To work or not to work 1L summer Forum

[Anonymous User]

How bad would it be to not work in the legal field after my first summer? I just want to get a low-key fun job.

[beachbum]

Sure, as long as you can return to that job for 2L summer, and then again after graduation.

[09042014]

How bad would it be to not work in the legal field after my first summer? I just want to get a low-key fun job.

You gotta do something law. Do a pt RA job at the very least.

Beachbum just gave some great advice.

[cinephile]

It would be really bad.

You can still relax. I think my summer break is 14 weeks, but I'm only working for 8. Or you could see about a part-time job.

[LawIdiot86]

Why are you in law school and on this website if you want a low-key and fun job? Law and those traits are mutually exclusive.

[Advice Dog]

A lot of nonprofit places in non-major legal markets, like Legal Aid or the Public Defenders Office, are pretty flexible and might allow you to work part time (3-4 days a week) since they're not paying you anyway.

[Anonymous User]

Do you know any people who own small companies? You can just talk to the people you worked with before law school if you're good friends with them and tell them you don't want to really do any work this summer but need some sort of legal experience on the resume.

Know of a couple people who did this and didn't do any work but on their resume looked like a legit legal experience at a small company.

[Anonymous User]

OCI interviews go by in a flash. You do not want to have to waste the first few minutes at every one explaining why you didn't do some kind of legal work over 1L summer. Do something law-related, as difficult as it may be to find. There has to be something with some tie-in to law that you can find. Still more than enough time to search.

[Anonymous User]

I took classes instead of working (not for a lack of trying to find summer work) and it screwed me big time for OCI. Do something legal

[lawschoolgrapedme]

You can do something non-legal and you will be fine. I worked in investment banking over 1L summer - v5 SA set up.

[Detrox]

You can do something non-legal and you will be fine. I worked in investment banking over 1L summer - v5 SA set up.

I-Banking does not equal "low-key fun job" to most people. 1L Non-legal jobs providing a decent basis for 2L OCI are by far the exception and not the default to live by...

[kaiser]

You can do something non-legal and you will be fine. I worked in investment banking over 1L summer - v5 SA set up.

Its a rare case among 1L law students to be able to secure a non-legal job like that which would still help at OCI. We only say "do something legal" as a blanket principle because the assumption is that, if a kid can't get a legal position secured, he isn't going to be able to get a position with an investment bank.

[Stanford4Me]

Are you considering this just because you want to be lazy, or is the job you're considering something you actually want to do?

[traehekat]

Are you considering this just because you want to be lazy, or is the job you're considering something you actually want to do?

Honestly, either answer is not good.

[midwestls]

Sure, as long as you can return to that job for 2L summer, and then again after graduation.

This.

[rbgrocio]

It would be bad.

[Anonymous User]

Just make up something and put it on your resume.

[bdubs]

Just make up something and put it on your resume.

Is that you, Stephen Glass?

[MBZags]

FWIW, we had a hiring partner from a Midwest firm come and give advice on getting a SA. He said he didn't really care if students did anything legal related 1L summer. He just wants potential SAs to do something and have it be relatively interesting.

[Emma.]

The only excuse for a nonlaw job would be to do something really epic like climb Everest. If you had some crazy story to tell that was like "well, this was always something I have dreamed of doing and it was the only chance I had before starting my legal career—a career I am very passionate about..." I'm pretty sure that would go over just fine at OCI.

[r6_philly]

The only excuse for a nonlaw job would be to do something really epic like climb Everest. If you had some crazy story to tell that was like "well, this was always something I have dreamed of doing and it was the only chance I had before starting my legal career—a career I am very passionate about..." I'm pretty sure that would go over just fine at OCI.

I don't know, that'd probably not going to go if you don't have something just as equally epic for the prior summer.

[ucbkenn]

I took classes instead of working (not for a lack of trying to find summer work) and it screwed me big time for OCI. Do something legal

Just curious... how do you know that taking classes is what screwed you?

[dixiecupdrinking]

How bad would it be to not work in the legal field after my first summer? I just want to get a low-key fun job.

0Ls, take note: this is why you take time off before law school.