Along with other factors, the recession has also driven more students to seek out opportunities overseas than ever before, said HLS Professor David B. Wilkins.

“If you go to China, you don’t feel like there’s a recession,” he said. “There’s something of a paradigm shift going on here and it’s tied to the shift in the global economy.”

Wilkins estimates that in the last 10 years, student interest in working abroad after graduation increased from 5 percent to about 25 percent—which he attributes to students’ more advanced language skills and prior experiences abroad.

But for some students with families or other considerations, the decision to uproot is not to be taken lightly, and they may face additional obstacles in securing a position.

“If you have mobility, then it is a lot easier to find a job,” Goldberg said.

CHANGING PRIORITIES

The economic downturn and its effects on the legal hiring market have prompted students to reflect on their career interests and priorities. With no guarantee of a position at a big law firm, students have become more likely to enter public service directly after graduation.

Law School Student Government President Brian T. Aune says that the tougher legal job market was “an impetus” for him to take a job in the public sector the summer after his second year.

This summer position ultimately led him to decide to work in public service after graduation.

Jackson says he believes that the increase in students looking at government jobs—at the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency—might also reflect enthusiasm for the Obama administration.

But other students say their friends have viewed public sector jobs as a backup plan—for instance, if they failed to receive offers from desirable firms or if their start dates were deferred due to budgeting constraints.

Courtship applications are up this year, and Aune says he thinks it might be due to deferrals, since “people need something to do for a year.”

Third year Law School student Sarah E. Sorscher says she felt “very lucky” to land her clerkship next year.

Sorcher says that though her fiancé has credentials that would ordinarily make him a very competitive candidate, he had difficulty getting a clerkship, and ultimately settled for one that was not in his area of interest.

Weber notes that all jobs in the public sector are just as difficult to get in the current market.