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Tuesday’s TPS Report: Theory ‘Tyrnina’ Dot Top

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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Theory ‘Tyrnina’ Dot TopLooooove this top for work. It's smart and chic, but feminine. The back zip means there are no gaping buttons on this blouse, and the high neckline is always appropriate for work. It's a sheer silk with a touch of stretch, so I'd wear a white camisole under it (not nude). I'd wear it with a navy pencil skirt, perhaps with a fitted cardigan on top in a fun color — a violet or yellow, perhaps. It's $255 at Nordstrom. Theory ‘Tyrnina' Dot Top Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. (L-2)

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

126 Comments

  1. Love that blouse, but Theory and my body shape just don’t get along. But, I’m inspired to find something similar now.

    Just wanted to whine – I was eating a granola bar while driving to work this morning and apparently one of the chocolate chips or something fell off into my car seat and I sat on it the whole way to work. I didn’t realize until I had been at work for an hour (and walked around our halls in front of coworkers…..sigh) that I had a huge brown stain on my skirt. My skirt is black, so I was able to clean it off, but I’m a tad mortified.

    1. Ditto on the “Theory and my body shape just don’t get along.”

      I also really like the concept of the blouse. I would need just a slightly lower neckline to avoid the box-look on my busty-broad-shouldered top half.

      1. Lol, I feel the same way about Theory and my body type. I’ve never tried on one of their tops, but I look really terrible in their skirts and dresses.

        1. Love you for posting this. I thought there was something wrong with me! Theory gets these rave reviews but just doesn’t work on me.

          1. Another one! Looks fabulous on my female coworkers (three not-so-curvy asian ladies), but does not work on me at all.

    2. I once sat on some pomagranite seeds while wearing a white skirt. Talk about mortified! I also could not get it properly cleaned either. Then, I was very angry.

      1. My Victoria’s Secret water bra broke in the middle of class in law school. I sat for an hour trying to concentrate on the dormant commerce clause while water (or whatever is in that thing) dripped down and soaked my sweater.

        2. Ha, that’s hysterical. Sorry you had to go through it, but great story!

    3. In junior high, I found a water baloon on my way to class, was playing with it in class, and then it burst in my lap. I had to walk around for the next 3 periods looking as if I peed my pants! Hugs to you! At least the skirt was black :)

      1. Thanks! I know I’ll laugh about it tomorrow, but all I can think about right now is exactly who saw me walking around earlier.

        Anon @ 11:50: That’s one million times worse than what I went through. And a perfect example of why I don’t own a white skirt/pants/chinos, anything.

      2. AIMS – lmao at that whole story. Perfect elements of Random and Pre-teen Bad-Judgment

  2. PSA sale alert: The Limited has free shipping today (no minimum), and there’s a buy a jacket, get pants or skirt free deal going on. This puts their upper line of suits at around $200.

    1. FYI: I know Limited gets a lot of complaints about their quality, and while I totally agree regarding the lower line of suits (I’ve just given one to Goodwill and sworn I would never buy another), their upper line is very nice. I have one that I really like that is much, much nicer quality. Particularly with a sale, I think it is worth the money.

      1. Agreed – one of my favorite suits is from the Limited, and when I brought it to the tailor to hem the pants, he commented that it was a good quality suit with a lot of extra seam allowance (apparently a sign of good workmanship). Have also had two not-so-good suits from them, both lower-line “trendy” suits, but I would definitely buy from them again.

      2. Thanks for the heads-up on the higher line of suits. I had already deleted the Limited email today, figuring I didn’t need anything from there, but maybe I’ll check out the suits…

      3. Yes, I’ve had trouble with some of the lower line stuff stretching out between cleanings, but the Luxe line tends to be pretty classic, clean, and definitely gets the job done on a student/young associate budget.

      1. So Cute! They seem to have interesting patterned tanks — ever wear anything from here? Or is it strictly juniors body types?

    2. Cute! Seems slightly less professional, somehow. Maybe the lower neckline or the blue one styled with jeans. Still, I’m really tempted…

      1. Nope, sorry. Haven’t yet pulled the trigger on any Tyrwhytt stuff for women (only bought male stuff for my SO). The quality though seems quite good.

        1. I just ordered one of the Tyrwhitt women’s shirts. I am hoping it is similar to the women’s Pink shirts, which I love.

  4. Sorry for the early threadjack, but I need some job search advice.

    I have my JD and received my LLM in December in intellectual property. I also passed the NY bar, passed character and fitness, and am just waiting to be sworn in. I’ve been job hunting for quite awhile and I just want to make sure that I am not missing a resource or to get any advice you all have.

    I took classes the summer after 1L year, I spent my 2L summer working for an IP firm (3 months), and the fall 2010 semester working for a solo IP practitioner, who I still do the occasional project for (4 months intern + 2.5 months occasional projects). So I have a total of 9.5 months of legal experience. I do not have any summer 2010 experience because I used that time to study for the bar.

    First off, I joined both the city bar and county bar associations. I attend the free events and try to meet people, but it seems that everyone I meet is in the same boat as far as job hunting. I am extremely broke, so I have not attended any of the other meetings that cost money. I am open to attending one if it is in my intended practice area though.

    This is where I could use some advice. Outside of networking, I have been applying to jobs posted online. These are the places that I’ve been looking:
    -USAJobs
    -NYT Monster
    -Lawjobs.com
    -Craigslist
    -NY Law Journal’s classifieds
    -Symplicity from both my JD and LLM schools
    -Martindale
    -LIMA Licensing Jobs Board
    -AIPLA job board

    Through my networking contacts, I was able to get a list of the IP recruiters a large firm uses, and I have contacted them as well. The problem with recruiters that I have run into has been that many will not work with people who have less than 1 or 2 years of experience.

    I am aslo seeking out smaller firms to send my materials to, but first I have been trying to establish some kind of connection to the firm instead of blindly sending them my resume.

    Sorry that was so long, but I wanted to give you all an idea of what I have been doing to get a job. Are there any job search resources that I am missing? Does anyone have any other advice? Thanks in advance!

    1. Sorry, I forgot to add that I am also open to a job outside of being a lawyer where I could put my IP knowledge to use. I’ve been looking at Mediabistro’s job board for something like this.

    2. Yesterday I discovered careerbuilder.com. Most attorney postings seem to want at least a year of experience, but you might try anyway. It does give me hope that if worst comes to worst, based on the listing on that site, it looks like I can move to Charlotte and become a doc review attorney to pay the bills :-/ (though even some of the doc review listings had a year of experience requirement. I’m choosing to ignore that. Surely I am at least qualified for doc review). Also check with your undergrad school and see if they have any resources. My undergrad has some affiliation with experience.com where I can get a free account.

      No advice other than that. pslawnet.org and idealist.org are out there, but those are public interest and I doubt they have many IP-related jobs. I feel your pain, especially about everyone attending the free events at the bar association being in the same boat. I’m sure everyone I meet will be great to know later in life, but right now it seems everyone I meet is just as unemployed as I am. At least we can commiserate.

    4. Have you taken the patent bar? I know you’re broke but since you have the free time now, it may be a good idea to start studying for the exam and hopefully you can take/pass it before you get a job.

      1. Sorry, I should have included that. I cannot sit for the patent bar because I have a non-technical degree. I looked into the classes I would have to take to become qualified and there were so many that it would take a long time.

        1. Why, Why, Why GET AN LLM in IP without a technical degree??? When I hear this I just want to scream at kids.

          1. Seriously. IMO, getting a LLM is rarely a good idea. But without even having a tech degree that would allow you to practice patent law? Super bad idea.

          2. Regardless of whether or not it was a good idea, she already has one.

            I think it’s fine to comment that, for those in law school considering getting an LLM after the JD, it may not be the best path for XYZ reason, but I don’t really see why implying that she made a terrible decision for doing so is remotely helpful at this point.

          3. I realize this. Choosing to get my LLM was a difficult decision, and one that I’m not sure I would do again if I could go back. I got my JD in December 2009 without any job prospects in a state where there is virtually no IP work outside of patent law. I knew what I wanted to do and knew that I wanted to practice in New York but I had no contacts or connections in NY. I received a nice scholarship and the school is well regarded for IP. I got an internship with a practitioner that I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to do.

            But yes, I already received the degree and am doing the best that I can with it. There is nothing I can do about it now. I was seeking advice on job resources that I am missing from people who generally have great advice.

      2. Are you hard or soft IP? I agree that you should take the patent bar if you are hard IP and have the appropriate undergrad major – it’s a huge plus and shows you are serious about IP.

        Also, is IP big in NY? I really don’t know the answer. My firm’s IP is probably 75% in CA, with the next two biggest pockets in EDTX (docket) and NY is mainly for Jersey (life sciences/pharma). Maybe you should consider applying to the more plentiful IP jobs out here in CA, too. With the right background (like an engineering degree and the patent bar), firms won’t care that you have a NY bar card because you can take the CA bar in July once you’re already out here.

        Unfortunately, with Howrey’s collapse, since it was such a big IP shop, there are be a lot of IP folks with a few years experience who didn’t make it onto one of the various life rafts offered by Winston, Hogan, or Quinn now looking for work again.

      3. Have you looked at the Intercollegiate Job Bank? Your school’s career services office can give you the log in/password information. My SO found his job that way.

    5. I know we’ve had varying opinions on this, but I really recommend getting on LinkedIn if you are not already on there. LinkedIn is really developing its job-search feature – sending out emails with jobs based on your profile, connections, etc. You can also “follow” companies and see who is posting jobs, and what kind of jobs they’re posting. For example, when I log into my LinkedIn, my news feed will say “X Company has 30 new hires, 1 promotion or change, 15 recent departures, and 1 new job opportunity.” A LOT of companies are doing job posting and recruitment on LinkedIn nowadays, including my company. I contacted three people via LinkedIn a couple of weeks ago about an opportunity we had that we did not want to advertise, for example, and one of them ended up getting hired.

      You can put up a simple profile listing the information you just listed here, add some connections, “follow” some companies and join some groups in about 30 minutes. At this point, you don’t have much to lose. You can set privacy settings on your account so it only shows some information to people who are not connected to you or aren’t in a group with you. I really can’t say enough about LinkedIn and we are using it more and more to find candidates, research candidates, and make connections with potential clients.

      1. I’ll second the recommendation for LinkedIn! It’s a great tool for connecting with people and for looking for jobs. It’s also helpful to see if you know anyone at a specific company that might be willing to send over your resume.

    6. Sydney, this is rough and I’m sorry that you are having a hard time finding a job. What about contacting law school alumni in the IP sector? From time to time I get calls from students from my law school and I’m always very happy to help. I’m surprised that more students don’t contact me, frankly. You may even want to schedule informational interviews with some of them, explain your situation, and see what they recommend.

      As an aside, have you thought about clerkships? You’re too late for federal clerkships but I imagine that some state opportunities will still be available for an August 2011 start date. The Federal Circuit in DC would be ideal since they primarily do IP, and you may want to apply to them for a 2012 start date if that appeals to you.

      1. I would actually advise that you sign up for the fed clerkship site, Oscar.
        You are late for almost 99.9% of clerkships, but new judges (esp. magistrate) do get appointed from time to time and they will need clerks. Esp. helpful if you are willing to travel, even if it’s just to NJ or CT.

        I would also advise that you should look into non-IP positions that have transferrable skills or are in related areas.

        Meanwhile, I would urge you to look into volunteer opportunities. In NY, the courts have a volunteer attorney program that will allow you to work — p/t if you like — with judges on various motions, which will let you both make contacts and build up your skills. You can do this, e.g., twice a week, leaving you plenty of time to look for a job, while making your resume better in the process. Not to mention, judges often have great contacts and can help you find something permanent or even lead to paid employment in court, while you wait for the market to improve.

        Good luck!

        1. That’s a great point about volunteering. The judges whom I have clerked for are enormously well connected and are always willing to chat with their interns/clerks about job opportunities.

    7. Also try pslawnet.org and idealist.org if you’d be willing to accept a public interest job.

    9. I haven’t checked this site out, but I saw a commercial for it on TV the other day: http://www.theladders.com/

      It’s supposedly for $100k+ jobs, but I don’t know how much of it is applicable for people with 1-2 years of experience.

      1. I checked it out once during my clerkship right out of LS. They won’t let you past the first page if you can’t say that you earned at least $75K at your last job. Of course, I suppose you could always lie (and I was thinking about it, just to see what I would get when I got past the screen), but that seems risky at any part of a job search. Of course, if she’s earned that much before, it might be an option.

    10. Thank you all so much! You are seriously wonderful. You have definitely come up with some resources that I was missing.

      I forgot to mention it originally, but I am not qualified to sit for the patent bar.

      I am on LinkedIn and feel like I have been putting that to good use. I know there was a big discussion about LinkedIn a few weeks ago, but maybe that would be a good post topic Kat.

      Thanks again everyone. I’d love to hear any more suggestions if anyone has any.

      1. “I knew what I wanted to do and knew that I wanted to practice in New York but I had no contacts or connections in NY.”

        Do you have them now? Because if not, it might be time to decide to consider going someplace where you do have contacts, or can develop them. Unfortunately, limiting yourself to one geographic area is not really feasible when you are in an extremely specialized field. Have you looked outside of NY for jobs?

        1. I have as many connections and contacts in New York now as I do in California, where I worked in IP before. I think I will expand my search to California. I have also been looking in DC because I can waive in there. Thanks for your suggestion.

      2. Just wanted to share a quick thought. I also have a non-technical degree and was very interested in IP law. During my 3L year, an IP recruiter came to our campus and (in front of a table full of my classmates) essentially told me I didn’t have a shot at doing any IP. I also heard from other recruiters and IP practitioners that for soft IP, firms will often just put their litigators on the matter. So, I just kind of put my IP hopes into the back of my mind. As it turned out, I got a job at a small civil litigation firm where the partner has patent bar admission and I was assigned to work on a patent litigation case! Since then I’ve been assigned to do all of our IP-related litigation. So, even though I think you already have a great attitude about getting some tough-love feedback, I just wanted to chime in and say don’t get too discouraged.

        As for advice, I think maybe you should consider expanding your search criteria. If you want to do IP litigation, then I think that getting some general civil litigation experience will be helpful toward your goal (preferably involving some federal court experience).

  6. Threadjack:

    For those of you with short necks, what do you look for in a collar/neck line?

    Thanks!

    1. I look for something that has a wider neck so that some of my collar bone is exposed. Something that doesn’t look like it’s choking my neck and stumpifying it. I really like boatnecks.

  7. Threadjack: for you lawyers, when did you get rid of your law school textbooks? I’m doing some major decluttering in preparation for turning the home office room into the babies’ room, and I can’t imagine why I’m hanging onto textbooks from five-six-seven years ago now, but they also represent so much work that it’s hard to throw them out!

    1. ditto – I’ve only been out for 2 years but I still have all of my texts and review books. I can’t seem to get rid of them and by now all new versions have come out so I can’t even sell them. But I could really use the space in my NYC apartment! Any one have any thoughts?

        1. Thanks! There have been numerous new editions of my books and I know my local library does not want them, and I assumed no other charity would have a use for them either. I will look into seeing if they can go to law schools in Africa. (Aside–the constant new editions is such a scam….Hairy Hand and Mrs. Palsgraf have not changed!)

          1. I donated mine to a state and a federal BOP prison. You have to go thru hoops, I guess because they fear you are sneaking in little LSD papers or something in between the pages, but in the end, I felt it was worthwhile.

      2. without clicking through, I had great success on half(dot)com — but sold mine within the year after I graduated, before most of the editors had the chance to come out with the ever so slightly modified next editions :)

    2. I sold what I could and the rest I left in my locker and let my law school figure out what to do with them. My husband, who is also a lawyer, kept a lot of his textbooks and it is a constant source of irritation for me.

    3. I kept mine the first two times I moved, but the third time I only kept a select few that are meaningful to me (personally or professionally). I put the rest out on the street (I live in an urban area) and, shockingly, they disappeared.

      1. Yeah, I stuck mine down in the “free for all” area of my apartment building lobby, and they were gone almost immediately. I’m still wondering which of my neighbors was loony enough to want to read them.

    5. I sold virtually all of mine the moment the exam was over, on half.com (I also bought most of mine there, and highly recommend that.) Personally, I do wish that I’d kept my Trial Practice book, which would be helpful now, and I’ve held onto a few “Examples and Explanations” helpers that I at least think about opening from time to time, so I’d say keep the ones that might be practical, but there’s just no way for a practitioner to just crack a casebook and find the info that he or she needs most of the time.

    6. I sold my textbooks on amazon immediately, and have never regretted it in the 3.5 years since! I did keep one book – Federal Indian Law. Also I think I could not sell a couple and those are still on the shelf. But my fireplace is looking like a better and better home for them.

      1. That’s key, though, to sell them *immediately.* Otherwise, they lose their value and you miss your chance! I’m glad I sold on Amazon, because most of the time I made back around 70% of the price.

      2. Since you’ve taken an Indian Law class, dare I ask if you’ve ever worked on a reservation? I’m heading out to one next week, and I have no idea how to dress! Any tips would be appreciated.

        1. No, I have never worked on a reservation. I kept the text because of interest in the subject matter. I live in an area of the country mostly without reservations (think big state to the north) but with a large Native American population. Unfortunately, I do not have any advice for you except to dress professionally as you ordinarily would.

          1. Thanks, I got a lot of contradictory advise from my (male) contact so now I’m really confused. Stuff like, “You have to wear a suit at any off reservation meetings, but you shouldn’t wear one in the offices on rez. You should dress business casual on rez, what you’re wearing (jeans, sneakers, and a jacket) should be fine. Oh, and they might want you to go horseback riding.”

            I’m having the most trouble coming up with an outfit that is both business casual and appropriate for horseback riding.

          2. I think there’s basically no way to have an outfit that is both appropriate for horseback riding and business casual unless you include jeans as business casual. Jeans, polo shirt, blazer, and low boots (no sneakers. they can be too slippery, foot slips through stirrup, gets caught. Bad idea).

            And may I just say I want a job where a meeting instruction is followed with “and they might want you to go horseback riding.” If I could find a way to combine law+horseback riding, that would be lovely.

        2. Where is the reservation? I’ve worked on several reservations for the past three years, but it may not be applicable to you. In general, I’d go with a “casual suit.” Something that will still look good if you take the jacket off.

          I used to always wear suits, but as time has gone on, I’m more likely to wear skirts and tops. All the other lawyers are male, and they usually take their jackets off immediately. This is at tribal council meetings and board meetings.

          All the tribal courts I’ve worked have been REALLY casual. I used to wear suits, but honestly, it was over the top. So, skirts and blouses for me, with either a cardigan or blazer.

          1. I want to go horseback riding for work! But only if they have hypoallergenic horses. From my limited experience, the advice tot go business casual on the reservation sounds solid. Maybe nice pants and a twinset? With cowboy boots? Or bring jeans in the car in case of surprise outdoor activities?

          2. Thanks for the advice. I don’t want to identify the reservation for fear of identifying myself too easily. I’m going to be working with the tribal attorney’s office, and I just heard back from someone there that they don’t have a dress code. So I’m going to go with business casual and keep a jacket in the car in case I have to switch back and forth quickly.

            Again, thank you for your advice. I’m really glad to have heard from a woman who has worked on reservations before I show up on my first day.

    7. I walked out of my exam room and straight to the school bookstore to sell them back. I kept one or two for classes I really liked, but they’re too heavy to have hanging around. I sold some on half.com if the bookstore didn’t want them, but if they’re too old, you’re not going to be able to sell them because there will be new editions. See if you can find somewhere to donate them–a library booksale, or maybe to a prison library?

    8. I held on to mine for way too long. Called the local library, Goodwill, and other orgs I donate to often, and they didn’t want the books. I ended up taking them to a recycling center.

    9. I sold them immediately after I finished taking the classes. I did keep my notes/outlines since they were all electronic.

    10. I sold all of mine except for a handful that are either related to something I do now or have serious sentimental value (the two classes I worked the hardest for my A and A+) . . .
      Everything else went on half . com

    11. It’s probably too late now, but i donated most of mine to my law school’s student services department, so that students with serious financial needs could use them for free. I did keep a few (and I really do still look at them from time to time)

      I’ve found you can get rid of almost everything you don’t want on freecycle. And the taker will come to your door/porch to pick them up. Or a local high school/community theatre may have use for them for their sets.

    12. In my last house I stacked them artfully and put my television on the stack – sort of an ironic tv table. Lawyers who came in my house would start laughing hysterically, everone else didn’t get it. Then I married and moved, and the husband nixed the ironic tv table so they’re hanging out in a closet, twelve years post graduation. I don’t know why I can’t get rid of them, I hated law school.

      1. Actually, now that I posted that I realized that it’s nineteen years post graudation. And I still have them. Even more perplexing…

  8. Comfortable Shoes?

    I’m going on vacation in a few weeks and I’m on the hunt for comfortable shoes that I can wear while sightseeing. I need something that has some support, particularly around the ball of the foot, but isn’t an athletic sneaker.

    Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

    1. Out of curiosity, why not an athletic sneaker?

      If you want something supportive, comfortable, and all-weather, this seems like the best bet (particularly as you can get one that looks more like a European-style city walking sneaker than a big neon-accented gym shoe, in case your concern is looking like an ugly American tourist).

      1. Thanks for responding! I already have a bunch of old running sneakers (although not neon) that I *could* wear but I’d like to avoid the tourist look if possible. I guess I’m looking for something like you just described “European style city walking sneaker.” Any idea where I can find something like this would be great (I’m not much of a shoe shopper so I’m at a loss as to where to even start looking).

        1. Puma has a lot of cute styles online and you may also be able to find some Adidas that will work. I also like Merrell- they have cute mary jane styles as well as more city-oriented sneakers that are not that athletic looking. I’ve gone on trips with lots of walking in all of those brands and they worked well for me.

        2. Ecco. I received a pair as a gift (that I picked out) before I spent a year in Europe. They aren’t the most fashionable, but, in my mind, look WAY better than most Merrell and Born shoes. I do love Born, though.

    2. Born. I walked around Italy for weeks in a pair of Born sandals. They weren’t the most attractive, but they were cuter than athletic sneakers.

    7. Coach makes cute lace up sneaker-type shoes if you don’t mind the C logo They are fabric with a suede inset and tongue.. I have them in dark blue and recently saw them in other colors (I can’t remember what – maybe gray) at Macy’s.

    1. Some of them could work but I don’t see how a mustard yellow velvet dress could ever be office appropriate.

    2. Does the first one have sequins? That’s a no in any office, I think. A few have length/neckline issues but that would depend on how the dress fits the wearer. Other than that, I think most are fine for a less conservative workplace. Personally, I dress much more conservative than necessary for my work, so since none of these are black/gray/navy suits or sheath dresses, they don’t do it for me :)

      1. i think it’s some kind of tweedy texture – not sure if there’s any metallic aspect though!

        thanks for the feedback – i work in a business casual tech office (emphasis on casual) where the uniform is jeans/chinos w/ a buttondown shirt. as a woman and one of the youngest members of the group i’ve been trying to find a balance between dressing professionally/looking older and not dressing up TOO much, if that makes sense.

    3. My office is not conservative by any means, but I’d say that most of those outfits are far too evening for work because they’re too shiny or too short/low cut. We have one person who wears dresses like those featured almost daily and let’s just say that her outfits are the highlight of the average workday, but not in a way that one would want to emulate.

  11. Corporettes, I just wanted to share a random life happening for the “how to cope with career disappointments” archive.

    In the past year I was a finalist for an amazing position that probably would have made my career permanently–between the prestige and the connections. I didn’t get it. I had thought I could handle it like an adult, but seriously had crying fits for several days after getting the rejection, and couldn’t envision how I would ever “make it” having missed that opportunity. I went over the interview again and again in my mind, convinced that I had done something to blow it.

    Well, I just heard (anonymously) from someone “on the inside” yesterday that made clear 1) I never actually had a chance, for various reasons I couldn’t have known–so I didn’t necessarily do anything wrong; and 2) the people I would have ended up working for are terribly unsupportive and probably would have made me miserable.

    While I know that the person who got the position will have many advantages for the rest of his/her career, I now feel much better about not getting it. I just feel like this goes to show that things do happen for a reason, and that sometimes bad news is actually good news in disguise. If there’s anyone out there nursing a major ego wound from a recent rejection, maybe this will help. I totally bottomed out from mine, and now I see why I shouldn’t have. Maybe I can take that wisdom with me for the next time!

    1. I can definitely relate to this. I started law school thinking I wanted to become a law professor and SCOTUS clerk. Went to the best law school I got into (think HYS), got good grades, made the law review. I thought I was pretty set for a good Appellate clerkship. I got a handful of really top-notch appellate clerkship interviews (including serious feeder types). I spent thousands of dollars and untold emotional energy flying around the country to interview with judges, etc. I wanted nothing more than a feeder clerkship so I could continue on my way. I didn’t get a SINGLE clerkship offer. (And this was in the days when it was a bit easier.) Everyone around me with my qualifications got one. Not kidding. EVERYONE but me. I really freaked out. Got pretty depressed, really doubted myself. Had difficulty continuing my classes. All that good stuff.

      Turns out, I would have absolutely *hated* an appellate clerkship. Maybe the “prestige points” would have held me through, but now that I’m working I realize that I do not like that kind of work at all. I’ve transitioned out of it entirely to an area requiring very little legal research and writing (and I cringe when I do have to do some). I think that a year of it would have been painful for me and — more importantly — only encouraged me to continue trying that kind of legal path, which was totally not suited to me.

      So, I actually count myself very lucky that I got that little kick of rejection when I did!

      1. I have a pretty similar story (and background), except I experienced the humiliation of having literally only one judge’s office call me, to do a phone interview. That was it. Everyone else’s phone was ringing all day on the day that the judges were supposed to call, and me…nope.

        Turned out I went into corporate practice, love it, and shudder at the thought of being a litigator. Blessings in disguise.

        1. I remember the day all the judges were supposed to call. I skipped class and sat home with my phone, all ready to go. No. calls. whatsoever. It was a horrible rest of the day. My ego was totally shot.

      2. This is good to hear. My professional life is very turbulent right now and the things I love most about my job might soon be things of the past … My mantra has been “whatever will be is for the best” and while I don’t fully believe it, hearing stuff like this makes it a bit easier to keep internally chanting it.

    2. I applied to my dream job and was told that they found me extremely compelling and that I would get an interview, which just had to be arranged. I just found out they are already at the final decision-making stages with candidates that were being vetted before I applied.

      Thanks for some perspective– now I just have to internalize it.

    3. I can relate to this sooo much. Applied to law school twice, didn’t get into any of the “prestigious schools” and I’m ashamed to say that I thought I was “too good” to attend the lower ranked school that I ended up getting into. Turns out that I loved law school and the environment, did extremely well, clerked on the federal appellate level last year, and am toying with the idea of SCOTUS. I would never have imagined that going to this school would be such a benefit, but it turned out to be the best thing that happened to me professionally. It all happens for a reason!

    4. Wow, thanks for the share.

      Husband is waiting right now to hear back from an interview for a job he REALLY wants. He’s so invested in getting an offer, that if he doesn’t, I think he’ll bottom out the way you describe. From someone who’s been there recently, what can I do to be supportive if the offer doesn’t come through? I cringe at the thought of watching him be crushed like that.

  12. First time commenter, long time lurker here.

    I head up marketing in a very biz-casual environment. Most days, I wear a blouse, cardigan and skirt and am one of the sharpest dressers at my office (thanks, Corporette!) Tomorrow I’ll be attending a court-ordered mediation along with other senior staff. Our outside counsel’s directive was to “wear something comfortable.” The mediator is a retired district court judge. “Comfortable” to me is what I wear to work every day, but I don’t want to disrespect the mediator or the process by not wearing a suit.

    Should I wear a suit, or is my usual skirt/blouse/cardigan uniform acceptable? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

    1. I’m a former litigator who now works in mediation, and I think your uniform sounds perfect for a mediation, especially since you are the client, and not counsel.

      If it were an arbitration, I’d suggest a suit. Same if the mediation was being held by a sitting judge in chambers (such as an MSC). But from what you describe, you should be just fine.

    2. Ditto that a suit is not necessary. Just look put together and take the advice to be comfortable seriously. There will probably be lots of sitting around and waiting, so I wouldn’t try to squeeze into a skirt that doesn’t fit or a shirt you have to mess with.

      1. I spent my last mediation sitting in a slightly too small suit with those awful high-rise pants (what’s with those) and by the end of 11 hours I felt like I’d been cut in two by my waistband. By the end I was seriously tempted to unhook the pants and untuck my shirt to hide it. You’ll likely be stuck around a conference table for hours with nothing to do – definitely opt for comfortable.

        (and I’ve had clients show up in jeans and t-shirts regularly for mediations, so don’t worry about that)

      2. Thank you everyone! You have made me feel much more confident in my wardrobe selection. :)

  13. Sorry for the threadjack, but…

    How do I gently inform people that I’m not an intern? I am currently in a fellowship in a government agency, and there is a lot of confusion about the difference between my fellowship and the various internship programs we have. My fellowship requires that I have already completed a graduate degree.

    Should I correct people when they refer to me as an intern, or let it go? Does the position of the person making the mistake matter? The Deputy Director of my agency made the mistake a few days ago when introducing me to officials from another agency.

    I’m doing the equivalent work to full time professionals in my office. The main difference between me and everyone else in my office is that I get more training opportunities. I dress similarly to other women in my office – usually pants and a jacket or sweater, and a suit when I have an important meeting. I asked the co-worker that has become my unofficial mentor if I was dressing or acting like an intern, she feels I conduct myself as a full time professional.

    I can’t tell if the title only matters to me, or if it influences how other people see me.

    1. Are you a PMF?

      How long have you been at your agency? Is it possible for someone (supervisor, mentor) to send out a bio about you introducing you? E.g., Please welcome LizM. She has a degree in Impressive Graduate Work from Prestigious School. She will be with us for the next year as part of the Fellowship Program. Her focus while she’s here will be Project X. Please stop by and introduce yourself.

      As long as you’re doing professional-level work and getting the right experience, I wouldn’t worry about this too much. The prestige of your fellowship will be apparent to future employers.

    2. No real advice, but I understand how frustrating that can be and do think you should gently correct someone if they mention you’re an intern or ask if you are. I’ve had several clients ask me when I’m graduating law school or, worse, if I’m planning on going to law school. I’m a fourth year associate representing these same clients in court (not sure why they didn’t object to the partners sending them to court with only a supposed intern, but still). To some extent I think i just need to age a bit, but I do make a point to correct them politely so that they don’t continue to see me as less than an attorney and possibly disregard my advice because of it.

  14. There was a very similar top, without the ties at the neckline, at Ann Taylor a few months ago. It’s not on the website anymore, but I saw several at my local store a week ago. That might be an option for those who like the look but not the price of this one.

  15. Threadjack here. Can I just say how irritating I find it when law firms demand law school transcripts for lateral associate hires? I’m currently a sixth year associate, and recently saw a job posting to which I’d consider applying. But I will NOT apply for this job because it explicitly requests “stellar academic credentials” and a law school transcript.

    First, let’s get it out of the way: I don’t have stellar academic credentials from law school. Here’s what I do have: two appellate clerkships and four years of litigation experience focusing in the area of the job posting. I have taken and defended depositions, handled cases from inception to trial, first- and second-chaired trials, prosecuted and defended Motions in the circuit court, got a defense verdict in an $8.5 million dollar construction loss, and litigated (and won) at the circuit court, court of appeals, and state supreme court. I also teach at our local law school, both LRW and a course in my substantive area of practice.

    But I also graduated from law school with barely a 3.0 GPA. Now maybe the above doesn’t sound too impressive to you ladies on Corporette, but it sounds impressive to ME for a fourth-year associate to have done it all. So, why doesn’t my work achievement speak for itself?

    1. I think it sounds rather impressive, frankly.
      Personally, I don’t know why employers would still care about academic transcripts for people who have been in the work force for 4-5 years. I’d say if you really want and are interested in the job, then apply for it. If they can’t see that you’re awesome, that’s their problem. But from your description of the job posting, they have a very different idea of what constitutes prestige/accomplishment and may not be the kind of place you actually want to work.

        1. I agree. We have clients who sometimes want a consultant or employee candidate that has “stellar academic credentials,” comprehensive professional experience, is proficient in every computer program or programming language they might possibly ever need, has an absolutely blemish-free resume populated with jobs at the most prestigious companies, a background check that doesn’t even reveal an occasional parking ticket, and by the way, it would be great if the candidate was also an international supermodel, was great at baking so they can bring treats to the office, and had telepathic ability so they know what we’re thinking before we say it. What I usually tell those people is that maybe they should contact a genetic engineering firm and just have their ideal employee grown in a lab, because we’re never going to find that person. Ever.

          What people say in a job posting and what they are willing to accept are two totally different things. Everyone shoots for the moon in the posting hoping to get people who are at least acceptable. If you are interested in the job, apply and say “transcripts available upon request” at the bottom of your resume or in the cover letter. If they aren’t interested, fine – and if they’re that hung up on the academic stuff in light of your stellar experience, would you really want to work for them anyway? I have worked with some companies where everyone’s academic credentials are more important than their actual experience or talent, and for the most part they are populated with pompous dilettantes who can’t actually get much done. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. Believe me, when you’re sitting looking at a stack of resumes where no one comes close to meeting the bare requirements of the job – and that is still happening to a lot of people, in this day and age – a candidate with solid experience and almost everything you want except that ONE thing, is still a great candidate. Go for it.

    2. They might want the transcript just to verify that the applicant actually gradauted from law school. One of the big law firms in my city discovered a couple of years ago that one of its “lawyers” had actually never graduated from law school. Admittedly, someone with your credentials is unlikely to have that problem, but I’m pretty sure the burned law firm now requires EVERY APPLICANT to submit a law school transcript–mine does.

      As for the job, why not apply and submit the required transcript? The worst that can happen is that you don’t get the job, which is what definitely will happen if you don’t apply.

    3. I think the answer is because they can. There are so many people vying for jobs these days that the law firms can afford to be as picky as they please. Doesn’t make it right, but that’s the case. I agree with others that you should apply anyway. The firm that I am working at said that they only accepted people in the top 5% of the class, which I was not, and I got hired anyway.

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