OP: I graduated top 10% from a T2
It's real frustrating. I know a lot of others in my position. But I'm just trying to not get real upset (though I have my moments where I throw my Bar/Bri books down and ask what the point of all this is), pursue any lead I can, and I just study for the bar and figure when that's over I'll really do nothing else but look for a job.
I don't know if this makes you feel any better, but I hope it makes you realize you're not alone.
How did you end up at top 10% and law review, but no offers?
I do feel like I've been ignored and turned away by many local firms that my school's OCS thinks should be begging to hire me, yet no one can tell me why. I showed a million lawyers my resume and they all say it's great. Admittedly, I might come off a little shy and quiet in interviews. But I hardly get interviews to begin with.
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Oh, and I think the shy and quite thing is hurting you more than you realize. Its likely you also come off as timid. Your cover letters might be timid as well. This does not seem like much, but its bad for a lawyer, lawyers aren’t shy, quite people. You’re not applying for a cubical job. They want, although its never said outright, take charge folks who can make critical decision on their own and put peoples’ feet to the fire when it needs to be done. This does not mean you have to be gregarious, loud, or even an extrovert, but you can’t come off as quite, shy or timid or your adversary (and your employers) will see this as a weakness.
Go get some books from the library on networking and how to talk to strangers. Think seriously about joining toastmasters, you need to be an extrovert when you’re looking for a job and its CRITICAL to networking, you need to be able to walk up to strangers, strike up a conversation and keep it going for ten mins at least.
Some people are born with that skill, most are not, but it can be learned, and just like anything else you get better with practice. As much as I preach networking on here I bet most folks think I’m a very outgoing guy in RL. I’m not, I’m a hermit, I prefer to be ALONE 99% of time.
In the last 10 days I have seen 4 people face to face, and talked to two on the phone and that’s pretty ‘outgoing” for me in such a short time. I don’t like going out, I’d rather stay home alone in my cave. BUT I can turn on the charm when I need to like a light bulb, and I make it a habit to force myself to go to one networking function a week, talk to one new person, try and make one new friend even if inside I HATE IT, because that’s what you have to do in the legal world. You’ll learn quickly if you have not yet, that everyone knows everyone else in the legal world. Who you know beats everything and how the legal work gets done. Knowing your adversaries, the judges you appear before, all that is vital info you get from other lawyers. You need to be able to ask for it and get it.