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OBABL Links & Resources
Richard’s Job Chronicle
Jun
4
I have just completed my 1L year and feel I don’t have a moment to waste on the job hunt. Supposedly, on-campus interviews will begin in September, but it is probably unwise to count on that.
The stories are endless on the cutbacks by firms both large and small, as well as, the difficulties of recent graduates finding employment.
The purpose of this “Job Journal” is to provide insight into the current legal job market from a first-person perspective. It is also a “forum” for others to comment and share insight on finding employment. I welcome your comments, helpful tips and camaraderie during this daunting process.
I’m wondering if mass mailings are a means to an end or a waste of my time and resources? My hunch is that personal contacts will serve me better. I’ve begun compiling a list of mentors, friends and family members who might be able to help. From there I’ll start cold calling prospective employers and begging for “informationals.” In the “big fish” spirit, I’m focusing my search in the areas of Richmond (where I attend law school) and Raleigh (my hometown).
So far I’ve contacted three attorneys in Raleigh (two have invited me to shadow them this summer). I have no idea whether “observing” can lead to a job, but at the very least, I should gain some insights from those who’ve “walked in my shoes.”
For example, when I mentioned to one attorney that I was studying abroad this summer, my new mentor gave me some travel advice he’d gleaned from his student exchange.
Are any of my fellow law students doing summer programs abroad? Seems like a great way to kill some time in a down job market and lighten the fall class load. The program was so popular at my law school, some students were put on a waitlist.
