The Rankings
Rules
Of
Engagement
Tactical survival tips for third-year law students.
for the scant associate
positions that do remain
available.
So, what should you do
if you are a third-year law
student with a rescinded
offer? Keep reading. These
rules of engagement
should arm you with tactical survival tips that will
not only take you through
today’s tough legal job
market, but also provide
ongoing strategies that
will add value throughout
your entire career. (Note
that this discussion is
based on the real-life experience of a third-year
whose seemingly secure
offer for permanent employment was rescinded.)
employment at a prestigious and well-known
law firm. He eagerly accepted the offer on the
spot and soon thereafter
began his final year of
law school.
Even though the market was starting to show
some signs of strain and
uncertainty, K. Frink-Hamlett declined any further
interviews and didn’t seek
any new opportunities
because he felt his future
Rule No. 1:
Never Take
Anything
for Granted
While it’s perfectly fine
and, indeed advisable,
to accept your offer after
completing your second-year summer at a law
What Frims Want
Evaporated offers; postponed
start dates; dismissed attorneys. As a law student these
days, no matter where you
turn, you are confronted with daily news about the grim
realities of a declining legal marketplace. The stark reality is that opportunities are painfully scarce, even for
the best and brightest of the bunch.
BY KATHERINE FRINK-HAMLETT
If you are a third-year law student with
a rescinded offer, avoid getting caught up
in the emotions of betrayal and bitterness.
KATHERINE FRINKHAMLET T, a graduate of New York University
School of Law, is president of Frink-Hamlett Legal Solutions Inc.
and can be reached at katherine@frinkhamlett.com.
And, with employment
stability being fickle at
best, it comes as no surprise that law students are
overwhelmingly anxious
about what their futures
hold. Third-years in particular are especially
worried since they have
virtually no practice experience or additional law
school years to cushion
the blow, and are faced
with intense competition
The beginning:
K. Frink-Hamlett success-
1
fully completed his sum-
mer associate position
in 2008 and upon conclu-
sion, received an offer
for permanent, full-time
was set. He had an accepted offer, was a Law Review
editor and at the top of his
class, so his future felt reasonably secure. Plus, his
firm had also requested
that he work part-time
during his third year. Life
was grand!
firm, it’s not wise to
preclude considering
additional opportunities
during the beginning
of your third year. In
retrospect, K. Frink-
Hamlett should have
considered available
interviews especially »
