Professional School is Done…But the Economy Has Not Recovered

Life after professional school is similar to “A Tale of Two Cities.” In the famous novel Charles Dickens proclaims that “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” For some professional school graduates the culmination of law school and taking the state bar exam or medical school and taking the state board exam, equates to the beginning of a lucrative career.

But for many the culminations of professional school, in particular law school equates a different kind of full-time job – searching for a legal job. This process can be grueling, depressing, and a continuous blow to the self-esteem. It is filled with ups and downs, and can be an emotional roller- coaster. From the thrill of securing an interview, to the despair of being told someone else was offered the position you believed you were perfect for, it is an experience that can test one’s character.

For law school graduates that know what they will be doing after school is complete, whether it is at a large or mid-sized firm, government job, or other public sector job, there still remains an obstacle to their careers in the bar exam. Graduates with employment main struggle are balancing the rigors of work with the chance to spend their new riches. For others, studying for the bar exam coincides with the stress of wondering what they will be doing after law school. The unemployed main struggle here is balancing the check book and finding ways to survive without a job.

Initially, for everyone that has taken the bar exam, and is currently awaiting results, the experience is the same. There are days that you go through your normal routine and do not think about the bar exam, and other days you are asked the question, “How do you think you did?” The response is the same from everyone, “Well we’ll see when the results come out?” Then on extreme days you wake up in a cold sweat thinking about a question you may have gotten wrong, and thinking that one question will be your downfall. After thoughts of failure, you often look to the state bar website and hope you are within the percentage of people that pass on average every year.

During this process of waiting for bar results, some are preparing for their new jobs, while others are attempting to figure out where to start. These people figuring out where to start wonder where their next check will come from, and how they will support themselves in the meantime, while also worrying about student loan grace periods expiration dates that are soon arriving. Some searchers eventually luck out and have a family member, a friend, or a mentor they can hitch their wagon to and begin their practice of law, but for other new attorneys the search can be grueling.

For these people a painful cycle ensues. Many are caught in limbo with most firms stating that they are seeking more experience, with a dearth of firms willing to give a chance to an inexperienced. Not to mention it is almost impossible to obtain a job without showing you have already passed the bar exam. Thus, it is a waiting game on your results to show employers that you will be admitted and can work for them as an attorney.

“Why did I even go to law school?” – This is a question that many ask themselves during this grueling phase in life. Throughout the three years of law school, students are told that the skill set acquired during law school will open endless opportunities and doors for students within and outside the legal field. Despite this assurance from faculty and administration at most schools, those doors appear to be shut with a bolt lock during the search for jobs stage in the process.

To make matters worse a slow recovering recession has led to a trickledown effect of lost job opportunities. With a loss of firm jobs it appears that those from top tier schools that would have been surely at firms post-grad have taken positions in the public sector that normally would have been left for those at second-tier and third-tier schools, or even worse those people who are committed to doing public-interest work.

Thinking outside of the box, and using the skills learned in law school in another field can lead to gainful employment, but for some recent graduates it’s difficult for them to think of the prospects of spending three years and countless dollars on a legal education only to have to pursue a job that does not include practicing law. The limited view of desired jobs after graduation may stem from the lack of presentation of alternate career paths by many law schools. If we dig deep it is apparent that many of our politicians are attorneys, as are many directors of major corporations, which are not bad job options.

Eventually, nearly everyone will gain employment and hopefully pass the bar. Until then many law school graduates only have their degree to keep them warm at night, and the idea of a brighter future to give them motivation to continue searching for the big break in their career.