Tough times appear to have hit the legal market. The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog posted an article recently suggesting that large firms on the east coast are cutting back their summer associate programs--shortening the weeks, trimming the summer salary, and hiring less summer associates. In addition, at least one large east coast firms rescinded its offers to incoming associates.Now, I've been receiving some emails from Boyd School students complaining that they are graduating without any offers. Now, I know the knee-jerk reaction is to assume the students without offers must be at the bottom of their class, but I'm now getting emails from students claiming to be law journal editors with high GPAs who are unable to get an offer from a Vegas firm.
So, what's going on out there Vegas law? Have the firms slowed down hiring in town or is this a Boyd School-specific problem? Let me know at nevadalegal@gmail.com or by posting a comment.
On a side note, even Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez is still looking for work (ABA Journal)
Two phenomena at play here, I think, as it realates to Boyd.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the Vegas has quickly become a viable market for top schools. So if I'm a hiring partner at a firm that regularly hires new graduates, I of course make offers to the top 10 - 15 Boyd students but past that where's my motivation when I can also have a top 1/3rd person from GW or even a bottom half person from a Cornell or Northwestern? Not to mention all of the people with ties to the area who went to places like USD or McGeorge.
Second, I think their career services offices should start seriously creating a diverse pallette of options for their graduates outside of Las Vegas and/or in non-private practice.
After all, does anyone really think that LV (and perhaps even Reno) can absorb 85 new BSL graduates -every- year?
I'm a recent Boyd grad, middle of the class, and graduated without a firm offer from the firm that I wanted, although I did have one from a relatively small firm. I worked hard during Bar review interviewing with probably 10-12 firms, including flying out of town for a few days the week before the Bar exam for one interview, and landed my dream job within a few weeks after taking the Bar exam.
ReplyDeleteTo be blunt, if you do not have at least an offer from a small to medium sized firm (in Vegas terms 5-10 attys) by the time you graduate, then you just did not work hard enough. If you want to be an attorney you have to act like you want to be an attorney - don't sit on your ass waiting to be spoon fed and given a trophy for everything you do.
I absolutely LOVE the work that our (Boyd's) new career service director is doing. As the previous poster stated, Boyd grads need to look outside of Vegas. The new career services director is doing just that - searching out positions with firms outside of Vegas and setting up interviews for them. No matter what though, career services only sets up the interview for you - you have to get the job (see above about 'acting like you want to be an attorney.)
Oh, and to clarify my above comment #2 about the 'dream job' - it is not with a 5-10 atty small/medium firm, it is with a >250 atty firm in their Vegas office.
ReplyDeleteCynthia Asher (Boyd's career services director) rocks! I'm a Boyd student (middle of the class, no law review or moot court) and had no problem finding a job.
ReplyDeleteCynthia Asher is a fantastic career services director - so good I expect her to move on to bigger and better things any day now. Only a matter of time...
ReplyDeleteThe market is definitely tough right now. I have friends that are looking for jobs and having a hard time.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, whoever this anonymous dude is who is bragging about how hard he worked to get his "dream job," regardless of whether anything you say is true or not, you are a colossal blow-hard. That big firm deserves you.
And if he is who I think he is, he is an anomaly anyways because he is a minority patent associate.
ReplyDeleteWhomever 8:03 thinks I am, they're clearly wrong - defense is where it's at. And 10:21 - come on, I know the market's hard, so does everyone else graduating from Boyd. It just makes the career services director's job more important, and personal involvement very important to finding your 'dream job'. More grads get their job by personal contact than OCI and career services - something they'll tell you if you ask. Was I bragging? I shouldn't have but I'm proud of what I'm doing now. Does that deserve a personal attack? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Let's keep rhetorical attacks above the belt, unless going after public figures. Then wail away.
ReplyDeleteI concur with the comments that Cynthia Asher rocks! She will do everything she can to find you a job. Anyone who is struggling should definitely talk to her.
ReplyDelete