Attorney job-seekers face many hurdles in finding their first legal gig. One is pay: public interest positions such as working at a defender’s office or nonprofits can pay less than private firm work.
Abrams recommends finding an area of practice that will keep you engaged, like entertainment/sports law or international law, which will keep you interested. He suggests networking with attorneys who do such jobs.
1. LawCrossing
LawCrossing stands apart from traditional job boards by actively searching thousands of legal websites, job boards and newspapers daily for job openings in attorney employment. To keep pace with its expansive selection of attorney vacancies available to its users, LawCrossing employs over 150 people working 24/7/365 in order to keep pace with demand.
LawCrossing provides various services to employers and candidates alike, including candidate management, email alerts, unlimited user access and a 72-hour free trial period. Furthermore, LawCrossing has tailored its subscription plans specifically to suit both employers and recruiters’ needs.
LawCrossing also provides employers with an ability to search their archives for attorneys with similar backgrounds, which can be useful when building relationships with companies and government agencies that do not advertise positions publicly but may still be looking for someone similar to your experience. This feature is especially helpful for large organizations or those not advertising positions through national publications.
2. NALP Job Center
This resource gathers job postings not available through major legal websites from bar associations, law schools, government agencies and niche legal sites – drawing thousands of law students and attorneys seeking various positions each month.
NALP Sections and Interest Groups provide online communities open to all NALP members, each one focusing on one area of practice and offering members insight, advice and support around that particular focus.
Practical International Training Opportunities is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of practical international training opportunities for young lawyers, students, educators, nonprofit professionals and nonprofit professionals interested in human rights issues. It offers internship, fellowship and work abroad opportunities. In addition, foundations and funding organizations may be connected with through this website as well. It includes articles covering global news and developments. A companion site CDS International is for nonprofit professionals as well as students interested in human rights work – both are free for use!
4. Law Schools
If you know you want to work in a certain geographic location, law schools located there should factor into your decision process. Affluent industries in an area will influence what types of law firms will hire students and what work students may take on as first year associates.
Prospective attorneys must consider more than tuition and scholarships when choosing their law school, such as its reputation in the legal world. This can be gauged through speaking to those who have gone through law school – professors as well as alumni.
Compare that reputation to bar passage rates and employment stats of its graduates. Note how much emphasis each school places on practical legal experience as well; for instance, NYU boasts a large concentration of students going into environmental law or dispute resolution fields, likely because its curriculum places emphasis on real world applications.