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The New York City Bar's Committee on Career Advancement and
Management of is here to
answer your career
questions. Whether you
are a newly admitted attorney
or a seasoned veteran,
in the private or public
sector or have
questions about your current
situation or are looking
to take
a new direction or
to reenter the profession,
we can help. Each week
the Committee will answer
a new question and answers
will be posted online. 
Question of the Week:
Q. I am
a West Indian-trained
attorney, admitted to the
bar in my jurisdiction in
1998 and to the New York
State Bar in August 2008.
I am willing to start
working at any level
within the profession.
What are my chances of
gaining employment with a
New York firm without
having to attend an ABA
law school or do New York
firms give any recognition
to an education obtained
from the West Indies?
A.
Realistically
speaking, your chances of finding employment at a law firm are slightly below
average. The fact that we are about to
enter... Read Full Answer >>> 
Realistically speaking, your chances of finding employment
at a law firm are slightly below average. The fact that we are about to enter the fourth quarter of the year when
law firm hiring is traditionally slower and given the current economic
situation does not help matters. That
said, the challenge is not insurmountable.
A good place to start would be to identify and research law
firms that have offices in your native jurisdiction. Particularly if they are looking for those with relevant
jurisdictional knowledge and language capacity, that may be your competitive
advantage. Beyond that, you could pinpoint
firms who have large practices in your specific area of law and try that
angle.
It is always preferable to get introduced to a firm and
relevant hiring staff through a personal connection. Dig deep into your network to see who you may know here, where
they are and how they might best be able to help you. Interview them to find out how they went about getting their
jobs. To the extent applicable, search
engines such as Martindale Hubbell, Linked In or Facebook may be a good
resource to track people down.
Once you have established a relationship or connection with
a firm, you may want to consider letting them know that you would be willing to
take a step back in seniority—particularly if there are stark differences
between US law and that of your native jurisdiction. You may even consider going in as a paralegal or contract
attorney with the understanding that if your performance is stellar, you would
expect to be considered for a partnership track associate position.
Another option to explore would be temp agencies. There are several in the city and they may
be able to get you placed at a firm on a temporary assignment. Again, depending on your performance and the
needs of the firm, these engagements may lead to permanent employment.
All of the above will likely take some time to
implement. In the interim, you may want
to consider attending a US law school’s LL.M. program. The benefits of pursuing an LL.M. include
increased opportunities to network, more formal career placement resources affiliated
with the school, access to an alumni network, and potential skill acquisition.
View all previously posted questions and answers
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The answers do not necessarily
represent the views
of the New York City
Bar Association or the
Committee on Career Advancement
and Management.
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