What was the wait time between when you graduated law school and began your occupation as a lawyer?

I started at a law firm in the fall after I graduated (in June). I studied for the bar exam during the summer and spent a few weeks traveling before my job started. As said above, most people start right away.

I would imagine that it could be hard to get a job if there is a long delay between graduating and wanting to start practicing law. Most firms expect you to have experience that roughly matches the time that's elapsed since you finished school. If you think you'd like to try other things, you might consider doing those between college and law school.

That said, nothing is impossible! A good friend spent his whole career on the business side doing procurement for a company and just now switched to a role as a lawyer.

Most people start as soon as they get a job, which can be right after law school. If you want to get a job in a top firm, you will want to try to get a job as a "summer associate" during your law school summers. Then, ideally, the firm you work for during the summer will offer you a job for right after graduation. This is usually the ideal scenario. You'll have to pass the bar, though, in order to be a certified lawyer. Most firms will hire you even if you haven't passed the bar yet. You'll just study for the bar while you work for them.

I worked in a law firm doing administrative work after I graduated from law school right after I took the bar exam. I started my first job as an attorney soon after I passed the bar. I graduated in January, I took the bar in February, received results I believe in May, and was working by the summer as an associate. Good luck!

You usually get recruited by firms after first year to attend summer student programs and by the middle of third year, you have a pretty good idea of where you will be going. After three tough years at law school, its kind of nice to negotiate a start date a little later in the summer so you can get a breather, go on an adventure and get centered before you start. In my opinion, taking a few months after you graduate is ideal. Many firms can be accommodating to your preferences and specific needs.