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<p>I don’t think that most law school graduates have working in a dark, windowless room as a contract lawyer as a career goal. However, that is where a healthy number of young attorneys and laid-off attorneys find themselves. Unfortunately, I fear for many of these attorneys (particularly those who were unable to find jobs after graduation from law school, that this kind of career path is difficult to escape. </p>
<p>The type of work done by these contract attorneys is not exactly stellar resume-building kind of work, and will likely not often lead to permanent placement in attorney positions. In addition, to the extent that an attorney spend a year or two or three doing contract work, even if they manage to find a permanent job as an attorney, they will likely not be given credit in terms of seniority for the years of work they have already done (which can have some very serious pay and bonus implications). </p>
<p>I can’t emphasize enough that anyone considering law school needs to understand how competitive many, if not most, legal jobs are to get and to keep. One of the most important criteria in choosing a law school must be how well that law school’s career placement office does in finding well-paying and meaningful jobs for its graduates. How many graduates are employed following graduation? How many did summer internships? How many graduates had multiple job offers? Where are graduates employed? Which firms? Which government agencies? Which clerkships? Where geographically? Which law firms interview on campus? How many employers interview on campus? Are employers that interview on campus allowed to pre-screen resumes? </p>
<p>Nothing can guarantee that one won’t be laid off from a good employer or won’t end up with a terribly deferred start date after a wonderful summer associate position. However, one can increase his or her chances of a successful start to a legal career by attending a law school that will enable that law student to find employment.</p>