SEC Forum

[Anonymous User]

I was an intern there this summer as a 2L and I understand the frustration here. It was a great experience but the whole time I felt like my career services set me up by not looking into the fact that, you know, they're slashing government left and right. My question is - what do we do now?

Is there any chance of any of the other agencies hiring entry-level attorneys? Or are we done when it comes to government? Is it even worth it trying to reach out to people at other agencies?

[Anonymous User]

Damn. I'm a 2L interning with the SEC this summer and this thread is making really depressed. OCS acted like it was a great opportunity, but admittedly I should have done my homework. Now, I am wondering if I should jump ship as I still have an offer open with a 35-50 person law firm. (Though, the firm made clear that they don't usually hire from their summer class). Should I just take the small firm and give up on government?

[Anonymous User]

Damn. I'm a 2L interning with the SEC this summer and this thread is making really depressed. OCS acted like it was a great opportunity, but admittedly I should have done my homework. Now, I am wondering if I should jump ship as I still have an offer open with a 35-50 person law firm. (Though, the firm made clear that they don't usually hire from their summer class). Should I just take the small firm and give up on government?

Could you split the summer?

[Anonymous User]

Damn. I'm a 2L interning with the SEC this summer and this thread is making really depressed. OCS acted like it was a great opportunity, but admittedly I should have done my homework. Now, I am wondering if I should jump ship as I still have an offer open with a 35-50 person law firm. (Though, the firm made clear that they don't usually hire from their summer class). Should I just take the small firm and give up on government?

Could you split the summer?

Maybe after SEC program in August. Otherwise, i'm pretty sure the SEC doesn't allow it, and they might have a problem with splitting in general. Dunno

[LawIdiot86]

Damn. I'm a 2L interning with the SEC this summer and this thread is making really depressed. OCS acted like it was a great opportunity, but admittedly I should have done my homework. Now, I am wondering if I should jump ship as I still have an offer open with a 35-50 person law firm. (Though, the firm made clear that they don't usually hire from their summer class). Should I just take the small firm and give up on government?

Could you split the summer?

Maybe after SEC program in August. Otherwise, i'm pretty sure the SEC doesn't allow it, and they might have a problem with splitting in general. Dunno

The SEC doesn't care about splitting in general, but they will not reduce the length of the 10 week program or change its start date to accommodate splits.

[leobowski]

I loved it there, as did most of the other interns. It was fun and the people I worked with were fun and knowledgeable. I don't think I've said anything that it was better or worse than a firm or other agency as far as the experience. It just has really poor exit opportunities for 2Ls ITE and the foreseeable future. The experience is what you make of it and, for the vast majority of us, it's too late to go back and do our law school career differently.

This focus on enjoying the experience that I see on TLS and when kids who tour my law school, stop me to ask questions feels bizarre given the employment prospects and way almost all entry-level jobs operate. Law school is a three year battle to the death to get the best job you can because the legal profession is bizarrely structured and your position on graduation disproportionately influences your career. I made a similar mistake of trying to make it fun and look for meaningful opportunities to learn and I can see the same mistake among certain friends. Pick the highest ranked school you get into, even if it is in a location that sucks; you can physically live anywhere for three years. Pick the classes with the best curves, not the best topics or professors. And pick the internships that look the best for your goal, regardless of what the substantive work will be in them.

Meh. It's a bad idea to pick the highest ranked school if it's a bottom-feeder in a competitive region. Debt upon graduation should also be a major consideration, if not the paramount factor in school choice.

[LawIdiot86]

I loved it there, as did most of the other interns. It was fun and the people I worked with were fun and knowledgeable. I don't think I've said anything that it was better or worse than a firm or other agency as far as the experience. It just has really poor exit opportunities for 2Ls ITE and the foreseeable future. The experience is what you make of it and, for the vast majority of us, it's too late to go back and do our law school career differently.

This focus on enjoying the experience that I see on TLS and when kids who tour my law school, stop me to ask questions feels bizarre given the employment prospects and way almost all entry-level jobs operate. Law school is a three year battle to the death to get the best job you can because the legal profession is bizarrely structured and your position on graduation disproportionately influences your career. I made a similar mistake of trying to make it fun and look for meaningful opportunities to learn and I can see the same mistake among certain friends. Pick the highest ranked school you get into, even if it is in a location that sucks; you can physically live anywhere for three years. Pick the classes with the best curves, not the best topics or professors. And pick the internships that look the best for your goal, regardless of what the substantive work will be in them.

Meh. It's a bad idea to pick the highest ranked school if it's a bottom-feeder in a competitive region. Debt upon graduation should also be a major consideration, if not the paramount factor in school choice.

Alright, so I dumbed down the exact formula because I was trying to make a different point. I can explain it longhand.

1. Pick the highest band of schools on the list below that you get into regardless of debt or location. Within the bands, pick on geography/clerking odds, avoiding GULC and Michigan, if possible.

T3
T6
T10
T14

2. If you don't get into a T14, pick the school from the list below that offers you the most money, unless the geography is absolutely unbearable.

USC/Vandy/BC/Fordham/Texas/BU/GW

3. If you don't get into schools in #2, pick the school from the list below that offers you the most money.

WUSTL/Emory/Cardozo/Wash/Minn/UIUC/SMU

4. If you don't get into one of those schools, go to this list, http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNL ... slreturn=1, and attend the school that gives you the most money, no matter how much you hate where it is.

5. If you don't get into a school on that list, take the highest USNWR school that will give you money. If no money is offered, please reconsider law school; it isn't worth it.