Jennifer M. Branch is a first-year associate at a major Center City law firm who has the poise, polish and calm demeanor of an attorney who slid effortlessly into the profession.

Not exactly.

A member of the school's inaugural class, Branch was a successful student who received a prestigious inaugural scholarship, earned a spot on the Trial Team and served as the Philadelphia Metro Sub-Regional Director of the National Black Law Students Association.

But just as she was ordering a cap and gown for her May 2009 graduation, Branch became a casualty of the economic tsunami that struck the legal industry.

The winter of 2009 saw law firms that were reeling from the economic downturn announcing layoffs and delayed start dates for new hires. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in February 2009 took the unprecedented step of rescinding job offers it had made to 12 starting attorneys, including Branch.

The Voorhees, N.J. native had completed an internship and a 2L summer with the Philadelphia DA's Office and accepted a plum job offer in October 2008. She looked forward to a 3L year that would not require her to so much as think about her resume. But now, 12 weeks from graduation, she was caught flat-footed.

"I had the closest thing to a panic attack I think I've ever had," Branch said. "You're definitely behind the eight ball."

Branch, who had worked in real estate and information technology for five years before starting law school, kept her wits about her.

"You pick up the pieces," she explained, "and you say, 'What's next?'"

Branch had already begun working part-time with the Nash Law Firm in Blackwood, N.J. It was a small firm where Branch expected to gain additional experience and some needed income as she completed her 3L year.

She was grateful that the firm kept her on after she graduated, but it was still a part- time job.

And so she remained on the job market.

"It really comes down to the hustle," Branch said, in a soft but determined voice.

For Branch, that meant keeping her resume constantly updated, learning as much as humanly possible about the firms that were hiring, being ready to drop everything to go for job interviews on short notice and at odd times, like 5 p.m. on a Friday.

By the fall of 2009, Branch's hustle paid off, and she accepted an offer from Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin, where she is now delighted to be a member of the firm's Professional Liability and Toxic Tort practice groups.

Branch previously knew nothing about toxic torts and never planned to focus her practice in the field. But Branch's willingness to adapt - and her determination - allowed her to wind up in an ideal situation.

"It's very interesting work and it's voluminous," she said. "For a young lawyer, there's a lot to do: there are thousands of cases on the docket."

When friends ask for advice about the still-rocky job market, Branch advises flexibility.

"Don't completely shut anything out. You never know what's going to happen."