Today I went with daughter Liz to one of the high-rises in Century City to talk with a family friend who is a successful divorce attorney. No, Liz is not married so that’s not the issue; she is trying to decide what area of law to pursue. Our friend showed us around his 9th floor offices with a view overlooking Beverly Hills, then took us into a conference room lined with leather-bound law books where we could sit comfortably and ask questions. He is a nice person, open and friendly, so he put us both at ease with his banter. He then explained to Liz that he works now as a family mediator and loves his work, which he sees as helping people at one of the most vulnerable times of their lives. He reassured her that she would find a job as an attorney, especially if she was interested in family law, and not to be discouraged with all the negative talk out there about no work for new lawyers. He also offered to write her a letter of recommendation when she starts applying to law firms after she passes the bar – fingers crossed – in July. Liz was happy to get such encouragement. Even though she is in an accelerated law school program where she completes her courses in two years rather than three, she is still accruing much educational debt and this is scary.
When we left, I asked her what she thought. She said she was glad to meet a lawyer who loved his work. That felt good. Plus, this particular type of law could use her accounting background, which our friend thought would give her a leg-up during job interviews.
As a mother who is watching my middle child work so diligently in her efforts to get through such a rigorous academic program in record time, I felt proud of her interview skills when speaking with our friend, and relief that our friend – a lawyer of 30 years – still is enthusiastic about his work after all of this time. We both left feeling heartened. Perhaps she will actually find work after this massive endeavor; perhaps she’ll enjoy the work she finds.
I know I am not the only parent out there watching my children work hard and have fear in the face of this tough job market. But, today was a good and encouraging day. There once was a time that if you made it through law school and the bar exam, then a job was there waiting for you on the other side. Not so at this moment. Still, according to our friend, there are still many opportunities out there and Liz doesn’t need to feel discouraged. He reminded her that in the end, her shining personality will make a major difference. That made us both smile.
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