The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition Forum

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NYC Law

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by NYC Law » Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
NYC Law wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:which is better for biglaw/oci interviews:
working for a judge in my home market (not where I want to be after graduation) or working for a small firm practicing a type of law that i don't think i'm particularly interested in in a primary market that I may want to be in after graduation? a penny for your thoughts! :)
Is the small firm shitlaw? If not I guess I'd do that, especially if there's any chance of working with them after graduation if OCI doesn't work out. As far as OCI they'll probably be roughly equal.
define shitlaw? it's also in nyc, where i might want to work (but am not totally sure--so hopefully this summer would help me figure that out0
Insurance Defense, Personal Injury, DUI Defense, Traffic tickets, Family law, Possibly any small firm involving 'creditors rights' or foreclosures.

I mean if you go to a low ranked school then you prob want to get your foot in the door anywhere, so I'd still do it even if shitlaw. If you can do better and really don't want to work there later then I'd just do the judge.

Although if the firm pays then just take that, no question.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:02 pm

NYC Law wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
NYC Law wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:which is better for biglaw/oci interviews:
working for a judge in my home market (not where I want to be after graduation) or working for a small firm practicing a type of law that i don't think i'm particularly interested in in a primary market that I may want to be in after graduation? a penny for your thoughts! :)
Is the small firm shitlaw? If not I guess I'd do that, especially if there's any chance of working with them after graduation if OCI doesn't work out. As far as OCI they'll probably be roughly equal.
define shitlaw? it's also in nyc, where i might want to work (but am not totally sure--so hopefully this summer would help me figure that out0
Insurance Defense, Personal Injury, DUI Defense, Traffic tickets, Family law, Possibly any small firm involving 'creditors rights' or foreclosures.

I mean if you go to a low ranked school then you prob want to get your foot in the door anywhere, so I'd still do it even if shitlaw. If you can do better and really don't want to work there later then I'd just do the judge.

Although if the firm pays then just take that, no question.
it's insurance law, and it pays. will it hurt me in any way during oci interviews?

i'm also at a t10, with fairly strong first semester grades...just haven't really applied to anything else

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kapital98

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by kapital98 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:39 pm

No it won't hurt you. It may help you by being able to network with other professionals in your market. However, without the networking the judge would probably make a slightly better LoR.
Anonymous User wrote:and it pays.
:D You have to decide if the other work is rewarding enough to compensate for the difference in work. If your rich it doesn't matter. Otherwise, money tends to help.

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FlanAl

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by FlanAl » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:35 pm

anyone else heard of this requirement that DOJ has that you have had to have been in the country for the last 3 of 5 years? I think this counts for most of the federal agencies too. bummer

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by Flips88 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:04 pm

Got a jerb offer from a federal agency

Image

Also interviewed with a federal judge today. Hoping I can get an answer from them before my other offer expires. I assume the prevailing opinion is still don't turn down a judge if you get an offer, right?

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theavrock

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by theavrock » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:07 pm

Flips88 wrote:Got a jerb offer from a federal agency

Image

Also interviewed with a federal judge today. Hoping I can get an answer from them before my other offer expires. I assume the prevailing opinion is still don't turn down a judge if you get an offer, right?
Congrats! That's what I have always heard. I've also heard they are pretty quick on the trigger (mine was). Obviously if you have already accepted the other offer you would have to turn them down.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by Flips88 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:00 pm

theavrock wrote: Congrats! That's what I have always heard. I've also heard they are pretty quick on the trigger (mine was). Obviously if you have already accepted the other offer you would have to turn them down.
They said they'd get back to me sometime early next week. I'm going to email the clerk tomorrow to tell him about my offer deadline. This judge was appointed in late 2010 so I think this is his first summer with an established externship program so it may not be as smooth a process as judges that have been picking for years.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by bk1 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:08 pm

Thoughts on whether the "you shouldn't turn down a judge" logic applies to a court's pro se department?

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by Puttanesca » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:17 pm

Had an offer reneged. Don't want to go into too much detail, but it had to do with the firm breaking up (smaller firm). I'm totally screwed now. I stopped sending out applications a while ago, as soon as I got the offer.

It's too late for the firms and judges in my desired market. Are there any fed agencies that might still be taking applications? Where else can I apply at this point in the game?

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by NYC Law » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:22 pm

bk187 wrote:Thoughts on whether the "you shouldn't turn down a judge" logic applies to a court's pro se department?
Tough one, sounds like a good Career Services question. I'm leaning towards it not applying though.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by 071816 » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:24 pm

bk187 wrote:Thoughts on whether the "you shouldn't turn down a judge" logic applies to a court's pro se department?
Do you mean like a pro se clinic at a federal district court that's run independently of the court? If yes, I say the logic definitely would not apply.

ETA: I'm not sure the logic even applies to judges for 1L summer externships.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by bdubs » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:31 pm

Anyone know whether employers generally follow NALP 2 week guideline for offers to 1L candidates, or is the whole thing a free-for-all?

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by gdane » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:35 pm

Puttanesca wrote:Had an offer reneged. Don't want to go into too much detail, but it had to do with the firm breaking up (smaller firm). I'm totally screwed now. I stopped sending out applications a while ago, as soon as I got the offer.

It's too late for the firms and judges in my desired market. Are there any fed agencies that might still be taking applications? Where else can I apply at this point in the game?
LOL!!! I just started sending out materials yesterday. I waited until I received my grades. I hope someone calls. Haha.

Keep trying. You lose nothing by sending your materials out.

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queenlizzie13

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by queenlizzie13 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:09 am

Puttanesca wrote:Had an offer reneged. Don't want to go into too much detail, but it had to do with the firm breaking up (smaller firm). I'm totally screwed now. I stopped sending out applications a while ago, as soon as I got the offer.

It's too late for the firms and judges in my desired market. Are there any fed agencies that might still be taking applications? Where else can I apply at this point in the game?
I'm sorry, that really sucks. Are you sure there aren't any judges hiring in your desired market? There might still be a couple.

I know a couple of DOJ agencies taking applications still and there probably is some non profits, hopefully? Did you not get calls back from the other apps or did you withdraw the apps after you got the offer?

I would look at your schools career site and offerings listed there as well. If you got a firm, you should be able to get something.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by yale2011 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:27 am

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Last edited by yale2011 on Tue Jul 10, 2012 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:19 am

kapital98 wrote:No it won't hurt you. It may help you by being able to network with other professionals in your market. However, without the networking the judge would probably make a slightly better LoR.
Anonymous User wrote:and it pays.
:D You have to decide if the other work is rewarding enough to compensate for the difference in work. If your rich it doesn't matter. Otherwise, money tends to help.

Working for a judge sounds so ridiculously boring in my mimd, and i dont want to be in my home market (much prefer nyc!). But oci firms wont see that i did insurance law and be like 'ewww', right?!

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by 69Coronet » Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:10 pm

Spent a bunch of time mailing out cover letters and resumes to judges on the 1st of December, didn't get any replies at all.

Started to look for additional opportunities, found a couple that were paid, including some that are directly related to the type of law I'd like to practice in the future.
Typed up resumes and cover letters for them. (Are you supposed to put a cover letter as the body of email when you send them off even if they only ask for resumes?)
Finished them this morning, figured I'd send them off this afternoon.

Sat down in class, flipped open my laptop, and had an email waiting: Got an interview next week with a CoA judge.
Psyched, but planning to send out the apps to these other internships as well. (figure it can't hurt...)

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ilovesf

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by ilovesf » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:13 pm

just got an interview request from a federal district judge! also i'm schedule a practice interview with a hastings alum who works at the DOJ. I hope I can somehow make that happen before my first actual interview.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by queenlizzie13 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:22 pm

ilovesf wrote:just got an interview request from a federal district judge! also i'm schedule a practice interview with a hastings alum who works at the DOJ. I hope I can somehow make that happen before my first actual interview.
Congrats!! That is awesome. :)

FYI - from my experience, the interviews were pretty laid back, but I suppose every judge is different.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by dabomb75 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:33 pm

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ilovesf

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by ilovesf » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:35 pm

question - is there a real difference in externing for a regular fed judge and a senior fed judge?

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by bk1 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:37 pm

ilovesf wrote:question - is there a real difference in externing for a regular fed judge and a senior fed judge?
Aren't senior judges kinda retired? I'd imagine that senior judges do less work though it probably varies case by case (some a bit less than when they were active and some doing a lot less). Maybe the amount of work they do will affect the kind of work that externs will get? Just a guess.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by ilovesf » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:44 pm

bk187 wrote:
ilovesf wrote:question - is there a real difference in externing for a regular fed judge and a senior fed judge?
Aren't senior judges kinda retired? I'd imagine that senior judges do less work though it probably varies case by case (some a bit less than when they were active and some doing a lot less). Maybe the amount of work they do will affect the kind of work that externs will get? Just a guess.
Yeah I knew they did less work I just am not sure if the work environment is different, or if there are just fewer externs because there is less work, etc. Maybe this is something that I should ask the career office instead since none of us have actually externed with one yet.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by queenlizzie13 » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:44 pm

ilovesf wrote:
bk187 wrote:
ilovesf wrote:question - is there a real difference in externing for a regular fed judge and a senior fed judge?
Aren't senior judges kinda retired? I'd imagine that senior judges do less work though it probably varies case by case (some a bit less than when they were active and some doing a lot less). Maybe the amount of work they do will affect the kind of work that externs will get? Just a guess.
Yeah I knew they did less work I just am not sure if the work environment is different, or if there are just fewer externs because there is less work, etc. Maybe this is something that I should ask the career office instead since none of us have actually externed with one yet.
Either that or someone from your school who has externed with a senior judge.

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Re: The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition

Post by ilovesf » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:38 pm

queenlizzie13 wrote:
Either that or someone from your school who has externed with a senior judge.
Yeah I know some 2Ls who externed for judges last summer but so far none of them were senior judges.. I'll keep asking around though.

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