You Failed the Bar and You Want a Job?! (Making the most out of a tough situation.)

The following was first posted in The Careerist, a blog published by the AmLawDaily.  Chief blogger Vivia Chen forwarded this letter from a discouraged law school graduate, and asked if I might offer some advice.  Read on.
Dear Ms. Chen:

I am writing to you to get some advice. I graduated from law school in 2009. I went back to school after almost 20 years out – I had built a successful healthcare-related business before attending law school.

For various reasons, I failed the bar exam twice. Thus, I have a JD, but no license. What I would like to do is work for a law firm of any size, or in a law-related job which would also allow me to study for the bar again, and obtain my license.

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The problem I am having with my job search is that the law firms all seem to want either experienced lawyers, or someone with a current license. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of opening for a recent grad with no experience.  As the months go by, I feel like all of the work I put into law school is for naught. Further, it is very frustrating to not be able to use the skills and abilities I know I can provide some firm/organization.

 

My question is, what suggestions could you give me in this situation?

Sincerely,
T.M

Dear T.M.,

There’s no question that you’re in a tight spot. It will take ingenuity, fortitude and lots of work to navigate the current job market and tough out the rotten economy, especially given the seismic change experienced by the legal industry since you applied to law school.  A few basic facts:  You have to find a way to distinguish yourself from the so-called (and stigmatized)  “lost generation” of riffed, deferred and yet to be hired lawyers–and working at a law firm aware that you are taking the bar a third time is not the way to do it. In any event, most firms would rather hire an experienced paralegal than an unlicensed law school graduate with little “experience”.

But you do have experience–as an entrepreneur, in the “real world” and in a growth industry.   The average law school graduate has woefully inadequate business skills, a limited understanding of the market and economy and minimal skilled work experience.  You’re different, and your strategy now should capitalize on the ways in which you can be more productive, and more profitable, on a faster track, than other law school graduates.   Ask yourself  what you need to do to transform your image from unappealing drifter to desirable recruit and set yourself apart from other applicants.

Here’s one way to do it, in five steps:

1.  Do whatever you have to do to pass the bar. Set aside the time.  Get a tutor or coach. Make it happen.

2.  Use your existing network and other resources to find a non-legal job or internship in the healthcare industry through which you can deepen your knowledge, develop more practical skills and build professional relationships.  Learn and grow.  Prove yourself to those who will one day be your job (and client) references.

3.  Learn all you can about the Healthcare Reform Act.  Understand its practical application and its ever evolving legal and business implications.  Be an expert–experts are indispensable.  You have the advantage of your own experience–and perhaps you took some relevant courses in school.  Many young attorneys, even those in health care law, cannot speak intelligently about this topic for more than a few minutes.  Honestly.

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  • Join the American Healthcare Lawyers Association (there’s a $15 student rate for which you might qualify) and take advantage of the rich educational opportunities it offers.
  • Audit a course or two at a local college, law school or school of public policy.
  • Stay on top of current developments, for the benefit of your employer and colleagues, via Google Alerts, RSS Feeds and strategic Twitter follows.

4.  Engage. Understand the industry: Its structure, its people, its culture.  Network intensively.  Stand out. Build value.

5.  Finally, when you’re ready to re-start the job hunt, research your opportunities with care. Where are your chances best?  What practice areas interest  the most?  Who do you know who can help you?

Now you’re ready to revise your resume, cover letter and interview pitch to conform to a new, and vastly more appealing set of facts, one that goes something like this:

I went to law school to learn the skills I needed to leverage my business knowledge of the healthcare industry into a  career as a healthcare lawyer.  When I graduated I carefully assessed the job market, the economy and the condition of the legal profession and concluded that my education was incomplete. 

I went to law school to learn the skills I needed to leverage my business knowledge of the healthcare industry into a  career as a healthcare lawyer.  When I graduated I carefully assessed the job market, the economy and the condition of the legal profession and concluded that my education was incomplete. 

So I took charge of my career, deferred law practice and acquired the knowledge and practical expertise I needed to jumpstart a promising practice.

Hire me because I bring maturity,  expert knowledge and a valuable industry network  to the table.  Hire me because I am sure to be on a faster track to productivity, and profitability, than your other candidates. 

Hire me because I can take care of myself.

Good luck T.M., and keep me posted.

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