Need advice on summer choices Forum

[minnbills]

Okay TLS- I need some advice for my 2L summer.

I need two credits this summer so I can graduate in December. I can either get those credits by doing a corporate externship, or by taking credit for my RA position.

The bigger issue is I am still not settled into a job. I have two offers for unpaid work. One with a small law firm, the other with legal aid.

I interviewed with a law firm last week (which would be an awesome gig) that was supposed to give me a decision yesterday, but I haven't heard from them yet. I have another interview with a divorce firm tomorrow (phone interview). I have a lot of experience in divorce at this point so I feel like I have a strong shot.

What do I do? I'm not happy about the corporation I was paired with for the corp externship, and I want to do litigation anyways so I feel like I should pass on that and take the RA for credit. The upside to this is I would get graded for the RA so it would be a free A+. Jobs keep going up on our board and I can still mass mail small firms.

On the other hand, the corporate externship would give me some solid experience with a F500 corporation, but it will cost me 4k and I will lose my A+ for the summer.

[rad lulz]

I'd do f500 unless your grades are sps small firms aren't super grade sensitive

[minnbills]

Depending on how my grades for this semester go the RA A+ might put me over the top for magna

[rad lulz]

Depending on how my grades for this semester go the RA A+ might put me over the top for magna

I'd do f500

[jbagelboy]

is it target corp? I have an acquaintance through family friends at UMN who turned an unpaid 2L summer internship with target into a paid in-house position post-grad. By paid, of course, I don't mean large firm type salaries here. Probably not very common but not entirely impossible.

sounds like you're leaning pretty heavy for the RA gig though.

[Pleasye]

The grade for the RA position is nice and all but you need work experience not a grade for summer. Do the corporate internship or do the unpaid firm job for 2 units, you can't work there for free anyway.

[Danger Zone]

RA is the absolute last thing I would do on that list, because the others all have some non-zero chance of post-grad employment (which should be your ultimate goal for 2L summer). If you get a firm that's awesome, but it looks like your best bet currently is the F500 internship.

[sparty99]

They all sound like shitty options. Apply to paid positions. Otherwise, the Fortune 500.

[jdx2014]

I agree with the poster above, I would try to get paid work if you can. They can be competitive to get into at places worth being that still pay, but it is what I would personally aim for. IMHO.

[minnbills]

Got rejected from the law firm this morning. I have another interview this afternoon. I was contacted by counsel at the corp. today who want to hear from me. I'm sure they know people flake out on these things so she asked to speak to me by 4pm.

I really don't want to pay 4k for this. I know it is the best experience I have on my table though.

[jbagelboy]

Got rejected from the law firm this morning. I have another interview this afternoon. I was contacted by counsel at the corp. today who want to hear from me. I'm sure they know people flake out on these things so she asked to speak to me by 4pm.

I really don't want to pay 4k for this. I know it is the best experience I have on my table though.

When you say "pay 4k", do you mean lose the 4k you would earn as an RA, or literally, pay a fee for the program?

[minnbills]

Pay the program.

I will have to pay for credits this summer regardless of which option I choose. But the externship is 3 credits and the RA is only 2. The externship is P/F while RA would be A-F.

If I do the externship I will have to do RA for pay though, so it will probably even out. But not getting graded for the RA might cost me the honors I'm shooting for.

The main issue is I am not ready to give up looking for real work. This is a huge failure on my part and I am pretty bitter about it.

edit: Also, I did not get target. I requested one of Medtronic, Target, or US bancorp but got another one which is decidedly less prestigious. I don't feel like it would look all that great on my resume either.

[minnbills]

I am leaning towards backing out of the externship and splitting full time between legal aid and the family law firm while I continue to look for better work.