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September 2004
By William Seaton Let's start at the beginning and, for lawyers, that means the decision to enter law school. For some it is the beginning of a long-held ambition. For others it is little more than a way to continue their education and avoid the requirements of the real world, i.e., getting a job. Between those two extremes are a host of other rationales. Some are good: "It will help in my business practice," "I want a career in legal academia." Some are not: "I hear lawyers make a lot of money," "My father was a lawyer." The fact of the matter is, virtually every entering law school class is made up of a patchwork of purposes. Some are committed to practice, some never intend to, and many more in-between are uncertain just where the process is taking them. Three years later, when the system pours them out into an uncertain hiring climate, for many the usual angst of finding a job is compounded by a lingering indecision of just what they want out of their career. Perhaps that's true of any profession. (My dentist tells me that the urban legend about dentists and suicide is, in fact, true.) But after twenty-five years of watching and counseling new lawyers through their first ten years out of school, I am convinced the road to career satisfaction for lawyers is quite tricky at best and, at worst, out and out rocky. Much of it has to do with a narrow view of what being a lawyer in America really means. Certainly, there are students who graduate, are courted by many employers, take a job with a large downtown firm, start at six-figures plus bonus, become partner in eight or ten years and forge a career that is fulfilling and financially rewarding. Problem is, that's a very small percentage of the some forty-five thousand graduating law students each year. Even of the 5%-8% who do go into the biggest firms, some burn out, some flunk out and some move on to other things, searching for that missing "something" that makes for satisfaction. I don't want to sound too negative here. I know many very satisfied lawyers, but I don't know any who found that satisfaction with their first choice out of school. Maybe our law schools, intent on being academic institutions, fail their charges by not enlightening them with practical skills that better prepare them for day-to-day practice. Maybe the legal media, in love with publishing large firm salaries and big firm profits-per-partner every year, miss the larger demographic of the profession. Maybe this is just the pure cussedness of human nature. The point is this: career satisfaction is an evolving process that is rarely a linear event. Your only real protection is an inner ear, the one that is in tune with your abilities, your ambition, your desires and the things that provide you most with motivation. There are relatively few paths through law school, but an almost unlimited number thereafter. It starts with thinking hard—and honestly—about why you are attending law school, and continues unabated as you navigate the obstacles and opportunities that will confront you in your career.
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Out of Law School Without a Paddle Ideally, during your third year of law school, you lined up a job and put yourself in position to take time to study for the bar examination and maybe a post-bar vacation. With that all done, you report to work at your first lawyer job and you are on your way. That, as I say, is the ideal. The reality may be that you graduated law school without a job. The good news is that you are not alone. And by "not alone," I'm not referring to your student loans that will follow you wherever you go. If you did graduate from law school without a job and you are still looking, there are a few important things to keep in mind. 1. Don't panic. A job is potentially very near and you never know when something is going to hit. The fact that you were unsuccessful while in law school does not mean you are destined for a career as an insurance adjuster. Keep looking and remember that you are more marketable once you have your license to practice law. 2. You do have a job. Finding a job is your full-time job and you should treat it that way. While you might have sent out resumes whenever you had free time during law school, you can now make landing a position your focus. 3. Get experience. While career counselors will tell you to network, get your face out there and meet people in the profession, probably the best way to do that is by working in the profession. You can get experience without a full-time paying job. Getting in the game is key - whether you're paid or not. By finding a law firm, company or other setting where you can work with lawyers, you'll not only be networking, you'll also have something else to put on your resume. You might also be able to pick up another piece of the puzzle - a recommendation from a practicing lawyer. 4. Stay (or Stray from) the Course. At some point, the frustration of not having a paying lawyer job will kick in. Keep focused and keep trying. But only stay the course for as long as you decide you want or need to. At some point, it may be tempting to go into another profession or turn your part-time job into something more permanent. If this happens, make sure it's happening for reasons you have carefully thought through rather simply out of the fatigue of looking for a job.
Q: Dear Career Counselor: I have been a member of EmplawyerNet for about a year. I am in my fifth year of practicing law and have decided to look for "alternative" careers, as I am not satisfied with the traditional law firm environment. Can you advise the best way to search for alternative careers, specifically, targeting areas where a law degree is viewed as an asset to my application? A: I hate to answer a question with a question, but what do you mean by an alternative career? Are you looking for a law firm, but one that isn't organized in a traditional manner? Are you considering working as a lawyer, but not at a firm? I'll assume that, like most people who refer to alternative law careers, you are considering leaving the practice of law. I dislike the phrase alternative legal career; it is often used, but has a negative connotation that is a relic of a bygone age. Twenty or more years ago, it may have made sense to think of those that left the practice of law as pursuing alternative careers. But since then, thousands of attorneys have left the profession. And one of the lessons that has been learned from that experience is that lawyers can and have done pretty much anything--from anthropologists to zoologists, from engineers to farmers. Thus, it may helpful to rephrase your question in two respects. First, the issue is not where your law degree is likely to be viewed favorably. After all, as an applicant, it is your responsibility to make the case for yourself and demonstrate that your background and interests will be an asset to the employer. Second, the underlying questions that most often confront those who want to make more significant career changes are: (1) What do you want to do? And (2) What transferable skills do you have? Stated differently, you need to make a case to a potential employer and answer the following questions: (1) Why are you interested in the employer (as opposed to other employers)? And (2) What you can do for them? In my experience, many attorneys who seek to leave the profession (or to make significant changes where and how they practice law) find it helpful to answer the last of these questions first. Once you identify what you can do for the employer--your transferable skills--you will be able to identify potential employers and environments where those skills can make a contribution. So how does one identify transferable skills? Here is one way that lawyers have found helpful. First, recognize that the transferable skills that matter are those you enjoy. No sense finding a new job that requires you do to all the things you already know you don't like to do. So review your jobs (paid and unpaid) and list the projects, cases, assignments, or duties that you enjoyed most. For each entry, identify the physical, mental, or social skills involved. Next, identify six or seven non-work related activities you have enjoyed, and identify the relevant associated skills. After you have compiled all of the transferable skills you have identified, rank them, and list the six or so you like the most. With this list in hand, you will be in a good position to start thinking about where you would enjoy putting these skills to use. Career Counselor's Corner questions are answered by Gideon Grunfeld, President of Successful Career Strategies, Inc. (www.scslawcareers.com), which specializes in helping lawyers take control of their careers in and outside the practice of law. You can submit questions to Mr. Grunfeld at gideon@scslawcareers.com
While resume and career qualifications almost beg for embellishment, be sure not to let embellishment stray too far on the other side of the truth. There are the usual reasons for telling the truth, i.e., it's the right thing to do, it's ethical and it's easier to remember the truth. If that's not enough, also remember that we're in the information age where much of what you say can be confirmed. There's also another problem with claiming you're an expert in securities law when you're not - the legal employer is going to expect you to do what you say you can do during your interview. In other words, if your embellishment doesn't get caught before you get hired, it might very well surface later on. It's also okay to admit to shortcomings when asked about them. Anyone who might be interviewing you has stood in your shoes and felt certain vulnerabilities. Start with a completely accurate resume, stick with the story and everything else should fall into place.
Flying Solo: Hiring a Secretary - or Not One of the reasons many lawyers hesitate to make the jump to starting their own law firms is that they like having a secretary - a secretary whose salary is paid by someone else. There's also the convenience of that someone else finding a secretary for you, handling payroll, finding a replacement when your secretary calls in sick and otherwise dealing with related staffing issues. While there are the many benefits of having a secretary by your side, there's also the fear of all that entails. After all, you're a lawyer, not a human resources person and you'd just assume stay at your law firm rather than deal with all the headaches that go with being a manager. Happily, many lawyers starting their own firms are now getting by, at least initially, without hiring full-time secretaries. Software programs and voicemail are so commonly used by law firms that the absence of a secretary can go largely unnoticed by your clients. These and other technology can also make the absence of a secretary less noticeable to you. Another good thing about the age in which we practice law is that there are staffing agencies that can provide you with secretarial and other help on an as-needed basis. These agencies will screen candidates for you, handle their payroll and most of the other administrative part of hiring a secretary. Another alternative is to share a secretary with another lawyer, perhaps a suitemate or find someone who can do secretarial and other types of work so that you can get the most out of your first hire.
Where are there more lawyers, Washington DC or Japan?
Famed San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli was known as "The King of Torts." However, in law school, the "King" received a grade of "C" in his torts class.
Law.com (www.law.com) Trivia answer: Washington DC. In the words of Lee Iacocca, "The Japanese have about as many lawyers as we have sumo wrestlers."
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