The economy sucks. The legal job market is even worse. There are a lot of unemployed and underemployed law school graduates feeling jaded, frustrated, and depressed. A lot of them feel duped by their law schools. Some of these jobless JDs have borrowed up to $250k for law school that they cannot pay back right now. $250k? That's the price of a small, starter home in CA. I can only image what the monthly student loan payment looks like. These jobless JDs with a hefty debt load are obsessively browsing Craigslist, LawLink.com, Monster.com, and praying their law career center throws a bone their way.
To put a positive spin on a very bleak situation, I've started Jobs for JDs to bring a bit of sunshine, humor, and relief to the world of newly minted attorneys who are struggling to find jobs. This blog is also for seasoned attorneys who have jobs they hate either because the area of law is a poor match for their temperament or because they are in a toxic work environment. The legal profession has its fair share of egocentric, obnoxious, mean-spirited people, but it doesn't mean people need to put up with it.
I also created this blog for selfish reasons. I want to buoy myself up when I'm job hunting. I want career advice, mentoring, and a voice of optimism amongst pessimistic blogs ranting on about how awful it is to be a recent law school graduate. I want to be inspired in my chosen profession. I'm hoping in the future to have attorneys or career counselors contribute to Jobs for JDs to share their knowledge based on their life experiences. I'd love for this to a collaborative effort eventually.
People go to law school for all sorts of reasons. Some people go to law school because they smart, have a way with words, and want to make a lot of money. Others go to law school because they are intelligent, want to earn a comfortable living, and want to use law as a vehicle to help people. I fall into the latter category. If I'm not going to be a rainmaker as an attorney, I want to be happy doing work that I love and am good at in a healthy work environment. I haven't ruled out being a rainmaker in the future, but I'm under no delusions of grandeur. I'm being realistic. I know I'm never going to work at a Big Firm. Maybe I'll make my mark working for myself?
- Law Coach
- Law Coach
