Shedding the Stigma

Hello faithful reader! I hope all is well, whether you've just started your evening law school career, or are already deeply ensconced in the seemingly endless cycle of work, class, study, coffee, work, class . . . you get the picture. Now that I'm gainfully employed, I find myself wanting to focus more on job opportunities and the job hunt. You may have heard through the grapevine that the days of wine and roses for young lawyers are over (for further reading, see the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Legal Whiteboard, and my personal favorite, Shit Law Jobs). I've never been one to lie to you, faithful reader. It's hard to find the job you want out of law school. But, it's even harder for evening students, and it always has been, so no great shock there. I know of a fellow evening student who was told that she'd never get hired because she went to school at night, while she was on the interview!

This has nothing to do with my post, but I just love Corgis!

Here's my beef: The fact that evening students are stigmatized when it comes to the job hunt is stupid! It's completely counter-intuitive, and it needs to come to an end. I never understood why being an evening student is seen as a negative by law firm recruiters. These are the same people who will exclaim "I don't know how you guys do it! I give you lots of credit!"  We don't want credit. We want jobs. Evening students have proven work experience, we "get" office politics, and obviously have presented ourselves in public without drooling - at least once - in order to get a job. What more do they need??

So, I think it's time to defy convention and fight the stigma (or "shed" it.  Like the picture. Get it? Nevermind.)  I've some up with a few ideas that may help:

1. Use your cover letter wisely: Most Career Services offices will try to get you to write plain vanilla cover letters that emphasize your coursework, legal experience, etc.  Yawn!  Forget it; write what you want them to know about you. You're breaking your butt working, studying, and taking care of things at home--you're a multi-tasking machine! Let them know it! 
2. Bring your experience to the interview: Many law firm interviews are quick and to the point, so you may not have time to really stand out to the recruiter. Make sure you bring your work experience into the discussion. But, not the way you normally would at a "regular" job interview. Analogize your outside work experience to the legal market. Have you done marketing research? Hammer the point that you are analytical and research oriented. Have you managed a staff? Make sure they know that you're comfortable with people, and could see yourself presenting to clients with ease. Maybe you're a techie? Talk to them about predictive coding and e-discovery. They'll never see it coming! 
3. 'Splain yourself: I think part of the stigma surrounding evening students comes from the (incorrect) belief that evening students aren't as committed to the capital L "Law," and are only there for a quick career change. after all, if you really wanted to be a lawyer, you would have gone straight after college, like us committed day students! Of course this is poppycock, but it's another myth that probably has to be dispelled. Start your interview - even your cover letter - explaining your unique journey to law school. It will humanize your resume, and probably help a recruiter think about evening students a little differently. 

Remember that most recruiters were day-students as well, so they may think that being an evening student is admirable, but they won't really "get it," and they will bring their prejudices and assumptions to the interview. Dispel the myths for them with strong, persuasive arguments. Your work experience is not a negative; but you will have to fight to make sure it's a positive.  There is, as we know, no shame in going to law school at night.  You work harder, put in longer hours, have more responsibilities, and are arguably more dedicated to getting your law degree than your day student counterparts. Make sure you let people know it! 

When the Rankings are Rank

Spring is here, faithful reader, and that means lots of different things to different people. If you're a new law student just wrapping up a hectic first year, it means bring able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. If you're a graduating law student, it means finals and bar applications, and being in a pretty foul mood all of the time. But there is another breed out there--the applicant. I want to turn my attention now to people who may be thinking about law school, or who have already put in some applications because times are different now than they were just 5 years ago when I applied.

You may have heard that we had some economic problems recently (they may or may not be over, depending on who you talk to). The economy had such a far-reaching impact on the legal field, I don't think anyone could have seen it coming. Law firms slashed the number of available jobs, while cutting thousands of already established associates, creating a simultaneous job deficit and a glut of supply. It went far beyond belt-tightening; more like they all started wearing whalebone corsets. Anxious students across the country waited for things to get better. They didn't, and they won't.  I'm not trying to be a negative nelly, it's a fact. Firms (and not just law firms--I'm using the word "firms" as short-hand. This goes for government, non-profit, private sector, and even contract work as well) condensed and merged to save on overhead, and the life-blood of the law firm (the "billable hour") was killed at many firms. Clients started speaking up and demanding more experienced attorneys on their cases, so firms became much more reluctant to hire new blood. There are jobs out there, and things have picked up, but the golden age of ample internships and guaranteed placement is over.

Which brings me back to the title and topic of this post: Rankings. Applicants need to care about this, because whether we like it or not, rankings matter. They matter even more now since firms are being more selective about hiring recent graduates. Going to a "top" school matters, even though we all know the ranks are a systemic pile of steaming subjective and false crap. Not that I'm bitter.

But, most evening students don't really have much choice when it comes to being selective. They go to law school at night because they have certain responsibilities -- whatever they may be -- that usually tie them to a geographic area. Pickins' are slim. So, people considering an evening program are basically stuck with whatever schools are closest to them that happen to have an evening program. (I know US News is ranking evening programs separately, and that's great -- but no one really cares. When someone asks where you went to law school, they don't follow-up with "Was that the crummy day program or the stellar evening program?" Doesn't happen. Your legal reputation is inextricably linked to the "overall" school ranking.) So, how does one cope and mitigate the need to rely on a school with a "poor" ranking? There are a few things you can do:

1. Prep your network. I've talked about networking before, because I can't stress it enough. Find out who you know that is an attorney. See if you can get in at a firm or do some legal work before you start law school. Experience and contacts are going to matter so much when you change careers. You don't want to be in a position of coming to graduation, needing a job, and then reaching out to people for the first time in 7 years. It's tacky and transparent. If you develop and sustain long-lasting relationships with people you will be better off in the job search--and thus less dependent on your school's reputation to get you that interview or job. 
2. Focus. I blogged about this before, too, but the advice still applies. The more focused you are in school, the more that will come through on your resume. If you can find a niche in the market that you are wild about, where there may not be as much competition, go for it. Develop that interest and skill through coursework, legal writing projects, and even independent research. Again, by focusing more on your unique skills, your resume will "pop" and you will be less beholden to those rankings. 
3. Aim High. Bu this, I mean go to the "best" ranked school with an evening program that you possibly can. Yes, I know I'm a hypocrite and after writing this bog I'm going to have to take a shower. I bemoan the ranking system, I talk about their patent unfairness and how they disproportionately impact evening student--then I go and tell you to succumb to the pressure and review the rankings. It's not a perfect world, what can I say? Even if you get a better financial aid offer from another school; even if you have to travel out a little farther, I would advise going to the more esteemed school (I won't say "better"), only because this is a huge investment and you need to ensure that your investment is protected long-term. No guarantee that your highly ranked school will always be at that rank, but it's a decent bet that it will hover in that area for a long time (at least long enough for you to get your first job). 

Despite all that has happened over the last few years, I'd still always advise people to go to law school if they have a real interest in the law. It's a great learning experience, and it gives you a much deeper understanding of the technicalities of our civil society. But, it would be a perfect world if all J.D.s were created equal. U.S. News has ensured that there will always be an elite hierarchy, so do your best to not fall victim to it!

Head's Up on Bar Applications

Greetings, faithful reader!  If you haven't already been sent a glut of emails from your law school, which I'm sure you have, I wanted to try to condense the things you will need in the next few weeks, because I know how confusing the bar exam application process is. As always, my focus is NY/NJ but some things apply across all jurisdictions.

1. Deadlines
Pay attention to them, so you don't get whacked with exorbitant late application fees.
NY: April 1 - April 30th
NJ: March 1 - April 1st (meaning April 1st is the drop-dead date to get your application postmarked)

2. Fees
NY: $250 Visa or MasterCard Only
NJ: $475 (yes, really)

3. Method
NY: Online (for the application to get a seat--the moral character application is paper)
NJ:  Paper only (yes, really)

4. What You Will Need Ahead of Time

This part is critical, because the more you can do now, the better off you will be. This pertains more to NJ than to NY.  In NJ, you fill out every piece of information before you take the exam.  In NY, you just fill out a bare-bones application, then if you pass, you fill out a lengthy application to the Committee on Character and Fitness. They ask for much of the same information, so if you have filled out your NJ application and kept a copy (like a good faithful reader), then filling out NY won't be a hassle.

Driver's abstract.  I mentioned this is an earlier post, but it bears repeating. In NJ, you can apply online for your full driver abstract. Don't get excited yet. You apply online for a PIN which will allow you to access the form whereby you request your abstract.  They send this PIN in the mail. Yes, really.
Be careful with this part, because the DMV will mail this PIN to whatever address you have on file with them. This may be an issue for some who are not living at their permanent address, or who have problems getting their mail.  You may need to sort out your address first, so do that now.You have to obtain a complete abstract (not an abbreviated abstract) from each place where you have ever had a license. (Yes, really).

MPRE Score. If you didn't take the MPRE in NJ because you got a C or better in legal ethics, then you won't need the official copy of your score.

MBE Transfer:  If you are taking more than one bar exam, decide where you will take the MBE (MultiState Bar Exam). This is the 200 question multiple choice component of the bar, and can be taken anywhere.  If, like me, you don't take it in NJ, you have a separate form to fill out to have that score transferred.  You do this before you sit for the exams. I think it has to be done by July 1st, but it might be sooner. This seems small, but it's important that you decide now because if you mess this up, you might not be assigned a seat for the MBE in any state (This has happened, and it's not good!)

List of Addresses.  In NJ, they want to know where you have lived (including dorms) for the past ten years.  In NY, they make you go back to age 21. This isn't a problem for you young'uns out there, but for most evening students who tend to be a little older, this could do a number on your memory.

Your Life On Paper. The applications will ask you the standard demographic info, name, age, rank, serial number. It will also want to know about education and any issues with probation, suspensions, etc. It will ask about your employment history, and any disciplinary actions, etc. And it will ask about any civil and criminal legal activity, other professional licenses, armed service history, etc. If you have anything resembling a formal charge, gather up documentation on it now because it will need to be submitted. This could include academic records, probationary documents, civil complaints, court orders, judgments, etc. Take the next 2-3 months to get your documentary ducks in a row so that you can breeze through the application.

Don't forget your student loan info, and the part that really sticks in my craw - your "indebtedness" (basically, your credit history). I don't feel that a person's debtload should be evaluated by the character on moral fitness, but that's the way it is (at present). Have all that information at hand if you have been delinquent on payments, etc.

That should be enough to get you going, until the July applications are released. Here are the links so that you can bookmark them when they do become available:

NY:  http://www.nybarexam.org/forms/forms.htm
NJ:  http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/supreme_doc/njbarexams/

Good luck! And remember - the best way to stay organized is to start organized!

The LSSSE through the Part-Time Lens

The 2011 Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) was released earlier this month, although I haven't had a chance to really go through the instrument/questions yet. Their press release stated (in parts relevant to this blog):

"Part‐time law students were as engaged as full‐time students in terms of class participation and preparation. They were less likely, however, to take part in important experiential activities, including pro bono work and clinics, which have been empirically linked to higher self‐reported gains in writing and speaking skills and critical and analytical thinking."

I feel like this is something we all already know, but I suppose that's what these surveys are for - confirming or denying. However, the data from the report indicates that part-time students reported the same gains in writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills--those very skills that are "empirically" linked to these skills. Does this mean that if part-time students did have the same access and opportunity for pro-bono and clinics, they'd blow their full-time counterparts out of the water?  Seems to me the answer is a definite maybe!

The interesting thing is this seeming contradiction from the report findings:

"Both groups were equally satisfied with various law school
services, and they felt equally supported by the law school,
personally and academically."

How is this possible--I don't think being short-shrifted on extra-curriculars helps part-time students feel supported by the law school, academically. 

How about it, faithful reader? Any thoughts on this survey?  How is your level of engagement at your school?

You Can Stop at J.D.

I wanted to share this article Big Law Firms Don't Care About your L.L.M. because I know a few people who have talked about--or asked me for advice on--getting an L.L.M. after law school. This article confirms what I always suspected; unless it makes sense in your career trajectory or if it's for something popular like tax law, you're better off saving your money and sanity. Be glad to know that you can head for the light at the end of the tunnel - and not go into a whole new tunnel - without destroying your career prospects!

If you want something done right . . .

Hello, reader. It seems like it has been a long time since my last post, but I'm averaging one every 2 months, so now's a good time to check in with you and update you on my evening law student life. One year down - now I'm a 2LE!!

At the end of the spring semester I had gotten involved in a few student organizations, mostly to ensure that evening students aren't forgotten. I am the Vice-President (Evening) of the Student Bar Association, as well as the President of the Evening Student Association. Since I'm a sucker for a good acronym, you can say I'm the VP-E of the SBA and Pres of the ESA. Your second year of law school is a great time to get involved in on-campus organizations. You will be done with your legal research and writing class, and your course load will probably be more like it was in your first semester - only 2 classes. The difference is now that after a year into the game, you know how to work the system, so you don't have to be as crazy about briefing and reading; things will come more naturally after a year. You will want to focus on major activities your third year (such as law review/journals, moot court, or an internship - the holy trinity of resume builders), so if you really want to join a club or organization I highly recommend that you do it your second year.

I'm very excited about the ESA. When I first started at Rutgers, I was very happy to see that they even had an organization for evening students. The reality, though, was that there wasn't a real organization to speak of the whole year. There was one meeting at the beginning of the year, and then that was the last we heard from the ESA until late April. I am determined that henceforth the ESA be a great resource for all evening students - a one-stop shopping center if you will for questions and problems. We have a great board of really sharp, hard-working people and we have already gotten a calendar of events and some scheduling off the ground. The ESA is up and running already, and school doesn't start for 2 more weeks!! Go team!! (I even made a logo, which I'll upload later).

As for an annual wrap-up, my grades for the spring were EXACTLY the same as they were for the fall. Yes, that's a good thing, but I'm still unhappy about it, because I expected to do better in Criminal Law. I'm not going to be one of those people that complains about a B+, so I won't, but it was personally disappointing.

Otherwise, work has gotten even more demanding, which is a concern. A number of new major projects are on the table right now, and we aren't increasing staffing at all, so it just means more work for our little team. Basically, it means I'll be working late most Friday nights so that I can stick to my study schedule (this semester will be Property on Saturdays; Constitutional Law on Sundays). By the end of your first year, you will be expert at seeing the tornadoes in your life and figuring out early on how to maneuver around them.

I'm hoping to create a timeline of the evening student 4 year experience, which of course I will share with you, faithful reader. Looking back on this last year (which I know is a cliche but I swear it has flown by), I realize that I did learn alot about navigating the waters, but the information came piecemeal, and seemed disjointed. So, I'll be posting more this semester about things you need to know and when you need to know them, and also about the general activities that I'm going to be involved in this semester. I'm really looking forward to it (except for Property, I'm not going to lie to you), and I can't wait to pass along any helpful info.

If you have applied to and gotten into law school as an evening student, congratulations! You're in for a lot of fun. If you're in the same boat as me - getting through the evening student experience as best you can - cheers, comrade, on one year down! This time next year, I'll be halfway done! Catch you again in a few weeks!

Yes, but . . .

Well, I'm a chatty one this month, aren't I? I wanted to drop one final post before classes start (this evening) to answer some questions I am sure are burning in the minds of the exactly no people that read this blog (except for you, of course, Adam). Basically, I went back to my original post and found that I do have some preliminary answers to the questions that drove this blog in the first place.

• Can I join Law Review?
• Probably. early on last semester the students received an email congratulating the winners of the write-on competition to one of the school's many journals. At least one of those winners was a comrade-in-arms evening student. It wasn't the Law Review per se, but it is a highly acclaimed journal, and I can't imagine that the workload for it is any different than for Law Review.
• Can I take a clinic?
• Probably. For those who just tuned in, a clinic is a combination seminar/practical class that gives you both "hands-on" experience with clients, and fulfills a writing requirement (at least the latter is true at Rutgers). Clinics will vary from school to school, but they are highly coveted because of the practical experience they provide. Again, students just received an email stating the winners of the lotteries for certain classes and clinics, and there were part-time evening students among them. Note that evening students will not be able to participate in just any clinic; your schedule and the needs of the clinic will determine if you will be available when clients need to see you. For a clinic that deals with Federal Tax law, for example, the work will need to be done when courts are open, so that will likely not work. However, a Domestic Violence clinic or Community Law clinic that has a lot of face-to-face interaction with clients that work during the day would be perfectly suited to an evening student.
  
• Will I ever give a "yes" or "no" answer again?
• Probably not. Studying law, studying anything in depth, for that matter, ensures that people see the world in shades of grey (which may help to explain why post-graduates and doctors are often jaded about political rhetoric). Lawyers need to be especially careful about what they say to people. Advice may be mistaken as legal gospel, but few lawyers ever really "know" the law of any particular subject. Everything is open to interpretation and further review. Just because you have 50 years of precedent and 3 statutes on a subject doesn't mean that your particular case will come out a particular way. I add this as a way of apology to my family and friends who are ready to pull their hair out if I answer one more question with "yes, but . . ."
  

So, lots of things are conceivably open and available to evening students. Whether you or I will be able to participate in any of them has more to do with our own schedule and circumstances than any formal restrictions on our class load (that was a long-winded "yes, but . . .").

Day 1: So Far So Good

No, I'm not really going to chronicle every single day after class, but this one is a milestone. I had my first law school class, after two days of orientation, and it was fantastic. We had a great class conversation, the professor is amazing (37 years of teaching - if I don't learn Contracts from him, I have no chance!!), and I have made a fair few friends already that I know I'm going to be close with as friends and colleagues for many years.

However, it's not all rainbows and puppies. This is, after all, a blog about the specific conditions of evening law school. For clarity's sake, I'll break out the most important things to note about being an evening student that I have noticed thus far in outline form. As a law student, you are going to have to get used to outlines - fast!!

1) It's exhausting
Three days of going to campus after work is already leaving me a little sleep deprived. Plus, I'm getting up an hour earlier than usual in order to review that evening's materials, which doesn't help my circadian rhythm at all. Get used to it.

2) You are not alone
Your friends and family will be amazed by what you are trying to accomplish - working full-time while getting a law degree at night. That glory dissolves at the front door of the law building. Understand that you are in a class full of people in your same boat - they're not impressed. In fact, they are usually professionals who have children, mortgages, advanced degrees (MA, MD, PhD, EdD, PsyD, etc.), and they understand the importance of being prepared - and even being ahead of the game. Over the past summer, I have been studying Contracts and Torts through podcasts, audiobooks, the work I did for Law Preview, etc., in order to get what I thought was a "leg up." Turns out, I wasn't the only one - so be prepared for equally anal people in night school. My opinion - the competition is tougher because you are all there with the same level of dedication that students straight out of college simply just don't have yet.

3) The food sucks
I was sort of expecting this one, having gotten my A.A. , B.A, and M.A. in night school. The cafeterias are either never open or non existent - you will rely on vending machines for the majority of your sustenance.

4) Offices will be closed
My school in particular prides itself on its evening program, and how respectful and receptive they are to the evening students' needs. I have already discovered that this isn't 100% true. Certain offices will be closed before you arrive on campus. This is true of all schools everywhere, and, I'm sorry to have to report, it is true of law schools. Get used to transacting via email or leaving work early a few days to get there during office hours. Even if the offices are open late a night or two a week, by and large the support staff will be a bit surly and resentful that YOU are making them stay late. (I have not had that experience at Rutgers - but I went through it many times as an undergrad. Just giving you a head's up!).

That's all I can caution you about for the time being. It really is extremely exciting, and a real adrenaline rush to be debating legal issues in a room full of future attorneys. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. Now, go get some sleep!

Not going to be easy

Last week I took a tour of one of the schools to which I have been accepted. Two weeks prior to the workshop, I emailed my assigned counselor and requested a meeting for the same day as the open house. I mentioned in the email that I had some concerns about being a full-time employee and going to school part-time at night - what opportunities would I be allowed to take part in, would certain things (such as law review, clinics) even be available to me? She agreed to meet with me on the day of - even said she was looking forward to it. So was I.

Come the day of the open house, I went to her desk, introduced myself, and sat down. Her first question to me: "So, how can I help you?" Hang on - didn't I cover that prep work in my email? Is it too much for me to expect a professional to gather up materials related to an agenda before a meeting? I wasn't encouraged by the fact that she hadn't prepared at all to meet me up until that point - I mean, by the time I sat down I had done some research into clinics, and already knew which ones were available for evening students. I would have expected her to have that info at her fingertips.

Anyway, enough digression. Maybe her lack of professionalism or preparation isn't reflective of the law school as a whole. But, if this is supposed to be my counselor for the next four years, I can see already that I would be in for a lot of DIY as far as circumnavigating the school goes. She's supposed to be my go-to gal; so I went-to her and came back empty-handed. Not cool.

A few days later she emailed me the contact info of a part-time evening student, so that I can reach out and talk about the realities and opportunities. I haven't written to her yet, and don't know that I need to. I get the feeling that meeting with my dizzy counselor gave me all the info I will need to know about that particular school.

Moral of this experience: If you are considering part-time evening law, meet early with the administration to see what they know about your situation. And then, listen to your gut.