This past fall I was speaking to my babysitter who had just graduated from law school. She went to a tier 2 law school, took the bar exam and was waiting for her bar results. She did not do any internships, clerkships or legal work during law school. Her grades were fine but not stellar. This might be obvious to some of you. But I am going to be honest. She did not put herself in the best position to get a job after law school. And now she’s 24 years old with no practical work experience.
I also wish somebody had told me to think about what kind of law job I would like BEFORE law school. I am a mom of two, and we started our family approximately 5 years after we graduated. I completely stopped working for several years to care for my young children because, at the time, it didn’t make sense to continue working. In hindsight, before law school, I should have spoken to as many working moms as I could find in the areas I was interested in and figured out which areas were ideal for part-time work, or more family-friendly anyway. Many of you have had those hindsight moments, but we all know by this point in our lives that being forward-looking is much more productive. [Read more…] about What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?