved in bar associations, and then network some more. And don’t let anyone tell you that if you don’t have a job before graduation, you’re not going to get one. And, finally, keep in touch with people who are help- ful to you, and offer to be helpful to them in return. Nothing facilitates an ongoing relation- ship better than some positive feedback.
existing laws in ways closer to our ideal of fairness and justice. Instead of making fun of law review articles, bar leaders should take time to write them. You have much to offer and you never know when the right citation might lead to a new client.
Of course, collaboration from the bar in the legal education project is a two-way street. Law schools cannot invite help without being open to accepting and truly responding to suggestions and advice. Yet, only a more meaningful partnership can produce the reforms law schools need to navigate our current environment.
Your hiring partner