best websites for finding a job

[ithappensforareason]

Hello everyone,


I was wondering what the best websites are to search for law jobs? I am a 3L and I am looking for either a law clerk position or legal assistant position. I just want more work experience in the field until I graduate.

I find craigslist semi helpful but is there anything else?

I am top 25% at a T4 in Southern california with moot court but I know summer associate positions are not in my future.

Thanks guys,

[Matthies]

Hello everyone,


I was wondering what the best websites are to search for law jobs? I am a 3L and I am looking for either a law clerk position or legal assistant position. I just want more work experience in the field until I graduate.

I find craigslist semi helpful but is there anything else?

I am top 25% at a T4 in Southern california with moot court but I know summer associate positions are not in my future.

Thanks guys,

Have you joined your local bar association as a student member? Our bar has a listserve for jobs and I get 2-3 new posting a day in the e-mail. Defiantly sign up for that as well as the Young Lawyers Division if you bar has it. The one here has an event at least every two weeks that is great for networking.

Westlaw has a new site for job searchers http://www.betweencases.com/ There is also lawjobs.com and Martindale.com.

But seriously, stop looking on Craigslist, that’s not where you want to be searching for a job as a professional. Join the local bar association of the profession you want to be a member of and save craigslist for selling your sofa, meeting that special transvestite for a message or buying used cars.

[ithappensforareason]

Matthies,

thanks alot for the helpful information.

I am a member of the local bar associations but unfortunately, they are not very helpful. They are more catered to working lawyers and seldomly have events for students. I will look into the helpful sites you listed as well.

Also, it has been EXTREMELY difficult to locate any law clerk positions.

[Matthies]

Matthies,

thanks alot for the helpful information.

I am a member of the local bar associations but unfortunately, they are not very helpful. They are more catered to working lawyers and seldomly have events for students. I will look into the helpful sites you listed as well.

Also, it has been EXTREMELY difficult to locate any law clerk positions.

Yes, the bar association is not going to have specific events tailored to students, but that does not mean you should not go. Students are welcome at all the events, lawyers love talking to students. Find a few practice areas that you like and go to their events. Volunteer at some of the stuff the bar is putting on in the community. Your best bet for finding a job is not going to be anything advertised, because 100’s of other folks are going to be applying for that same job. You want to be recommended for something no one else knows about yet from your contacts in the legal community. The way you get the inside track on these jobs before they hit the streets is to get involved in your local bar association and make contacts. Most positions are filled by word of mouth referrals, they only put out an add as a last resort, Tap into that market of insider info by getting involved outside of school. And don’t forget about the transvestite massages.

[ithappensforareason]

Matthies,

thanks alot for the helpful information.

I am a member of the local bar associations but unfortunately, they are not very helpful. They are more catered to working lawyers and seldomly have events for students. I will look into the helpful sites you listed as well.

Also, it has been EXTREMELY difficult to locate any law clerk positions.

Yes, the bar association is not going to have specific events tailored to students, but that does not mean you should not go. Students are welcome at all the events, lawyers love talking to students. Find a few practice areas that you like and go to their events. Volunteer at some of the stuff the bar is putting on in the community. Your best bet for finding a job is not going to be anything advertised, because 100’s of other folks are going to be applying for that same job. You want to be recommended for something no one else knows about yet from your contacts in the legal community. The way you get the inside track on these jobs before they hit the streets is to get involved in your local bar association and make contacts. Most positions are filled by word of mouth referrals, they only put out an add as a last resort, Tap into that market of insider info by getting involved outside of school. And don’t forget about the transvestite massages.

You are a wise man. I will heed your advice and try to be more active in these organizations.

In your opinion, what is the best job search engine for law students? I dont like lawjobs.

Also, do you think cold calls or emails to specific and local firms asking them if they need clerks would be a good idea? Perhaps they have a need and just have not got around to advertising for it yet?

Thanks for the tips about the transvestite's as well.

[Matthies]

Cold calls/letters generally suck and don’t amount to anything but a pile of rejection letters. Your starting 3L right? The best thing you can do right now is get involved in the legal community and make friends. Don’t start asking for jobs yet, its takes time and trust to get to that point. Your goal should be to forms 4-5 close relationships with a few lawyers and judges in town, so that by the end of the 3L they like you enough to recommend you to people they know in the legal community. Something you will learn quickly is everyone knows everyone else in the legal community, seriously is scary like that, someone you know will know someone your trying to get a job with, or at least know someone who does.  Also there are things you can do as a student, like hang out with judges and partners at big firms, that because of the divide between low on totem pole associates you can’t do that kind of mixing once you start working. So take advantage of it while you can/ finally check the American Inns of Court website and see what inns are in your town, join  one, they are all about helping new lawyers get started that’s the whole point of an Inn.

[ithappensforareason]

Cold calls/letters generally suck and don’t amount to anything but a pile of rejection letters. Your starting 3L right? The best thing you can do right now is get involved in the legal community and make friends. Don’t start asking for jobs yet, its takes time and trust to get to that point. Your goal should be to forms 4-5 close relationships with a few lawyers and judges in town, so that by the end of the 3L they like you enough to recommend you to people they know in the legal community. Something you will learn quickly is everyone knows everyone else in the legal community, seriously is scary like that, someone you know will know someone your trying to get a job with, or at least know someone who does.  Also there are things you can do as a student, like hang out with judges and partners at big firms, that because of the divide between low on totem pole associates you can’t do that kind of mixing once you start working. So take advantage of it while you can/ finally check the American Inns of Court website and see what inns are in your town, join  one, they are all about helping new lawyers get started that’s the whole point of an Inn.

Just an update.

Ive been invited to join an American Inn nearby.

The only thing that sucks is this inn doesnt meet again until november. Nonetheless, I am definately going to go and hope something will develop.

Matthies, you are da *&^%.

[Matthies]

Cold calls/letters generally suck and don’t amount to anything but a pile of rejection letters. Your starting 3L right? The best thing you can do right now is get involved in the legal community and make friends. Don’t start asking for jobs yet, its takes time and trust to get to that point. Your goal should be to forms 4-5 close relationships with a few lawyers and judges in town, so that by the end of the 3L they like you enough to recommend you to people they know in the legal community. Something you will learn quickly is everyone knows everyone else in the legal community, seriously is scary like that, someone you know will know someone your trying to get a job with, or at least know someone who does.  Also there are things you can do as a student, like hang out with judges and partners at big firms, that because of the divide between low on totem pole associates you can’t do that kind of mixing once you start working. So take advantage of it while you can/ finally check the American Inns of Court website and see what inns are in your town, join  one, they are all about helping new lawyers get started that’s the whole point of an Inn.

Just an update.

Ive been invited to join an American Inn nearby.

The only thing that sucks is this inn doesnt meet again until november. Nonetheless, I am definately going to go and hope something will develop.

Matthies, you are da poo.

congrats on the Inn in vite, go go go, its well worth it and you will make high powered freinds there, congrats!

[dischord]

Matthies, how would you choose an Inn of Court if there were multiple Inns in your market?  None of them really jump out at me as being the obvious choice (i.e. none are directly related to my school, any field I'm interested in, etc.). 

Also do they reject people?

[Matthies]

Matthies, how would you choose an Inn of Court if there were multiple Inns in your market?  None of them really jump out at me as being the obvious choice (i.e. none are directly related to my school, any field I'm interested in, etc.). 

Also do they reject people?

There are a couple of things you can do to help chose an Inn: go to the first meeting of the ones your interested in and see which one you click with or talk to career services and see which if any students have joined in the past and have found helpful, research the bios of some of the members and see what people you think you would like, finally just pick one, next year pick another if you don’t like the first one.

Yes Inn’s reject people. Some Inn’s don’t take students at all. Some do and welcome them, some have an application process and review by Inn members for acceptance. Best place to start is with an e-mail to the contact person of the Inns you’re interested in and see what kind of response you get. Career services might know which Inns are best targets as well. But sending an e-mail to 1 or 2 of the contact people is likely your best bet. You can gage from their response how welcoming they are.

The best thing about inns is the networking is FANTASTIC. Most Inns are set up similarly in that you will be assigned to a pupilage. In this pupilage there is usually a Judge, 2-3 lawyers with 15+ years experience, 2-3 with ten years, 2-3 with five years and 1-2 students. You will sit with this group and likely do one group presentation in a year to the rest of the groups. So you get to know these people really well and if they are in an Inn it means they WANT to be mentors.

This is not to say you won’t also interact with other Inn pupilages, you will so you’re not just limited to your group. All the pupilages will meet together, usually for dinner and presentation (about 3 hours), once a month (taking summer months off). You might also do things just with your pupilage like go out to dinner, see a play, volunteer in the community etc. It makes you for friendships with lawyers and keeps them going because you see each other at least once a month if not more. Here student dues are $50 a year and that includes your dinner once a month for nine months. We have our dinners at the University Club (its not afflicted with any particular university, it’s a private club for members only) here in town and each one costs about $35 a plate, so great deal for $50 for a nine months worth of dinners and netorking and creating friendships!