The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition Forum

[Lasers]

Being unemployed is scary and there's no need to be rude to someone without a job for the summer, especially since you already have one and since he acknowledged that his search wasn't the right approach.

it's all good.

i doubt he meant anything by it. it's life; we can laugh and learn.

[Puttanesca]

sigh...inside the top 10%...when will it be mine turn for a summer jerb?

What kinds of places have you been applying to? I would think gov't and PI wouldn't be too overly difficult. I applied to 15 gov't and PI positions (mostly gov't), got 9 interviews, and 3 offers. Still waiting to hear back from the 6 others I interviewed with.

probably my fault because i've only been looking at paying firms and in-house.

is there a place i can find listings for PI/govt stuff? thanks.

at this point, i really don't care what i do now.

The pslawnet suggestion that others made is a good resource. Another option my CSO has mentioned is to just cold call various government agencies that you would be willing to intern for. A lot of places might not have an advertised position or really any formal intern program at all, but they might be willing to take a volunteer for the summer. You could just say something like, "Hi, my name is X. I am a first-year student at Y law school, and I am interested in volunteering for your agency for Z weeks over the summer. Do you have any volunteer opportunities?"

[Anonymous User]

bottom 20%, school 30-40, regular student (no urm/really old/whatever) - locked up 1L SA paying half of the major market salary for the summer . . . Don't stop looking, anything is possible

[synergy]

bottom 20%, school 30-40, regular student (no urm/really old/whatever) - locked up 1L SA paying half of the major market salary for the summer . . . Don't stop looking, anything is possible

Woah congrats! Did you just find it on your school's symplicity site?

[reformed calvinist]

bottom 20%, school 30-40, regular student (no urm/really old/whatever) - locked up 1L SA paying half of the major market salary for the summer . . . Don't stop looking, anything is possible

You must teach me! By "really old" I assume you have WE. That had to have helped.

[Dany]

bottom 20%, school 30-40, regular student (no urm/really old/whatever) - locked up 1L SA paying half of the major market salary for the summer . . . Don't stop looking, anything is possible

You must teach me! By "really old" I assume you have WE. That had to have helped.

I think he's saying he's not URM or old.

[reformed calvinist]

What if you've just discovered your "dream" practice area and you haven't applied to anything related to that? Frak.

[r6_philly]

What if you've just discovered your "dream" practice area and you haven't applied to anything related to that? Frak.

Send some requests for information express your interest for next summer.

[reformed calvinist]

What if you've just discovered your "dream" practice area and you haven't applied to anything related to that? Frak.

Send some requests for information express your interest for next summer.

yeah, I've already carpetbombed professors and alumni with "advice" emails. my greatest fear is missing the boat and never having a shot at it.

[Lasers]

would it be fine to work for solo practitioners/very small firms? i've read not much besides a SA or some prestigious govt. jobs/judicial externships help for OCI, but do some jobs hurt you?

it seems there are quite a few small firms who started hiring now.

[bk1]

would it be fine to work for solo practitioners/very small firms? i've read not much besides a SA or some prestigious govt. jobs/judicial externships help for OCI, but do some jobs hurt you?

it seems there are quite a few small firms who started hiring now.

I see nothing wrong with it as long as the small firm isn't just making you do purely clerical bullshit (e.g. copying, mailing, fetching coffee, etc) and not giving you legal experience.

[Anonymous User]

bottom 20%, school 30-40, regular student (no urm/really old/whatever) - locked up 1L SA paying half of the major market salary for the summer . . . Don't stop looking, anything is possible

Woah congrats! Did you just find it on your school's symplicity site?

I'm 24, i.e. not old. didn't use symplicity or OCI or anything else because of my shitty grades (figured I'd do study abroad or something this summer). sent out ~60 custom tailored cover letters that I did over the summer on 12/1. Went downtown a little before bar review started and randomly shot the shit with a guy at the bar. I eventually found out he was a partner at a midlaw firm and I casually mentioned that I already sent in a CV to his firm a while back. He must have reviewed it and contacted me a few days later with an offer (didn't even ask what my grades were)

[r6_philly]

I'm 24, i.e. not old. didn't use symplicity or OCI or anything else because of my shitty grades (figured I'd do study abroad or something this summer). sent out ~60 custom tailored cover letters that I did over the summer on 12/1. Went downtown a little before bar review started and randomly shot the shit with a guy at the bar. I eventually found out he was a partner at a midlaw firm and I casually mentioned that I already sent in a CV to his firm a while back. He must have reviewed it and contacted me a few days later with an offer (didn't even ask what my grades were)

Congrats! Networking pays!

[udonisandtrinity]

fed judge

[reformed calvinist]

In at a brokerage firm in their legal compliance department.

Congrats. Weight of the world off one's shoulders.

[Shammis]

Turns out the job I had lined up for the summer turned into a fall job (in-house)...great wtf am I going to do now...at least I have another thing to put on my resume...AFTER OCI...

[adonai]

Turns out the job I had lined up for the summer turned into a fall job (in-house)...great wtf am I going to do now...at least I have another thing to put on my resume...AFTER OCI...

You can put it on before OCI..it just won't hold as much weight.

[Puttanesca]

If an employer made me an offer and said to get back to them as soon as possible, how long do you think I have? I'm waiting to hear back from two in-house jobs that I interviewed with last week, but I don't think they will get back to me for another 2-3 weeks. The offer is from a government place. I would rather have either of the in-house jobs, but I don't want to make the gov't place wait 3 weeks.

[r6_philly]

If an employer made me an offer and said to get back to them as soon as possible, how long do you think I have? I'm waiting to hear back from two in-house jobs that I interviewed with last week, but I don't think they will get back to me for another 2-3 weeks. The offer is from a government place. I would rather have either of the in-house jobs, but I don't want to make the gov't place wait 3 weeks.

Call and explain your situation, then ask if they would be wiling to wait. Most gov agencies are understanding that we set our sights on paid positions even if we really prefer the gov internships.

[FeelTheHeat]

Interview with a DCA judge next week. I feel pretty good about it as he worked in the circuit division I interned at before law school and knows my old man. Should I keep trying to look for other things in the meantime? If I get offered I'll 95% likely take it.

[Anonymous User]

got an offer to work at a small 5 man firm, but without compensation. I think i might take it if nothing else pans out. At the very least I'll get alot of first hand experience.

[Anonymous User]

Legal intern for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Unpaid but I'll get good experience doing everything.

[kjadkins]

Legal intern for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Unpaid but I'll get good experience doing everything.

Congrats! My legal writing instructor (now a judge) said that some of the best networking he ever did in law school was through volunteering for political organizations/campaigns, so it should be a good experience.

[thegrayman]

Does anyone know the most efficient way to figure out which government positions are still accepting applications?

My search is specifically in either NY or CA. I had a ton of interviews and nothing has come up yet, I want to get out as many applications as I can as soon as possible.

[Puttanesca]

Does anyone know the most efficient way to figure out which government positions are still accepting applications?

My search is specifically in either NY or CA. I had a ton of interviews and nothing has come up yet, I want to get out as many applications as I can as soon as possible.

I am not aware of any centralized databases which say which gov't positions are still accepting applications. Talk to your CSO and see if they know of any places. Beyond that, just call the various gov't agencies you're interested in and see if they are still accepting applications/would be willing to take a volunteer.