Studying for the BAR, huge DEBT, no JOB, WHAT DO DO?

[LSDSL]

bump

[coquita]

I got a job with the feds doing legal work but not practicing. All of my coworkers in the same position and my supervisors are attorneys and legal analysis is my main job duty. However, it is a temporary one year position and I can't count it as experience practicing law. So I think I will keep looking for jobs after I take a month or so break from the search. However, it seems that permanent positions in my department open up frequently and they like to move current employees into them so I hope I can get a permanent position before my term ends.

[bigs5068]

Just to let people know these kinds of posts are common for every industry. Don't say it is only law school, it doesn't really seem like anyone is saying that on this thread, but I just want to make a point that I have friends that got degrees in computer science who looked for months to get jobs, people with teacher's credentials who struggled to get jobs, people who want to be cops or firefighters that struggle to get jobs, clinical psychologists, M.D.'s., J.D's, Engineers, and down the line. It is very hard to get your start in a career no matter what it is.

Don't get discouraged if you have a hard time finding a job education is for a lifetime and the odds are in the long run it will pay off, but there is the remote possibility it will not. I have not graduated from law school yet, but after I got my bachelor's I worked for 3 years and believe or not I was not handed a job when I got my B.A. I had to take a sh*t job when I first graduated, then 6 months later I got a cooler one and it just took time and there is a lot of disappointment, looking for a job is probably the most annoying thing in the world.  I will expect a struggle to find a job when I get my J.D.  it is a tough world out there. 

[cvtheis]

I appreciate what you are saying; finding a decent job in law is as bad, if not worse, than other professions.  It is definitely WORSE for law graduates (especially non-T1s) because the employment problem is compunded by the fact that (1) folks have paid out an extra $150K and 3 years to gain ZERO advantage when it comes to getting employed, (2) law schools continue to churn out record numbers of JDs - about 43K/year, and (3) the market for legal jobs is shrinking.  In Vegas they call that a 'suckers bet.'

Just to let people know these kinds of posts are common for every industry. Don't say it is only law school, it doesn't really seem like anyone is saying that on this thread, but I just want to make a point that I have friends that got degrees in computer science who looked for months to get jobs, people with teacher's credentials who struggled to get jobs, people who want to be cops or firefighters that struggle to get jobs, clinical psychologists, M.D.'s., J.D's, Engineers, and down the line. It is very hard to get your start in a career no matter what it is.

Don't get discouraged if you have a hard time finding a job education is for a lifetime and the odds are in the long run it will pay off, but there is the remote possibility it will not. I have not graduated from law school yet, but after I got my bachelor's I worked for 3 years and believe or not I was not handed a job when I got my B.A. I had to take a sh*t job when I first graduated, then 6 months later I got a cooler one and it just took time and there is a lot of disappointment, looking for a job is probably the most annoying thing in the world.  I will expect a struggle to find a job when I get my J.D.  it is a tough world out there. 

[bigs5068]

No it is not a suckers bet.  The population is increasing, there are more lawyers now than ever. There are more NBA players now, because there are more teams. NHL 50 years ago had 6 teams now there are 30 something. More people are playing hockey than ever and there are more NHL jobs now.

There are more computer scientists than ever, more people with teaching credentials, more J.D's, more M.D's.

It is outrageoulsy expensive, but at least you can make a lot of money sometimes. If you are an M.D. you have to do 5 years or so of Residency even if you are #1 in the class and you make jack my friend is locked in for 5 years making 40k in Arizona. He might F*up on an operation or something and it will all be a waste. You assume the risk. 

At least as a lawyer you CAN land a big law job, though it is very unlikely. 

No profession is a guaranteed road to success.  Unless you know something I don't. If you know of something I can easily get into and make sh**tons of money PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I will honestly do it as long as it is not illegal (anyone can get into the drug trade, which is a quick way to make a buck.) Not for me though.

If you really want to be a lawyer and are that concerned with financing you can go to North or South Dakota State Schools and pay like 6K or something and I am sure it is cheap to live up there.   You can get out real cheap and I considered it, but I have no desire to live in those states.

It is expensive you should know that and it is a risk any potential student should know that. However, anything worth doing requires you to take a risk. You can stay in your home town and work for a bank or your Dad's company or whatever play it safe and you will be fine, but have a really boring life.

Or you can put yourself out there and you might get screwed over in fact you will get screwed over and make mistakes, but that is life.

[guacamole]

http://www.shitlawjobs.com/

[invader]

They are also cool with the fact and know I plan to look for something else while doing this job (environmental public interest work) and I can work from home too. [...]

What kind of "work from home" are you talking about?

[louiebstef]

For those of you in the Silver Spoon crowd who look down your noses on JAG (military service) as a fallback: "Oh my GOD!"

Here are the approximate numbers:

O-2 (beginning rank for those with only a J.D. and bar passage)/under 2 years service
Base Pay: $43,300 (taxable)
BAS/BAH allowances: $ 20,000 (approximate)
PLUS cost of living adjustments up to 25%

with tax advantage: $70,000/year

Why THAT is terrible!  Better to sit home and whine on the internet about being unemployed....watching the ticker on that
law school debt.

FYI, when I retired (after starting as a dirty, uneducated ENLISTED man) my final compensation:

Warrant Officer (CWO4) with 22 YRS service:
Base Pay: $76,000
BAS/BAH: $25,000

with tax advantage: $109,000/year

Now I have to make due with making only $35K or so in annual retirement pay (which started at age 42).
Oh yeah...forgot about that fully paid BA degree, along with fully paid 1L with $18,000 stipend.

Life is UNBEARABLE!

[louiebstef]

Moral of the story:

If YOU know nothing about military service, please do not put it in a negative light sight unseen.
There are benefits that many of the hungry T3/T4 3Ls should be thinking long and hard about.

A few years of JAG service could really put a dent in that debt,  some of which may be forgiven
by military service.

[louiebstef]

By the way, that same poor dude who lowered himself to join the JAG Corps (of any branch) after about 10-12 years or so service:

RANK:
O-5(Lt. Colonel/Commander) 10-12
Base Pay: $81,500
BAS/BAH: $30,000 (NON-taxable)
tax advantage: $10,000

TOTAL COMPENSATION:  $122,000/year

just TERRIBLE!

You could then resign your commission, join the Reserve (to keep earning points for retirement), and take
that opportunity to join your hometown firm as a partner.