Zachary Kloville, a recent graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, said he felt lucky. He found his first legal job through the school’s job board at the beginning of his second year and had a full-time job waiting for him when he graduated. But he still attended networking events, mostly because of interest.
“Networking is part of a cohesive whole,” he said. “You’ve got to be looking at all these events on campus and job postings on the job board. The school can offer many networking opportunities on their own, but it’s up to us to go there and take advantage of it.”
Fall recruitment season is about to start. Your placement office is there to help, but success will largely depend on how much initiative you put into your job search. More than 60% of recent law graduates got jobs through networking, self-initiated contact, referrals, job postings, job fairs and internships or externships, according to the National Association for Law Placement’s “Jobs & J.D.s: Employment and Salaries of New Law School Graduates for the Class of 2021.”
The report shows that employment outcomes for the Class of 2021 were some of the strongest ever recorded by the association. The employment rate for 2021 graduates for whom employment status is known was 91.9%, compared to 88.4% for the Class of 2020.
James Leipold, the association’s longtime executive director who recently retired, wrote that he expects the legal employment market to remain strong for the classes of 2022 and 2023 because of several factors, including robust summer associate recruiting and relatively flat graduating class sizes.
Advice for 1Ls and 2Ls
There are several things you can do now to maximize your chances of landing a legal job, whether it be for the summer or for full-time, post-graduation employment.
“This is a journey,” said Erin Bond, associate dean for academic planning and career development at New York Law School. When looking for a summer position, she said, the goal is to find a place where you can develop relationships while practicing and strengthening the skills you’ve learned so far.
Law school placement offices continue to ramp up their services, increasing the number of job notices, especially from local law firms.
Visit your placement office on a weekly basis — digitally or in person — to check the latest job postings. Many schools also publish newsletters for alumni that list employment opportunities.
Carole Tillotson, associate director of career development at Drake University Law School, advises students to cast a broad net when applying for jobs.
“It’s much easier to apply to 15 firms than to come to me in March and say, ‘I should have applied to more than three jobs,’” she said. “Apply early, and apply often.”
Tillotson also recommends not shying away from unpaid internships.
“From a resume standpoint, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “Paid or unpaid, it will say ‘intern.’ It will say ‘experience.’”
José Gabilondo, associate dean for accreditation at Florida International University College of Law, agrees. He said students should keep an open mind about the types of summer positions they are willing to take.
He also suggests looking beyond the job postings and creating your own opportunities.
“If a particular organization, industry or company interests you, consider writing to their general counsel’s office, even if no job is posted,” he said. “Take the long view.”
Summer internships often lead to fulltime, post-graduate employment. And self-initiated contact with an employer is the most common way that law students get jobs. But be careful: This does not mean mass-mailing letters to law firms.
In addition, a good number of law students get jobs through referrals from friends, colleagues and other people they know.
Bond said that even though you might prefer a paid summer position, you should more importantly consider whether a particular job opportunity will take you into the firm’s fold and engage you in their practice, whether you will get honest feedback on your writing skills, and whether you will be allowed to sit in on meetings.
“Those observers/colleagues/supervisors at your summer internships are the strongest referrals for you going forward,” she said.
Advice for 3Ls
If you didn’t get offered a job after your second-year summer internship or externship, continue networking and participate in clinics, Tillotson said.
“That firm is going to feel badly that it didn’t work out and that they couldn’t offer the job,” she said. “So that’s when you go back to them to ask who else you should contact. They are going to want to help and will make a good recommendation on your behalf.”
Also, try to flesh out more networking opportunities and talk with your peers. And don’t forget to use informational interviews.
Tillotson encourages students to make sure their cover letters are doing a good job of selling their skills and experience, thereby making them attractive job candidates.
Your academic record does not make or break your chance at the vast majority of positions, Tillotson said.
“That’s how the well-versed cover letter can go far,” she said. “Show a great foundation about why you want to work for that organization or firm and why you’re the best candidate. [The cover letter] is still an important piece of the third year hiring process.”
Bond agrees.
“The range of what lawyers do is wide and deep,” she said. “Building skills that can be transferable and being able to tell that story is key. Play to your strengths.”
This story originally ran in the Winter 2023 issue of The National Jurist. It has been edited for clarity in timing of this post.
