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(Editor’s note: This piece originally ran in the May 12, 2011, issue of the Briefly Legal e-newsletter)

As聽 law schools in Oregon prepare to release a new stream of graduates into the legal community, members of the Oregon New Lawyers Division offer some sage advice for the legal newcomers.

鈥淭his is a tough time to enter the attorney job market, but my advice is (Winston) Churchill‘s advice: 鈥楴ever never never never give up.鈥� Find your spot as an attorney – no matter what it takes. You will love your career. You will never be bored. You will be proud of your legal profession your entire life. Your mom is proud of you now and your kids will be in the future. And consider a career in the public sector.鈥澛� 鈥� Patti Powell, assistant legal counsel for the Oregon Judicial Department鈥檚 Legal Counsel Division in Salem

鈥淚 would advise new graduates not to forget why they went to law school in the first place and never lose sight of their goals 鈥� Also, keep your head up when looking for work and get creative. There are jobs for new attorneys that are not right in front of your face or accessible through traditional means.鈥� 鈥� Jason Hirshon, Slinde Nelson in Portland

鈥淚t is a very tough job market out there. Your key for now, and for your future, is networking and being involved. Not only will it help you find a job, it will help you build a book of business, which becomes very important around years five and six.鈥� 鈥� Marc Johnston, Johnston Law Firm in Portland

鈥淏ecause the legal profession is dynamic and will continue to redefine itself, it’s most important to keep an open mind about what you want to do and what you are willing to do with your law degree. Though you may have had one idea or path in mind when you started law school, don’t let that distract you from other opportunities 鈥� Keep your options open and don’t hesitate to explore new opportunities.鈥� 鈥� Karen Clevering, Portland attorney

鈥淔ind mentors to advise you on the law and guide you through an oftentimes byzantine system, but don’t expect them to provide you with a job or even advice that will lead you to one. You have the qualifications to be a lawyer, but now you have to make yourself into one.鈥� – Raife Neuman, Portland attorney

鈥溾�� Unsettling as it may seem, new graduates would be well served to recognize and embrace the fact that the legal profession paradigm has changed from what we all understood it to be when we decided to attend law school. Grades and on-campus interviews no longer define graduates鈥� opportunities 鈥� Those who more readily adapt to the new legal landscape will more readily find the opportunities that are out there.鈥� 鈥� Joey Mohr, Mohr Intellectual Property Law Solutions in Portland