second mouse gets the cheese

all honesty, unless you speak the language or have a connection, its probably pretty ahrd to get along. Also, when a coup comes through, who do you think they grab for hostages? Hint: its the white guy

Do you want to be a movie star? Let me know

Nice work, Marin. This was actually on point and witty.

i hear they're doing amazing things with plastics these days. also, dvds are hot in overseas markets. you could buy a dell and start your own pirate business.

5= Marin= Elie

Obviously fake and stupid.

Considering:

a) a law degree is usually an undergrad degree in most other places

b) Most places follow code and not common law

c) you still would have to be admitted

d) probably no shit about local laws

it would not be all that impressive.

Serves JetSet right for asking these idiots a real question.

Before you get set to move out of the country - consider moving out of state. There are a lot of places where the legal market is smaller and they're just aching for some non-local lawyers. Your T20 school will mean a lot more in a place where most attorneys are hailing from TTT. By working for the biggest law firm in a less popular state, you're also gaining some solid US legal experience which you can tout at future job interviews in more desirable locations.

Dude, try going to Brazil. It is better than Africa and plenty of business.

2L in T25 here (only top 40%)

The economy is tough, but there's no reason you shouldn't be able to secure a job if you are creative and aggressive.

I secured a biglaw offer. I beat out those with higher grades (including law review) by using my own contacts (and most importantly) starting my job search before the OCI rush. I wasn't pushy, but I did find myself reaching further (and making more awkward calls) than I would ever expect to make.

You use language like "I know I will not be able to secure a job" for biglaw in the U.S. What makes you think it will be any easier elsewhere? I suggest to start being more creative in finding a job here before giving up and searching in an arguably harder market where you have nothing to bring to the table.

Duh! The person is smart seeking opportunities abroad, and is REALLY smart if looking at countries with no extradition treaties with the US, in order to avoid the law school loan obligation. If only I had such guts.

WUSTL won't get you anywhere.

Two things:

1) Marin, when picking emails for your column, don't pick ones you cannot answer.

2) JetSet, if you actually want to move abroad to an exotic local you should take every tax course your school officers (particularly Tax Treaties / International Aspects, etc.) and as many of the undergrad accounting courses you can fit in. Many small countries are in the "offshore financial services" business. For Example: I was visiting a south pacific Island last year and the front page of the main paper featured a job posting by the Government for tax lawyers (both US and EU types).

What if I just flee to South Africa? Can Sallie Mae ask for extradition?

17 Mckseventeenster!

Dear Marin:

Not to shock you into geopolitical reality or anything but South Africa (which was the subject of the writer's inquiry) has as much in common with Nigeria as the Gobi-in-summer has in common with your neither regions.

Wait--bad analogy.

I wonder what Jake Emeritus thinks of this? Speak up Jake!

at least if you move to another country your law school will have a harder time contacting you to ask you to donate money while you are still trying to pay off the $170K you already gave them

Jeez, ...all these years I've thought the line went: "nothing that a hundred men on Mars could ever do."

Thanks for clearing that up Marin.

You should consider both in-house jobs and law firms abroad. Many companies, even though not listed in the US, are open to hiring US qualified attorneys to review contracts and other documents that man have US choice of law provisions. Likewise, smaller regional law firms (firms you have never heard of) hire a small number of lawyers each year and are open to some of these lawyers being US qualified. Finally, you should have a look at any US company that has an office in your country of interest. Your JD will may qualify you to apply for jobs that are typically filled by applicants with an MBA.

I think extradition is a criminal thing.

Marin of ATL I wish you took this issue more seriously as int'l opportunities may be a viable option for law students with the capacity and flexibility to practice law abroad. A very good friend of mine was unable to easily find work within the U.S. market and leveraged his prior intl experience (via the Peace Corp) to obtain a position in the Mongolian office of a large Chinese firm. Immediately, he was given a position of substance, focusing on foreign direct investment, arguing cases before country's Supreme Court, and gaining direct exposure to dealing with clients facing novel issues. His practice involves the development of Mongolia's vast mineral resources. Gaining experience and knowledge of an emerging market is infinitely more interesting and undoubtedly more valuable than being a contract lawyer scanning emails in the dungeons of NY and DC. And his U.S. law degree contributed to his marketability as the firm uses his U.S. training to advertise his services. Instead of making light of a suggestion, perhaps exploring the positives and negatives, and indeed plausibility, of this option would be a more reasonable response. Taking seriously opportunities abroad for U.S. law students certainly would be a more thoughtful alternative for your readers (and more consistent with your sponsors - see Asia Chronicles). In your race to achieve sarcasm, and regurgitate Nigeria email jokes, you may be overlooking the opportunity to assist an audience of future U.S. lawyers that is understandably distraught about their future prospects. By sauntering down this well-worn path, you might find out that being an average blogger is just not the ticket it used to be.

10,

Keep dreaming.

If you go to a small market, or even one on the small side of medium from a "name" school, you'll have an incredibly hard time getting hired at a local firm, even a larger one.

Two reasons why, somewhat related.

1. Firms that actually recruit yearly do all their recruiting from the local school, which is typically the public state law school. All the partners connections are at that school, and nearly all of their clerks are hired out of that school. They don't particularly care about the US News Ranking, and unless it's HYS, they won't recognize the significance of the school name.

Further, if it's the largest (or "a larger") firm in that area, they'll generally have their pick of graduates from the local state school. When they're choosing between LRev, Top 10% etc at the local state school and someone who's middle of the class at a T14, what would you choose?

2. Unless you've actually got some serious local connection there, they quite naturally assume you're not serious about applying to their small market firm and that you'll bolt the second a biglaw offer comes around. You said as much yourself. Why would they waste resources and time training a baby lawyer when he's just going to bolt once the training is complete.

By all means, if you actually came from a smaller market area you might be able to go back there and make a decent attempt at getting a spot at a firm. But I can't help but laugh when T14 Grads think that lawyers everywhere are as rank conscious as T14 students and that they'll automatically displace any other candidates anywhere just by virtue of the fact that they went to a T14 and the others went to some TTT (which in many cases is still first tier, albeit <50) school.

That's a lovely accent. New Jersey?

My understanding, from friends who have studied abroad in South Africa, is that you must complete the 4 year undergraduate law course in order to practice there. South Africa, as a former colony and as a prosperous one at that, is concerned about international lawyers, dominating the market.

@24:

Jay?

@28 small world indeed.

- 24

29:

I studied with him in Tokyo :)

29:

Good stuff. Email me at nottooimportant@gmail.com.

- 24

29:

Use our common friend's last name in the subject line (or else it's going to junk mail).

- 24

it's definitely possible, although the days when you could show up in Prague, hook up with a local lawyer and become managing partner of the local Magic Circle branch office are gone. but if you're willing to travel to more far-flung locations (like Mongolia, as in the example above, the Stans, Subsaharan Africa, etc.) you may be on to something. typically though, you would need some expertise first.

It's "eke," not "eek."

Forget the nonsense about whether this guy's plan is possible. Are we really going to let Ellie get away with calling the World Cup a "football" tournament? Among those of us from America, only d-bags from places like Harvard refer to this particular sport as "football." I don't give a damn what Europeans call it---here in the US, its SOCCER.

Please, a couple of international wins and suddenly everyone thinks soccer is actually a sport people care about in the US.

I think Elie actually pegged it. The OP d-bag was just looking for an excuse to tell parents as to why he's bumming around south africa instead of getting a job. (It's the economy! I looked, seriously! I thought there would be better opportunities there)

The truth is that if he wants to bum around south africa instead of dealing with this biglaw thing, he should just grow a pair and do it. And opportunities come to excited people, not bored drones.

@36 - LOL, this is "JetSet, the OP d-bag."

Grow a pair and deal with going into BigLaw? You mean as a secretary or something? Or at those firms that are climbing over each other to hire someone out of the middle of the class (with no science or business background)? Look around you. I'd kill for a job at a law firm. I'm used to working long hours. Lots of practice areas would suit my strengths. I imagine with some practice I could turn contacts into rain. It's not like I'm afraid of looking for jobs instead of "bumming around South Africa." There are no JOBS. The regional/midlaw jobs will go to the top-quartile/law review sorts who couldn't break into BigLaw. The glut of JDs will drive the price of lawyers down. You're seriously so convinced that just deciding "I know, I'll start working at a major law firm today!" is an option? You're seriously so convinced that the practice of law is going to be worthwhile in America in 10 years?

Darwin said the species that survives isn't the strongest - it's the one that best responds to change.

As someone who actually works abroad, albeit in-house, let me answer one thing that hasn't been addressed - law school status abroad. Short answer - Unless you went to Harvard, your law school name means very little.

Marin, hi, i usually read atl at work so i can't post. but i just want to say i find you to consistently be the most natural, refreshing, humorous voice on here. The historical disasters vignette was lol. So anyways, i know usually the only comments you get are negative, so i thought i would show some love.

I'd bang Marin. And Kash. Preferably together.

Oh, and Emory won't get you anywhere.

Have you people seen what a Ukrainian widow looks like? Dudes, I am so going over there. Come and keep your comrade warm!

As far as jobs, a lot of countries (mostly the more desirable ones) have post-graduation experience requirements. Japan requires three years of work experience as an attorney in your home country, for example. It also helps to know the local language.