tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post3539612282969139756..comments2023-10-19T04:51:53.516-05:00Comments on The Legal Dollar: The Lost Generation?Managing Partnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-15498906081276904982010-10-24T15:09:59.213-05:002010-10-24T15:09:59.213-05:0011:16 - Thanks for sharing and I am sorry for your...11:16 - Thanks for sharing and I am sorry for your tough situation. To earn a 3.4 at a top 20 school you have obviously worked very hard - and should be commended for your work. It is very disappointing that you find youself on wrong side of the economy. Please make sure and tell potential law students about your situation - if nothign else, then you might get good karma.Managing Partnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-65885169994393105882010-10-22T23:16:45.942-05:002010-10-22T23:16:45.942-05:00Yup. That pretty much describes what's going o...Yup. That pretty much describes what's going on out there. I'm a current 3L with a high 3.4 at a top 20 school, and the pickings are real slim. People who were lucky enough to land a solid 2L summer position with a good offer rate are sitting pretty, the rest of us are pretty much toast despite having the same (or better) qualifications, but worse luck.<br /><br />Here's to hoping that small firm hiring looks fondly upon new grads....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-32992863137474715452010-09-07T14:49:56.545-05:002010-09-07T14:49:56.545-05:008:16 - Wow. Well, let's take a look at your a...8:16 - Wow. Well, let's take a look at your assertions. First, to a great degree, more lawyers do not mean more lawsuits. If you are representing the plaintiff, then they still have to pay - and just because their are more lawyers doesn't mean that they would want to pay for something that they didn't want to pay for before. In fact, there being more lawyers lowers the price that lawyers can charge for the lawsuit. But you might be thinking of contingency fee stuff - well, a great percentage of contingency fee stuff ends up being unpaid or very low paid legal work. The other side is typically not eager to part with its cash. Some cases can turn out well, but the market is pretty much already voer saturated - also, price competition here would lower your percentage. Since there are so many lawyers, the client can find a lawyer that takes a lesser percentage. Sorry, but your argument that more lawyers=more work is not in accord with reality.<br /><br />With regard to "debt discrimination", I don't know what you are talking about here. Do you think law firms would be less likely to hire you if you have a high debt? Why would they not be more interested in hiring you because they know that there is no way that you can walk away - so their investment in your training won't be wasted if you decide to seek greener pastures soon.<br /><br />Finally, I am glad that you agree that some law school classes were blindsided and that students entering law school today don't have that as an excuse. I would also suggest that being blindsided is not a "mistake" on their part. Additionally, I think that your plan to work on academics and networking from the beginning is a good one, but the law students have been doing it for at least the last couple of years and it has not done them any good. Realize that even if you do great academically and network your butt off, there are really only a limited number of jobs - not enough for everyone. Your academic and networking efforts won't make jobs drop from the sky - somebody is going away empty-handed. Working hard academically and networking does not influence the supply of jobs - and the demand is even higher now. I wish you good luck in law school - and I don't know your personal situation, you may have a full scholarship for all I know, which would make your decision slightly less overly-exuberant.Managing Partnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-77246919689008032852010-09-07T08:16:10.929-05:002010-09-07T08:16:10.929-05:00More lawyers means more lawsuits which means more ...More lawyers means more lawsuits which means more work for lawyers. A glut of unemployed lawyers might spur job creation and bring the job market roaring back. <br /><br />Also potential employers do not know how much debt you have so the likelihood of debt discrimination is actually pretty low.<br /><br />Last, law students starting this fall are aware that the class of 2010 and 2011 were blindsided. We will work hard on our academics as well as networking for potential jobs from the beginning so as not to repeat their mistakes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-76420477218641153152010-09-06T19:25:53.983-05:002010-09-06T19:25:53.983-05:00This was a great post. I would love to see someth...This was a great post. I would love to see something that focuses on smaller firms and that career path as that is pretty much the game for 80% of grads.<br /><br />Great blogDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15729532031872959652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-47988205746792491732010-09-06T13:51:09.818-05:002010-09-06T13:51:09.818-05:00"With regard to your comments about 'recr..."With regard to your comments about 'recruiting relationship with law schools', frankly, I have yet to encounter anyone who actually gives two pips about a 'relationship' with any specific law school. "<br /><br />That hasn't been my experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-67579314553633730512010-09-06T13:13:10.628-05:002010-09-06T13:13:10.628-05:0012:48 - Thanks for the comment! I think that your...12:48 - Thanks for the comment! I think that your pretty accurately reflect the sentiment pre-2008. At that time, if you didn't have a job, the question on everyone's mind would be "OK, what's wrong with you? - what did other firms see that they didn't like?"<br /><br />With regard to your comments about "recruiting relationship with law schools", frankly, I have yet to encounter anyone who actually gives two pips about a "relationship" with any specific law school. The law schools are darn lucky that we are considering their students. The law schools need us - the law firms really don't need them.<br />Not that we are going to go out of our way to throw our weight around, but the recruiting process needs to be convenient for us - or else we will just pass on your school - there are many, many other qualified candidates. Supply and demand is a realy factor, but even in 2003 no law firm was really worried about what a school thought.<br /><br />However, as I mentioned in the post, I think that you are right that 2Ls and 3Ls will be the primary focus. They are just easier for firms to hire.<br /><br />As for the career services offices, I think that you are right - that they typically only focus on current students. For example, even in this terrible market and even with my stong connection to local law schools, I have never once had any career servies person call about any graduate once they had graduated. Of course, they only very, very rarely reach out with regard to even current students. Mostly law students are one their own.Managing Partnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-18791567622588875252010-09-06T12:48:05.424-05:002010-09-06T12:48:05.424-05:00I basically agree but I would take issue with this...I basically agree but I would take issue with this:<br /><br />"However, once a law student graduates, their legal education (which is really not that great in the first place from most law schools) starts to decay."<br /><br />I think this is a polite way of saying that there is a stigma which goes with being unemployed, even if it's probably undeserved.<br /><br />If you graduate law school and can't find a job, people will naturally assume that (1) you are probably a loser; and (2) you are probably bitter.<br /><br />People are naturally averse to hiring someone who is thought to be a loser or bitter. And people are naturally averse to hiring from a pool which has already been picked through by others. People greatly prefer a fresh pool.<br /><br />To make matters worse, I would add that if and when the economy rebounds, law firms are likely to make the calculated decision that their recruiting relationship with law schools will be strengthened the most if they focus their recruiting efforts on 2Ls and 3Ls, as opposed to graduates who aren't around any more.<br /><br />I would guess that career services offices are likely to subtly encourage this, since the law schools' purposes -- attracting more applicants -- will be better served by focusing their limited energies on current students and blowing off graduates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-68992534567258536992010-09-06T11:51:46.433-05:002010-09-06T11:51:46.433-05:00Hi Managing Partner,
I just wanted to say thank yo...Hi Managing Partner,<br />I just wanted to say thank you for your time and energy in answering my (very) long and seemingly meandering comments. :)<br /><br />Hope you had a great weekend.Coder Enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-2735524920220510512010-09-05T22:37:35.312-05:002010-09-05T22:37:35.312-05:00Hi PoorGrad,
Yep, many of the people I talk to ar...Hi PoorGrad, <br />Yep, many of the people I talk to are having the same experience of massive numbers of people applying for lawyer jobs, even when the skill set does not match.Managing Partnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05130017520583425490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521318064826848712.post-65974791505786759342010-09-05T22:18:09.606-05:002010-09-05T22:18:09.606-05:00This was rather long so I had to skip a few areas....This was rather long so I had to skip a few areas. The reality of hiring from someone who was part of hiring attorney staff this year, is that a hirer is looking only for a certain skill set, and certain years of experience. In the position we wanted someone junior, and we received attorneys with vast years of experience. All such attorneys with such vast experience, or which did not have the particular skill set we were looking at resumes were discarded (okay probably put in some file cabinet). I don't believe any one's legal skills should really rust up, because if you are working in legal, even on a pro bono basis you will pick up legal skills, plus there are numerous low cost PLI's, CLE courses one can take to refresh.PoorGradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06348929998247512034noreply@blogger.com