Comments on: Job News: Ah-oh.

By: the imbroglio » Blog Archive » There are ponies

the imbroglio » Blog Archive » There are ponies — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 14:15:14 +0000

[...] Remember my agonizing from just a couple of weeks ago? You know, when I thought there was no way I was going to get the job I wanted? Turns out it was all for nothing. I got the call late last week to set up the interview, interviewed earlier this week, and got the offer later the same day. I am now a Montana Public Defender! [...]

By: monica

monica — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 13:33:05 +0000

WOTL: They make you do that in Maryland. If you volunteer for like 6 months, then you can have an interview. I think that’s retarded. But voluntarily doing it in a state where they don’t require it is probably a good idea…

By: womanofthelaw

womanofthelaw — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 01:51:53 +0000

Worst comes to worst? you have to wait for it. I know plenty of people who have gambled with one state public defender office… sometimes it just takes a few months for things to open up. L. said she’d support you, right? Sometimes if you volunteer with them long enough, they can’t fire you anymore either… so they HAVE to start paying you. I heard about one girl who wanted a job with a DA’s office so bad that she volunteered with them for A YEAR after she graduated. Not sure how she paid her bills, but by then they hired her as a first year and she already had a year experience!

By: ti

ti — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:11:31 +0000

Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions. I’ll definitely look into the solo thing, but that option is complicated by the fact that the new state public defender office is hiring “contract attorneys” to take care of any cases it can’t handle. So I’d still have to be hired by the state, or win a contract, to get court-appointed work. So probably a better bet would be to try to get a job w/a small firm or w/legal aid or, as She Says suggested, the city or county. And as LawGrrl suggested, looking for mentors, networking, maybe some informational interviews. I’ll be keeping my eyes open and I’m still confident I’ll find *something.* I would really like that thing to be indigent crimminal defense, but….

Will: It’s good to hear you’ve heard nothing either. I know they’re swamped right now so I’m not giving up hope that things could seriously change in the next 4-5 months between now and the time I actually am licensed to practice (knock wood).

By: Will

Will — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:09:26 +0000

I applied for the same job, said I was available in all offices in MT, will have two years experience as a law clerk by the time I can start, and I haven’t heard a word from them yet.

By: Denise Brogan

Denise Brogan — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 11:38:17 +0000

::sigh:: Sucks, I know, Ambib. Everyone else has offered what advice there is to offer from friends who have no connections to actually help, so I won’t add my same two cents. But, I AM rooting for you and hoping (believing) that it will all work out. Sometimes, the cart just does go before the horse.

By: E. McPan

E. McPan — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:44:20 +0000

Good luck if you go legal secretary like me. :) Wish I could help but the only people I know in Montana are distant relatives and a parrot named Fred.

By: LawGrrl

LawGrrl — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 22:43:10 +0000

So worst case scenario, you don’t get the job. Then, just do what plenty of solos do, sign up for court assigned criminal cases (they must have something like that in MT, no?) and take em’ as you can. Malpractice insurance doesn’t cost much, esp. when you start out because you don’t have a “history” of cases to insure against malpractice as well as the current load. Get involved with the local bar and seek a mentor. Start your own crim. defense practice, charge a reasonable and/or sliding scale rate to your non-assigned cases. … it can be done…. for inspiration see MyShingle at you know where….

By: She says

She says — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 21:17:21 +0000

Damn, that’s sucky news. But don’t draw any conclusions until you get the final word. Stuff is bound to turn up. I got my fingers crossed for ya’.

Also, you might try looking with local government entities — the city, the county, whatever. Getting experience is what’s important.

Hang in there and good luck!!!

By: anon

anon — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:51:35 +0000

Have you look into Americorp?