Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences... Forum

(On Campus Interviews, Summer Associate positions, Firm Reviews, Tips, ...)
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are revealing sensitive employment related information about a firm, job, etc. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned.
User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 4:35 pm

Nebby wrote:In the future can we please not fill up this thread with physiological evaluations of posters. Leave that for the lounge.

(I realise I'm the king of shitting up threads but if you actual care about the mental health of a poster, wouldn't a private message be better?)

ETA: this forum can be ruthless, and it becomes hard to differentiate between piling on and actual concern.
Well stated, Nebby. Thanks.

Guys, I hate to be an attention-whore and make this thread all about me, but I am in a bit of a bind. I promise I'll shift the focus to other people's experiences once I get an answer to this one question.

My sole source of funding this summer is Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD, which will provide me an education award of $1,212 once I complete a certain number of hours.

Due to the fact that my internship started relatively late (June 1), several doctor's appointments, and the fact that my office closes every Friday at 3 PM, there is no way that I will meet my hours requirement by August 7, which is when my internship officially ends. Due to liability issues, I cannot work in the office during after-hours/weekends because an attorney won't be present.

However, as you know, my Managing Attorney turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship despite positive feedback from my immediate supervisors because law apparently is not a right "fit" for me.

Is it unreasonable for me to ask the same Managing Attorney whether I can work beyond August 7 so I can meet my hours requirement for EJW AmeriCorps JD? I NEED THIS MONEY. I will be graduating with $36,000 in student loans hanging over my head. I can't afford to work for nothing this summer. Please help.

User avatar
swampman

Bronze
Posts: 498
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:48 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by swampman » Tue Jul 21, 2015 4:53 pm

BlueLotus wrote: Guys, I hate to be an attention-whore and make this thread all about me, but I am in a bit of a bind. I promise I'll shift the focus to other people's experiences once I get an answer to this one question.

My sole source of funding this summer is Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD, which will provide me an education award of $1,212 once I complete a certain number of hours.

Due to the fact that my internship started relatively late (June 1), several doctor's appointments, and the fact that my office closes every Friday at 3 PM, there is no way that I will meet my hours requirement by August 7, which is when my internship officially ends. Due to liability issues, I cannot work in the office during after-hours/weekends because an attorney won't be present.

However, as you know, my Managing Attorney turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship despite positive feedback from my immediate supervisors because law apparently is not a right "fit" for me.

Is it unreasonable for me to ask the same Managing Attorney whether I can work beyond August 7 so I can meet my hours requirement for EJW AmeriCorps JD? I NEED THIS MONEY. I will be graduating with $36,000 in student loans hanging over my head. I can't afford to work for nothing this summer. Please help.
So you're saying you need to work another couple weeks. And you're asking us if it's okay to ask your employer if you can work another couple weeks. When you have no choice but to ask your employer if you can work another couple weeks. I'm missing the issue here.

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:01 pm

swampman wrote:
BlueLotus wrote: Guys, I hate to be an attention-whore and make this thread all about me, but I am in a bit of a bind. I promise I'll shift the focus to other people's experiences once I get an answer to this one question.

My sole source of funding this summer is Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps JD, which will provide me an education award of $1,212 once I complete a certain number of hours.

Due to the fact that my internship started relatively late (June 1), several doctor's appointments, and the fact that my office closes every Friday at 3 PM, there is no way that I will meet my hours requirement by August 7, which is when my internship officially ends. Due to liability issues, I cannot work in the office during after-hours/weekends because an attorney won't be present.

However, as you know, my Managing Attorney turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship despite positive feedback from my immediate supervisors because law apparently is not a right "fit" for me.

Is it unreasonable for me to ask the same Managing Attorney whether I can work beyond August 7 so I can meet my hours requirement for EJW AmeriCorps JD? I NEED THIS MONEY. I will be graduating with $36,000 in student loans hanging over my head. I can't afford to work for nothing this summer. Please help.
So you're saying you need to work another couple weeks. And you're asking us if it's okay to ask your employer if you can work another couple weeks. When you have no choice but to ask your employer if you can work another couple weeks. I'm missing the issue here.
The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|

Nebby

Diamond
Posts: 31195
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:23 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by Nebby » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:14 pm

How many more hours would you need? Like one extra week?

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:26 pm

Nebby wrote:How many more hours would you need? Like one extra week?
I haven't done the math, but I think 2 weeks. Right up until classes start.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:26 pm

Double post--on iPhone
Last edited by BlueLotus on Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:26 pm

.
Last edited by BlueLotus on Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:28 pm

.
Last edited by BlueLotus on Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
zor

Bronze
Posts: 263
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 1:36 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by zor » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:29 pm

BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 5:53 pm

zor wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.
I hope you're right about that. She would be a heartless bitch if she didn't let me get paid thru AmeriCorps.

Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.

User avatar
chuckbass

Platinum
Posts: 9956
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:29 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by chuckbass » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:00 pm

BlueLotus wrote:
zor wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.
I hope you're right about that. She would be a heartless bitch if she didn't let me get paid thru AmeriCorps.

Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.
You have no idea about the bolded, because you haven't asked her why you were turned down. As others have said, it very may well have nothing to do with your work product.

Also honey you need to chill with all this doom and gloom all the time if you have that little debt. I understand if you're mad at your school for misrepresenting employment outcomes or something, but you could be in a much worse position and have struck out with a lot more debt. Try to focus on the positives. You make yourself happy, not your circumstances.

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:10 pm

$36k seems like a lot when your internships are fucking unpaid. Also, I've seen postings for entry level attorneys that are LESS than $36K a year in high cost of living areas.

User avatar
chuckbass

Platinum
Posts: 9956
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:29 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by chuckbass » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:19 pm

Well, carry on then.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
swampman

Bronze
Posts: 498
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:48 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by swampman » Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:29 pm

BlueLotus wrote:I do want to ask her what she meant, but she is going on vacation like tomorrow, and won't be back until after the conclusion of the internship.
BlueLotus wrote:Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.
Apparently we aren't allowed to make psychiatric diagnoses anymore, so I'll just leave this here.

User avatar
dresden doll

Platinum
Posts: 6797
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:11 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by dresden doll » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:40 pm

chuckbass wrote:You have no idea about the bolded, because you haven't asked her why you were turned down. As others have said, it very may well have nothing to do with your work product.
Also, characterizing the organization as uninterested in "free labor" isn't exactly the best of ways to describe a situation considering the time suck that fellowship applications pose. It takes quite some time to put together a good project, especially for applications as involved as Skadden or EJW. Plenty of orgs may not see that time investment as worth their while considering how competitive those fellowships are.

User avatar
yomisterd

Gold
Posts: 1571
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:52 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by yomisterd » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:12 pm

thread title is misleading. I thought I was going to see informative posts on public interest.

pls change to "BlueLotus: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences"

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Tue Jul 21, 2015 11:05 pm

dresden doll wrote:
chuckbass wrote:You have no idea about the bolded, because you haven't asked her why you were turned down. As others have said, it very may well have nothing to do with your work product.
Also, characterizing the organization as uninterested in "free labor" isn't exactly the best of ways to describe a situation considering the time suck that fellowship applications pose. It takes quite some time to put together a good project, especially for applications as involved as Skadden or EJW. Plenty of orgs may not see that time investment as worth their while considering how competitive those fellowships are.

True what you said about Skadden and EJW, but I also mentioned my school-sponsored fellowship, which gives recent grads $30,000 to work somewhere in the public interest. No project planning would be involved if I got a school-sponsored fellowship.

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


User avatar
worldtraveler

Platinum
Posts: 8676
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2007 4:47 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by worldtraveler » Wed Jul 22, 2015 1:38 am

BlueLotus wrote:
zor wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.
I hope you're right about that. She would be a heartless bitch if she didn't let me get paid thru AmeriCorps.

Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.
You're going to have to get over this attitude. You will have supervisors who do and say way worse things to you.

User avatar
Holly Golightly

Gold
Posts: 4602
Joined: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:30 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by Holly Golightly » Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:05 pm

worldtraveler wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:
zor wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.
I hope you're right about that. She would be a heartless bitch if she didn't let me get paid thru AmeriCorps.

Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.
You're going to have to get over this attitude. You will have supervisors who do and say way worse things to you.
Yeah, the disdain for the managing attorney when you didn't even ask her about why they weren't interested in your application is fairly ridiculous. And your refusal to listen to the logical and well-intentioned advice people give you on here makes me wonder about your ability to reason or see the big picture.

TransferHopeful17

New
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 11:46 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by TransferHopeful17 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:04 pm

Back on topic...

Not working in PI but government, and couldn't feel more lucky to have got this opportunity my first summer as a law student. We get lots of nice substantive work that I am assuming I would not have got had I accepted other opportunities, and I think getting out of state was a nice change, and hopefully shows initiative should I pursue something in-state for next summer. There was a moment or two where I had second thoughts, particularly after turning down what would have been a really great clerkship working with a judge I would have learned a lot from, but I know I made the right choice. Above all, being around so many awesome, top-notch attorneys is inspiring. The whole experience confirmed that this is what I want to be doing in the not-so-distant future, and that's all I was really hoping for.

User avatar
BlueLotus

Gold
Posts: 2416
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:07 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by BlueLotus » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:15 pm

Holly Golightly wrote:
worldtraveler wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:
zor wrote:
BlueLotus wrote:The Managing Attorney is not interested in my free labor. Hence why she turned me down for a fellowship sponsorship without even reading my fucking application. But I really need this $$. I'm going to send her an email tomorrow. Fingers crossed that she allows me to stay on a couple of extra weeks so that I can obtain this funding. :|
Just because she was a jerk about the fellowship doesn't mean she's not interested in your free labor or, alternately, interested in actively screwing you over. You'd be doing THEM a favor. It'll be fine. Usually interns want to leave *early* so I can't imagine this is a problem.
I hope you're right about that. She would be a heartless bitch if she didn't let me get paid thru AmeriCorps.

Thank god she is going on vacation next week and I no longer have to see her.
You're going to have to get over this attitude. You will have supervisors who do and say way worse things to you.
Yeah, the disdain for the managing attorney when you didn't even ask her about why they weren't interested in your application is fairly ridiculous. And your refusal to listen to the logical and well-intentioned advice people give you on here makes me wonder about your ability to reason or see the big picture.
I asked why. She said I have great attention to detail but that I'm not the right fit...whatever that means .

Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.

Register now, it's still FREE!


User avatar
dresden doll

Platinum
Posts: 6797
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:11 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by dresden doll » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:08 pm

TransferHopeful17 wrote:Back on topic...

Not working in PI but government, and couldn't feel more lucky to have got this opportunity my first summer as a law student. We get lots of nice substantive work that I am assuming I would not have got had I accepted other opportunities, and I think getting out of state was a nice change, and hopefully shows initiative should I pursue something in-state for next summer. There was a moment or two where I had second thoughts, particularly after turning down what would have been a really great clerkship working with a judge I would have learned a lot from, but I know I made the right choice. Above all, being around so many awesome, top-notch attorneys is inspiring. The whole experience confirmed that this is what I want to be doing in the not-so-distant future, and that's all I was really hoping for.
Great that your 1L summer is working out, but surprised you turned down the judge. Is it no longer the case that it's a big no-no to turn down a clerkship?

User avatar
swampman

Bronze
Posts: 498
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:48 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by swampman » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:33 pm

dresden doll wrote:
TransferHopeful17 wrote:Back on topic...

Not working in PI but government, and couldn't feel more lucky to have got this opportunity my first summer as a law student. We get lots of nice substantive work that I am assuming I would not have got had I accepted other opportunities, and I think getting out of state was a nice change, and hopefully shows initiative should I pursue something in-state for next summer. There was a moment or two where I had second thoughts, particularly after turning down what would have been a really great clerkship working with a judge I would have learned a lot from, but I know I made the right choice. Above all, being around so many awesome, top-notch attorneys is inspiring. The whole experience confirmed that this is what I want to be doing in the not-so-distant future, and that's all I was really hoping for.
Great that your 1L summer is working out, but surprised you turned down the judge. Is it no longer the case that it's a big no-no to turn down a clerkship?
*judicial externship. I don't think judges care enough about externs that they would get offended if you turn it down.

User avatar
yomisterd

Gold
Posts: 1571
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:52 pm

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by yomisterd » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:39 pm

swampman wrote:
dresden doll wrote:
TransferHopeful17 wrote:Back on topic...

Not working in PI but government, and couldn't feel more lucky to have got this opportunity my first summer as a law student. We get lots of nice substantive work that I am assuming I would not have got had I accepted other opportunities, and I think getting out of state was a nice change, and hopefully shows initiative should I pursue something in-state for next summer. There was a moment or two where I had second thoughts, particularly after turning down what would have been a really great clerkship working with a judge I would have learned a lot from, but I know I made the right choice. Above all, being around so many awesome, top-notch attorneys is inspiring. The whole experience confirmed that this is what I want to be doing in the not-so-distant future, and that's all I was really hoping for.
Great that your 1L summer is working out, but surprised you turned down the judge. Is it no longer the case that it's a big no-no to turn down a clerkship?
*judicial externship. I don't think judges care enough about externs that they would get offended if you turn it down.
especially when you can't get school funding for judges generally but can generally for government.
generally.

User avatar
dresden doll

Platinum
Posts: 6797
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:11 am

Re: Public Interest 2015: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences...

Post by dresden doll » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:54 pm

swampman wrote:
dresden doll wrote:
TransferHopeful17 wrote:Back on topic...

Not working in PI but government, and couldn't feel more lucky to have got this opportunity my first summer as a law student. We get lots of nice substantive work that I am assuming I would not have got had I accepted other opportunities, and I think getting out of state was a nice change, and hopefully shows initiative should I pursue something in-state for next summer. There was a moment or two where I had second thoughts, particularly after turning down what would have been a really great clerkship working with a judge I would have learned a lot from, but I know I made the right choice. Above all, being around so many awesome, top-notch attorneys is inspiring. The whole experience confirmed that this is what I want to be doing in the not-so-distant future, and that's all I was really hoping for.
Great that your 1L summer is working out, but surprised you turned down the judge. Is it no longer the case that it's a big no-no to turn down a clerkship?
*judicial externship. I don't think judges care enough about externs that they would get offended if you turn it down.
I don't know about judges' level of caring about externs, but UChi preached to us on multiple occasions throughout 1L that we're not allowed to turn down judges, even for externships. In fact, I remember not seeking out externships precisely because we were told that if we were offered, we'd have to accept and withdraw elsewhere, and I didn't want to have to foreclose other options over an externship.

I remember there being much talk about it on TLS too, so I don't think my LS was alone in this view. Anyway, just found that interesting.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Legal Employment”