by Caitlin Emmett (GGU JD 12)
I consider the phenomenon of so many unemployed or under-employed law graduates truly lamentable. The preceding three years of law school are a testament to the employability of such individuals - they are willing to work insanely long hours and are dedicated to producing great work product for the benefit of those they hope to eventually serve. In my own view - admittedly limited in terms of the driving forces of economics - the job market and employers alike would be lucky to hire such driven and hard-working people as my classmates. Even in the face of a dreary job market, I do believe that the qualities that served us all so well in law school and during the Bar will eventually lead us all to careers that recognize and, hopefully, appreciate our efforts.
Initially, I was reluctant to write this article because I was unsure what I could say that would offer new insight in your job search. For three years we all did the very best that we could, and our efforts in locating employment are certainly no different. What I realized was that I could offer my own story as acknowledgment of your talents and encouragement in your job search.
I was lucky enough to start a new job at the beginning of this year - right about the time unanswered job applications, student loan notices and general discouragement had sapped my spirits. I could not have guessed how it would come about, or that I would survive employment limbo leading up to it.
My internships during law school offered virtually no post-bar employment prospects. I had worked only in government positions where budgetary woes generally precluded hiring new employees. I realized I needed to expand my search outside of familiar territory.
In the spring semester of my 3L year, I started rounding up all of the business cards I had collected over the past three years. Some I acquired through OCI events and panelists visiting GGU, while others I received through informational interviews. This activity assuaged my rising panic over making some headway on the job front prior to graduation without requiring a great deal of time or energy - neither of which was in abundant supply.
I began emailing each of the contacts. In my emails, I briefly updated them on my impending graduation and plan to take the Bar in the summer. Careful not to sound desperate or demanding, I asked them to let me know if they had any suggestions for my job search and to notify me if they learned of any opportunities for a post-bar position. I never asked for a job, nor did I limit my expressed interest to law firms. Instead, I indicated my interest in all positions my contacts knew of - internet start-ups, accounting firms, human resources, etc.- tailored, of course, to the particular individual’s own career. Sure, I wanted to work as an attorney, but I also knew that my law degree did not limit me in my career choice.
Most of the contacts never responded. Surprise! However, a few did respond. Among those responses was one from the Managing Partner at Bledsoe, Cathcart, Diestel, Pedersen & Treppa. I had met him through an OCI event and he had told me that although his firm was not currently hiring a year out, I should stay in contact with him nonetheless. So I did. We emailed throughout that semester and met up a few times to discuss general job search strategies and bar prep woes.
After the Bar, I worked as a law clerk at a small firm that immediately informed me that they could not hire me as an associate even if I passed the Bar exam. Discouraged, but grateful for a paycheck, I settled in for a few months and kept applying elsewhere. On a whim, I emailed the Managing Partner at Bledsoe to announce my survival of the Bar and to let him know I was working as a law clerk, but looking for something permanent. In response, he asked me to send him my updated resume, because the firm was hiring an entry-level associate. After several interviews and many follow-up phone calls, the firm offered me the position. Although my job set in motion an entirely new set of learning experiences, it reminds me each day how much we have all accomplished in just three short (yet grueling) years.
