2L Summer NYC Position $10 Hr? Grab it? Forum

[AverageGuy]

I am a 2L at a state school with good but not great grades. I only know a few people who have actually gotten job offers for the summer so far. Everyone else seems to be panicking.

I was offered a job as a law-clerk for a smallish firm in NYC for the summer. The partner is a friend of a friend of a friend.
They'd pay me $10/hr, which admittedly is less than I could make in a non-legal summer job. I'd live cheaply but I'd end up having to use savings.

On the one hand, law firm experience is obviously important for my resume. Spending a few months in NYC could be a great experience. $10/hr is better than unpaid. On the other hand, maybe I can still find something else that's local if I keep hunting.

Opinions?

[BarbellDreams]

I am a 1L so I don't have any experience with 2L summer obviously but isn't the main goal of 2L summer is to get to a place which leads to offers. This doesn't sound like something which will lead to an offer and you will be a offer-less 3L, the scariest position on earth.

[PhillyFan09]

did your friend of friend give you any idea if this could turn into a full-time associate position?

[MrPapagiorgio]

If you have no other options, then I guess yea, take it. Here is the thing though. Most people who get a job after graduation are hired by their 2L firm. You say the firm is "smallish." What does that mean exactly? Is there a chance to get a full-time gig after graduation next year? If there is, then yes, take it regardless of the money (if you want NYC, that is).

[kkklick]

The answer is obvious, as everyone else has eluded to. You have to find out if this is a temporary position or something that would turn into a career job post-grad. Working for $10/hr for experience isn't your primary goal right now.

[BeachandRun23]

I work at a smallish firm right now and I am just an 0L. I know 0L's shouldnt be writing in this forum, but I think my 2 cents may be valuable.

1) I am currently a law clerk. Me and the two other law clerks are college graduates. None of us are even in law school.

2) Some of the law clerks are full time, some of them are part time. At my firm, these positions are not temporary.

3) This job seems to be better than nothing, but you are on the VERY bottom of the barrel here. A paralegal gets paid more than a law clerk. So your decision hinges on this. Would you be able to get full time employment after? Even if it is not as an associate, could you atleast be a paralegal or something? I dont think law clerk experience is going to impress anyone, but its better than nothing. Especially if it may lead to some full time employment.

[Nicholas Nickleby]

$10/hour in NYC is REALLY low on the barrel, as mentioned above. But NYC is fun and it's something you can put on your resume.

[paulinaporizkova]

isn't NYC minimum wage, like, 11 dollars or something?

FYI, I am not even being a flame

[OperaSoprano]

isn't NYC minimum wage, like, 11 dollars or something?

FYI, I am not even being a flame

One can only wish. Unless I am badly mistaken, it's $7.25 here, as it is nationally. A few cities, like San Francisco, do have higher minimum wages, but NYC does not.

More info is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

To the OP-- if this job can lead to permanent employment, I'd take it. Many of your classmates will likely be working without compensation (or on public interest stipends) this summer.

[BobSacamano]

I work at a smallish firm right now and I am just an 0L. I know 0L's shouldnt be writing in this forum, but I think my 2 cents may be valuable.

1) I am currently a law clerk. Me and the two other law clerks are college graduates. None of us are even in law school.

2) Some of the law clerks are full time, some of them are part time. At my firm, these positions are not temporary.

3) This job seems to be better than nothing, but you are on the VERY bottom of the barrel here. A paralegal gets paid more than a law clerk. So your decision hinges on this. Would you be able to get full time employment after? Even if it is not as an associate, could you atleast be a paralegal or something? I dont think law clerk experience is going to impress anyone, but its better than nothing. Especially if it may lead to some full time employment.

First off, the terminology of the position likely doesn't matter. Lots of firms call their student employees different things. There's no set, defined position called "law clerk" (unless we're talking a law clerk for a judge, but that's a different thing). Just because this guy's firm calls their student workers "law clerks" does not mean his position is even remotely similar to yours.

Second, If you work at a firm during the school year in law school, you're likely going to be referred to as a law clerk. I'm a 2L and I'm a law clerk at a firm right now. I think I will be called a "Summer Associate" this summer, but the only difference will be in my pay (going from hourly to salaried). My duties will be the same. I am most certainly not a paralegal. My job is only open to current law students.

[A'nold]

I work at a smallish firm right now and I am just an 0L. I know 0L's shouldnt be writing in this forum, but I think my 2 cents may be valuable.

1) I am currently a law clerk. Me and the two other law clerks are college graduates. None of us are even in law school.

2) Some of the law clerks are full time, some of them are part time. At my firm, these positions are not temporary.

3) This job seems to be better than nothing, but you are on the VERY bottom of the barrel here. A paralegal gets paid more than a law clerk. So your decision hinges on this. Would you be able to get full time employment after? Even if it is not as an associate, could you atleast be a paralegal or something? I dont think law clerk experience is going to impress anyone, but its better than nothing. Especially if it may lead to some full time employment.

First off, the terminology of the position likely doesn't matter. Lots of firms call their student employees different things. There's no set, defined position called "law clerk" (unless we're talking a law clerk for a judge, but that's a different thing). Just because this guy's firm calls their student workers "law clerks" does not mean his position is even remotely similar to yours.

Second, If you work at a firm during the school year in law school, you're likely going to be referred to as a law clerk. I'm a 2L and I'm a law clerk at a firm right now. I think I will be called a "Summer Associate" this summer, but the only difference will be in my pay (going from hourly to salaried). My duties will be the same. I am most certainly not a paralegal. My job is only open to current law students.

Certainly.......

[MrAnon]

Don't debate this. Take the job. You need to start studying for exams soon and you'll feel better about life with a job of any kind locked up.

[General Tso]

I would take the job.

[A'nold]

It's funny that people get all bent out of shape about a $10/hr job but then encourage people to do unpaid internships.....$1600/month is better than $0 a month and more loans.

[yo!]

It's funny that people get all bent out of shape about a $10/hr job but then encourage people to do unpaid internships.....$1600/month is better than $0 a month and more loans.

Because the position is useless if it doesn't lead to anything down the road. It also depends what duties are required for the job. I'd gladly take 10/hr work as long as it doesn't involve making copies, answering phones, and getting coffee. If OP actually can get a post grad job there, or learn something significant, obviously he should take it. If not, do something else. I could easily go back to my old company and get 20/hr this summer, but I'm taking unpaid work instead. The experience/possible future employment is worth far more than a summer's worth of wages.

[MrAnon]

Future employers will ask if you had a paid or an unpaid job. They know unpaid positions are plentifully available for law students. They recognize that someone who is paid values himself and is valued by others more highly. ITE people who take unpaid positions are a dime-a-dozen.

[mez06]

Future employers will ask if you had a paid or an unpaid job. They know unpaid positions are plentifully available for law students. They recognize that someone who is paid values himself and is valued by others more highly. ITE people who take unpaid positions are a dime-a-dozen.

This is false. And indicative of someone who HAS NOT had a real job outside of being a resident assistant in undergraduate .