Something else to consider before going to law school

[legalese_retard]

I graduated top third and with honors from Tulane Law School in December and I am still unemployed. I moved to Dallas in January, but the firm I worked for during the summer laid me off (with other attorneys). I already passed the Texas bar in February but I still can't find a legal job. Currently I am working at Starbucks and at a bar to pay rent and my $2000/month student loans. I want to work at a law firm or some other legal part-time job but there is nothing available - not even contract jobs. I am going to have to start selling my personal possessions on Ebay because I am falling behind on my credit card payments and about to deplete all of my savings. Plus I have to go to a coffee shop with free WiFi to post this stuff on Ebay because I can no longer afford internet or cable. I just submitted my application to a small law firm in a town outside of Dallas that pays $40K/year with no benefits and has a 2100 billable hours/year requirement (which means I will be working for less than $15/hour when you factor in actual hours worked).

I am just posting this as a rant because I thought that graduating with honors from a tier one school would open doors, not close them. I went from working at a firm paying six figures to working at Starbucks. To law school applicants, consider the worst case scenario (i.e. unemployed) before choosing a law school (especially if you have to take out loans). Even if a law school has an average starting salary of $100K/year, the only jobs outside the big law firms pay less than $50K/year. What really sucks is that my 10 year high school reunion is coming up and I will be either unemployed or getting paid less than the high school dropouts who are plumbers. Even if I get the $40K/year job, I might have to sell my car and start using the bus (which sucks in Dallas) because I can't afford the gas and insurance.

[SCK2008]

You kind of suck at life.

Consolidate your loans and you shouldn't be paying much more than 1k/month.

Flame.

feminine hygiene product.

[legalese_retard]

I cannot consolidate my loans because I did them through Sallie Mae. You are not allowed to consolidate your loans if you get your loans from Sallie Mae or Freddie Mac (trust me I already tried). Plus, if you have over 80% of your loans with one lender, you cannot consolidate with another lender no matter who your original loan provider is.

[jack24]

Thanks for your post.  I won't say you suck or call you any names, but there are a lot better jobs than working at star bucks. 
Someone who does well at any law school should at least be a good waiter..  A fantastic waiter can make 20 bucks an hour.

Here are some jobs in Dallas that you should be able to get (or work your way up to in 2 years) with a law degree.
All annual salaries listed are the [u]25 percentile[/u] from yahoo! hot jobs

Level 1 Construction loan officer  $60,274

Level 1 Investment Analyst  $62,107

Convention/Event Director   $72,004 

Plumber 1    $32,906.


Yeah, hopefully you'll make more than a plumber.    Dallas has a great job market.  Maybe you should go see a career counselor at the community college or something.

I think it's good that you are warning people about this, but did you have to say you work at Starbucks?  Honestly?  I had a better job than that when I was a freshman in college. 

[legalese_retard]

It is hard to get those kind of jobs with a law degree because they know that you are only doing it for a short time. Jobs like starbucks are easier to get because they don't care if you aren't going to stay with them long term.

[JeNeSaisLaw]

Looks like the issue is your TTT firm, not law school.

[legalese_retard]

Not saying it is the law school's fault. But I am saying that people who are going to schools that are ranked lower than tier one should consider the possibility of being unemployed for a while and having to settle on a job they don't want.

[SCK2008]

It is hard to get those kind of jobs with a law degree because they know that you are only doing it for a short time. Jobs like starbucks are easier to get because they don't care if you aren't going to stay with them long term.

Yes, b/c nobody with a law degree ever goes into another field.

I won't be as kind as Jack though; you're a fucktard.  And it would be more difficult to get a job @ SB with a law degree over the other jobs Jack listed for the exact reason that you said enabled you to get it.

[botbot]

Looks like the issue is your TTT firm, not law school.

Seriously...

OP PM me if you aren't flame and I can probably help point you in the right direction.

I assume you have MMed every Dallas BIG/MID firm?

[SCK2008]

This is a flame Botbot.  You're doing pretty well @ Tulane's medium b/c you don't suck @ life/troll/flame like our esteemed OP.