Talking Law Over Lunch

Prof. Whitebread chats with students about job prospects, firm life

Professor Charles Whitebread and students discussed life at USC Law and beyond during a recent lunchtime event sponsored by Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.

As one of five living honorary members of PAD, Whitebread is the first to receive the prestigious John J. McAulay Legal Educator Award, for which he was given a medal that he sported around his neck as he chatted with students.

“I feel the same about this medal that I got for the award as I do about a diamond or ruby brooch,” said Whitebread, author of The Eight Secrets of Top Exam Performance in Law School, who travels around the country to offer test-taking tips to law students. “I wear it at every event.”

The talk was oriented around a Q&A session in which Whitebread addressed students’ concerns about job hunting, big firms, clerkships and lawyers’ balance of work and home life. Whitebread also distributed his book to students at the event.

Q: What is the job outlook for students?
A: “With the current, static enrollment of law school applicants, salaries are likely to escalate due to the paucity of law school graduates,” Whitebread said. He also projects that salaries for lawyers will rise because students who enter the field have become more demanding.

Q: Why is there a bias toward big firms?
A: “A bias toward big firms is inevitable,” Whitebread said, explaining that big firms are essentially pushed by schools because they have more resources to provide programs like externships to students.

Q: What is the value of pursuing a clerkship?
A: Clerkships give students an opportunity to gain specialized knowledge in a field of their interest, as well as the opportunity to develop a close, lifelong relationship with the judge they’re clerking for, Whitebread said. He strongly encourages clerkships, particularly if you’re a young student.

Q: What does a lawyer’s lifestyle look like?
A: “You can count on getting your job done and going home around 9:30 p.m.,” Whitebread said. Although most lawyers have long work hours, he added, time might not become an issue because “if you’re into what you’re doing, it’s a fun and exciting time every day you clock out at 9:30!”

Whitebread also said that many lawyers find they need to modify their work hours once their family responsibilities and priorities change. Sometimes, that might lead to a career change.

“Nobody is ever prepared to do something for the rest of their life.” Whitebread said. “Being a lawyer — as is the case with any profession — is a job, not a ‘forever’ commitment to that profession.”