Is it true that most law school grads end up in temp agencies?

Question

I am considering law school, but have recently heard that most grads end up doing horrible temp work in poor conditions??

Someone recommended me to this blogger.
http://temporaryattorney.blogspot.com/

Can some law school grads out there give me the low-down on all this?? And please tell me what exactly to expect after graduation.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Some do end up at temp agencies. But not b/c they studied law.

Number one, their law school GPA was probably nothing to brag about nor was their law school anything prestigious (it should be at least ABA-certified unless it's in CA). Also, some have probably yet to pass their state bar exam (and thus are not licensed and cannot practice law).

You also have to look for jobs when you're in law schools and get some good internships with the gov't and/or law firms during your summers in law school. Unless you're the top guy or gal in your class, you have to look for an employer, not the other way around. It also helps if you specialized in something; the criminal justice specialization is the most popular, hence the law degree is a bit less valuable.

But don't let this dissuade you from law school. If you work hard, you're not going to end up at a temp agency.

Answer 2

I'm not a law student either, but one thing you can do is to research job placements at law schools. Do they have a career advisory center? Where do their graduates go after school? Private, government, more schooling, etc? How many students get a job after their first year?

Are there co-op or internship programs? I believe Northeastern University in Boston has a co-op program for their students in which they work for a law firm during the year or over the summer. They also don't rank their students, which drives some law firms crazy, but probably provides for a less competitve atmosphere.

Are you in school now? There should be some sort of pre-law advisor or at least a career counselor who would be familiar with law students and what their needs are. If your school is affiliated with a law school, go down there and ask to speak to someone. Or find a law school in the area.

Talk to alumni of potential schools and ask what their experiences were and if they have any tips.

No one can tell you what to expect after graduation because not everyone does the same thing. Some people go on for graduate school, others have jobs lined up, some people decide law isn't for them afte all, etc.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I read an article this weekend regarding San Francisco lawyers. Their starting salaries are becoming insane because only the insane would take the jobs. They start out as an associate, working their tails off for the partners. Back in the 50's they were expected to have about 1400 billable hours, which was around a 40 hour work week plus a Saturday each month. Now their expected to have 2200, 2400, some places even 2600 billable hours a year. That is equivalent to working 8am-8pm, M-S plus an occasional Sunday. 2400 billable hours amounts to 3 weeks off a year - that's weekends, holidays, and vacation. Sure, they start at $135K, but they have to pay that since so many entry level lawyers are leaving the big firms and finding low-pay alternatives (when they can).

Those "opportunities" are really only available to the top graduates at the top universities, but since these firms depend 100% on sustaining rich clients, it's a very rough life out there for lawyers. The more average lawyer will still work his/her tail off.

Answer 4

i doubt that it's true that *most* law school grads end up with that type of job. i'm in law school now and have many friends in other law schools around the country and i don't know anyone who has been so pressed that they've had to work in a temp. agency.

however, it's definitely true that not all lawyers get amazing jobs. most get good jobs, but not excellent ones. this also, of course, depends on the school one chooses to attend as well how well one does in school. the top 10% of students graduating from harvard obviously have much better job prospects than the bottom 10% of schools graduating from cooley

Answer 5

It really depends on the ranking of the school. For the first two tiers, people generally find jobs. At worst, they're contract attorneys. Even in the lower tiers, they can get crappy jobs (low pay, long hours), but from those I've talked to, it's pretty rare to have to work at a temp agency.

That blogger did describe a crappy job fairly accurately. Just becoming a lawyer doesn't guarantee a nice, cushy job. There are few cushy jobs in law. If you break it down by hour, even the 6 figure jobs don't pay very well based on how many hours you work.

Answer 6

Hi,

I am not a law gaduate, but all in all I don't know anyone who has gotten a good job after graduating. We all end up in temp agencies doing horrible things, no matter what we studied. So at least there is no point in changing your subject - other options may well end up you doing something even more hideous.