Law Pub Ponders the ‘Associate Apocalypse’

B. McLeod
Oct 7, 2009 9:23 AM CST

Where is the Law Pub located?  Do they have a good, oatmeal stout?  One can ponder almost anything over a good, oatmeal stout.

Flag this comment

Esq.
Oct 7, 2009 10:27 AM CST

@ #2:  It’s time to start thinking outside of the box, like they always said in law school (but which never applied to the curve grading system).  The biggest thing is not to panic or feel sorry for yourself, to construct a plan for taking the first professional step toward where you want to be, and to stay focused.

I don’t see this as an apocalyspe.  Rather, it is the market resetting to more rational levels.

Flag this comment

B. McLeod
Oct 7, 2009 9:24 PM CST

The Paulaner Oktoberfest is also really good this year, so it’s well worth asking after that, if you find yourself at the Law Pub.

Flag this comment

Esq.
Oct 8, 2009 9:34 AM CST

@ #6:  Ok then, don’t think outside the box, which I believe is synonymous with ‘unconventional.’ 

If your transferrable skills are in banking and finance, you ought to be asking people with a background in banking and finance (or whatever area is is that you are looking for) what they think your next logical move should be.  Not IF they have a job for you, but where they can conceivably see (or have seen) someone with your background going.  And even if you feel you have ‘networked’ there are most certainly people out there whom you have not already met.  You have to keep getting out there and pounding the pavement until you land a position.  What other choice is there, really? 

I speak as someone who searched for almost one full calendar year before finding a job after law school, and was broke the whole time.  I did not have the benefit of a prestigious summer associateship on my resume, let alone having worked for a large law firm.  But I made myself attend 2-3 bar association events per week, if only to get myself out of the house.  I took additional bar exams to expand my geographic options.  I drafted and redrafted my resume at least 100 times for various positions.  I finally landed a job that offered experience but almost no money, and worked my way up from there.

Job searching and career planning are skills that are unfortunately not taught in school.  There are a lot of people in this profession who don’t understand what it’s like to be unemployed.  They are the types who got the 2L summer associateship, the immediate job offer, and who courtesy of ‘career placement’ firms who predominately place large firm associates with other large firms have had seemless transfers and transitions throughout their legal career.  Then there’s the rest of us, who have had to do for ourselves.

Flag this comment