Graduation season is both a time of celebration and a time of anxiety for graduating law students. You have spent three years specializing in legal studies while others your age are already working. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you may already have secured a job at a firm; if you’re one of the less lucky ones, you must still be looking for one. Regardless of whether you’re still applying for jobs, this is a momentous time for your law career.
A no-brainer, but no less important advice since you can’t start practicing law without first passing the BAR. We won’t give you tips on how to pass the BAR exams in this article. Make sure to get into the best bar reviewer you can and take in all that they give you. Do your best, too, while taking the actual BAR exams—don’t let pressure and anxiety get the best of you.
Think of your resume as the advertisement to convince large law firms to interview you aside from your standing in your law school. Therefore, your resume has to be well-written and well-curated. Recruitment experts at CustomEssayMeister suggest tailoring your resume for every law firm you apply for. This way, you can emphasize aspects of yourself that best fit the firm or position you are applying for. For a kick ass application, get an expert to write your cover letter to go with your resume.
Different law firms have their own practice areas, as do great attorneys. After three years in law school, you most likely already have an idea as to which practice area you are most interested in or which one you’re good at. Then, your job search will be more focused as you can focus your efforts on employment options that will contribute to your career development in this area. Your enthusiasm for that area, be it environmental law, family law, health law, or intellectual property, will show in your application and will reflect in your work.
The legal job market is highly competitive. For example, some 34,922 law students graduated in 2019 alone, which means this is the approximate number of new attorneys you will compete with. Naturally, not everyone will be considered for a position in large law firms, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. The legal field is far and wide, there are many job listings in other areas that are as equally viable as jobs in New York and other such cities. Be open to looking for jobs across the country, too—you’ll find that there are just as many interesting law career paths in other areas.
A way to make yourself even more marketable is by adding specialized training and certifications to your degree. Law school teaches you the fundamentals of law, but specialized trainings will give you practical strategies and methods for specific law fields like arbitration and meditation. This will definitely look good in your resume if you’re applying for a specialized position.
Aside from job fairs, make the time to attend events where many legal employers might be in attendance. These do not have to be legal networking events—any event lawyers generally attend is an opportunity to build your network. Simply talk with them and get to know them and their work—build a relationship with them—and this might help you in the future. A more active approach to networking would be to set up meetings with attorneys who will meet with you for possible job opportunities.
Law is a writing and research intensive field, although this is not something emphasized in degree programs. Nevertheless, new graduates ought to hone and exhibit their legal research and writing skills. That said, having a publications section in your resume is a surefire way to boost your resume. Plus points if your publications are focused on the practice area you intend to enter.
Whether you’re attending a job fair hosted by your school’s career services office, meeting with a lawyer, or going to an interview, it’s a must to always be in your best. By best we don’t mean just your clothes, face, and hair, we mean your mental health and attitude as well. We know that the last few months of law school is some of the most grueling months, so don’t forget to take some time to take care of your wellbeing. Appearing in a poor state of mental health will most definitely reflect in your attitude, and that might negatively affect your application. Look your best, and be your best self.
On a related note, avoid being overconfident and entitled either. It’s not just your skills and grades that matter for these large firms, they ultimately look for those who will thrive in their organizational culture. If you’re too entitled, recruiters will not think that associate attorneys would like working with you.
Taking initiative means doing unassigned work. You know this, you’ve heard this in class, but as a professional, this means a lot more than being a step ahead of your classmates during recitation. As a practicing lawyer, taking initiative could mean taking on pro bono work or, if you’re employed, doing unassigned work. Pro bono work gives young lawyers real-life legal experience, which is very attractive for law firms. The value of pro bono work is in the opportunity for you to apply all that you have learned.
On the other hand, if you’re working on a firm, try to take initiative in doing unassigned work. This shows your firm that you want work there and that you can have a valuable contribution. This will help you get promotions.
Modern law firms typically assign junior associates a senior associate to mentor them. These mentors will guide you in around your firm, introduce you to powerful people (network!), and may put in a good word for you when you’re up for a promotion. That said, not only do you need to observe them and how they do their work, you also should connect with them and show them that you respect them (but of course not to the extent of doing their errands).
These are some of the most important tips to help you jumpstart your career as a lawyer. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t need to do all of this all at once. Don’t overexert yourself! You may want to modify it depending on what your resume needs and what the career you want may require. Need help with your term paper or essay?
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Equally important with starting a law career is maintaining and expanding your career paths. In the field of law, whether in corporate law or in government positions, there are many steps to climb in the corporate ladder. No one in their right mind would be content with an entry level position. These are the most crucial skills you will need in order to become a good lawyer.
These skills are probably already second nature to you by now after studying law for three years. Our resume tip is to emphasize these skills in your resume and interviews. Similarly, don’t forget about these legal skills once you get accepted or once you get a promotion. These are lifelong skills for a lawyer, and as you grow in your career these skills should improve, too. Law, like any career, requires you to take on lifelong learning. This does not just apply to learning recent laws and such, but also learning new skills and improving the ones you already have. If you need any help with your law career, visit CustomEssayMeister any time. Now, on to your future!
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