Life As An Associate

[THE BLUE SWEATER]

Because that is only 1-3% of jag lawyers. and some arbitrary board is going to pick your assignment of a 2 page records form. and a photo of you. You can't lobby for those positions. Just put in paperwork and pray.

[obamacon]

Shearman & Sterling is rather well known for this sort of thing. I would have suggested he go to a better firm (or perhaps that he attend a better law school or not specialize in Con Law), but he jumped ship after 2 years, so oh well.

[2Lacoste]

Shearman & Sterling is rather well known for this sort of thing. I would have suggested he go to a better firm (or perhaps that he attend a better law school or not specialize in Con Law), but he jumped ship after 2 years, so oh well.

doesn't look as if other firms are significantly better...

[THE BLUE SWEATER]

What would work as a DOJ attorney or a DOE or DOL or DOState attorney. Why dont we ever hear about them? I would really like to hear about that.

[faith2005]

my impression is that its extremely hard to get into the honors program and thats the only way to get in straight off. I met some govt. attys and it seemed like a good number of them had worked in firms or as city prosecutors b/f they got a job with the usao. i think you'll find something similar with the other govt. offices.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

Don't forget the EEOC

Perhaps.  CIA sounds like fun, too (though it probably isn't nearly as sexy as it sounds).

I thought about CIA since they're always saying they need ppl with critical languages & area studies, but I read up on it and it seems the morale there is pretty bad in general and it's not very welcoming to women & minorities . . . but the travel would be a great perk.

BigLaw sounds awful . . . are these stories designed to weed out the timid or is it really as bad as everyone says?  How do you pay back law school debt without going biglaw?

I can't say from experience, I've never worked biglaw. From what my classmates say, it depends on the firm, do your homework before applying. The problem is that biglaw is competitive and you might not have the option of picking firms.

LS debt is only about $120k which is only $1200/mth or $15k/yr, even small firms pay $50k/yr or so. You can have a house payment on top of that and still be fine. Further, loans are usually only 3% or so, thus it makes no sense to pay early. Private loans are more, but just knock them off first.

Did this cat just say "only $1200/month"??

Having made $50k/yr before coming to law school trust me when I say that a monthly loan payment anywhere near $1k is not going to be pretty.  Even as a single young man with no kids, no wife, and a roommate and coming from the midwest which has one of the lowest costs of living in the nation, $1200 a month would have been a bit steep.

[One Step Ahead]

definitely avoid firms if possible (OSA looks over her shoulder suspiciously).  It isn't that the work will kill you--it is just tremendously isolating.

[Freak]

Don't forget the EEOC

Perhaps.  CIA sounds like fun, too (though it probably isn't nearly as sexy as it sounds).

I thought about CIA since they're always saying they need ppl with critical languages & area studies, but I read up on it and it seems the morale there is pretty bad in general and it's not very welcoming to women & minorities . . . but the travel would be a great perk.

BigLaw sounds awful . . . are these stories designed to weed out the timid or is it really as bad as everyone says?  How do you pay back law school debt without going biglaw?

I can't say from experience, I've never worked biglaw. From what my classmates say, it depends on the firm, do your homework before applying. The problem is that biglaw is competitive and you might not have the option of picking firms.

LS debt is only about $120k which is only $1200/mth or $15k/yr, even small firms pay $50k/yr or so. You can have a house payment on top of that and still be fine. Further, loans are usually only 3% or so, thus it makes no sense to pay early. Private loans are more, but just knock them off first.

Did this cat just say "only $1200/month"??

Having made $50k/yr before coming to law school trust me when I say that a monthly loan payment anywhere near $1k is not going to be pretty.  Even as a single young man with no kids, no wife, and a roommate and coming from the midwest which has one of the lowest costs of living in the nation, $1200 a month would have been a bit steep.

I've done it in undergrad ($5k every 3mths). I worked full-time and went to school full-time and graduated w/o debt. Granted I lived at home with only $200/mth rent. But then I was only making $22k/yr.

[jarhead]

Don't forget the EEOC

Perhaps.  CIA sounds like fun, too (though it probably isn't nearly as sexy as it sounds).

Its definately not as sexy as it sounds and you will not travel around the world you will be stuck in Washington D.C.

[jarhead]

Don't forget the EEOC

Perhaps.  CIA sounds like fun, too (though it probably isn't nearly as sexy as it sounds).

I thought about CIA since they're always saying they need ppl with critical languages & area studies, but I read up on it and it seems the morale there is pretty bad in general and it's not very welcoming to women & minorities . . . but the travel would be a great perk.

BigLaw sounds awful . . . are these stories designed to weed out the timid or is it really as bad as everyone says?  How do you pay back law school debt without going biglaw?

No disrespect becasue I really appreciate that you read something rather than just presented what is essentially your opinion as fact...I have to disagree with this statement government jobs have in my experience which is going on 8 years The Most inclusive and tolerant environment you will find anywhere. Before anybody get on my nerves yes I am sure there is still discrimination somewhere by somebody but I have never had anywhere near the type of problems with race/diversity whatever as I have had in the private sector.