| Topic Name: |
Cookie-Cutter Lawyers At Cookie-Cutter Firms |
| Message Name: |
All Paper, No Personality |
| Date Posted: |
11/19/1999 |
| Message: |
Why do firms value what's on paper more than the qualities that an individual has to offer?
As a second-year law student, I have seen many of my friends on law review receive offers from huge NYC firms just because of what they scored on first-year exams. Although it may be unrealistic to assume that a large firm would hire a law student without first examining his or her grades, I believe that these firms simply overlook the most meaningful attributes that law students REALLY possess. In my opinion, law school exams are just too arbitrarily graded in order to stand as a beacon for why a given law student should be considered for a great job. And, law review experience is ALWAYS overestimated, as all of my friends have agreed: all they do is check sources and write citations according to the bluebook standard for law reviews, which no firm can use, anyway.
I have great research and writing experience, and have already submitted a winning brief to the New York State Supreme Court. I have worked for a State Judge, and am currently preparing an appeal with a lawyer that has offered me the opportunity, both for no pay. Yet my employment opportunities are severely limited, and I have been overlooked time and time again. I am willing to work as hard as possible -- even harder than a firm will require -- in order to represent a client, because I feel that the client's interests should be the most important factor taken into consideration. With attorneys folding on a consistent basis at every major law firm in New York, one would think that I would perform inordinately well in a demanding environment: I'm willing to put in the hours without hesitation, and I can produce high quality work without a second thought. So, why can't I get an interview at a firm that values true grit and diligence instead of cream-colored paper, bloated credentials, and an inadequacy in social skills that can only be described as striking?
Any constructive thoughts about this situation would be greatly appreciated.
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