1L Summer Job Search C/O 2017 Forum

[Yea All Right]

How many people are still looking? I have no upcoming interviews and I've been rejected from everyone who I interviewed with already. I'm sending about 3-5 applications per day, mostly public interest at this point, and I get a "we acknowledge your application" e-mail for about 1 out of every 10, but no interviews. I'm at a top 3 school. Do I start worrying?

Also, is it really super important that I do a legal internship this summer? Like could I strike out at OCI at a top 3 school with median+ grades, good work experience, and no 1L internship? I want to be in NY this summer no matter what and I would rather be unemployed in NY (I have family there) than be doing an RA or an internship that I don't care about in a different city.

You should probably send out more applications per day.

And yes, it is super important that you do a legal internship. Imagine at OCI someone asking, "So what did you do this summer?" and you responding, "Nothing."

[Anonymous User]

Heard Sidley Chicago is thinking of hiring of a couple 1ls from UoC/NU and has started to ask people to interview

[Anonymous User]

-missed out on judicial internships because too busy gunning for paid SA positions crew-

-currently in fetal position instead of sending out applications crew-

[MKC]

I interviewed for my paid in-house position on March 31st last year, and got an offer April 16th. It's late, and I understand the panicky feeling you've got going right now, but you haven't struck out yet. That being said, pull your ass together and get to work. This isn't a disaster yet, but it will be if you don't start hustling your ass off. yesterday.

[A. Nony Mouse]

How many people are still looking? I have no upcoming interviews and I've been rejected from everyone who I interviewed with already. I'm sending about 3-5 applications per day, mostly public interest at this point, and I get a "we acknowledge your application" e-mail for about 1 out of every 10, but no interviews. I'm at a top 3 school. Do I start worrying?

Also, is it really super important that I do a legal internship this summer? Like could I strike out at OCI at a top 3 school with median+ grades, good work experience, and no 1L internship? I want to be in NY this summer no matter what and I would rather be unemployed in NY (I have family there) than be doing an RA or an internship that I don't care about in a different city.

Yeah, T3 school is obviously a very good position to be in, but you need to do something this summer. If nothing else, find a prof you can RA for - you may well be able to do that long distance from NY.

[Anonymous User]

I interviewed for my paid in-house position on March 31st last year, and got an offer April 16th. It's late, and I understand the panicky feeling you've got going right now, but you haven't struck out yet. That being said, pull your ass together and get to work. This isn't a disaster yet, but it will be if you don't start hustling your ass off. yesterday.

Same here. Several in house interviews late in March, I had to cancel some that came after I already had offer in hand from another place half way into March. Keep grinding.

[Anonymous User]

I interviewed for my paid in-house position on March 31st last year, and got an offer April 16th. It's late, and I understand the panicky feeling you've got going right now, but you haven't struck out yet. That being said, pull your ass together and get to work. This isn't a disaster yet, but it will be if you don't start hustling your ass off. yesterday.

Same here. Several in house interviews late in March, I had to cancel some that came after I already had offer in hand from another place half way into March. Keep grinding.

Just got a paid in-house job as well. Keep applying/networking (if you can, I know it's stressful as fuck at a terrible time). Try alumni at smaller companies.

[Anonymous User]

Just got my official in-house offer today. Companies can be slow to respond, so be sure to follow up (within reason) and stay in touch. I got my initial interview through a follow up email weeks later.

Keep hustling, everybody.

[iVi]

Any of you anons willing to PM me details?

[Anonymous User]

Just curious: what's the incentive for companies in offering paid legal internships? It's not a means for them to scout out potential hires in the way that a SA is.

[Anonymous User]

Another person who just accepted a paid in-house legal internship here. Applied early February, heard back about 5-6 weeks later asking me to do a phone screener. Everything moved pretty quickly after that. Just seconding what has been said before -- even though it's getting late in the game, don't lose hope. Be persistent, follow up, and keep hustling.

[BVest]

Just curious: what's the incentive for companies in offering paid legal internships? It's not a means for them to scout out potential hires in the way that a SA is.

Some do, but those are VERY few and VERY far between. I suspect some of it is just getting some extra legal grunt work done for very cheap (the work they'd otherwise be paying their firm to do, likely with lots of help from SAs). And as far as them being paid, well, that's cheaper than getting sued.

[Anonymous User]

Also offered a well-compensated (housing + $200/week meal card + $20/hr) in-house gig this summer with a large financial company. Unfortunately turned down because a) I hadn't heard back from them for 3 weeks, and b) I didn't receive it until 2 days after an exploding offer from a federal judge over the phone. The agony. :O

[ManoftheHour]

-missed out on judicial internships because too busy gunning for paid SA positions crew-

-currently in fetal position instead of sending out applications crew-

It's ok. You'll find something.

I gunned for judicial internships because I thought I wouldn't get paid SA positions (non-T14 school here).
Several of my classmates (got lower grades) got paid SA positions and now I'm f@#$ing sad.

[Anonymous User]

-missed out on judicial internships because too busy gunning for paid SA positions crew-

-currently in fetal position instead of sending out applications crew-

It's ok. You'll find something.

I gunned for judicial internships because I thought I wouldn't get paid SA positions (non-T14 school here).
Several of my classmates (got lower grades) got paid SA positions and now I'm f@#$ing sad.

Grades are not the only relevant factor in 1L summers, though.

[ManoftheHour]

Grades are not the only relevant factor in 1L summers, though.

True, but I wish I at least tried instead of just taking a judicial internship right off the bat.

[Anonymous User]

Grades are not the only relevant factor in 1L summers, though.

True, but I wish I at least tried instead of just taking a judicial internship right off the bat.

How many got them? I cannot imagine too many such that the odds for the whole were higher than you imagine. I got a pretty good summer job and had strong grades (with one exception), but networking and connections were crucial.

[BmoreOrLess]

SA's dont seem to be flying around for non-diverse, non-IP people at GULC.

Edited for being a dick.

[Anonymous User]

Well, I guess I'm extremely well connected by your terms. I mean I certainly wouldn't have gotten my job without it, but I definitely performed very well in my interview. Had to wow them regardless of getting the interview, and that was solely on me.

[Anonymous User]

Another GULC 1L here: none of the people I know from my section got a 1L SA. I personally got three screeners and one callback, but it didn't work out. Will be doing judicial internship, but I'm glad I got to see what the biglaw interviewing process looks like.

As a note to anon who thinks he's missed out on judicial internships, I know for a fact that some judges are still hiring. If you haven't gotten anything yet, it's worth calling every judge in the district that you're interested in interning in.

[ManoftheHour]

Grades are not the only relevant factor in 1L summers, though.

True, but I wish I at least tried instead of just taking a judicial internship right off the bat.

How many got them? I cannot imagine too many such that the odds for the whole were higher than you imagine. I got a pretty good summer job and had strong grades (with one exception), but networking and connections were crucial.

I personally know five. One got 2L SA locked up too, though he is doing IP.

ETA: On the other hand, I know a handful of people still summer-jobless, so I guess my decision wasn't all bad.

[BmoreOrLess]

Well, I guess I'm extremely well connected by your terms. I mean I certainly wouldn't have gotten my job without it, but I definitely performed very well in my interview. Had to wow them regardless of getting the interview, and that was solely on me.

My bad. Didn't mean to come across as a dick, just trying to point out that it's not raining SA's (at least at gulc) like people are making it out to be itt. obviously even with connections you need to crush grades/interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Grades are not the only relevant factor in 1L summers, though.

True, but I wish I at least tried instead of just taking a judicial internship right off the bat.

How many got them? I cannot imagine too many such that the odds for the whole were higher than you imagine. I got a pretty good summer job and had strong grades (with one exception), but networking and connections were crucial.

I personally know five. One got 2L SA locked up too, though he is doing IP.

ETA: On the other hand, I know a handful of people still summer-jobless, so I guess my decision wasn't all bad.

That isn't all too many. Are the other firms biglaw, or medium size?

[Anonymous User]

Well, I guess I'm extremely well connected by your terms. I mean I certainly wouldn't have gotten my job without it, but I definitely performed very well in my interview. Had to wow them regardless of getting the interview, and that was solely on me.

My bad. Didn't mean to come across as a dick, just trying to point out that it's not raining SA's (at least at gulc) like people are making it out to be itt. obviously even with connections you need to crush grades/interviews.

Yeah, GULC is feeling no love (apart from one individual case I've heard). But here: perfect grades, 60+ apps, 8 screeners, 6 callbacks, interviews went well (multiple going well over the scheduled time because the conversations were so good), and 0 offers. Waiting on 1 more, but not holding my breath. Fwiw, have been hustling in-house gigs since early march, and after about 20 apps, have gotten a single interview and that's about it. The market is not all that people think it is right now for 1L SAs. Soon going to look to RAs with professors, but feeling pretty downtrodden.

[BmoreOrLess]

Sorry to hear that. That sucks, but at least it will give you a huge leg up come EIW to have that much experience with interviewing.

Keep your head up doe. See if there's any way you can find general counsel alumni; they seems to be eager to help current students out. And RA jobs don't seem bad at all, especially if you can keep a few hours during the year for a few extra bucks.