Career Advice: Keep looking or back to school?

I'm not sure if this applies to JDs, but I would say wait 9 months before you reconsider school, but after 3 months start looking for short term employment outside of your career path if necessary. Something that says I stayed busy.

If you
1.enjoy your line of work/study
2.have money to tide you over
3.young with no commitments
then
1. Try for an unpaid/low paid internship - no matter what they say - every company is happy to do this. There are lot of non-profit /community/civic organizations that are more than happy to get help from those who have passed the Bar.

2. If not full time school , take part time courses in related fields or even computer related i.e. legal document/records management systems. Someone with working knowledge of the actual document system and the legal knowledge of the profession will be an asset to a corporate body if not to a law firm.

3. If you like the work at the organization or the courses that you took - then you can consider doing a part time or full time masters in it.
Don't jump into getting a masters without knowing whether you like that specialization. It is better to take your time and see if you like it than to do it and then regret wasting time or doing a half hearted shoddy job.

Good Luck

I went to a software training course recently and talked with a degreed engineer who went the internship route after college. After 4 months he was offered a job and after two more he transferred into the department he wanted. I know that may not be the case in your field, but I was surprised that the market is creating this type atmosphere.

Thanks for the input, guys. I really appreciate it.

I suppose I'll wait it out a while longer, go with the limited leads I have now, and look to volunteer somewhere at the beginning of the year if I don't have anything by then.

Did you ever say what type of law you wanted to specialize in?

Realistically, I'm interested in anything I can find, given the market.

I ultimately want to hang a shingle and practice primarily family law with an emphasis on mediation. Just dont feel like I'm in a place to that right now without a little courtroom experience of some sort.

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Career Advice

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Here's a hint. Now is not the time to get a job in law. I'm not talking economy, although I am aware how bad it is right now. I mean that no associate is going to leave a job right before December-when bonuses are paid. They'll wait and get the bonus, then bail when they are upset about the amount or whatever. January and February are better times to get the job. So, if I were you, I'd wait a little longer.

Second, you might try getting a little work with one of those part time rent-a-lawyer deals. That could turn into something permanent. The ADA job above was also a good idea. Or even public defender. Also, don't limit yourself to your immediate geographic area unless you're unwilling to move. There may be jobs elsewhere if there are none where you are.

Third, if you truly are interested in family law, you should know that most family law firms are small, many times just one lawyer or just a couple. That means there are a lot of places for you to look. You just have to get in touch with the right one. Even in a bad economy, people get divorced. You might wait until January and then send your resume to every family law firm you can find. Close relative of family law is probate law. Also common to have a small shop, so plenty of places to apply.

That's all I have. Good luck.

Have you considered looking into areas such as Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering or Fraud? These areas aren't specifically legal professions, but they do love their JDs. The job market is still pretty good in these areas depending on where you want to live.

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Have you considered looking into areas such as Compliance, Anti-Money Laundering or Fraud? These areas aren't specifically legal professions, but they do love their JDs. The job market is still pretty good in these areas depending on where you want to live.

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When you say Anti Money Laundering and Fraud, do you mean looking into law enforcement (FBI etc?)

Thanks! I checked out FinCen. They don't have current postings, but it appears that's sort of cyclical so I'll certainly keep my eye on the website.