The Official 1L Summer Employment Thread - 2012 Edition Forum

[Light]

UChi here - just had my first phone interview for an ACLU gig. They called me 30 minutes early in the morning so I woke up to the phone ringing. It lasted about an hour and then I had to jet to Torts.

[Flash]

Got offered a late summer spot at a PI place here in Chicago. Why would they offer me a job starting August 1 when OCI will start in under 3 weeks? Silly organization, PI is for kids.

[Anonymous User]

UChi here - just had my first phone interview for an ACLU gig. They called me 30 minutes early in the morning so I woke up to the phone ringing. It lasted about an hour and then I had to jet to Torts.

I had an interview with the ACLU in Texas and they main question they kept throwing at me was whether I saw myself as an attorney with the ACLU.

[Lasers]

when both are listed, who should i address a cover letter to: hiring partner or recruiting manager?

[kapital98]

Offer at a PD office here in Virginia! I get to interview murderers and rapists!

alleged murderers and rapists.

If they chose to go to trial, they won't be convicted until long after you're gone.

[r6_philly]

when both are listed, who should i address a cover letter to: hiring partner or recruiting manager?

I'd go with recruiting manager for first contact. Since they are supposed to manage recruiting.

[Anonymous User]

Are there any differences between how to turn down 1L CBs/Offers and 2L CBs/Offers? I know for 2L you're supposed to call the recruiting coordinator and let them know... but with 1L we have OCI ~6 months away and will likely be interviewing with some of the same firms.

To those still in the hunt: Good Luck. Things seem to be moving very fast now.

[Anonymous User]

So, I've received two offers in positions I'm interested in, but for entirely different reasons.

The first is a government internship in a practice area I'm really interested in. The second is an international human rights internship that I'm interested in because I'd enjoy living overseas this summer.

If I have no desire to continue in public interest law, which internship should I pursue? Does it really not matter what I do as long as it's legal?

[Dany]

No one cares what you do 1L summer, but the first one sounds like it would be more useful to you personally.

[target]

So, I've received two offers in positions I'm interested in, but for entirely different reasons.

The first is a government internship in a practice area I'm really interested in. The second is an international human rights internship that I'm interested in because I'd enjoy living overseas this summer.

If I have no desire to continue in public interest law, which internship should I pursue? Does it really not matter what I do as long as it's legal?

does your definition of public interest law include fed jobs?

[Anonymous User]

So, I've received two offers in positions I'm interested in, but for entirely different reasons.

The first is a government internship in a practice area I'm really interested in. The second is an international human rights internship that I'm interested in because I'd enjoy living overseas this summer.

If I have no desire to continue in public interest law, which internship should I pursue? Does it really not matter what I do as long as it's legal?

does your definition of public interest law include fed jobs?

No, I meant like save the world or PD type positions. I'd still be interested in fed jobs.

[target]

So, I've received two offers in positions I'm interested in, but for entirely different reasons.

The first is a government internship in a practice area I'm really interested in. The second is an international human rights internship that I'm interested in because I'd enjoy living overseas this summer.

If I have no desire to continue in public interest law, which internship should I pursue? Does it really not matter what I do as long as it's legal?

does your definition of public interest law include fed jobs?

No, I meant like save the world or PD type positions. I'd still be interested in fed jobs.

Then, it seems like an easy choice. Just take the govt. internship. You get to put a fed intern on your resume, get to learn something in the area of law you are interested in, and get not to spend money living overseas for for some unpaid (I assume) internship.

[Metaread]

What's a good way to find small and medium-sized firms to target? Are they as grade-driven as Biglaw firms looking for 1L summer interns? Is it too late to be sending out letters to firms at all?

[094320]

..

[Metaread]

What kind of public sector internships are there aside from Children's Centers, Attorney Generals, government education funds and Legal Aid Societies? [None of those really interest me.] I might be too late for public interest too, lol. Research assistant here we come...

[anonymous1495]

Has anyone who has had an interview at Jones Day DC received an offer yet? Feel free to pm me if you don't want to post.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone who has had an interview at Jones Day DC received an offer yet? Feel free to pm me if you don't want to post.

+1

[bk1]

What kind of public sector internships are there aside from Children's Centers, Attorney Generals, government education funds and Legal Aid Societies? [None of those really interest me.] I might be too late for public interest too, lol. Research assistant here we come...

A lot of government agencies (state and fed) take legal interns. There are also city attorney's offices, district attorney's offices, public defender's offices (quasi-public), etc. Check with your CSO, they should be able to help you find stuff to apply to in addition to your own search.

[bk1]

What's a good way to find small and medium-sized firms to target? Are they as grade-driven as Biglaw firms looking for 1L summer interns? Is it too late to be sending out letters to firms at all?

NALP.

You're very late in the game, so you might strike out based on that alone. I would redirect your efforts to public interest unless you have the time to do both.

I didn't think many smaller firms were on NALP. I'd imagine that not a lot of small firms actually get applications for legal interns (though they are probably averse to having to pay someone who they have to teach who will then leave), so I don't think it's too late at all to apply to small firms. That's just conjecture. I do agree that PI is more realistic since it is likely easier to get an unpaid PI position than it would be to get even a minimum wage job with a small firm (since they have to pay and I'd imagine they really don't want to pay).

[Flips88]

What kind of public sector internships are there aside from Children's Centers, Attorney Generals, government education funds and Legal Aid Societies? [None of those really interest me.] I might be too late for public interest too, lol. Research assistant here we come...

A lot of government agencies (state and fed) take legal interns. There are also city attorney's offices, district attorney's offices, public defender's offices (quasi-public), etc. Check with your CSO, they should be able to help you find stuff to apply to in addition to your own search.

Also just for a place to start: http://www.pslawnet.org/

[Lwoods]

What's a good way to find small and medium-sized firms to target? Are they as grade-driven as Biglaw firms looking for 1L summer interns? Is it too late to be sending out letters to firms at all?

NALP.

You're very late in the game, so you might strike out based on that alone. I would redirect your efforts to public interest unless you have the time to do both.

I didn't think many smaller firms were on NALP. I'd imagine that not a lot of small firms actually get applications for legal interns (though they are probably averse to having to pay someone who they have to teach who will then leave), so I don't think it's too late at all to apply to small firms. That's just conjecture. I do agree that PI is more realistic since it is likely easier to get an unpaid PI position than it would be to get even a minimum wage job with a small firm (since they have to pay and I'd imagine they really don't want to pay).

I think smaller firms instead of Summer Associates hire law clerks, but I'm not sure what the work is like. It's paid, though, and legal. I'd check with your CSO to find out which smaller firms have hired 1Ls from your school before.

[kapital98]

A lot of government agencies (state and fed) take legal interns. There are also city attorney's offices, district attorney's offices, public defender's offices (quasi-public), etc. Check with your CSO, they should be able to help you find stuff to apply to in addition to your own search.

When did a Public Defender's Office become "quasi-public"? Unless the work is contracted out to a private firm (very rare) it's as public interest as you can get.

[r6_philly]

A lot of government agencies (state and fed) take legal interns. There are also city attorney's offices, district attorney's offices, public defender's offices (quasi-public), etc. Check with your CSO, they should be able to help you find stuff to apply to in addition to your own search.

When did a Public Defender's Office become "quasi-public"? Unless the work is contracted out to a private firm (very rare) it's as public interest as you can get.

Quasi-public just means a publicly funded organization that is not on the general operating budget.

[bk1]

A lot of government agencies (state and fed) take legal interns. There are also city attorney's offices, district attorney's offices, public defender's offices (quasi-public), etc. Check with your CSO, they should be able to help you find stuff to apply to in addition to your own search.

When did a Public Defender's Office become "quasi-public"? Unless the work is contracted out to a private firm (very rare) it's as public interest as you can get.

Quasi-public just means a publicly funded organization that is not on the general operating budget.

Also the person I was responding to was talking about "public sector internships" which I took to mean direct employment by a government agency. Granted that person could have meant "public interest internships" which would have included private not-for-profits.

[Anonymous User]

T14 with terrible first semester grades but great W/E. Choosing between offers: DOJ-Crim or USAO in a flyover state where I have ties and wouldn't mind living post-LS?