Mining For Gold In The Employment Market
Opportunities For New Law Grads

By Andrew J. Koshner

As most new graduates from law school well know, those who graduate in the top third find a welcoming job market, while those with lower ranks are left to struggle for that initial job. The little secret, at least in the staffing business, is that the other two-thirds is actually made up of talented, hard working, and especially eager individuals. Whether they are preparing to take a bar exam, have recently passed, or even if they have failed, these "new JD's" are a valuable source of legal talent.

In more than five years of working the legal job market in St. Louis, we at JurisTemps have rarely received a specific request from a client for a new law graduate to work a contract assignment. More typically, our clients request paralegals, legal assistants, and attorneys with several years of experience. This unique niche of the legal job market, for both licensed and unlicensed new JD's, is often overlooked.

In fact, we have placed new JD's into all kinds of positions. From class actions to document reviews, paralegals and legal assistants, along with general trial prep and research — new JD's have proven to be a reliable source of quality legal talent. The enthusiasm these candidates bring to temporary and contract positions is unmatched. They are eager to gain invaluable legal experience and to make a positive impression on attorneys who may be able to help them land a permanent job down the road.

Because law firms typically do not recruit new JD's for anything less than associate positions, and because new JD's typically don't respond to job postings for anything other than associate-level positions, it is difficult for each side to find the other. This is where staffing services like JurisTemps fill the void. We routinely receive resumes and applications from new law school graduates and we routinely receive requests from law firms for employment help. Those requests run the gamut from clerical help and legal assistants to help on large projects and document reviews. Due to our unique vantage point, we are able to match well-qualified and hard working candidates with firms in need of just such help.

A good example is a candidate who came to us while studying for the bar. We initially placed her with a small firm doing some part-time reception work. In a casual conversation, one of the attorneys discovered that she had just graduated from law school. Realizing her talent, they began giving her more substantive work and using her as a law clerk. This lasted for several months until she received notice that she had passed the bar. Once she did, we were able to use the excellent reference she received to land her a spot on a large class action project. The assignment, originally scheduled to last three months, lasted over 18 months as they moved her onto several additional projects. By the time the assignment ended, she had accumulated valuable experience that helped her obtain a position as an associate with anther firm.

Several years ago, I interviewed another new graduate who had recently failed the bar exam. Not surprisingly, he was very depressed and came to JurisTemps as a last resort. About 30 seconds into our conversation I realized that he was bright, engaging, and willing to do just about anything to get some legal experience. As a "gen-Xer", he had great computer skills and typed 70 WPM. We gently approached him, with some hesitation, about a short fill-in legal secretary position. He immediately accepted and proceeded to dazzle our client. A week later we approached him about a longer term legal secretarial slot, which he again readily accepted. During the course of his assignment, he explained to the partner that he was taking the bar exam again in a few months. The partner was so impressed with his work ethic, dedication, and diligence that the firm invited him back to interview for an associate position after he passed the bar.

A final example is the case of our all-time greatest temporary employee. This individual, I'll use the pseudonym Julie, graduated from a local law school several years ago. Julie received a job offer as an associate with a prestigious downtown law firm. After not passing the bar, Julie was forced to leave her position and was faced with an uncertain future. She called us, hoping to bide her time, while she figured out what to do. Her first two jobs were clerical in nature and not particularly challenging. However, Julie possessed a finely-tuned work ethic and so impressed both our clients and us that we were anxious to utilize her in more substantive capacities. When a six week paralegal position opened up in the legal department of a large local company, we immediately thought of Julie. This position required substantial work with securities litigation. Although Julie had some litigation exposure, she had never worked in securities. After going out on a limb to convince our client that she could handle the assignment, Julie knocked their socks off. A six-week assignment turned long-term. Julie spent the next two years working as a paralegal in various capacities in their legal department.

Ultimately Julie decided not to pursue the practice of law and landed a part-time job teaching at a local junior college. While she hones her teaching skills, she continues to work for us on a part-time basis. Her current assignment is with a small labor/employment firm where she is assisting to prepare a case for trial. She had no real labor or employment experience but has so impressed our client with her dedication, work ethic, and general attitude and skill that they have kept her on despite the completion of the original project. Julie is currently doing legal research, helping with discovery, writing memos, and generally helping out wherever needed. Both Julie and our client understand the situation isn't permanent, but each is thrilled with the current situation.

In general, we have found new JD's (whether licensed or not) to be ideal temporary employees. Their flexibility, dedication, hard work, and skill level are often the perfect fit for temporary projects that law firms see so often. They are adept at managing and reviewing documents, maintaining a data base, helping in discovery, performing due diligence, preparing for trial, working a class action, and a host of other projects. They truly are the gold in the legal job market.