How do I get a better-paying job?

[catmustache]

I'm not exactly new, but I've been turning this around in my mind for a while. So, I understand the concept of spending less and I've been cutting expenses, getting rid of debts and feeling generally pretty good about that. But there comes a point where the bottom line is that more money is needed in order to achieve financial independence. How do you get that money beyond the one-time fixes of selling off possessions and the life-draining working multiple jobs?

Right now, I work at a pseudo-legal job where I mostly do grant administration and training. I like it because of the flexible schedule, great benefits, feeling of making a difference in a subject I care about, etc., but there is no possibility of advancement or of increase to my high 30k salary (after quite a raise from last year because of leftover grant money). There is also a possibility of the program not being funded past December 2013. I graduated from law school about 3 years ago and have never stepped foot in a courtroom in an adversarial setting and could not find a full-time legal job for 2 years before getting this one, though I did some contract work for a law firm, where I still work about 5 hours a week. I ended up working for about 20k using my psychology degree.


So, at this point, I'm wondering what to do to get out of the entry-level pay world as my student loans are high above entry-level and I'm going off the assumption that it is unlikely that I will be able to simply apply and obtain a job in a law firm in my state, based on past experiences.

1) Stay at my current job until the grant runs out, then try to find another similar job in legal and government administration. Pros: I already have this job and it's the path of least resistance. Cons: I like my job, but I don't love it. I'm an introvert and have some self-esteem issues, so I have quiet panic attacks in my car every time I need to do a training or talk to someone with more experience than me, which to be honest, is just about everyone. Also, money.

2) Quit my current job and try to get actual legal experience by opening up my own law firm, hoping that will make me more desirable to local law firms. Pros: More legal experience. Cons: May not get any clients for a while, which would be the opposite of the plan to pay back my loans.

3) Start applying for jobs that might use my undergrad majors and not disclose that I have a law degree. People tend to do the whole "You're overqualified for _________/why would you want to do this when you could be a lawyer" thing. Pros: Money, maybe? Cons: I have virtually no qualifications beyond my law degree and ridiculous amounts of clerkships, which really aren't applicable to much else.

4) Go back to school and get a degree in something like engineering so I can be a patent lawyer. Pros: Potential of earning a lot more than I do. I originally planned on being a patent lawyer, as reflected by my coursework but never took the patent bar because the firms kept telling me that a B.S. in neuroscience would need to be supplemented by a masters or Ph. D, which I thought would be a pointless waste of money at the time.

5) Move out of state, where there might be more legal openings in different fields. Pros: Possible legal job. Cons: Possible no job.

Any other ideas? Is there something I'm not thinking of or other ways to be more appealing to potential employers? I've started learning basic coding online and am brushing up on my Spanish, but I have the feeling that those skills are just adding to my already disjointed resume. Am I just thinking about this wrong?

Any face-punching or help appreciated, if you can wind through my meandering thoughts.


 

[frompa]

I can't imagine that your geography can have that much impact on your job prospects, given that it sounds like you already have an awesome combination of credentials.  Where are you, if you don't mind saying?

I'm caught by your notion of opening your own law practice so that you can look more appealing to law firms looking to hire. In my experience, law firms only want to hire you if they can make money off of you, and frankly, if someone's going to make money off of you and your law degree, why the hell shouldn't it be you?  Start your own practice so that you can make your own schedule and your own money.  Being in a courtroom isn't all that intimidating, once you've done it a few times; and I know plenty of lawyers at firms who go for YEARS before they ever get the opportunity to step foot in a courtroom.  You're more likely to get the whole range of experience by going out on your own.  And there are plenty of lawyers with their own practices who never go to court -- do peaceful estate work (your clients are all dead, for heaven's sake!!) or business transactional stuff.  ANYTHING you do , though, is going to require you to believe in yourself, one hundred percent.  So forget another degree -- you already have a truly awesome amalgamation of degrees.  It's time to look to yourself, and put it all to work, FOR YOU.  Good luck.

[CNM]

Howdy fellow lawyer! 
Question- Are you a member of the Bar of your state?  If not, that'd be the first thing I'd do.

Next- clerkships are GREAT resume fodder.  I would definitely apply with law firms you are interested in and tailor your resume to the firm's practice areas.  The benefit of clerkships is that you write opinions about a lot of legal topics and, depending on your clerkship, you have knowledge of the adversarial process.  So, yeah. Most of what lawyers do- even trial lawyers- is research and writing anyway.

Also, how much networking do you do?  Bar functions, etc.?  At my firm, I don't think we've ever hired any lawyer only based off of a resume submission.  It's always been a personal interaction + resume and general competence.  Not competence like he/she has done a million trials (although that's good too) but more like able to read, research and write proficiently.  Being a clerk is a definite plus in that category, too.

As for additional degrees, I doubt it'd be worthwhile.  But maybe look into the cost (tuition and lost wages) versus expected income a bit more.

[pbj]

Catmustache, hello from a fellow introvert attorney!

After reading your post, a few things come to mind:

1) Have you looked into being a trial/jury consultant? I know a few trial JD trial consultants with psychology backgrounds.

2) Would you be interested in other areas of IP law besides patents? If so, consider doing some pro bono copyright and/or trademark work for a local arts organization. This might help you get your foot in the door/meet IP-minded folks in your community. Your transactional background in grant administration would likely be an asset in helping local artists draft licenses, contracts, etc. If this interests you, you might want to try Googling for "volunteer lawyers for the arts in [your state]."

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat further.

[gooki]

You can do option 2 and 5 while being currently employed, so their both worth a shot.

[catmustache]

I can't imagine that your geography can have that much impact on your job prospects, given that it sounds like you already have an awesome combination of credentials.  Where are you, if you don't mind saying?

I'm in Utah currently, where I feel like there's an overabundance of highly qualified attorneys due to the two nearby law schools. I don't have any proof of this, just conversations with other attorneys. I like the estate attorney suggestion, though. I'm not sure how to start that, but it seems like it might be easy to transition from family law to estate law.

 

Also, how much networking do you do?  Bar functions, etc.?  At my firm, I don't think we've ever hired any lawyer only based off of a resume submission.  It's always been a personal interaction + resume and general competence.  Not competence like he/she has done a million trials (although that's good too) but more like able to read, research and write proficiently.  Being a clerk is a definite plus in that category, too.

 Huh. That's interesting. I do almost no networking. Mostly because I hate paying money to stand around, but I'm probably doing it wrong. How does one network effectively at these bar things? Maybe I should start looking at it as an investment.

Catmustache, hello from a fellow introvert attorney!

After reading your post, a few things come to mind:

1) Have you looked into being a trial/jury consultant? I know a few trial JD trial consultants with psychology backgrounds.

2) Would you be interested in other areas of IP law besides patents? If so, consider doing some pro bono copyright and/or trademark work for a local arts organization. This might help you get your foot in the door/meet IP-minded folks in your community. Your transactional background in grant administration would likely be an asset in helping local artists draft licenses, contracts, etc. If this interests you, you might want to try Googling for "volunteer lawyers for the arts in [your state]."

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat further.

I've never heard of either of those, but they sound fascinating. I'll be looking into those. That would actually be great  because I might be able to pick up some new experience.

Thanks for the input. It's seeming to me that it may be more of a problem with self-esteem than qualifications, so maybe I need to start working on that.

[CNM]

About networking, it's mostly just about striking up a conversation.  When I was in law school, my career services gave everyone a book called "How to Work a Room."  Yes, nauseating title.  But it gave specific how-tos on networking and ways to get over networking jitters. 

Depending on what sort of contracting work you do for the firm, it's also very possible you'll meet opposing counsel or co-counsel.  Then you automatically have something to talk about (i.e. "What about that Martinez case, huh?").  Once you sort of know some people it snowballs.

You can also do volunteer work through the Bar.  In my state you need to do a certain amount of pro bono hours per year anyway.  The Bar usually sets up volunteering events.  This could also be a good way to meet other practicing lawyers and you'd already have something to talk about (i.e. "Have you done a lot of landlord-tenant law before?")

Our Bar also has a mentor/mentee program for newly-admitted members.  Maybe Utah has something similar.

Also, other than your mention of IP, what is it you want to do in terms of practice area?  Once you get this nailed down, all the rest should be easier, especially in terms of meeting people who are working in that field.