Navigating an Uncertain Legal Market
An attorney who started her career when the legal market was devastated by the Great Recession offers advice to young attorneys who are navigating today's challenging hiring sector and law students who are looking ahead to an uncertain future.
August 12, 2020 at 10:30 AM
8 minute read
As someone who faced a legal market that was devastated by the Great Recession when I began my legal career, I recognize the challenges of navigating the hiring sector as an attorney in an uncertain market. Below is advice for those who may be in a similar predicament today.
Leverage your pre-law background. Critically assess what you have to offer that makes you unique as a candidate for employment, and highlight that during interviews. Remember that your law school admitted you because you have something valuable to contribute. During your interviews, share how you can leverage the skills that you gained from experiences prior to law school. Mention your various skills, whether they might include knowledge of other languages, the strength of your writing ability, or a background in business or science, which would make you a candidate who can deliver unparalleled results. Now is not the time to be shy. As a lawyer, you have been trained to present a case, and now your case is advocating for yourself as a candidate. Stand out.
Focus on generalization. Whether you have been working for a few years or are currently a law student beginning your career, aim to be as flexible as possible in terms of what avenue of law you will practice. The position you accept in an uncertain market does not need to be your "dream job." It can be a job that will afford you experience and will later help pave the road to where you plan to go. Generalization allows you to maximize your job prospects and become a formidable candidate for different types of jobs. If you are in school, choose a broad range of courses and apply for internships in different avenues of law. If you specialize too much at this juncture, you will narrow your options, and employers might not think that you would be the ideal fit for their places of employment. You can always develop a niche later in your career.
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