1L Summer Job Search C/O 2017 Forum

[BVest]

If something asks for "references" but it doesn't specify how many, is one reference enough?

I was told 3 but no idea where that number comes from. I would put at least two if it's asking for plural

So I know my legal research & writing prof said she would write one, but with large section sizes I'm not that comfortable asking my 1L profs. Is it fine to use undergrad prof/employer LOR's?

Somebody may have pointed this out, but I didn't see it. Just to clarify:

"Reference" = Person whose name/contact info you provide to potential employers on a single page. Potential employers might contact these people to ask people about you personally and about your smarts/work habits. These should be people who know you and your work personally, such as your immediate supervisor, or if you worked closely with another higher-up (but not like HR -- those people might still get contacted as a result of a job being on your resume). As said, yes you can use profs, and should have at least 1 prof reference. They're used to this stuff. (Oh, and always ask before you add a reference).

"Recommender" = Someone willing to write a letter recommendation letter. Need not overlap with references. In the legal world, generally only judges require rec letters.

Requests for either:
"Would you be willing to serve as a reference for me?"
vs
"Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me for use in my application [to Judge X's summer internship] [for post-graduation judicial clerkships]?"

[Kratos]

You already got a grade back? I thought B- was basically nonexistent at your school.

Scott don't be a jerky face.

And yeah one of the sections already has a grade back. Not mine.

And somewhere between 3-10% will have a B- or lower.

Yea i happened to be the fuck up with the B-. So I'm pretty much going to be below median this semester no matter what. I was applying to diversity SAs but pretty disheartened right now.

inaccurate. but even if you are it's not the end of the world

[Sheriff]

Interview request for SA at great firm across the country in my target market! Pretty pumped.

I'm sure it varies by firm, but does anyone have a rough idea of what the interview to offer ratio is? They know I am going to have to fly in. Would they ask me to do that if the job wasn't mine to lose?

[BigZuck]

Interview request for SA at great firm across the country in my target market! Pretty pumped.

I'm sure it varies by firm, but does anyone have a rough idea of what the interview to offer ratio is? They know I am going to have to fly in. Would they ask me to do that if the job wasn't mine to lose?

Impossible to say without knowing the firm or your sitch

In general after going through the 1L and 2L job search I would say "Do your best" and "Don't get your hopes up too much"

Good luck man, crush it

[Anonymous User]

Interview request for SA at great firm across the country in my target market! Pretty pumped.

I'm sure it varies by firm, but does anyone have a rough idea of what the interview to offer ratio is? They know I am going to have to fly in. Would they ask me to do that if the job wasn't mine to lose?

Impossible to say without knowing the firm or your sitch

In general after going through the 1L and 2L job search I would say "Do your best" and "Don't get your hopes up too much"

Good luck man, crush it

What about Texas firms for non-diversity spots?

[BigZuck]

Interview request for SA at great firm across the country in my target market! Pretty pumped.

I'm sure it varies by firm, but does anyone have a rough idea of what the interview to offer ratio is? They know I am going to have to fly in. Would they ask me to do that if the job wasn't mine to lose?

Impossible to say without knowing the firm or your sitch

In general after going through the 1L and 2L job search I would say "Do your best" and "Don't get your hopes up too much"

Good luck man, crush it

What about Texas firms for non-diversity spots?

What do you mean?

That would unequivocally not be a "yours to lose" situation because they are going to interview like 50+ people for a few slots

[sims1]

If something asks for "references" but it doesn't specify how many, is one reference enough?

I was told 3 but no idea where that number comes from. I would put at least two if it's asking for plural

So I know my legal research & writing prof said she would write one, but with large section sizes I'm not that comfortable asking my 1L profs. Is it fine to use undergrad prof/employer LOR's?

Somebody may have pointed this out, but I didn't see it. Just to clarify:

"Reference" = Person whose name/contact info you provide to potential employers on a single page. Potential employers might contact these people to ask people about you personally and about your smarts/work habits. These should be people who know you and your work personally, such as your immediate supervisor, or if you worked closely with another higher-up (but not like HR -- those people might still get contacted as a result of a job being on your resume). As said, yes you can use profs, and should have at least 1 prof reference. They're used to this stuff. (Oh, and always ask before you add a reference).

"Recommender" = Someone willing to write a letter recommendation letter. Need not overlap with references. In the legal world, generally only judges require rec letters.

Requests for either:
"Would you be willing to serve as a reference for me?"
vs
"Would you be willing to write a letter of recommendation for me for use in my application [to Judge X's summer internship] [for post-graduation judicial clerkships]?"

ohh right, duly noted..

[esypsylmnsqsy]

Just had an interview with a "smaller biglaw" firm in my secondary market hometown. I feel like it went really well and was told to expect to hear back from them in a week or so. Any chance that I would see an offer before I even get 1L fall grades? Does that ever happen? CCN with unique-ish pre-law school WE.

[BigZuck]

Just had an interview with a "smaller biglaw" firm in my secondary market hometown. I feel like it went really well and was told to expect to hear back from them in a week or so. Any chance that I would see an offer before I even get 1L fall grades? Does that ever happen? CCN with unique-ish pre-law school WE.

It happens

[Anonymous User]

Just had an interview with a "smaller biglaw" firm in my secondary market hometown. I feel like it went really well and was told to expect to hear back from them in a week or so. Any chance that I would see an offer before I even get 1L fall grades? Does that ever happen? CCN with unique-ish pre-law school WE.

Yep it happens. I would trust their words.

[esypsylmnsqsy]

Thanks for the info. Merry Christmas!

[Anonymous User]

has anybody gotten interviews at vault 20 firms yet?

[Fred012]

i second above question

[Anonymous User]

has anybody gotten interviews at vault 20 firms yet?

Yes

[DCNTUA]

See the rest of the thread. Some have received offers already.

[Anonymous User]

has anybody gotten interviews at vault 20 firms yet?

Interviews from V10 and V50.

[Fred012]

which firms have sent out interviews?

which top 20 firms actually have organized 1L programs?

r we counting seo here?

[Anonymous User]

which firms have sent out interviews?

which top 20 firms actually have organized 1L programs?

r we counting seo here?

What do you mean by "are we counting SEOs"? That's for 0Ls. But yeah some SEO firms also have 1L SA. Some of last year's SEOs obviously get 1L SAs too. Two of them got firm offers before they even finished finals while others go straight to interview because of SEO connections.

[Kratos]

which firms have sent out interviews?

which top 20 firms actually have organized 1L programs?

r we counting seo here?

doubt anybody is going to tell you specifically which firms theyve gotten interviews at, why does this matter anyway? you can search yourself for which firms hire 1L's, start by looking on NALP. apply to every firm anyway

[Anonymous User]

1Ls writing diversity statements: are you approaching it the same way you wrote your diversity statements in your JD applications?

Also, do you need a tie to contend for jobs in LA/SF/Chicago? It makes sense that firms in smaller markets like Minnesota, Tennessee etc want strong ties to ensure that you're not just spamming nationwide. How do you get a foot in the door of private sector 1L jobs in a city you've never been to before, if your law school isn't from there? My school's reach is "national" (one of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, or NYU, but not Stanford or Chicago), but I don't see what good that does me if LA/SF/Chicago or even Miami/Texas firms require preexisting ties.

Lastly, are one's chances of getting an in-house F500 job better than a 1L firm job? Do such jobs follow the same process/timeline (massmail, right about now/January), or is it better to set up "informational interviews" with alumni first?

[Anonymous User]

does Latham actually require two letters of recommendations? or just people that you can list as references?

[Anonymous User]

1Ls writing diversity statements: are you approaching it the same way you wrote your diversity statements in your JD applications?

Also, do you need a tie to contend for jobs in LA/SF/Chicago? It makes sense that firms in smaller markets like Minnesota, Tennessee etc want strong ties to ensure that you're not just spamming nationwide. How do you get a foot in the door of private sector 1L jobs in a city you've never been to before, if your law school isn't from there? My school's reach is "national" (one of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, or NYU, but not Stanford or Chicago), but I don't see what good that does me if LA/SF/Chicago or even Miami/Texas firms require preexisting ties.

Lastly, are one's chances of getting an in-house F500 job better than a 1L firm job? Do such jobs follow the same process/timeline (massmail, right about now/January), or is it better to set up "informational interviews" with alumni first?

I've heard it's difficult to break into the Chicago market without any ties.

[Anonymous User]

I've heard it's difficult to break into the Chicago market without any ties.

I've also heard that SF is one of the harder markets to break into, too. I don't have a particularly strong reason to be in any one of LA/SF/Chicago. It's just that I don't have any other usable ties except where I went to undergrad but I don't want to end up back there lol.

So what good is a national reach like Harvard or Yale if you need preexisting ties anyway?

[Anonymous User]

"Reference" = Person whose name/contact info you provide to potential employers on a single page. Potential employers might contact these people to ask people about you personally and about your smarts/work habits. As said, yes you can use profs, and should have at least 1 prof reference. They're used to this stuff. (Oh, and always ask before you add a reference).

"Recommender" = Someone willing to write a letter recommendation letter.

1. In our 1L summer job applications, does that 1 prof reference bolded above need to be an LS prof? Because my LS profs haven't even graded my exams yet and don't know me much beyond how I did on the exam.

2. At each of my last few summer positions, I have somebody immediately above me who can attest that I was there, but if they're asked to share opinions they might have mixed and/or on balance negative things to say (smart but lazy etc).

If they just need to say that I'm someone of integrity then yea they'll say that but if the inquiries are about the quality of my work or me as an intern, then I'm not so sure anymore.

Would it raise eyebrows if my resume includes my summer internships but I have no references from any of them?

3. Also, what if I have to reach back 2 or 3 years to
find professors/supervisors who have good things to say about me? If they already agreed in the past and/or wrote letters for me, should I just list them as references now or do I have to ask them to renew their permissions?

[Anonymous User]

does Latham actually require two letters of recommendations? or just people that you can list as references?

Application says "two written references," so I assumed it meant letters.