I Failed the Bar Exam: Am I Fired?

Q:  I think I’m screwed, but please confirm or deny: I’m a second-year associate at a V10 firm and last Fall, I transferred to the firm’s San Francisco office from Chicago.  By some miracle, I wasn’t laid off when the firm sacked a ton of associates in January and then I left right after to take the February CA bar exam.  And I just found out that I failed it.  I didn’t feel like I aced it for sure when I took it, but I didn’t see this coming and literally almost threw up when I found out. Work has definitely been slow at the firm, especially for me since I didn’t really know anyone as a lateral and then disappeared to take the bar exam.  Now that I’ve failed it, I’m paranoid that I’m going to get fired. Apparently my firm’s policy is to give a second chance for bar failures, but in this economy, that seems unlikely (and I’m a litigator).  Be brutal if you have to: Am I fired? [Read more]

Am I Shut Out of BigLaw Forever?

Q:  I graduated from a top 15 Ivy League Law School.  I wasn’t your top 10% student and I didn’t do law review. My sole philosophy, basically, was to graduate with my mental health intact.  I did, however, clerk for a federal judge during 1L summer, summered at BigLaw 2L year, and clerked full-time my last semester as a 3L through a judicial externship program.  My 2L summer experience resulted in a job offer, which, of course, was rescinded soon after I took the bar.  After finding myself jobless and in debt, I did the unimaginable: I took a job in my home state (definitely not BigLaw market) at a very small, but prestigious, litigation firm, doing BigLaw work for p-e-a-n-u-t-s. The firm mostly represents the government in high-profile political cases.  I’ve been working for less than six months.  I’m putting my all into this job, and thankfully, I’ve been getting great hands-on experience—as can be expected from a small firm—and have been polishing my lawyering skills, which needed work.

Here’s my question: how do I move on to a bigger firm/market later on?  Am I stuck in small firms (re: salary) forever?  I never even contemplated doing litigation in law school (my specialty was business regulation), but I fear that if I stay in this firm too long I’ll never see a business related assignment ever again.  My one idea is to apply for clerkships in larger market cities, and try to jump from there.  I’m grateful that I have a job, and at least I’m not ambulance-chasing.  But am I stuck? [Read more]

Bring On That Client Contact

I’ll admit, this is probably a bad idea.  But I’m sorry, I can’t help it any longer. I’ve had one in every other job I’ve ever had and it’s about time I had one at the firm.  I’m not going to be particularly picky about it.  I just want one—I need one.  Because it occurred to me last week, sitting in my giant bed in the middle of the night, alone, watching an old Law & Order marathon, if I don’t get the juices flowing soon, I’m going to dry up, die of boredom, and go the way of every leading lady lawyer the Dick Wolf gang has ever offered up—which is to say nowhere at best and crumpled in the trunk of a car at worst.  In other words, it’s time: I need a work crush.  Stat. [Read more]