cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 17:09:23 GMT -5
I am having an extremely hard time finding a job and I was wondering what y'all do for work and how you found your job.
For context: I have SMA 2. I graduated from law school three years ago and have only managed to get a single interview out of all of the (many) applications I have submitted in the intervening time. My mobility is limited to essentially my left hand, so a lot of the work I need to be able to do has to be done on a laptop. Further, my dysarthria makes it so that litigation in a courtroom setting really isn't feasible for me (which is unfortunate because I emphasized litigation practice throughout law school). The problem is that most entry-level positions in my field require things that I can't realistically do (litigation, namely, but also navigating court houses that were legitimately built in the 1800s and are the definition of inaccessible). Ideally, I would find a position where I could do all of the "behind-the-scenes" work: prepare documents such as briefs and memos, client discussions, trial prep, etc.
I'm starting to get desperate, though. I'm currently living with my ex because I have no income and can't afford to move anywhere and she's been kind enough to pay the mortgage herself (it was an amicable breakup, there are no hard feelings there, kind of beside the point). I hate it, though. I feel like a waste of space because I can't pay for anything and I'm not doing anything (I'm also just so mf bored). At this point I would take almost any position that I could realistically do; legal field or not.
Do y'all have any advice? A big part of what I'm struggling with is trying to come up with different positions to search for online. My focus has been legal for so long that I've kind of forgotten how to get creative with titles and job searches.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
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Post by Quad787 on Mar 29, 2023 17:38:37 GMT -5
Hey there. We should talk. Don't get too discouraged. I was in your exact situation many years ago, until somehow the stars aligned and I got a call for an interview. Started working full time the next day. A law career is very possible even for people with significant disabilities.
Happy to talk with you here or by DM. But first, what state are you in, and have you already passed the bar exam?
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cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 17:57:49 GMT -5
Hey there. We should talk. Don't get too discouraged. I was in your exact situation many years ago, until somehow the stars aligned and I got a call for an interview. Started working full time the next day. A law career is very possible even for people with significant disabilities. Happy to talk with you here or by DM. But first, what state are you in, and have you already passed the bar exam? I'm in Wisconsin and I do have an active license (if you graduate from a Wisconsin law school like I did you don't actually have to pass the bar to practice in the state).
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Post by koala on Mar 29, 2023 18:24:32 GMT -5
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cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 18:28:40 GMT -5
I'll take a look! Thank you!
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Post by Quad787 on Mar 29, 2023 18:34:48 GMT -5
Wow. That's fantastic. Escaping the bar exam would have been really nice. But I guess that means you're staying in Wisconsin. At least if you're going to practice law.
I don't know what the situation is in Wisconsin, but in Southern California, I personally know 2 high quads who worked for decades for the State Attorney General's office. Their job is mostly researching and writing appellate briefs. They also did their arguments at the court of appeals and the Supreme Court. As a side note, I sort of regret not hooking up with them myself, because their retirement package includes Lifetime Medical coverage. Don't forget to consider what your situation will be like 25 years from now.
Another quad I graduated law school with got a job with the Navy in San Diego. Civilian employee. I'm not sure, but I think government service is probably the way to go. I think they probably be most likely to equip you with the things you need to fulfill your job responsibilities. Then again, things may be different in Wisconsin than they are for me here. But we've got legal jobs at the local, city, county, and state level.
What would you say you're best at? Legal writing? That was my strength. But I learned to be a courtroom litigator, because that's what the job required. But I know that even at the state trial court level, there are many paid law Clerks who write bench briefs for the judges deciding different issues and motions. Some of them have done it for years.
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cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 18:55:23 GMT -5
Wow. That's fantastic. Escaping the bar exam would have been really nice. But I guess that means you're staying in Wisconsin. At least if you're going to practice law. I don't know what the situation is in Wisconsin, but in Southern California, I personally know 2 high quads who worked for decades for the State Attorney General's office. Their job is mostly researching and writing appellate briefs. They also did their arguments at the court of appeals and the Supreme Court. As a side note, I sort of regret not hooking up with them myself, because their retirement package includes Lifetime Medical coverage. Don't forget to consider what your situation will be like 25 years from now. Another quad I graduated law school with got a job with the Navy in San Diego. Civilian employee. I'm not sure, but I think government service is probably the way to go. I think they probably be most likely to equip you with the things you need to fulfill your job responsibilities. Then again, things may be different in Wisconsin than they are for me here. But we've got legal jobs at the local, city, county, and state level. What would you say you're best at? Legal writing? That was my strength. But I learned to be a courtroom litigator, because that's what the job required. But I know that even at the state trial court level, there are many paid law Clerks who write bench briefs for the judges deciding different issues and motions. Some of them have done it for years. Research and writing are definitely my strengths (though I think if I said that I can think like a litigator you would understand). I have applied to many a judicial clerkship without any luck. I did consider working with the AG's Office coming out of law school but I have a bit of a moral hang-up with defending convictions.
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imupforanything
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Post by imupforanything on Mar 29, 2023 19:06:42 GMT -5
I work in the tech industry so Quad787 is far better suited for law related advice of course, but have you considered starting as a para legal? Just to get some income coming in and get started. Any experience is better than none in my experience. Plus, it has the possibility to "prove yourself" as a worker. Also, here are places here in TX that are attorneys but all the do is fill out your paperwork for family law for Pro Se people and they make pretty good money doing those. Many people quickly realize they are in over their head and turn around and hire them to represent them. You might not be interested in family law but it's much less courtroom time and the more cases you do and the more you get out there shows other firms you are capable.
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cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 19:34:39 GMT -5
I work in the tech industry so Quad787 is far better suited for law related advice of course, but have you considered starting as a para legal? Just to get some income coming in and get started. Any experience is better than none in my experience. Plus, it has the possibility to "prove yourself" as a worker. Also, here are places here in TX that are attorneys but all the do is fill out your paperwork for family law for Pro Se people and they make pretty good money doing those. Many people quickly realize they are in over their head and turn around and hire them to represent them. You might not be interested in family law but it's much less courtroom time and the more cases you do and the more you get out there shows other firms you are capable. I have applied to a few paralegal positions without any luck. I would definitely do family law. The problem is that I emphasized criminal and appellate law in law school, so I don't know very much, which puts me at a disadvantage in the hiring process.
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Post by Quad787 on Mar 29, 2023 19:43:25 GMT -5
I work in the tech industry so Quad787 is far better suited for law related advice of course, but have you considered starting as a para legal? Just to get some income coming in and get started. Any experience is better than none in my experience. Plus, it has the possibility to "prove yourself" as a worker. Also, here are places here in TX that are attorneys but all the do is fill out your paperwork for family law for Pro Se people and they make pretty good money doing those. Many people quickly realize they are in over their head and turn around and hire them to represent them. You might not be interested in family law but it's much less courtroom time and the more cases you do and the more you get out there shows other firms you are capable. These are all good suggestions. But it's hard as a new lawyer to attract clients. Also, if you're offering your services to the General Public, it's probably expected that you have an office, which cost money you don't want to spend. And then there's malpractice insurance, which sole practitioners have to worry about paying for. We have attorneys and staff who work in the courthouse and help people fill out paperwork. They're called facilitators, and they work out of the facilitator's office. I'd say the majority of their work is helping people fill out restraining orders and similar forms. But you have to be hired by the office, you can't just show up at the courthouse. Have you tried speaking to any of the private firms in your area, and offering to do piece work? And as for the idea of working as a paralegal, that's similar to what I did. When I first got hired, I was not offered the full attorney position. They had me work for a year as a temporary expert. It was a paid position, with zero benefits. But it was fair because most of the people they hired had been interns in the office previously. I hadn't, so my first year was basically me proving myself.
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cripman33
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Post by cripman33 on Mar 29, 2023 19:46:48 GMT -5
I work in the tech industry so Quad787 is far better suited for law related advice of course, but have you considered starting as a para legal? Just to get some income coming in and get started. Any experience is better than none in my experience. Plus, it has the possibility to "prove yourself" as a worker. Also, here are places here in TX that are attorneys but all the do is fill out your paperwork for family law for Pro Se people and they make pretty good money doing those. Many people quickly realize they are in over their head and turn around and hire them to represent them. You might not be interested in family law but it's much less courtroom time and the more cases you do and the more you get out there shows other firms you are capable. These are all good suggestions. But it's hard as a new lawyer to attract clients. Also, if you're offering your services to the General Public, it's probably expected that you have an office, which cost money you don't want to spend. And then there's malpractice insurance, which sole practitioners have to worry about paying for. We have attorneys and staff who work in the courthouse and help people fill out paperwork. They're called facilitators, and they work out of the facilitator's office. I'd say the majority of their work is helping people fill out restraining orders and similar forms. But you have to be hired by the office, you can't just show up at the courthouse. Have you tried speaking to any of the private firms in your area, and offering to do piece work? And as for the idea of working as a paralegal, that's similar to what I did. When I first got hired, I was not offered the full attorney position. They had me work for a year as a temporary expert. It was a paid position, with zero benefits. But it was fair because most of the people they hired had been interns in the office previously. I hadn't, so my first year was basically me proving myself. I have reached out to a few firms but none responded.
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imupforanything
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Post by imupforanything on Mar 29, 2023 19:49:34 GMT -5
Don't know about WI but in Texas you can look up criminal and family cases that are active and you read all the documents. It's also common to just shadow an attorney, write some letters and fully explain your situation and the need. You are likely to find some attorneys willing to help out.
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imupforanything
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Post by imupforanything on Mar 29, 2023 20:03:29 GMT -5
Also, here there is some great software like Pro Docs (https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/en/products/prodoc) for filling out just about everything. I've worked with it for Family law and you just put in a person's info select to type of case/matter (custody, divorce, enforcement, and everything else) and bam! it's almost done for you.
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not THAT violet
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Post by not THAT violet on Mar 29, 2023 21:05:52 GMT -5
Do you know who Bella Sobah was? She had SMA and was just starting her career in juvenile justice (I think) when she died a couple years ago ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/sad.png) I didn’t know her personally, but she had a big presence at the UW Law School. So you might talk to some people there, if you haven’t already, to see if some of the adaptations and assistance she got could help you as well. Sounds like she may have had more physical mobility than you do, but it’s a start. PD’s very own justnick works for Wisconsin state government (which I’m pretty sure he’s mentioned a few times here), and might be able to tell you more about navigating that part of things if you’re interested.
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Post by koala on Mar 30, 2023 0:37:04 GMT -5
Here's another potential source for leads that I stumbled upon on LinkedIn this evening. I haven't tried it out, so I have no idea what types of opportunities they might have but figured I'd share just in case. www.ourability.com
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