Law school is a unique experience. We end up going through hell, getting worked to death, and then just being plain bored while in a small group. And within this group we each have our own cluster of friends that we spend our law school time and free (aka drinking) time with. These are the ones we will miss at random moments in the coming months when we're at a bar and remember something ridiculous our torts professor said, and they're off studying for another state's bar. Some we will stay close with because we bonded over this terrible experience and survived (and we happen to still live near each other). Some of these we may never see again, but will always remember the day we threw our civ pro books across the room after learning that Pennoyer was pointless.
And then there's the other cluster, the one we avoid. The ones we have been competing against for three years. The ones who steal the evidence flashcards and hide them behind a toilet in the sixth floor bathroom. The ones who take any chance to tear you down if it seems like you've gotten a leg up on something. God forbid you get that award (or internship or fellowship or organization position) you've been working so hard for. They will secretly take a chunk out of your heels so you fall like an idiot when you try to proudly strut down the hallway with some sense of accomplishment. Fall on your face. Break your nose. And skin your new tights. And rip the slit in your skirt so far that the only thing you have to be thankful for is that you even decided to wear tights that day. All while people point and laugh. The ones who cheat on first year exams and then ask how it feels to not be on law review. These are the ones who on graduation day we clap fervently for as they walk across the stage because that might be the last time we see them.
After graduation we assumed we wouldn't see a few of our war companions or our Benedict Arnold's again until our Law School Reunion 15, 20 years from now. Oh, if only.
I had a job interview yesterday. I was pretty pumped for it. One, it's an interview for a big girl law job. Two, it's something I would really enjoy. Three, it's paid and doesn't require me to live in East Bumblefuck. I got there early to scope out the surrounding area. You know, get a feel for the coffee shops and delis that I would become intimately familiar with during my tenure at this position. You gotta eat (and preferably not always at Rally's). And of course drink lots of coffee and chai tea lattes. So, when it was close enough to my interview time to not seem desperately early, I headed into the office building. Up the elevator. Anticipation and fear. What if it's a great opportunity but I hate it? But then the doors opened. It was beautiful. Minimalist. Clean lines. Comfy chairs that don't appear comfy at first glance. A gorgeous view of the city. There were even architecture and modern art books on the coffee tables. This, I thought, is where I belong. This is my work home.
The receptionist checked me in and said they were running about an hour or so behind. That I should take a seat and they'd call me when they were ready for me. To enjoy the coffee and pastries in the meantime. At this point I was coffee'd out, so I just took a seat. Seemingly alone. Then a guy and a girl came back from the restroom area. They were both scheduled to interview before me. They both graduated with me. They hid the goddamn evidence flashcards. I immediately put all of my attention into an upside-down architecture book.
We three sat ignoring each other. Well, they talked. They ignored me and I ignored them. After one of them got called in, the person scheduled to interview after me arrived. Not. Possible. The heel breaker. The nice to your face and then stab you in the back if you have an inkling of success. WHY?! She talked to both of us briefly. Asking if we'd gotten our evidence grades back yet. If we had interviews anywhere else. If we got into Order of the Coif. If we'd also gotten a car and a cruise for graduation. Then a fourth arrived, thankfully from another school or another graduating class (an unknown competitor). The second evidence thief got called in and the heel breaker stopped talking. Finally I was called in and was able to show the interviewers why I would be perfect for the position. I felt like I knocked the interview out of the park. But there was a lurking fear as I left the building that I couldn't quite place my finger on.
It's no secret that many, if not most, law grads are unemployed immediately after graduation. It's also no secret that we will apply for most jobs that pop up in front of us on our school's job websites. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that just as we competed in law school for the A's, we are still competing, just the stakes are now higher. As much as we might hate it, we are competing for the same jobs, and will likely end up in the same county bar association.
While we may assume we are in friendly competition, this may not be the case. You don't know what the other interviewees said about you during your interview. All you can do is your best during the interview, and not give your colleagues ammunition to use against you. This is one reason why it's important not to be the person who cuts other people's shoes. Or hides the flashcards. You don't want to be 'that person' who everyone remembers as a dick from law school. Because partners will ask their junior associates about former classmates the firm is considering hiring. Some might not say anything, or say that the person was a dick in a pc way, but you don't want to risk pissing off the person who will be blunt with the partner or the judge or the U.S. Attorney that you used to cheat in law school or that you cut people down when you were jealous.
Follow the advice we got at orientation - don't be that guy (who hides the flashcards). Or it could be even harder to get a job/keep a job.
~~ ~~ ~~ Note ~~ ~~ ~~
This also made me think about the cluster of law students who are our friends - our war companions. What happens when we have to interview against them? It's hard because we want our friends to get jobs, and not just any job but one they would enjoy. But with the scarcity of law jobs these days, we will inevitably end up competing for a job that you and your best friend or you and your SO may both really really want. And of course you're going to encourage the other to still go for the position even though you submitted your application materials first. And you'll wish them luck and get a drink with them after and courteously and consciously not discuss the interview. But it's awkward. Your needs and interests come first, and these may not always line up with reassuring your friend that it's ok to apply for the same job. Sometimes you really want the position and wish they wouldn't apply because they make it statistically more difficult for you to get the position. Or you have the same qualifications, and it just rests on whose personality the employer likes better (and you might be a SAP). Or you'd rather not have to sleep on the couch for a month.
When you're competing against your mortal enemy, your best friend, or your boyfriend for the same law job, you're gonna have a bad time.
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