1L Summer job hunt co 2019 Forum

[BottomOfTotem]

Didn't see one of these, so I figured I would start it.

It would be particularly helpful if people would post their experiences on finding employment during their 1L summer, while adding some personal details. Perhaps those searching can also fish for info they are interested in.

As an example: I would love to hear from anyone who found work in the Bay Area, not as a judicial external or RA. Payed work (doesn't have to be much) would be ideal.

School, rank (if applicable), interest, etc., would be helpful too.

[Wolfie91]

Fairly easy to get a clerkship of some kind your 1L year. I was in the top 1/3rd at a strong regional and I got 3 different clerkships in my first summer.

I also knew many people who didn't work at all and took summer classes who ended up working in big firms.

You won't have to work very hard to get a job. Most of them won't pay (like the judicial clerkships that 2/3 of the class will likely work), but you'll still have one. Whatever you do, as long as it's legal related, you'll be alright.

[A. Nony Mouse]

(Sorry to be obnoxious but - judicial internships. Clerkships are for after graduation. But I agree with everything you said about them.)

[RaceJudicata]

Fairly easy to get a clerkship of some kind your 1L year. I was in the top 1/3rd at a strong regional and I got 3 different clerkships in my first summer.

I also knew many people who didn't work at all and took summer classes who ended up working in big firms.

You won't have to work very hard to get a job. Most of them won't pay (like the judicial clerkships that 2/3 of the class will likely work), but you'll still have one. Whatever you do, as long as it's legal related, you'll be alright.

Same point as Nony - they are internships or externships, not clerkships. But putting that aside, these internships are fantastic experiences, particularly in Federal Court. The only downside--which is a major one--is that they don't pay. If you can manage taking the internship without getting paid, you will learn a ton and its a relatively strong 1L job (although, the strength of 1L job matters very little). I'd strongly urge anyone--particularly those interested in Lit-- to seek out an internship in Federal court.

[A. Nony Mouse]

To be maybe a little more helpful, paying work depends a lot on school/market. Getting a 1L SA with a firm seems to be relatively common for the very top schools/in Texas, but my sense is that most people won't get these, or at the very least, it is very normal not to get one of these. (Others with more personal experience will have to weigh in with more details). Outside of 1L SAs and RAs, there are few paying jobs. You may be able to find a smaller local firm who'll take you as a law clerk at whatever amount/hr, but that's mostly on you to do the legwork and find something.

At a lot of schools, if you work in some kind of public sector gig (PD, DA, legal aid, non-profits, etc) you can apply for a summer stipend of varying amounts; I think most T14s make this available to everyone doing such work, but as you go down the ladder you may have to apply for a limited pool. Unfortunately judicial intern/externships usually don't qualify for this funding.

I know at least at my school people often did their volunteer summer job an externship for school credit, which allowed them to take out more loans to live off of over the summer. Some people just ditched working and took classes all summer (some went abroad), but I think it's important to get some kind of legal work. (I agree with RaceJ that federal internships are often great experience.)

You aren't likely to have a problem finding *something* - many legal employers are happy to take on free labor (though last note: it's illegal to work for free for a firm, and you shouldn't do this; you should make them pay you).

[zot1]

Ironically I did things backwards. I got a paying job 1L summer, then I was unpaid for 2L summer. Also ironically, 2L summer was one of the best in my life because I split the summer in a condo in Venice and in a beach front apartment in Santa Monica. Oh man, the good old days.

[Anonymous User]

My 1L job was in-house, and paid fairly well ($25/hour) relative to the quality of work I did. This wasn't because I'm an idiot, but it was working in patent prosecution after only taking the standard 1L classes. I had to learn pretty much everything on the fly, but it was fantastic because I learned so much. It also gave me something substantive to talk about at OCI in regards to why I want to do patent prosecution. It sounds better to say "I want to do this because I've already done it and got strong reviews on my work product. Here's a writing sample that received a notice of allowance from the PTO" than saying "I've talked to some people and it sounds like something I'd like and be good at." That's not to say that the latter did poorly, because they didn't. But I think it was something that set me apart a little bit.

For 1L's, networking to find a paid job is huge. You will start applying before you get grades, and if you have a contact already that's a huge help. I got my job by someone I've known for awhile saying "X may be looking, here's her email."

[BottomOfTotem]

This is great, thank you all.

[Anonymous User]

I was a 1L Summer Associate in a secondary market (my home state) and I don't think these positions are as common as one poster mentioned. I was a 2L in a major market. Unlike my classmates, I did not complete a judicial externship (did mine with a Circuit Judge) until my 3L year.

Bottom line, most 1L SA positions in big law are hard to come by. I would suggest focusing on getting the best grades possible during your 1L year to position yourself for OCI and find a worthwhile 1L experience. It's a bonus if you can get paid during your 1L summer experience.

If you are interested in 1L SA positions, most of them have deadlines in early January and a few have deadlines in late-December. It's a hustle.

Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

Good luck getting a 1l SA position now with Trump getting elected. 2008 is coming back.

[Anonymous User]

Good luck getting a 1l SA position now with Trump getting elected. 2008 is coming back.

Not to feed the inevitable chaos... but i'm genuinely worried about my Full time offer.

ETA: Yes, this is irrational, and wholly out of my control.

ETA part duex: I'm a 3L and didn't feel like starting my own thread. This election is annoying. Again, I'm irrational.

[Anonymous User]

Good luck getting a 1l SA position now with Trump getting elected. 2008 is coming back.

Not to feed the inevitable chaos... but i'm genuinely worried about my Full time offer.

ETA: Yes, this is irrational, and wholly out of my control.

Im a 2l. My firm I'm doing a SA at this summer was one of the firms that no offered a bunch of the class in 2008/2009. 100% offer rate since, but holy s*&^ who would actually expect this. But genuinely, if he wins, there will be a real lack of 1l SAs because firms are just not gonna risk the investment.