STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

maya · BCBG

Job advice for entry-level attorney in LA?

Kel · Coach

I am kind of in the same boat right now, I am graduating college with no experience, and it seriously stinks. I was thinking can you do like a paid internship to get experience? Or take an assistants job and don't tell them you are not going to be there for a long time. If anything they might be cool and see that you work hard and might offer you a job or know someone that has a job opening.

uesgirl · BCBG

Have you thought about going to a legal recruiter? I'm not sure how many of them specialize in entry-level positions but I am sure there are some out there. Or you could try to take on contract attorney work at a firm while waiting for your bar results-- you'll probably be more marketable when you can tell people you passed the bar exam. It doesn't seem like contract attorney work is great experience-- it is mostly doc review-- but at lesat you could make money in the meantime.

You may also want to go on Martindale and find as many firms as you can and send your resume out. It never hurts to cast your net widely.

Good luck!

valenciana · Dooney & Bourke

uesgirl wrote:

It doesn't seem like contract attorney work is great experience-- it is mostly doc review-- but at lesat you could make money in the meantime.

This was gonna be my only other suggestion...and yeah, while it's not great experience, at least you'd be working and maybe have the chance to make some connections. Plus the hours are more regular. I don't know...it's probably nothing like what you'd want though.

I know a lot of my husband's law school friends were looking for jobs in L.A. and had a pretty hard time finding any. Some took jobs elsewhere (like Phoenix, somewhere nearby) and I think others didn't even have jobs at graduation. Could you look into a clerkship? I also know a guy who took a firm job starting last September in DC and he just moved to South Carolina a few weeks ago to work for a judge...so it can definitely happen, even just a few months after starting a job.

You might PM esquiress, I believe she recently started working at a firm in L.A. and might have some greater insight. Good luck!

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

maybe try applying for law clerk positions while you're waiting for bar results to come out?

maya · BCBG

thanks everyone for your advice! i've been applying to some legal assistant/law clerk positions, at least just to make some money to tie me over. hopefully something will work out soon ...