Did you miss the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) Career Development Conference?
Not to worry, the speakers were wonderful and their names and affiliations are listed here: http://bit.ly/lawevent
What did they say?
Here are the top 6 lessons for lawyers and law students:
Lesson #6: Manage the job search panic. Don’t spend all of your time with other job seekers listening to their stories about sending out 100′s of resumes. Find ways to determine which practice area and niche you want to target, then collaborate don’t compete, with others in that area. The more you learn in a productive way, the more productive you will be and the better you will feel, which brings us to lesson #5.
Lesson #5: Take care of yourself. Exercise. Don’t skip meals. Be healthy. If you are not energized your job search will stagnate. You can’t take a sick day from a job you don’t have, which brings us to lesson #4. (Need extra help staying healthy? Amy Shapiro of Real Nutrition used to work with lawyers and knows the stress we’re all under. Find out more about how she can help here.)
Lesson #4: Treat your job search like a full-time job. Take a lunch break. Take a vacation. Once you get your dream job you don’t know when you will have time to go away. Go visit some place that makes you happy, bringing us to lesson #3.
Lesson #3: If you no longer live near your law school but need the help of your career center call your law school and ask about reciprocity with local career centers. Local schools will have local job listings and depending upon your school’s policy you may have open access in your new locale. Here’s a sample policy from my alma mater: http://bit.ly/BLSreciprocity Now you can find career counseling where you are. If you are still looking for legal experience, consider lesson #2.
Lesson #2: If you are not currently employed you have more time to gain legal experience as a volunteer. One day of training and volunteering can teach you about a practice area and project management. You will then have something substantive to discuss at informational interviews. You will have also learned more about your community, yourself and the law and those lessons are invaluable. That brings us to the most important lesson.
Lesson #1: Recent law school grads: You have something to offer! Your network, your interests, and your clinic experience are all things you can offer a potential employer. Just because you may not yet have practiced law, or may not yet be admitted to the Bar, you are still a valuable member of the legal community. There would be no lawyers without law students (except in some states that don’t require a JD before taking the bar, but I’ve only met 2 people who got away with that)!
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Great post Jessica—wish I’d attended this conference. Clearly a group that offers quality advice. How often do they meet?
The last point is so important–and bears the reminder that every job hunting lawyer should be sure not to neglect his or her network, not simply because so many new jobs come through people we know, but because your network helps keep you interesting and on your game, offering information, knowledge, activity and community. In addition, it provides opportunitites for visibility and reputation building, crucial both now and after you start work. I usually suggest picking one business or law-related activity to which you will commit during this period, to assure that you keep meeting new people and learning new things.
Again, thanks for posting!
Betsy