Salary Expectations for 1L Summer Internship? Forum

[barkingbug]

I have shockingly made some progress on the way to getting a paid legal internship in a corporation's in-house legal department.

They asked me to provide salary expectations. My salary expectations were $0. That doesn't seem like the right answer to give. I would take anything, but have no basis for giving a reasonable answer. Any suggestions?

[El_Gallo]

Sorry, no hopeful answer. Just wanted to say congrats on the gig. Any place that basically says, "name your price" sounds like a great place to internship at!

[Aberzombie1892]

Ask them what they have historically paid interns.

Then suggest either that number or slightly more (for inflation - but don't tell them that).

[2LLLL]

Ask them what they have historically paid interns.

Then suggest either that number or slightly more (for inflation - but don't tell them that).

Do this, but also emphasize your flexibility.

[MrPapagiorgio]

You say you have "made some progress." Does that you mean you have the position, or are still being considered? If you have the position, be reasonable (not 3k/week). If you don't have the position, be even more reasonable (don't low ball them though). If you had more details on your duties, I could give you a more hard and fast number.

[Sup Kid]

Just my personal experience from working this past fall as a paid 2L intern, the job where I worked paid $19.50/hour. One other friend also made ~$20/hr as a fall intern in a non-firm position, and a number of friends working at firms made between $15-20/hour. HTH.

[Rowinguy2009]

For whatever help this anecdotal evidence is worth.... My 1l firm job for this upcoming summer in a secondary (actually probably smaller than secondary) is paying 1150 per week

[barkingbug]

Helpful answers. They need a response very soon. There is no formal offer yet.

I have an inside connection helping me out some, so I will ask if he can get the historic pay figure and go with that. Otherwise, it sounds like $20/hr. seems reasonable. Thanks for the replies.