We'll Always Have the Memories, TJ; Now We Have the Future

A bittersweet moment.

This week, the school announced it will vacate its custom-built law campus and relocate to a smaller space in a 24-story downtown San Diego office building that also houses Bank of American and several law firms, including Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. Classes will be held in the new space starting in the fall.

Sure, you might say, it's a waste that Thomas Jefferson School of Law built a $90 million dollar law school with all the bells and whistles to be expected by America's top law applicants.  That fine mock court room and the swank diner where woke, intelligent students sipped coffee and discussed the detailed holdings of Casey v. Planned Paranthood.

As our most famous real estate tycoon would say: sad!  But on the bright side, TJLS is now in the same building as several law firms.  Now not only is the bright futures of these eager beavers intangibly palpable, it's physically palpable.  A few each year will no doubt be able to smell the new carpeting and paint of their posh offices.

TJLS students, have you ever tried the getting off on the wrong floor trick?  Hundreds - thousands, even - of lawyers in our major cities can land jobs through this innovative form of networking.

1.  Wear nicest $250 suit you own and don't skimp on the shoes or accessories, bro.  Ladies, if you got 'em, let the girls breathe a bit.  Take resumes and print-outs of writing samples that cover areas in which the big firm practices.
2.  Get off on the floor of a top law firm.
3.  Claim you have an interview at some fake law firm - "Jones Johnson Smith, LLP" or something.
4.  When the receptionist points to the sign and says, "yeah, that's not us," get a flustered look, turn, walk confidently, and fall flat on your face, splaying the papers everywhere.  Blood is a plus.  Learn how to feign something being broken.

It's pot luck who walks through the lobby when you're running this game, but talk about getting a foot in the door!  Lower 1st-tier graduates from schools like TJLS usually have to make their fortunes everywhere; it's plain that this prejudice reduces their opportunities at firms like Lewis Brisbois.  But being in the same building, having a security pass, and being able to claim you got off on the wrong floor... go ask Cal-Western if those fuckers can do that.

So of course it's sad to see a school move from its resplendent campus, a tragic result of the fluke recession mixing with irrational fears about the law school scam to create a "perfect storm" of this overlooked, underrated, emerging market law school not being able to reel in the guppies fast enough.  But look at the silver lining - most of these TJLS students are closer to BigLaw than ever!