October 2009 Archives

The law is demanding but luckily there are opportunities such as Halloween that allow those in the legal community to chuckle at themselves, and each other, without the danger of being held in contempt of court.

So, in case you haven't landed on the perfect law Halloween costume yet, take a gander at these.  Quid pro quo: you may need a legal audience to get the full attention and praise your deserve. 

And now, you'll see why...

Granted, you don't usually hear JDs say, "Yeah, I applied to law, med, vet, and dental school...and then chose law."  Considering the number of pre-requisites needed to gear up to apply to any of the medical profession grad programs, there's not a ton of overlap between those graduate programs and law.  Should there be?  Okay, that's probably another topic for another blog.

In this one, we want to look at the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report pitting law school against the other grad school options in terms of minority enrollment and cost of education. 

The GAO set out to answer three questions:

There you stand, at the edge of the law.  Well, okay, hopefully not at the edge of crossing the law, but nearing the threshold of possibly entering the community of law.  And you don't know whether the three-year, $100K+ investment, and absolute promise of the completely uncertain outcome of a career-defining Bar exam is right for you.  What do you do...how do you decide whether or not to go to law school?

It is a tough decision, and yes, life-changing too, but even if you don't go to law school you, chances are you will have a life-changing experience in the next three years.  So start your decision-making process minus the hype...it will help you maintain sanity, and keep perspective.

And now, take the pop quiz.  And be sure to follow the random, slightly ridiculous and arbitrary directions.  They come from associations with those who have pursued a J.D., those who haven't, those who love practicing law, and those who found their life's passion after (and in spite of) law school.

Together we have shared a heartfelt letter, a list or two, some unsolicited advice, and even a few beatbox-able lyrics...well, it was only a matter of time until there was a movie review.   And luckily, the first one is a unanimous "two gavels up" from the FindLaw Jury (consisting of the author...and two gavels).

If you have ever questioned what you could do with your law degree---beyond practicing---you have reached the right post.  Perhaps it happened while watching a lunchtime speaker panel on alternative careers in law.  Maybe it was during the 9th week of your Admin Law class when Chevron just didn't hold the mystique it once did.  You may have experienced it was while volunteering at a local legal aid clinic and realizing the complexities of public problems often extend beyond the realm of law.  Or, maybe it was after submitting your 536th timesheet of billable hours to your managing attorney.

Whenever you experienced that moment when you realized that using your law degree to be an attorney is an option but not the only option, you may have started wondering...so, what else can I do with my J.D.?

Here is a list.  A warning though, or caveat emptor, it contains everything from job titles, concepts, names of famous JDs, and more.  What's more interesting is that some of the most surprising entries are based on real non-law options that have been exercised (find out more in the "Related Resources). It is a mixed bag at best, so use it as a brainstorming tool...a place to start from as you create your perfect job title.

And here we go...

While it may be a great time to be in law school, considering future forecasts of possible sunshine and warm weather, those in the legal job or internship market right now may feel like they are standing in a frigid rainstorm, without an umbrella. 

Before you get swept away in the current, consider these tips to help you land a legal job or internship in today's economy.  

1. Commit to the search.  And this doesn't just mean money.  Considering the amount of time you have invested in applying to law school, learning the legalese, and reading resources like this one, you are obviously interested in making the most of the experience.  Spend time tailoring your cover letters to specific employers and judges you apply to.  It can get tedious and may seem superfluous, but treat it like a routine that you go through for each separate application.  A focused application will have an effect on the reviewers and could mean the difference between an interview or the circular file. 

Hey...hey, hey

So when they said you've got pay to play

Did they mean by going to law school night and day

And forking over more than $90k

Even when you want to go the public service way?