Foosters Galore wrote:Hey Borhas,
What are your plans for OCI? Our bids are due at the end of the week (for businesses and firms only) and I'm starting to think I should put something together. Originally I was only going to bid on the Government/PI OCI ones, but those are not up yet. I'm just starting to get a little anxious as all I'm hearing is everyone discussing OCI and the importance of getting a 2L summer SA position. I realize that this is not what I want, and I am still planning on doing summer 2 at a PD office again, but for some reason, I feel like I'd be remiss to not bid on the firms.
On a side note, I wrote a pretty lengthy motion for this case, and the judge let me sit with the PD and the accused during the trial. Also got to go to chambers whenever the DA and PD went back to discuss the case. He kept referring to the Defense Counsel, on the record, as "Mr. Smith, Deputy Public Defender, and Mr. Galore, his ably prepared Law Clerk."
He also wrote out a quick court order allowing me to go to the Jail with the PD to talk to the client.
OCI... huh
Well our bids were due earlier this week. We had a grand total of 3 DA offices (San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda) and 3-4 PD offices, 2 ND Cal FPD offices (in SF and San Jose) in addition to Alameda PD and Santa Clara PD. I bid on the PDs highest and the DAs lowest... Alameda's DA gig is so sweet that there's no way I could turn that down if I got the opportunity (2L's are paid, and they can be hired directly after graduation, and Alameda is the most competent DA office in NorCal).
My guess is your school probably doesn't have many DA or PD's coming in either. And if they do, you'll still have a lot of bids left over for firms. I chose not to apply to any firms because 1) my ranking fell from top 5-10% to top 30% so it's not like I'd have a decent shot anyway and 2) I know what I want to do 3) other people are better suited for those jobs, and I'd be doing a disservice to them, the firms (not that I'd give a fuck), and myself by going for these jobs just for the sake of going for them.
If #1 was different I may have tried. When I had a top GPA I seriously considered going for 2L SA's, but ultimately would have probably turned down the offers anyway. If your grades are better than mine then surely the temptation is strong. I mean shit, what do the SA's get paid, like 30k+ for the summer? I could sure as hell use 30k for a summer of writing memos... but that short term benefit would not make up for the tremendous hit to my PD goals. I'm (and presumably you) are going for a career that you know you will find fulfilling. I think it would have been foolish to do any work other than that which maximizes my chances at getting hired at a PD office. PD offices don't just take people that couldn't make Big Law, competition is tougher than ever and losing focus may mean that you end up w/ nothing. Better to be master of one trade than a jack ass of all trades IMO.
Assuming you have the same goals I say don't make a head ache out of a good thing, make a decision and be confident. Don't apply to firms just because others are doing it, because frankly, our lot is A LOT different than most other law students. If we did whatever they thought was best then we would be doing ourselves a disservice. I'd say take the interviews for practice's sake, but is that really worth taking up slots that your peers could use, and who want them more anyway?
