by Stephanie Tobosa (GGU JD 12)
I am six months into my two-year judicial clerkship at the San Francisco Immigration Court, and I am really grateful to be able tell you that I love my job. The work is challenging, and sometimes I feel I am in over my head, but it is exactly the type of work that I hoped to do after law school. I am very thankful to be where I am. I know that the job search can be a frustrating and emotionally exhausting process. I want all of my law school colleagues to find fulfilling jobs and believe that you will. In the meantime, here are three tips to aid you in your job hunt that I believe helped me in mine:
IDENTIFY YOUR FIELD OF LEGAL INTEREST. While you may not have entered law school knowing your precise field of legal interest, the odds are that you have narrowed down the contenders. In fact, maybe you’ve changed your mind completely since you first came to law school. A friend of mine began her 1L year expecting to pursue a career in public interest law. Two internships later, she realized that public interest work was not a great fit with her temperament. She decided instead to explore real estate law, because she enjoyed her first-year property class. Almost immediately, she discovered that it was a much better fit. She loves the work and enjoys litigation. Who knew? I hope that your legal experiences either reaffirm the plan that originally brought you to law school or lead you to a realization like the one my friend experienced.
PARTICIPATE IN YOUR FIELD OF LEGAL INTEREST. Once you have identified your preferred legal field, participate in it as much as possible. If you have time to volunteer — do it! Before I worked at the court, I volunteered at the Asian Law Caucus’s free immigration clinic. I was able to include that experience on my resume and discuss it in my cover letter. Volunteering at the Asian Law Caucus demonstrated my commitment to immigration law, and in hindsight, I believe it allowed me to stand out as a candidate when I applied to the immigration court.
You can also participate in your field by reading relevant publications and news articles, which will keep you sharp and informed, and give you something to talk about when you meet your dream employer. Someone I know was recently asked as the first question of an interview what changes she hoped would come from the passage of a certain type of legal reform. Luckily, this person had read some of the legislative proposals on the issue and was able to give an intelligent and thoughtful response. Phew!
Additionally, attending professional and social events related to your field may reveal job opportunities that are not yet open to the public. For example, in law school, I applied to a certain non-profit several times, but never received a response. I did, however, receive an invitation to their holiday party, which I attended. As a result of one of the conversations from that evening, I was able to line up a spring internship with the non-profit that they had yet to advertise to the public.
STAY POSITIVE. I know that you probably hear this all of the time, but it bears repeating: stay positive! I recently watched a friend go through the entire rollercoaster of emotions related to the job hunt. Two weeks ago, she landed an awesome job in her exact field of interest. I asked her what advice she would give to recent graduates. She said, “Stay positive. Don’t be too hard on yourself. And submit a few job applications every week.” I like that advice.
Please note: The author is an Attorney Advisor in the San Francisco Immigration Court, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), U.S. Department of Justice. The author prepared this article in her personal capacity, and the views expressed herein are solely her views and do not necessarily represent positions of EOIR or the U.S. Department of Justice.
