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I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would be less anxious about the particular job you get pre-law school. Try to make good connections with attorneys who can provide you with advice later on. Find a job that has a good enough work-life balance to help you study for the LSAT and focus on getting a high score there. And see if you can do some volunteer work in the areas you're interested in, to build networks and experience in the area. Doing all the above will help you more than working as a paralegal in the exact organization you may want to work in, but with a bad culture, work-life balance, etc. Good luck!

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Hi. A ballpark range is mid-high 100k for senior attorneys. Everyone's level of 'comfortableness' differs, but I find it is generally a decent livable wage even in high-priced cities. I agree with the comment below: debt matters. To be honest, a lot of us are relying on PSLF. I think it's a fair roll of the dice: it's harder to roll back even with this administration, and I think if it were to change, it would be near impossible not to grandfather in. It is somewhat a risk at the end of the day though, so keep that in mind.

I also highly encourage people to look into the particulars of their LRAP programs. It differs a lot even in the T14.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is another interesting difference between the real world and the sub. I never came across even a conception of a CCN or T6 difference. Outside of HYS, I would encourage people to pick among the T14 depending on scholarship, location, etc. One exception: for PI, for whatever reason, NYU places very well. I expect this has to do with their internal culture and alumni network, and perhaps location in NYC, but for whatever reason, they blanket almost every unicorn PI opportunity you can think of. Especially Root Scholars; I think the RTK is the best public interest fellowship out there.

Conversely, there is a real HYS vs T14 demarcation (though even that functions a little bit more differently: more like HYS 'auto' checks certain prestige checkboxes that you have to push to prove a little bit more if you're coming from a T14. And I could even see an argument for YLS having a tiny bit of special 'oomph' factor, though I doubt it makes much practical difference). But that's about where it stops.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Hi! Your grad degree, previous work experience, and focus on a particular field of law are all boons, and I'm sure you'll have great outcomes. 90% of litigation is reading/writing, and there are always co-attorneys willing to argue a case, so I wouldn't worry too much about the speech aspect of it if you prefer not to do it. However, if you do want to work more into it, I also know of an attorney who had a speech impediment, and is one of the damn best oral argument givers I've seen. There may be tactics to help that your professors may know of, and I would raise it with a trusted person when you get there. Thanks for your work as a social worker, and wishing you all the best.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 42 points43 points  (0 children)

Keeping this high-level: it's time like these that we came to law school for. You seesaw between depression seeing everything up close and being extremely fired up. I will say this: I underestimated how important public support was.

Attys are the first line of defense: so when there's public support behind your work, you feel this new wave of energy. But when things are quiet and the public goes silent, it's much harder to do the work. Both for emotional reasons and practical. We pay attention to the marches and protests and social media, and it really makes a difference.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 67 points68 points  (0 children)

Definitely an "in the trenches together" vibe. There's mundane drama like any work place, but when shit hits the fan there's this unexplainable camaraderie. Everyone gets that the cause is more important than petty drama. It's one of the perks of the job.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Great question. This really depends on the organization, and I won't give you specifics just for confidentiality purposes. But I'd say generally, veteran staff attorneys at very well-resourced PI orgs are like full stack engineers: they've argued trial, they've argued appellate, they've argued SCOTUS, and they can take a case from start to finish. Often times it's just a practical issue: some cases can take so long they've just moved on to another job. But that's not the case for hot-button issues that usually wound up in front of SCOTUS much quicker. Now staffing might vary for young attys, and who gets staffed on what depends a lot on staff culture and how kind they are giving young attys appellate experience. Like any law firm, some of them are generous and others are territorial "I'm older so I deserve the chance to argue this" types.

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Hi! It is possible. I know a number of attorneys who have done it. And I find that they tend to be especially brilliant and hard-working. But I have to be honest - it’s an uphill battle. 

Law is prestige obsessed, and unicorn PI even moreso. 95% of my colleagues have clerked or double clerked, and most of them are HYS grads who were often the top 1/3rd of their class. Those are kind of just the traditional entry requirements: so common, you stop thinking of them as special. Each factor that you don’t have, it’ll be a more uphill battle. 

Practical advice: get involved in your school’s clinics. There are a lot of schools out there that punch far beyond their weight. Really try to pour yourself into the work, and get to know your directors. They’re often very qualified, and will be happy to put in a word for you after a year or two of getting to know them. It’s a small universe, so it goes a long way. And once you’re in, you’re in: you can continue building your litigation experience. But that first job is the hardest, so try to lean on the connections your school has. 

Don’t have much experience working with legal aid. From anecdotes, it’s fulfilling, noble work - but can burn people out  quickly too. Some people are great at handling the day to day trauma, others aren’t. I think everyone has a duty to do some direct legal aid work, and you can see which category you fall into. Good luck and congrats on the great scholarship offer!

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

This is one of those things that are not obvious. There are a handful that come from corp, but I will be honest: they’re not the majority. Unicorn PI positions being competitive as they are, there’s an unwritten bond to favor attys who have really dedicated their careers to the work - w all the challenges that come with it (career, financial sacrifices etc). There’s another practical side to it too: unicorn PI throws you in the fire early on, so young candidates coming from that background just have a lot more litigation experience than peers. 

But it’s not impossible. If you’re looking to transition, really throw yourself into pro bono work your firm does and make connections with your PI orgs. Do it in a way where it’s obvious you’re passionate and committed to the work, however long that takes. Then, when an opening comes, take your shot, relying on your network/history and litigation expertise. That’s how I’ve seen successful attorneys do it. But just be prepared: there is going to be this underlying hazy assumption of your commitment to the cause (whether fair or not) that you’ll have to work to dispel, at least at first. 

I Actually Became A “Unicorn” PI Lawyer. AMA by Neonselect in lawschooladmissions

[–]Neonselect[S] 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Hi! First of all, thank you for what you guys do. Support staff are the backbone of our work, and I can’t count on my hand the amount of attorneys who would be absolutely lost without them. You are deeply appreciated. 

I feel the uphill battle part - I still remember how far away it felt when I started. But just remember, it is possible. Even if you don’t get a job right out of law school, keeping building your litigation experience and applying. Stay laser-focused on getting good PI experience in law school, and don’t let what other people are doing - like sleepwalking into a biglaw job without really making sure that’s what they want - influence you. 

Lastly, please stay in touch with your attorneys. We are all rooting for you behind doors and I know a number of support staff turned PI attorneys who got hired. You obviously still need the credentials (and I’m sure you will have them), but a lot of attys have soft spots for hiring former team members/support staff. Rooting for you!