The Shawshank Redemption is one of my favorite movies of all time. The geek I am, I've alluded to it throughout this blog. I think it's only fitting that the title to my final post be a reference to Andy Dufresne's final destination: Zihuatanejo.
I'm not going to lie - the non-legal job search sucked. I have a law degree, but the option of looking for work as an attorney was closed to me. The job market doesn't exist right now. Some readers, and even some of my friends, couldn't believe what I was doing and told me that I was making a big mistake. Employers with entry-level positions said I was overqualified, and those with mid-high level positions said I was underqualified. After three months with no offers on the table, I started having doubts about my decision.
However, the way things worked out was pretty damn poetic.
On the day I interviewed for a position at a respected institution, I could've been sitting for Day 1 of the July 2008 bar exam instead.
On the day I received an offer from said respected institution, I could've been sitting for Day 3 of the July 2008 bar exam instead.
The "rush" of getting a job offer and thus getting my life and my career off to a running start FAR outweighs the rush I would've had from hearing "Time's up, the Bar Exam is now over" for a third time. You know I have absolutely no regrets.
So here I am. I have busted out of prison, assumed a new identity, and now the law will never find me, just like Andy Dufresne.
I live within walking distance of the beach. It's no Zihuatanejo, but I plan on having a bonfire there. I will burn my bar review materials, and use the heat to make s'mores, cook some marinated meat, and roast some vegetables with my nearest and dearest. And we'll toast to my new life.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, September 8, 2008
Guest Post from Apathetic Lawyer
Hi there. I'm Apathetic Lawyer, friend of BQL. Had BQL decided to take, and undoubtedly pass, the Bar once more, BQL would be in my shoes. For those readers who don't have any relevant talents or work experience that allow them to explore areas outside the law, this post is meant as a guide to them. Or not, I don't care, suit yourselves if you don't like it.
I have 2 pieces of advice.
1. Find an area of law that you have a quantifiable interest in. Trust me, it makes things a lot easier. Though my capacity to sustain boredom in the workplace is at times superhuman, it's not a sustainable model. Also, I'm not very efficient because I lack motivation. Right now, I'm not really doing what I want to do, and it shows in my performance.
Even the laziest among you are capable of doing a pretty good job as long as you're motivated. Negative motivation such as the fear of being fired only takes you so far. In my experience, if I'm in the area of law that I like, I work a lot better. So, figure out what you want to do, and go to it. That doesn't mean that you will necessary end up doing that as your first, or second job out of law school. But that's ok. Don't lose sight of it and don't compromise or settle, because eventually, you will burn out if you do.
2. If, like me, you were not able to line up a job while in law school, you have to try and figure out some way of getting experience in the area that interests you, and a way of building up your skills generally. There are 2 ways of doing this, and both can be done concurrently.
The first is to clerk/contract at a personal injury firm. Why personal injury? It's the bottom rung, there are a ton of them, it's easier to get a job there then anywhere else, and they engage in basic litigation, giving you a chance to improve your resume. They also pay enough that working a 40 hour week at $20 an hour (the going rate) is enough to at least cover rent and expenses.
The second is to volunteer. Whatever your area of interest, there is almost certainly a nonprofit organization devoted to serving low-income residents which needs volunteers. Legal Aid and Bar Association programs are just two that come to mind. These places usually have highly qualified attorneys who will be glad that you gave them a call, and look great on your resume. They give you practical experience, and may cost you one, or at most, two, evenings a week. It also provides a great networking base.
So if you have no real affinity for the law, take heart. Most people don't, they just don't want to admit it. However, you need to put food on your table, and not be miserable, so pick something you like, and get something on your resume.
I have 2 pieces of advice.
1. Find an area of law that you have a quantifiable interest in. Trust me, it makes things a lot easier. Though my capacity to sustain boredom in the workplace is at times superhuman, it's not a sustainable model. Also, I'm not very efficient because I lack motivation. Right now, I'm not really doing what I want to do, and it shows in my performance.
Even the laziest among you are capable of doing a pretty good job as long as you're motivated. Negative motivation such as the fear of being fired only takes you so far. In my experience, if I'm in the area of law that I like, I work a lot better. So, figure out what you want to do, and go to it. That doesn't mean that you will necessary end up doing that as your first, or second job out of law school. But that's ok. Don't lose sight of it and don't compromise or settle, because eventually, you will burn out if you do.
2. If, like me, you were not able to line up a job while in law school, you have to try and figure out some way of getting experience in the area that interests you, and a way of building up your skills generally. There are 2 ways of doing this, and both can be done concurrently.
The first is to clerk/contract at a personal injury firm. Why personal injury? It's the bottom rung, there are a ton of them, it's easier to get a job there then anywhere else, and they engage in basic litigation, giving you a chance to improve your resume. They also pay enough that working a 40 hour week at $20 an hour (the going rate) is enough to at least cover rent and expenses.
The second is to volunteer. Whatever your area of interest, there is almost certainly a nonprofit organization devoted to serving low-income residents which needs volunteers. Legal Aid and Bar Association programs are just two that come to mind. These places usually have highly qualified attorneys who will be glad that you gave them a call, and look great on your resume. They give you practical experience, and may cost you one, or at most, two, evenings a week. It also provides a great networking base.
So if you have no real affinity for the law, take heart. Most people don't, they just don't want to admit it. However, you need to put food on your table, and not be miserable, so pick something you like, and get something on your resume.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Non-Legal Job Hunt, Post 4: Interviews - What Worked, What Didn't
Sorry for the time off between posts. I'm not through with this blog yet, but work has been uncharacteristically busy in the last couple of weeks. In between watching streaming coverage of Olympic broadcasts, planning my vacation, dominating at Flash video games, and stalking people on Facebook, there's only so much time left in the day to get my shit done.
It's a little awkward trying to sell yourself in a non-legal interview, because people lack an imagination these days and think your law degree makes you employable only for law-related jobs. That's utter crap - we know better.
A bit about me - I went straight from college into law school. Therefore, I graduated from law school without ever having held a full time position for more than a few months. One would think this would qualify me for no more than an entry-level position. Hell, I thought so too. But this isn't always the case.
Note - This will be a post more for the benefit of those who have no "real" job experience, since those with "real" experience between college and law school probably don't have anything to worry about in regard to what I discuss below.
First of all, there are plenty of places that will count a year or two of your graduate education toward an experience requirement. As well they should. Grad school is leagues apart from the undergrad experience. Employers who are smart enough to recognize that are the employers you want to work for. Seek them out and apply. (Hint: Government jobs at the municipal and federal levels pay very well - give them a shot.)
Second, it's a common gripe among new attorneys that law school doesn't prepare you for being a lawyer anyway. Being a lawyer prepares you for being a lawyer. Moving on...
When asked why you have a law degree but aren't seeking employment as an attorney, you can go one of two routes: (1) Be brutally honest, and say you don't want to become an attorney, or (2) Give a fluffy answer about how you wanted nothing more than a well-rounded education out of law school, or to satisfy your intellectual curiosity.
The fluffy answer is a non-answer and reeks of BS. It sounded awkward coming out of my mouth during my first few interviews, so I scrapped it.
Go with the brutally honest approach. Most non-attorneys hate attorneys and wouldn't blame you for distancing yourself from that career option. A friend of mine flat out said, "I hate attorneys and I don't want to be one of them." She got the job. In my interviews, I admitted that I wanted to be an attorney upon entering law school, and I lost that interest along the way. So as to not sound like a flake, I gave logical reasons as to why I lost that interest and decided on a different career focus. Then I briefly described ways in which a legal education would help me for whatever position I was interviewing.
If I was ever asked, "Well if you didn't want to be an attorney, why did you take the bar?" my answer was as simple as, "Because I had the opportunity, as a recent law graduate, to do so. And I took it a second time because I was so close the first time." Most people will understand that. And if they don't, you don't want to work for them anyway.
Some general skills you have (hopefully) gained in law school that you can use to sell yourself in interviews include the abilities to:
- think critically,
- discern the relevant from the irrelevant,
- advocate for your position or for others,
- view things objectively,
- identify and solve problems, and
- communicate effectively (oral and written).
More specific skills would include the ability to read and interpret contracts, your knowledge in a specific, relevant area of law, etc.
Some examples of management skills you may have gained in law school:
- Were you at any time an editor on a journal? Did you have to oversee an editing team?
- Were you a leader in a student organization?
- Did you have to manage several projects at once, with different priority levels and deadlines?
Hopefully you get the picture. The point is to dig deep down into your law school years and find some (actually) useful nuggets of experience in there.
I am so burned out on motivation right now. This is my last week working for a law firm, EVER. I really don't give a shit. Unfortunately I need to wrap up all outstanding projects before I leave, because I actually like the other paralegal and don't want to dump her with my work. So now I'm going to stare at my Excel spreadsheet and will myself to punch in some numbers.
It's a little awkward trying to sell yourself in a non-legal interview, because people lack an imagination these days and think your law degree makes you employable only for law-related jobs. That's utter crap - we know better.
A bit about me - I went straight from college into law school. Therefore, I graduated from law school without ever having held a full time position for more than a few months. One would think this would qualify me for no more than an entry-level position. Hell, I thought so too. But this isn't always the case.
Note - This will be a post more for the benefit of those who have no "real" job experience, since those with "real" experience between college and law school probably don't have anything to worry about in regard to what I discuss below.
First of all, there are plenty of places that will count a year or two of your graduate education toward an experience requirement. As well they should. Grad school is leagues apart from the undergrad experience. Employers who are smart enough to recognize that are the employers you want to work for. Seek them out and apply. (Hint: Government jobs at the municipal and federal levels pay very well - give them a shot.)
Second, it's a common gripe among new attorneys that law school doesn't prepare you for being a lawyer anyway. Being a lawyer prepares you for being a lawyer. Moving on...
When asked why you have a law degree but aren't seeking employment as an attorney, you can go one of two routes: (1) Be brutally honest, and say you don't want to become an attorney, or (2) Give a fluffy answer about how you wanted nothing more than a well-rounded education out of law school, or to satisfy your intellectual curiosity.
The fluffy answer is a non-answer and reeks of BS. It sounded awkward coming out of my mouth during my first few interviews, so I scrapped it.
Go with the brutally honest approach. Most non-attorneys hate attorneys and wouldn't blame you for distancing yourself from that career option. A friend of mine flat out said, "I hate attorneys and I don't want to be one of them." She got the job. In my interviews, I admitted that I wanted to be an attorney upon entering law school, and I lost that interest along the way. So as to not sound like a flake, I gave logical reasons as to why I lost that interest and decided on a different career focus. Then I briefly described ways in which a legal education would help me for whatever position I was interviewing.
If I was ever asked, "Well if you didn't want to be an attorney, why did you take the bar?" my answer was as simple as, "Because I had the opportunity, as a recent law graduate, to do so. And I took it a second time because I was so close the first time." Most people will understand that. And if they don't, you don't want to work for them anyway.
Some general skills you have (hopefully) gained in law school that you can use to sell yourself in interviews include the abilities to:
- think critically,
- discern the relevant from the irrelevant,
- advocate for your position or for others,
- view things objectively,
- identify and solve problems, and
- communicate effectively (oral and written).
More specific skills would include the ability to read and interpret contracts, your knowledge in a specific, relevant area of law, etc.
Some examples of management skills you may have gained in law school:
- Were you at any time an editor on a journal? Did you have to oversee an editing team?
- Were you a leader in a student organization?
- Did you have to manage several projects at once, with different priority levels and deadlines?
Hopefully you get the picture. The point is to dig deep down into your law school years and find some (actually) useful nuggets of experience in there.
I am so burned out on motivation right now. This is my last week working for a law firm, EVER. I really don't give a shit. Unfortunately I need to wrap up all outstanding projects before I leave, because I actually like the other paralegal and don't want to dump her with my work. So now I'm going to stare at my Excel spreadsheet and will myself to punch in some numbers.
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Non-Legal Job Hunt, Post 3: Worst Interview Ever
Early on in my job search, I had an interview with an organization...we'll call it..."Tide." I dressed like I wanted the job (basically, your typical OCI attire), got there early, and waited...and waited.
My interview started about 30 minutes late, which was just wonderful, since I still had to commute to work after the interview. I got led down a dark hallway and into a large meeting room, and my interviewer put down a basket full of crayons, markers, and white construction paper.
First Question: We want you to draw a picture of yourself, and then explain to us why you drew yourself the way you did.
I knew at that point that I didn't want the job. So all bets were off as to the civility of my answers.
Second Question: So you have a law degree. Why aren't you a lawyer? (Fair enough)
I answered by stating how due to my legal background, I have knowledge about how this employer could engage in certain (legal, ethical) practices so as to avoid liability for x, y, and z. And, since lawyers are often in the business of putting out fires, and the knowledge I have would be best suited for preventing fires, I thought it would make more sense for me to go into preventing fires. My answer focused mostly on how my legal training in a specific area could help their organization in a specific area.
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Questions: Paraphrase of second question. It was almost as if they thought my answer to the second question was good, but that they'd trip me up by rephrasing and asking again. And again. And again.
My answers started with "As I said before...", "As I alluded to in my earlier response...", or "Like I said." If these people were stupid enough to fail to grasp an easy concept the first time, I DEFINITELY didn't want to work for them.
Tenth Question: Well, you seem hung up on the law. [No shit?!] Do you think it's EVER okay for an organization to break the law?
I'm thinking, "No, it's never okay for a corporation to defraud investors. No, it's never okay for an employer to pay below minimum wage. No, it's never okay for a manufacturer to knowingly put a defectively designed product on the market, just because it would be cheaper than putting a safer design on the market." And so on, and so forth. You know, something that would actually be relevant for the position I'm applying for. So I say, "No, it isn't, but there are practices employers can engage in so as to avoid liability."
Her response: "Well, it sounds like someone needs to know what kind of organization they're interviewing for. We break the law, all the time. And we are proud of it. And [looks at my attire] we certainly don't want conservative, conventional people working for us."
I couldn't help myself. "What kind of laws do you break loudly and proudly?"
Her response: "The City likes to limit how we conduct our protests. But we protest how we want to, because we believe in fighting for people's rights and" blah blah blah. [I really don't remember much else after that point. Just a bunch of self-righteous, albeit irrelevant, mishmash.]
I told her that the concepts of civil disobedience, First Amendment rights, etc. put into question how illegal (or not) Tide's protests are. Then I pointed out that I didn't think she was talking about protesting, since it was highly irrelevant to the position for which I was interviewing. If she wanted to make my comfort with protests or Tide's political positions relevant to the position, then she would have a fatty lawsuit on her hands.
Then of course, I pointed out that I was simply dressed like I wanted a job, and that if I was "conservative and conventional," I wouldn't be sitting there, interviewing for a non-legal job and trying to use my law degree in an unconventional way. Instead, I'd be studying my ass off for the bar, since people like her are incapable of conceiving that someone might actually not want to be a lawyer after law school.
If Career Services knew about this, they'd roll over and die.
A few hours later, I received a call asking me to come in for the second round of interviews.
I wish I could say that I told them to fuck off, but I decided to go in and humor them, since every interview is an opportunity to practice.
While I waited (yet again), the HR manager gave me a pamphlet of their benefits. Their benefits were a fucking joke. I need good health insurance just like any Average American, and they didn't have it. After I walked out of that interview, I knew I blew them away, but I also knew that was the last time I'd ever set foot in that building.
My interview started about 30 minutes late, which was just wonderful, since I still had to commute to work after the interview. I got led down a dark hallway and into a large meeting room, and my interviewer put down a basket full of crayons, markers, and white construction paper.
First Question: We want you to draw a picture of yourself, and then explain to us why you drew yourself the way you did.
I knew at that point that I didn't want the job. So all bets were off as to the civility of my answers.
Second Question: So you have a law degree. Why aren't you a lawyer? (Fair enough)
I answered by stating how due to my legal background, I have knowledge about how this employer could engage in certain (legal, ethical) practices so as to avoid liability for x, y, and z. And, since lawyers are often in the business of putting out fires, and the knowledge I have would be best suited for preventing fires, I thought it would make more sense for me to go into preventing fires. My answer focused mostly on how my legal training in a specific area could help their organization in a specific area.
Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Questions: Paraphrase of second question. It was almost as if they thought my answer to the second question was good, but that they'd trip me up by rephrasing and asking again. And again. And again.
My answers started with "As I said before...", "As I alluded to in my earlier response...", or "Like I said." If these people were stupid enough to fail to grasp an easy concept the first time, I DEFINITELY didn't want to work for them.
Tenth Question: Well, you seem hung up on the law. [No shit?!] Do you think it's EVER okay for an organization to break the law?
I'm thinking, "No, it's never okay for a corporation to defraud investors. No, it's never okay for an employer to pay below minimum wage. No, it's never okay for a manufacturer to knowingly put a defectively designed product on the market, just because it would be cheaper than putting a safer design on the market." And so on, and so forth. You know, something that would actually be relevant for the position I'm applying for. So I say, "No, it isn't, but there are practices employers can engage in so as to avoid liability."
Her response: "Well, it sounds like someone needs to know what kind of organization they're interviewing for. We break the law, all the time. And we are proud of it. And [looks at my attire] we certainly don't want conservative, conventional people working for us."
I couldn't help myself. "What kind of laws do you break loudly and proudly?"
Her response: "The City likes to limit how we conduct our protests. But we protest how we want to, because we believe in fighting for people's rights and" blah blah blah. [I really don't remember much else after that point. Just a bunch of self-righteous, albeit irrelevant, mishmash.]
I told her that the concepts of civil disobedience, First Amendment rights, etc. put into question how illegal (or not) Tide's protests are. Then I pointed out that I didn't think she was talking about protesting, since it was highly irrelevant to the position for which I was interviewing. If she wanted to make my comfort with protests or Tide's political positions relevant to the position, then she would have a fatty lawsuit on her hands.
Then of course, I pointed out that I was simply dressed like I wanted a job, and that if I was "conservative and conventional," I wouldn't be sitting there, interviewing for a non-legal job and trying to use my law degree in an unconventional way. Instead, I'd be studying my ass off for the bar, since people like her are incapable of conceiving that someone might actually not want to be a lawyer after law school.
If Career Services knew about this, they'd roll over and die.
A few hours later, I received a call asking me to come in for the second round of interviews.
I wish I could say that I told them to fuck off, but I decided to go in and humor them, since every interview is an opportunity to practice.
While I waited (yet again), the HR manager gave me a pamphlet of their benefits. Their benefits were a fucking joke. I need good health insurance just like any Average American, and they didn't have it. After I walked out of that interview, I knew I blew them away, but I also knew that was the last time I'd ever set foot in that building.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Non-Legal Job Hunt, Post 2: Where I Looked for Non-Legal Jobs
Government:
USA Jobs (Federal jobs)
California State Jobs
San Francisco City/County
Santa Clara County
San Mateo County
Alameda County
Los Angeles County
Orange County
San Bernardino County
CalOpps (City jobs)
Non-Profit:
Opportunity Knocks
Idealist
Private:
Craigslist
Indeed
CareerBuilder
San Fran Jobs
Los Angeles Jobs
College Grad [This site is supposedly entry level only - all lies.]
And of course - networking never hurts.
Job searching is a numbers game, and it also has a lot to do with timing and luck. I began my jobs search in earnest on March 1 and sent out 12 resumes that day. I continued to send out about 5 a day until the end of March, when I got an offer for a temporary position here at Big Law Firm. My search cooled until May 16, when I found out I failed the bar. Starting May 17, I sent out 10 applications a day, nearly every day, until I got this job offer. I also made sure to broaden my job search geographically (at least, within CA) since the market generally sucks and I couldn't afford to be picky.
USA Jobs (Federal jobs)
California State Jobs
San Francisco City/County
Santa Clara County
San Mateo County
Alameda County
Los Angeles County
Orange County
San Bernardino County
CalOpps (City jobs)
Non-Profit:
Opportunity Knocks
Idealist
Private:
Craigslist
Indeed
CareerBuilder
San Fran Jobs
Los Angeles Jobs
College Grad [This site is supposedly entry level only - all lies.]
And of course - networking never hurts.
Job searching is a numbers game, and it also has a lot to do with timing and luck. I began my jobs search in earnest on March 1 and sent out 12 resumes that day. I continued to send out about 5 a day until the end of March, when I got an offer for a temporary position here at Big Law Firm. My search cooled until May 16, when I found out I failed the bar. Starting May 17, I sent out 10 applications a day, nearly every day, until I got this job offer. I also made sure to broaden my job search geographically (at least, within CA) since the market generally sucks and I couldn't afford to be picky.
Friday, August 1, 2008
The Non-Legal Job Hunt, Post 1: To all the quasi-lawyers out there
I was originally going to do a post about how much interviewing is like dating, but a Google search shows that this has already been discussed ad nauseum. After what I've been through since February, I have to say that the only ways in which interviews suck worse than dating is that there's no food and drink (OH, the drink) involved. And you certainly can't expect to make out with your interviewer post-meeting.
I guess I kinda started out this post as yet another "Interviewing is like dating" commentary. Oops.
Now that I got that out of my system, I think it makes sense for my first job search post to tell you that it's perfectly okay to persue a non-legal career, and I certainly have more credibility now than I did when I blogged right after I got my bar results (revisited). So, without further ado:
[1] Let's get one thing straight. Being a lawyer was not for me.
Putting it simply - when I was a 1L, I dreamed about becoming an attorney practicing in a specific area of law because I wanted to make sure that people's civil rights weren't pissed on. But after some summer work, and more study of the law, and now having worked at a big law firm, I realized that by the time lawyers entered into the picture, people's civil rights had indeed already been pissed on, and lawyers could only do so much to clean the mess. (By the way, I'm talking about the specific area of law I wanted to go to. There are other areas - like immigration law - where people certainly need effective advocates, and lawyers really do make a big difference.)
So, being a lawyer wouldn't have fulfilled what I wanted out of a career anyway. Though perhaps with a law degree, I could've gone into policymaking - but again, that's not being a lawyer.
Perhaps you feel the same way - and that's okay. I promise.
[2] So you have a law degree? You don't have to be a lawyer.
Surprise! It's true.
Honestly, people who go into law school "dreaming" of becoming a lawyer have NO IDEA what the practice of law is actually like. Unless you have done lawyerly work (legal research and writing, trial work, negotiation, etc.), you REALLY don't know.
If you are one of those people who found that being a lawyer didn't exactly fit into your career goals, IT'S OKAY. If you're not that into lawyering, then killing yourself over the bar exam isn't worth it. And it's just plain stupid if you're in it for the "power" and the "prestige." People hate lawyers - so, what prestige? And there's no power - most (but not all!) lawyers are drones for their law firms, pumping out billable hours until they can no longer bleed.
I realize that law school is expensive. I come from a blue collar family. I'm certainly no trust fund baby. But the financial and psychological toll of making your entire self-worth contingent on a bar grader's opinion certainly does nothing to justify the expense of law school. And why is that? Guess what's happening while you're studying for something you just really don't care that much about? LIFE! Life doesn't wait for you. So grow a pair, go out there, and do something you really want to do.
In short: If the law is truly your passion, if it's what excites you, and if it's what gets you up in the morning - do it. But if the law does none of that for you, don't kill yourself over a career just for justification's sake. Life's too short.
I guess I kinda started out this post as yet another "Interviewing is like dating" commentary. Oops.
Now that I got that out of my system, I think it makes sense for my first job search post to tell you that it's perfectly okay to persue a non-legal career, and I certainly have more credibility now than I did when I blogged right after I got my bar results (revisited). So, without further ado:
[1] Let's get one thing straight. Being a lawyer was not for me.
Putting it simply - when I was a 1L, I dreamed about becoming an attorney practicing in a specific area of law because I wanted to make sure that people's civil rights weren't pissed on. But after some summer work, and more study of the law, and now having worked at a big law firm, I realized that by the time lawyers entered into the picture, people's civil rights had indeed already been pissed on, and lawyers could only do so much to clean the mess. (By the way, I'm talking about the specific area of law I wanted to go to. There are other areas - like immigration law - where people certainly need effective advocates, and lawyers really do make a big difference.)
So, being a lawyer wouldn't have fulfilled what I wanted out of a career anyway. Though perhaps with a law degree, I could've gone into policymaking - but again, that's not being a lawyer.
Perhaps you feel the same way - and that's okay. I promise.
[2] So you have a law degree? You don't have to be a lawyer.
Surprise! It's true.
Honestly, people who go into law school "dreaming" of becoming a lawyer have NO IDEA what the practice of law is actually like. Unless you have done lawyerly work (legal research and writing, trial work, negotiation, etc.), you REALLY don't know.
If you are one of those people who found that being a lawyer didn't exactly fit into your career goals, IT'S OKAY. If you're not that into lawyering, then killing yourself over the bar exam isn't worth it. And it's just plain stupid if you're in it for the "power" and the "prestige." People hate lawyers - so, what prestige? And there's no power - most (but not all!) lawyers are drones for their law firms, pumping out billable hours until they can no longer bleed.
I realize that law school is expensive. I come from a blue collar family. I'm certainly no trust fund baby. But the financial and psychological toll of making your entire self-worth contingent on a bar grader's opinion certainly does nothing to justify the expense of law school. And why is that? Guess what's happening while you're studying for something you just really don't care that much about? LIFE! Life doesn't wait for you. So grow a pair, go out there, and do something you really want to do.
In short: If the law is truly your passion, if it's what excites you, and if it's what gets you up in the morning - do it. But if the law does none of that for you, don't kill yourself over a career just for justification's sake. Life's too short.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
This just in: I am gainfully employed.
That's right. I received a job offer today, and now I'm just waiting for a written offer letter (via email/mail).
This ain't no dead end job, or entry level job, either.
To those who had faith in me - thank you. You and I have just been vindicated. To all the naysayers - kiss my ass.
Over the next week or two, I'll be rolling out a series of blogs on the nonlegal job search - tips, anecdotes, whatever. Then I'll end my blog.
- Quasi-Bitter Quasi-Lawyer
This ain't no dead end job, or entry level job, either.
To those who had faith in me - thank you. You and I have just been vindicated. To all the naysayers - kiss my ass.
Over the next week or two, I'll be rolling out a series of blogs on the nonlegal job search - tips, anecdotes, whatever. Then I'll end my blog.
- Quasi-Bitter Quasi-Lawyer
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