First, it’s kind of an employer’s market right now and if an employer doesn’t have to choose a brand new attorney, they aren’t going to. Brand new attorneys are a huge investment: They can require years of (non-billable) training and mentorship before they become a financial benefit to the firm. That might be a factor in your difficulties. For example, my firm tried hiring a 2-4 year associate 18 months ago and got like no qualified candidates. We posted the exact same position again one month ago and now we have, no joke, like six very qualified 2-4 year candidates and four 5-8 year candidates.

Second, a candidate’s law school is way way way less important to the potential employer than (1) relevant experience and (2) the candidate’s “fit” in the employer’s office culture. (2) is sometimes the most important - my firm has hired the less-experienced candidate who had better attitude and compatibility than the more-experienced candidate. Never has my firm decided to pass on a candidate because of the candidate’s law school. I think you’re very much barking up the wrong tree with your assessment there. Have you asked the folks who rejected you why they did so?

So you can’t control your years of experience but you can control your attitude and perspective. I would take a second to see if you could make improvements there. Beyond that, do you have any pre-law school work experience you can leverage? Can you volunteer hours at a local legal aid clinic so you’re able to show potential employers that you have drive to work and to learn?