© 2015 The Texas Lawbook.
By L.M. Sixel of the Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON (March 30) – John Hwang is set to get his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in May. Now if he could just find a job.
He’s making cold calls. He’s introducing himself to lawyers who come to the school for lectures. He’s even dropped in unannounced at law firms, something he discovered is frowned upon in the white-shoe world.
As difficult as it is, Hwang is glad he’s not graduating during the Great Recession, a time when summer programs were cut, law firms revoked job offers and many graduates couldn’t find work. But getting a job is still a struggle, as law firms pump out more graduates than the market can absorb.
“You have to be very mentally strong,” said Hwang, who has been building his legal résumé by clerking for a judge and working for a litigation firm. He compares the job hunt to the quest for matrimonial prospects:
“You just need one.”
Top graduates of top schools still command salaries in the $160,000 range. But for those trained outside the Ivy League and top-tier public universities, the job hunt reflects seismic changes in the industry.
Some law firms aren’t as dependent on summer recruiting, preferring to focus on hiring experienced lawyers from their competitors. Others are reluctant to invest in training new lawyers who are likely to jump firms when better offers come along.
To read the full article by L.M. Sixel, please go to www.houstonchronicle.com/glut.
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