Tired of project work and filled with a revitalized sense of confidence, I have as of late been applying to jobs en masse. There has been some growth in the legal market, it just so happens that the growth seems to be happening everywhere but in the area where I live. I have a renewed interest in looking at jobs that would require relocation because it seems that it’s the hip thing to do. But in order for relocation to even be an option, the job has to provide a decent enough salary to allow me to get by. Now, I understand that it isn’t right to be picky in tough times, but what is the point of taking a job that doesn’t pay enough to help me pay off my student loans?

I’ve seen some legal employers out there taking advantage of the situation, offering salaries in the $3,000/month or less range and requiring extensive weekend and overtime work. I am all for putting in the time, but I’ve also seen administrative and office jobs pay more. Shit, entry level paralegal positions can pay more than that and this firm was hiring for an attorney! From the way the firm was describing the position, it sounded like they had lost touch with reality and were slaves to some sort of legal Matrix. “You can’t do this on your own” and “we expect nights and weekend work. Law is the hardest thing you can do, so don’t expect to be taking long vacations with your significant other anytime soon if you work here.” Ok. Thanks but no thanks. I’m too young to have my soul sucked out by those fools, and saying you’ll pay me $3k for 60+ hour weeks is laughable. So is saying that law is the hardest thing you can do. Some people live in a small, small world and get jaded by their own misplaced sense of self importance. There are plenty of jobs and careers that are much more difficult than being a lawyer. That’s part of why I got into this in the first place, for some of what white collar lifestyle. Law is just a tiny cog in the wheels of the American economy. That is reality. We aren’t all that important, we just happen to live in a highly litigious society. DEAL.

So yes, there have been more jobs advertised recently. The outlook is still pretty grim looking, though I am at least motivated enough by the rise in openings that allow for entry level attorneys to apply to keep up my application spree. And those of you out there facing similar problems know how mind numbing resume and cover letter work can get, but you still press on.  But through this ordeal of trying to get a real legal job, I have learned that I will not work for  peanuts for both practical and personal reasons. I may not have money, nor a job, but at least I have my pride. Or some similar feeling of worth for standing up for yourself.¹

1. In this case, I might be mistaking ‘pride’ with ‘foolishness’. [↩]