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Some Things You Can Start on Right Now as a Law Student

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published October 22, 2012

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left

Some things you can start on right now as a Law Student
Everyone knows that the market for law graduates and lawyers in general is going through a bad patch, may be one of the worst patches of the century. However, the question is what are you going to do about it? Whatever be the statistics of employment, the need to earn is real, and you must decide your strategies quickly and set working upon them. Time is at a premium, and you have to manage your time harder than ever before, and have to be cautions than ever before of investing every minute into building a foundation for your future. Unless you have boatloads of money, no student debts, and no pressing need to earn, you'd understand what I am saying.

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The current employment market

As James Leipold, the executive director of the NALP mentions in their October bulletin, “you should not count on getting a job at a big law firm that pays $160,000 a year, even if you are at the top of your class. Those jobs are an increasingly small part of the pie, and you are much more likely to make $45,000 to $60,000 when you graduate than you are $160,000.”

However, Leipold goes on to say, and we fully agree with him, “a legal education can be a great pathway to a rewarding, challenging career, and can provide access to leadership opportunities throughout your life, whether they are in business, government, public service, or with a law firm.”

So, what should you be doing?

As a law student, you should start grooming yourself both for the practice as well as the business of law. This would mean learning how to run a business and marketing yourself. Usually, the industry advice to young lawyers was to start marketing themselves from day one. But today, if you are to make it, you need to start marketing yourself right from law school, and while you are a student.

United States
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This means finding and selecting opportunities for advancing yourself and your interests including the right people, the right clinics, the right networks. It is difficult to say what is right for you, because that definition would vary from law student to law student, but it can be argued that what is right for you is where you find the greatest numbers of professionals, or the greatest probability of earning a livelihood aligned with your career objectives.

Time to do something more than studying and partying

Truly it's time to get serious and there are certain things you should be doing now:
 
  • Start learning to dress for the court properly and start culturing the habit
  • Decide on your available resources including material capital, human capital and social capital – in a lawyer's life social capital is of the utmost importance – it can make or break you
  • Start on a business plan with available resources
  • Learn what you can about running an independent business, in case you need to go solo
  • Find out about alternative careers and have a B plan ready, just in case – well, the probability of that ‘just in case' is quite high with the BLS projecting an occupational growth of about 20,000 jobs per year in legal services and law schools putting 40,000 graduates in the field every year – so better have that B plan ready
  • Don't network foolishly. Every guru out there offers networking as the ultimate solution for all problems. Networking with people without social capital or professional expertise is not going to help you. Find out the points of greatest density in social networks where people of worth congregate, and find ways to make yourself visible and establish associations

As a parting advice, don't let anything, including all that gloomy statistics con you – even if 50% of new law graduates may not get jobs at law firms, 50% will – so try to be within those who would attain their objectives – or tweak your objectives and increase your chances of survival.

Click Here to View the 2015 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in the Best Law Firms

About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations—from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

  • Immigration law
  • Workers’ compensation
  • Insurance defense
  • Family law
  • Trusts & estates
  • Municipal law
  • And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

  • Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
  • Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
  • Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
  • Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success – The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm’s unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison’s legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here.

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials—he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison’s work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

  • Finds and creates job openings that aren’t publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
  • Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
  • Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney—no matter their background, law school, or previous experience—has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

  • Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
  • Senior attorneys who believed they were “too experienced” to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
  • Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options—only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
  • Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist—often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today – Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison’s expertise will help you take control of your future.

? Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

About LawCrossing

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.
Gain an advantage in your legal job search. LawCrossing uncovers hidden positions that firms post on their own websites and industry-specific job boards—jobs that never appear on Indeed or LinkedIn. Don't miss out. Sign up now!

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