Ann Israel is the legal profession's Dear Abby. A New York legal recruiter since 1979, Ann is a past president of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants. Advice for the Lawlorn is updated every week.

Q: I got my first job at a small litigation firm. I started here less than 2 months ago, after searching for a job for a while after graduating last May. I was first happy about the fact that people were nice and the workload wasn't too heavy, but then I began to realize the fact that the place is totally unprofessional.

The head of the firm is literally never around, and he gives me assignments very infrequently. The rest of the time one of the paralegals gives me things like Bills of Particulars to do, or else I have to make routine appearances in court.

The head of the firm did give me "my own trial", without telling me how to go about doing anything.

I literally have no guidance, and I have to call lawyers who used to work here for advice. One of the lawyers told me he left the firm for this reason, that he wasn't getting any help or guidance about how to do anything. It was his first job also, but he was here for 10 months, so he was able to get another job.

My question is, should I look for another job? Or have I not been here long enough to establish any credence to my resume, and potential recruiters may think I am a quitter or just can't get the work done? I would appreciate your guidance! Thanks.

Dear Credible: Oh dear, how times have changed. A year ago I would have advised you to spruce up your resume and get out of there as fast as possible. But that was then and this is now. Just where do you think you are going to go?

I certainly understand that you are in a difficult situation, especially since you are finding the place to be unprofessional. What could be worse? However, you have only been there for two months and from what you have told us, this job wasn't easy for you to find. Imagine trying to find another one right now, as a first year associate with two months of not-great experience, in what is not exactly a thriving job market.

Although you have not told us anything about your credentials or background, I suspect that you probably did not graduate at the top of your class from a major law school or else you probably would not have ended up searching around for a job after graduation and then winding up at this small litigation firm (although in this economy, that may not hold true anymore).

However, it would seem that you probably are going to have a difficult time in the open job market when compared to the other associates in the candidate pool at this time: Think of all those first-year associates coming out of the BigLaw firms where they have been working since September and probably have been involved in some kind of formal training program (one would hope). That's assuming there is a job market out there for first-year litigation associates right now -- and when there is, the available jobs are far and few between.

Recruiters are not going to be interested in you, whether or not it is a good job market right now, because they don't place first-year associates. Recruiters as a rule do not place associates until they have at least two years of major law firm experience under their belt, so you don't have to be worried about them.

No matter what, your resume is not going to show a tremendous amount of credibility with only two months of experience. It doesn't look great to make a job change after two months, especially after it took you quite a while after graduation to find this first job.

My suggestion to you is to be so happy that you have a paycheck coming in right now, even though this is not the ideal situation for you.

So what can you do to make this a better situation? Is there anyone at the firm who can take on the role of mentor for you? It does seem unfair to me that you were sent out to conduct a trial at this stage of your career -- and I can't believe the client could have been happy with this representation. Somehow, someway you need to make lemonade out of these lemons that have been thrown out to you at this firm, and understand that it's a good thing that you have a job and a paycheck when so many other first-year associates are unemployed.

Granted, this appears to not be the firm of your dreams, but it seems from what you have told us that at least the firm isn't doing anything illegal or anything that would get you disbarred (well, I don't know about sending you off to trial); it just isn't paying attention to you. So, you need to do something to get them to start paying attention to you and give you some training and some class-appropriate work. Just be careful how you go about getting all of this because the last thing you want to do is alienate anyone and get yourself fired.

Again, find yourself a mentor at this firm and do whatever it takes to make yourself happy there FOR THE TIME BEING. Get as much experience as you possibly can under the auspices of someone senior to you. It does sound as if the firm is not particularly busy, so if the paralegals are giving you work, take it with a smile.

And be happy about routine appearances in court! Do you know how many senior associates at BigLaw firms still have not seen the inside of a courtroom? Hmmm, this may not be as bad as you think it is! Best wishes!

PRO BONO/PUBLIC SERVICE RESOURCE

Here's a great resource for those of you looking for pro bono/public service opportunities -- with much thanks to Tony Barash from the American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono:

Your Advice to the Lawlorn column today prompts me to direct you and your readers to the resources available at the ABA Center for Pro Bono Strategies for Pro Bono and Public Service During the Recession at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/downturn/. See particularly the resources identified at http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/downturn/lawfirms.shtml. There are dozens of pro bono and public service organizations exploring opportunities to host lawyers, and depending on the circumstances, law firms and other funders willing to support them.

We would be happy to help your efforts in any way we can.

Best,
Anthony H. Barash
Director Emeritus
American Bar Association Center for Pro Bono
321 North Clark Street, 19th Floor
Chicago, IL 60654-7598
barasha@staff.abanet.org
www.abaprobono.org

Hold the Dates! The 2009 Equal Justice Conference, Orlando, Fla., Wednesday, May 13 (pre-conference day) through Saturday, May 16.