Has anyone ever worked a non law job after graduating and before articling?

[Burrythelead]

I'm a bit down in the dumps and could use some words of wisdom from someone who knows what they're doing. Essentially my situation is that I was pretty depressed during law school and didn't do very well. This lead to me joining the LPP for 4 months because I couldn't secure an articling spot. However during these 4 months I couldn't get myself motivated, so after speaking with the counsellors in the program, we agreed it would be best if I restarted the LPP this September with a clear mind. So now I am working a basic office admin job and feeling really depressed. I write the Bar in March and the solicitor exam in the summer.  I still want to be a lawyer but I feel so disconnected from the profession. I look on twitter and see all these successful young lawyers in lawtwitter who have their shit figured out and I cant help but feel really bad about myself. Especially knowing that if I had just gotten myself to work harder during law school, I could have a great job right now. Its hard not to feel depressed knowing Im paying off law school loans and I didn't get the value for my money because I wasnt engaged. Based on what I've written, one might question if I should even be in law in the first place, since I've never been able to get myself motivated. Its hard to argue with this assessment. I feel so disconnected from the community. I only really even made like 4 friends in law school so I dont have the connection to the industry. No one in my family is a lawyer, I come from all blue collar people. Im just feeling so lonely and dont know who or where to turn to become part of this profession and become one of you. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Burrythelead

[erin otoole]

33 minutes ago, Burrythelead said:

 I look on twitter and see all these successful young lawyers in lawtwitter who have their shit figured out and I cant help but feel really bad about myself. 

Remember brother "lawtwitter" and any other social media is fake. I am not posting on my Facebook about the girl I was seeing ghosting me, but my best friend from high school sure posted about his engagement. I know for a fact that his fiancé turned down his invite to prom way back when we were 17, and again that is nowhere to be found on his Facebook.  Try not to compare yourself to others and their social media. I know its hard but we all work on ourselves at our own pace, consider journaling your thoughts before bed. I was never a therapy man myself, and I attribute getting myself out of a bad depressive episode pre-Christmas to my journaling and going to the gym. You have a law degree, most likely a BA, and you are able to admit weakness and ask for help (in my opinion one of the most difficult actions in the world). There is so much to be proud of, we just need to take the small baby steps to get Burrythelead back on track. 

I have no advice about the non-law job, hopefully some real lawyers can step in with some words of wisdom.

[CleanHands]

@BurrytheleadI know some people who went through the LPP and got some amazing jobs from it. As in, jobs I would take over OCI or articling recruit jobs. There are some people you'd have no idea took the LPP and who you'd assume crushed it in law school based on their profiles. I think the program is a hidden gem. You aren't out of the running or relegated to shit tier law jobs yet. I know of people who went through the LPP and now have the same job I've been offered post-articles (in an articling position I got through the formal recruit process).

Stay the fuck off law Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. I did better than most in law school and beyond but that shit still makes me feel like an idiot and a loser too. Don't focus on what other people are doing (or purport to be doing), focus on yourself.

Take the time you need to be able to approach the LPP to the best of your abilities and impress an employer during your placement. In both the short and long run you'll be better off than people who grinded through all of this when they weren't ready to.

Mentors in this field are incredibly important, and it does suck and you were at a disadvantage by not having them. But you can fix that. Are there areas of law you are interested in? Start networking ASAP, joining relevant organizations for legal mentorship, etc, and you might be surprised at how many lawyers are super keen to impart their wisdom, provide references and referrals, etc, to like-minded students and fresh grads.

Focus on your mental health for now, don't let yourself get into a defeatist mindset, and remind yourself of the things you've accomplished and what you are capable while you are going through the process once you're ready. Best of luck.

[Ghalm]

When I read this, I get the sense you are a very resilient person. It sounds to me like you have so far done well to triumph over the challenges your health has imposed upon you to get as far as you have to date. As mentioned above, you completed an undergraduate degree (or part thereof) and a full law degree. You did this while at the same time working through depression. That sounds like resilience and strength to me. It also sounds like you are still battling through challenges - I really hope things will get better in that regard.

For me, it sounds like you absolutely belong in this profession, and you are going to be apart of the shifting demographics that will make this profession seem more and more accessible to more and more people. The lawyers who have stories of overcoming hardship / challenge in their legal journey are the lawyers who are most impressive to me. They are also the ones that make people from similar backgrounds to yours and mine (first-gen with no lawyers in the family) feel welcome and seen. 

I am at the beginning of my law career. But I get the sense that a legal career is a looooooong road. I am hopeful that in the future, when your continued resilience and hard work has paid off, you will be in a great position not only career-wise but in terms of being able to mentor and help make this profession more welcoming to all, including those who worked hard to overcome health challenges and other difficulties in their journey. 

And, yes, I echo the above - stay off of law twitter and LinkedIn! I am sorry I can't give better practical advise on the LPP and the job hunt. 

Edited January 23, 2022 by Ghalm

[SNAILS]

It's all about attitude. You could be congratulating yourself on having finished law school and being well on your way to finding work as a lawyer. 

You should feel sorry for me instead because I still have to finish law school. (A weak joke, but I don't know how else to cheer you up).

I was actually feeling a bit sad last week myself because I'm stuck inside having to read stupid law books and not getting to see my friends and family. I typed a list of the top 10 awesome things in my life and hung it on my fridge. That helped a little bit.

[newbiecat]

It sounds to me like you are much closer to your goals than you suspect, and I would encourage you to continue taking a bird's eye view of your circumstances, because I think you have a long way to go still (and I mean that in an optimistic sense). It was a wise move to defer the LPP to this September, so hopefully you will be able to take more actionable steps towards securing an ideal placement. Just a few tips related to making the most out of this program, as a former alum:

1) Make sure your CV is updated, and reflects the full extent of duties/responsibilities you have taken on in your current and previous role - no, you are not just doing a boring old, admin office job. Start tapping into the skills you have developed and how they will translate to any legal environment. Being knowledgeable with administrative matters will help you tremendously during articling / the work placement.

2) Echoing the first point, try to attend as many of the networking sessions / coffee chats hosted by the LPP, and try to form a bond with 1 or 2, if not more, of your virtual law firm mates. You will meet people from all walks of life in the program, and I am hopeful you will feel encouraged by the non-linear path of many students.

3) Apply widely to your placements. I was the first cohort of students coming out of the pandemic, and in an already saturated legal market, I had to widen my search to areas that I was not even particularly passionate about. Luckily, I gelled on well with a lawyer from the practice area that I enjoy, and it all worked out, but if I sent out 50 applications with my revised CVs and cover letters, I struck gold with one. Luckily, you only need the one to make it work, so tap into those qualities that make you who you are, and be prepared to candidly discuss them in an interview. Practice! You have so much experience from law school that you can tap into, I am sure.

4) To conclude, I will say that as someone who has experienced a panic attack and lots of insomnia over not finding a placement months and months before I knew I would ever land one, all I would tell my former self is to trust the process and the ways of the universe. I am not telling you to pseudo-spiritually manifest your reality, but I believe that our attitude plays an instrumental role. I think with the humility you've displayed with this post, you have welcomed a lot of great advice from other people, as well. Bring the same attitude and grit to the LPP this year and I am sure things will work out.

Good luck to you!