The Bar Exam Is Over. Now What?

The story goes that, the day after his inauguration, President Ronald Reagan sat in the Oval Office with his advisors and said, “What the heck do I do now?”  At least Reagan knew that he was president.  For many young U.S. lawyers who took the bar exam last week, they don’t know if they passed or what they will do with their careers now.  Knowing whether they passed is just a matter of time and waiting.  No point fretting over it.  What they should be focusing on is the “what now” question.
In today’s business environment, law students and career placement offices are faced with unprecedented uncertainty.  Law students must focus on launching their legal careers, not merely on finding jobs. Placement offices should help law students maintain that perspective.  Here are the three preliminary questions that law students need to answer when deciding on their future legal careers.
1.   What’s your passion? Perhaps you imagine yourself arguing in front of a jury, or maybe you’re the analytical type longing to pour through mountains of statutes and cases in search of the magic piece of information that will sink the other side.  Could you be the next big dealmaker?  What about public service or government jobs?  Are you an entrepreneur at heart who has always cherished the thought of building your own business, or would your dreams be solidified by running your fingers across your embossed name at the top of the firm’s letterhead?  Whatever it may be, the first step in launching your career is determining what it is you truly want to accomplish.  You have to love what you do, so figure out what you love doing. After identifying your goal, you can work backwards from there to develop smaller milestones that will help you stay focused and bring your dream to fruition.
2.   Understand the problem. The future belongs to those who can adapt.  It’s easy to lay blame on the lagging economy, your law school, outsourcing and countless other factors.  Regardless of the current situation, laying blame will not help anything.  The days of sitting in a plush office charging $600 an hour with countless billable hours happily nestled on the horizon have vanished from most law firms.  As corporations face the reality of slashed legal budgets, they find themselves turning away from stereotypical legal providers and towards more affordable alternatives.  During this transitional phase, success will come from willingly changing with the climate.  Ask for ways to sharpen your skills, seek out training to become more flexible and open to change, and strive to become more competitive. Take control!
3.    Remember children’s television. Do you remember watching children’s TV shows when you were little?  Remember how those shows emphasized how special you are?  Despite all of that, why do we place so much emphasis on fitting in?  We all have unique attributes that have prepared us for something special.  Maybe you speak several languages.  Perhaps you have spent time abroad.  Did you work in the family business growing up?  Did you have a career before law school?  Sit back and think about which life experiences have made you special and unique. Chances are, somewhere in there is a career path that is specially suited to you.  I cannot tell you what that is.  I can only suggest that you think long and hard about this so that you can create a unique career as opposed to taking a cookie-cutter approach.  If you need help, find a mentor.
This is a very scary time for many young lawyers who are either entering the legal market or are early in their careers.  Adapting and succeeding will not be easy.  But that is precisely why this is a wonderful time to identify and exploit out-of-the-box opportunities.