As Traditional Legal Jobs Dry Up, Students Can Mold Unique Careers
Law schools continue to churn out graduates during a difficult job environment, but some career professionals see a silver lining: the opportunity for job hunters to craft a unique career outside the traditional mold.
Meg Reuter, assistant dean for career planning at New York Law School, is among those who see the bright side. “American law schools now produce more graduates than there are traditional lawyering positions,” Reuter told the National Law Journal. “There is more opportunity to secure an alternative legal job, which often can be better renumerated.”
Laura Saklad, chief lawyer development officer for Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, is also an optimist. “If law students thoughtfully consider their future, it may end up in a better outcome for them, especially in this market,” she told the NLJ.
The article has this advice for students who are “architecting” their career: 1. Highlight an area that is of most interest. 2. Identify the people who can help and start networking, using social media tools. 3. Learn more about key issues in your area of interest and distribute your view in a blog or on Twitter.
Said Reuter, “When you decide what type of lawyer you want to be, you will be more attractive to the employers at the kind of jobs you want.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “As OCIs Drop at Top Law Schools, NALP Official Predicts More Grads Will Go Solo”
