Chart Your Own Course

There was nothing fun about graduating from law school in 2012.  Generally, my path to Fordham Law went according to plan.  That, however, is where the smooth sailing ended.  Although I had witnessed college friends lose their offers at Lehman Brothers in 2008, hearing about classmates with top grades ending up jobless after firms like Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP tanked in 2012 was shocking. 

Going into the bar exam, I had not secured a job.  Neither had any of my five closest friends from law school, like so many others graduating at the time.  And we were not the outliers.  As the American Bar Association put it so delicately in September 2012, “[n]ewly minted JDs face an unpredictable, debt-laden future—a future where even the best and brightest graduates are sometimes finding it difficult to obtain volunteer entry-level legal positions, let alone the six-figure salaries that once awaited those graduating at the top of their class from first-tier law schools.”[1]

If this sounds somewhat familiar, take a deep breath.  Although I did not believe it eight years ago, by taking the best albeit imperfect opportunities as presented, maintaining long terms goals and relationships and staying optimistic, the future is filled with opportunities.  If you do not believe me, ask any of my five friends.  I’m proud to report that every member of the Fordham Law Wine Review has charted her own course and is a successful, gainfully employed attorney.  No OCI, no problem!

I.  Think of Every Opportunity as a Building Block

Fate has a funny way of finding you.  During the spring semester 3L year, I snagged a seat in Professor Susan Scafidi’s Fashion Law class during the add-drop period.  Seemingly inconsequential at the time, this decision has dramatically shaped my academic and professional life.  Thereafter, a legal career centered on the fashion industry became and remains my north star.

After sitting for the bar exam, Professor Scafidi called with exciting news.  There was an opening for the Dean’s Fellow position with the Fashion Law Institute, and perhaps I was interested in it.  On the first day my legal career, I reported directly to the tents at Lincoln Center - we had a fashion show to present. 

After spending an incredible academic year with Professor Scafidi, my work life took a seemingly drab but important turn.  Whereas my last Friday at the Fashion Law Institute was filled with runway looks and champagne, the subsequent Monday morning I joined The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s litigation department.  Trust me, there was no champagne.  There was, however, the critical beginnings of a litigation career.

II.  Play the Long Game

Although inherently unfashionable, my time at the Port Authority paved the way for every subsequent opportunity.  It taught me how to lawyer - how to write a brief, prepare a motion, take and defend depositions, try cases and draft and argue appeals.  In other words, everything you do not learn in law school. 

In your job search, cast a large net.  Each and every opportunity to sharpen your skillset and become a better lawyer should be viewed positively.  Although you may not have dreamed of litigating slip-and-fall cases, negotiating construction contracts or developing a bankruptcy expertise during school, you have to become a good attorney somewhere and somehow.  If the actual substance of the law does not thrill you, find motivation in the learning process. 

The Port Authority position was the best opportunity that presented itself when I completed my role with the Fashion Law Institute.  I am endlessly grateful that I found and accepted this job, encouraged not only by my family, but by the partner that I currently support at Dentons. 

Fast forward to 2020.  As a litigator at the world’s largest law firm, most of my clients are in the fashion sector.  The path was - and remains - circuitous.  After my time at the Port Authority, I worked at two boutique litigation firms - one maritime and one IP - and obtained a LL.M. in Fashion Law from Fordham.  That someone who generously made time for an informal interview in 2012 would hire me four jobs and seven years later seems remote if not impossible, but that is exactly what happened.  Never forget that the professional relationships you develop now are imperative for long-term success.

III.  Stay Optimistic

Over the past eight years, there were “almost” jobs that fell through and other disheartening moments.  It can feel frustrating and fruitless at times. 

Stay the path, and do it with a smile.  You can and will get a job sooner than later.  Ultimately, you will find a position that not only forces you to become a better attorney, but one where you can shine and work with clients that make you want to get out of bed in the morning.  I do not believe in perfect jobs, but am confident in individuals’ abilities to create fulfilling careers.

Chart your own course.  Do not become paralyzed trying to find a “dream” job.  Rather, think broadly and strategically when looking for the best opening that you can find now.  Take that springboard and keep working hard, make meaningful connections and never lose sight of your long-terms goals.  People can and will open doors for you, but you have to be the one to walk through them.

[1] https://www.americanbar.org/groups/gpsolo/publications/gp_solo/2012/september_october/myth_upper_middle_class_lawyer/

Mary Kate Brennan is an associate at Dentons in the New York office. A professional chaser of “bad guys,” her practice focuses on protecting brands from counterfeiters around the world through multi-jurisdictional litigation, supply chain analysis, asset-tracing and client counselling on critical intellectual property enforcement issues.