Law student's job hunt becomes nationwide phenomenon

Third year law student Matthew Toll send out a cutting edge application for employment... and got more than he bargained for!

I do not doubt that anyone would disagree that law students today are facing an extremely tight job market. As an Ivy League graduate (University of Pennsylvania) in the top half of my class in a top tier law school (Tulane Law School), I found this out the hard way. I had heard that the job market was tight, but having received multiple offers as an undergraduate doing nothing more than on-campus recruiting, I felt that I would not have a problem finding work. I was wrong. Dead wrong. Having sent out 250 or more resumes, cover letters, writing samples and transcripts, and having gone to interviews in firms across the country, all I ended up with was a voluminous pile of rejection letters. In fact, I was able to land a job this past summer only in the 11th hour (last April) by offering to work for free. My approach was as follows: I e-mailed several attorneys at that firm giving them 48-hour window to hire me and if they did so, I would work for free. When they decided that someone with my gusto deserved to be hired, I ended up being paid as a normal summer associate for my work this past summer.
   Given that my non-traditional methods worked in the past, I decided to try a similar strategy in seeking a permanent position after graduation. I put together a cover letter, which I named Plaintiffs First Request for an Interview," designed to look like a pleading to show originality. I created several forms of this document, some extremely explicit, and some a little softer and less shocking. In the most extreme version, where I state in so many words that work is more important to me than family, I utilized significant hyperbole and sarcasm to emphasize how committed I would be as an associate, and hoped for the best. I did not know what to expect, but I figured it could not be worse than my experiences last year. After all, my letter, when read in its entirety, basically stated that I am competent and hard-working, and that I have an excellent work and educational background.
   Well, what I did not expect was that the cover letter would be forwarded without my consent across the internet under the subject head Most disturbing cover letter ever." Over the past few days, my work has become somewhat of a nationwide phenomenon, and is even now featured on the website www.thesmokinggun.com. However, I continue to hold my head high, and, although many people have taken the time to criticize my efforts, this has resulted in quite a few interviews. Also, for the time being, I am still searching for the ideal job, so if you are an impressed or curious employer, feel free to e-mail me: mtoll@law.tulane.edu.