1L Summer Employment SA? Forum

[Anonymous User]

FYI: I've already applied to about 35 judges, 5 DA/PDs, and several nonprofits, i.e. I'm not totally missing the boat of summer employment -- just on SA apparently.

Then it's just baffling to me why you didn't apply for an SA? What were you thinking? You should've recognized that for SA, you can't wait around for grades to determine whether to apply or not.

not OP but I'm in a similar boat as OP in that I didn't think of really applying to 1L SA's even though I did other job apps, but now that I got pretty good grades I'm bummed that I was foolish not to do it earlier.

For me at least, it was a combination of everyone on TLS saying how hard it is to get a 1L SA + expecting so-so grades + the fact that my resume is crappy so I figured they would just toss my application without even waiting for my grades

Sometimes pessimism can get the best of you to the point where you don't even bother putting in the effort. Foolish mistake and probably threw a chance at $30k down the toilet but nothing I can do about it now

[Grizz]

Just curious as to how much a 1L SA will help during OCI for 2L?

(not OP)

You may not even have to do 2L OCI

Grizz. Would you do 2L OCI if you liked your 1L SA firm (and were offered back)? Do you think those people should at least settle what it would be like to work for a different law firm?

Just wanted to pick your brain about this before I forget.

You can if you want. Some firms give 1Ls the option to just come back for a couple weeks, so you can do a 10 wk program and another 2 or 4 wk program. But I know at least one person who was happy enough with his 1L firm that he decided OCI wasn't worth the hassle (it's a big hassle).

I did govt. 1L summer so I didn't have to make that decision. Depends how much I like my 1L firm I guess.

[romothesavior]

+1 ^^^

Really depends on the firm. Most of the people I know who got 1L SAs were offered back, and most took it and skipped OCI.

[Guchster]

Just curious as to how much a 1L SA will help during OCI for 2L?

(not OP)

You may not even have to do 2L OCI

Grizz. Would you do 2L OCI if you liked your 1L SA firm (and were offered back)? Do you think those people should at least settle what it would be like to work for a different law firm?

Just wanted to pick your brain about this before I forget.

You can if you want. Some firms give 1Ls the option to just come back for a couple weeks, so you can do a 10 wk program and another 2 or 4 wk program. But I know at least one person who was happy enough with his 1L firm that he decided OCI wasn't worth the hassle (it's a big hassle).

I did govt. 1L summer so I didn't have to make that decision. Depends how much I like my 1L firm I guess.

Thanks grizz.Something i'll keep in mind. Always the helpful rad bro.

ETA: thx romo, also a poaster that manages to always come through.

[Guchster]

FYI: I've already applied to about 35 judges, 5 DA/PDs, and several nonprofits, i.e. I'm not totally missing the boat of summer employment -- just on SA apparently.

Then it's just baffling to me why you didn't apply for an SA? What were you thinking? You should've recognized that for SA, you can't wait around for grades to determine whether to apply or not.

not OP but I'm in a similar boat as OP in that I didn't think of really applying to 1L SA's even though I did other job apps, but now that I got pretty good grades I'm bummed that I was foolish not to do it earlier.

For me at least, it was a combination of everyone on TLS saying how hard it is to get a 1L SA + expecting so-so grades + the fact that my resume is crappy so I figured they would just toss my application without even waiting for my grades

Sometimes pessimism can get the best of you to the point where you don't even bother putting in the effort. Foolish mistake and probably threw a chance at $30k down the toilet but nothing I can do about it now

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope 0L lurkers take note and learn the errors of people's ways and apply to SAs EARLLLY!

[Anonymous User]

FYI: I've already applied to about 35 judges, 5 DA/PDs, and several nonprofits, i.e. I'm not totally missing the boat of summer employment -- just on SA apparently.

Then it's just baffling to me why you didn't apply for an SA? What were you thinking? You should've recognized that for SA, you can't wait around for grades to determine whether to apply or not.

not OP but I'm in a similar boat as OP in that I didn't think of really applying to 1L SA's even though I did other job apps, but now that I got pretty good grades I'm bummed that I was foolish not to do it earlier.

For me at least, it was a combination of everyone on TLS saying how hard it is to get a 1L SA + expecting so-so grades + the fact that my resume is crappy so I figured they would just toss my application without even waiting for my grades

Sometimes pessimism can get the best of you to the point where you don't even bother putting in the effort. Foolish mistake and probably threw a chance at $30k down the toilet but nothing I can do about it now

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope 0L lurkers take note and learn the errors of people's ways and apply to SAs EARLLLY!

TBF though, I don't think I would have done nearly as well in school if I had spent 2 or 3 days busily writing cover letters and mass mailing firms. So there's definitely a trade-off to be made. I don't regret not submitting anything before finals were over. Only regret is not doing anything firm-wise between the end of finals and now

[Guchster]

TBF though, I don't think I would have done nearly as well in school if I had spent 2 or 3 days busily writing cover letters and mass mailing firms. So there's definitely a trade-off to be made. I don't regret not submitting anything before finals were over. Only regret is not doing anything firm-wise between the end of finals and now

I applied Dec. 1. Interviews first two weeks of Jan. Getting close to double digit in 1L V100 firm offers.

I do not regret applying before finals. I doubt my grades dropped even a 1/3 of a letter grade because of investing the time in late october/ early Nov. to take care of this stuff, prepare draft emails, take care of my resume/cover letters and have them revised by OCS/PI people as well as 3Ls, take note of which firms hire 1Ls and which are TBD--basically the things you're doing 4 months later.

Definitely think you shouldn't do all of this right before finals in late nov./early dec. but if you did your work right, you'd have the grades, 30k , and a 2L offer by late July, and instead you've chosen to let fear and uncertainty get the best for you. Sorry, 0Ls plan ahead and listen to people on TLS that give good advice, like some of the 2Ls ITT

[romothesavior]

Guchster, where do you go to school?

[Guchster]

.

[romothesavior]

Guchster, where do you go to school?

CLS. Went to HYP for undergrad though.

Okay. Figured it was a T6 with something else (WE, IP, URM, stellar u-grad,) to get that many 1L SA offers.

[Guchster]

.

[r6_philly]

Haha, why don't you turn down some offers for the rest of us. In all seriousness, great job!

[birdlaw117]

.

[Anonymous User]

To the OP, apply anyways. Check for all of the firms nearby that hire 1L's. Just recently sent out applications (after many deadlines) and I have been contacted for two interviews (both from firms where app. deadline had passed). It is not too late if you are selling what they are buying.

[Anonymous User]

To OP, you should definitely send out stuff now and see if anyone bites, but I wouldn't expect too much at this point. As mentioned above, you are applying pretty late in the process and most firms are either full or probably already have too many qualified candidates so you would have to offer a very compelling reason for them to add you to the interview pile.

Another issue not mentioned is that 1L SA's are probably harder to get if you aren't at a top school that typically sends a lot of people to the firm in question. One of the main reasons firms hire 1L SA's beyond grabbing the top candidates early is that they want someone that will go back to their school and rave about their experience and get other impressionable almost-2L's going through OCI to bid on their firm/accept offers. At one callback interview I got the distinct impression that I wasn't so much competing against all other applicants so much as I was competing against the other applicants for the slot they want to give to someone from my school. Most big firms are only going to give 2L offers to a couple people from a T30 school anyways and so they might not find it as beneficial to give a 1L slot to someone from there.