Memorandum in Opposition to Unemployment

By: Law School Humor

Issue:

Every current and future law student has heard the horror stories of searching for a job in a saturated legal market. The number of graduating law school students exceeds the number of available legal jobs. Being an unemployed law school graduate isn’t an option.

Rule:

Use all means available to obtain a job. Law school graduates have gotten creative in their job hunt — seeking jobs that might not seem obvious to an incoming 1L. Today’s law school graduate needs to be resourceful, and they should start by looking right under their nose.

Application:

While people attend law school for a number of reasons, the goal of every student is typically identical: graduate with a better job than you could get without a law degree. This is quickly forgotten as soon as a law student begins their 1L year. Students are faced with a number of obstacles that make graduation feel as if it is a distant mirage. Homework assignments, exams, moot court, and journals overwhelm the average law student. The everyday challenges mask the graduation that is three short years away.

Students forget that their current “job” isn’t just to do well in school. That alone is often not enough for the vast majority of students facing today’s job market. Obtaining jobs in a saturated legal market not only requires good grades but a professional network. Students need to create and expand their current network whether they realize they have one or not.

Summer jobs still remain a student’s top prospect for acquiring post graduate employment. There is no substitute for taking advantage of summer employment opportunities. But for some students, even great summer job experiences aren’t going to turn into career prospects. While students realize that their summer jobs during law school are important for their resumes and for making connections, they often forget about making connections outside the legal world and fostering those connections throughout their time as a student.

Law students weren’t always law students. They had a life prior to law school that may help them after their years of grinding away in the law school library. Since birth, law students have made a network for themselves through prior experiences and introductions. These seemingly meaningless connections can develop into the coveted job after graduation. An advantage to being out of the job market for 3+ years is that while you have been in school, your friends have been getting promoted. Even if you went straight from undergrad to law school, your friends have put in valuable time that can work to your advantage. Everyone knows a guy that knows a guy. So before law students feel as if they are destined for unemployment, they need to broaden the scope of their job search and pursue even the most unlikely avenues to gain employment. (Continued on Page 2)

There are several easy and painless things that a law student can do now to aide them in their job hunt.

• Look at your own LinkedIn account. If a current law student doesn’t have one yet, get one.
• Talk to your career services, but keep your expectations low. If you don’t have a stellar class rank, this might prove frustrating.
• If you are a member of an association at your law school, talk to the prior members that have found jobs.
• Always have an up to date resume that can be sent out at a moments notice. You never know when that special someone will come along.
• Attend happy hours. Dress up like you actually did something on Friday, and go meet the people that have just finished up their workweeks.
• Remember the people that you are introduced to. If you’re bad with names, write them down.
• Send out thank you emails to people who, despite their better judgment, agree to meet with you. Send out “check in” emails to make sure that people don’t forget who you are.
• When you’re going to get your caffeine fix, stick around the coffee shop and talk to the people that are there. They’re probably doing more with their day than you are.
• People take care of their own. Look to your fellow alumni from your high school and college. Also, look to connect with alumni from your law school. Reach out to them. There’s no harm in trying.

While these tips alone won’t bring up job rates after graduation, they should help increase your personal likelihood of finding a job. They are a starting point. Once you have found a connection that could lead to a job offer down the line, it’s all up to you. Every connection and relationship is different. You’ll have to put in time and effort. But maybe, just maybe, that connection will be the one.

Conclusion:

Students need to remember the reason that they came to law school and keep their eyes on the prize. Only the lucky few have the financial resources and time to chase the dream of becoming a professional student. The rest need jobs. Law students have a network. They need to grow and maintain it.