Public Interest 2014: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences... Forum

[sd5289]

Is 10 weeks on the short end for a 1L summer? I don't start until next week yet, feels odd to see so many others working already while I'm just sitting around.

Sounds pretty standard. I haven't started yet either, but I was also one of the last to be done with finals judging from other posters in the 2L (now 3L) thread.

[desiballa21]

want to be in a DA office post-grad... are there any classes that i absolutely have to sign up for next semester? (rising 2L here).

[BlueLotus]

Evidence, Crim Pro, and Trial Ad.

[dreakol]

want to be in a DA office post-grad... are there any classes that i absolutely have to sign up for next semester? (rising 2L here).

in addition to the classes listed above, try to work at your local office throughout the year and get a student license as soon as possible. going into post grad interviews with jury trial experience will go a lot further than whether you got an A- in family law.

[sd5289]

If your school has any criminal law clinics, try to get into those as well.

I've also found the criminal practice classes very helpful. I took a class focused solely on the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which is going to come in really handy this summer.

[LSL]

Checking in! Fed gov't this summer and I'm really excited. I'd like to apply to EJW, but I'm not sure that any of the places I interned at would make for good EJW applications, hiring, or places I have a shot at working (few hiring opportunities, need amazing grades). I did good work with them and had good feedback, but I'm also just not sure I want to live in this area anymore. And I ultimately might want non-profit instead of gov't.

Is it possible to apply for an EJW fellowship with an organization you haven't worked with before? Is that (as I suspect) completely dumb?

[worldtraveler]

Checking in! Fed gov't this summer and I'm really excited. I'd like to apply to EJW, but I'm not sure that any of the places I interned at would make for good EJW applications, hiring, or places I have a shot at working (few hiring opportunities, need amazing grades). I did good work with them and had good feedback, but I'm also just not sure I want to live in this area anymore. And I ultimately might want non-profit instead of gov't.

Is it possible to apply for an EJW fellowship with an organization you haven't worked with before? Is that (as I suspect) completely dumb?

Like 1/2 the people on EJW haven't worked with the place before.

Look at all the FAQ on the website.

[LSL]

Checking in! Fed gov't this summer and I'm really excited. I'd like to apply to EJW, but I'm not sure that any of the places I interned at would make for good EJW applications, hiring, or places I have a shot at working (few hiring opportunities, need amazing grades). I did good work with them and had good feedback, but I'm also just not sure I want to live in this area anymore. And I ultimately might want non-profit instead of gov't.

Is it possible to apply for an EJW fellowship with an organization you haven't worked with before? Is that (as I suspect) completely dumb?

Like 1/2 the people on EJW haven't worked with the place before.

Look at all the FAQ on the website.

Ha, sorry. That was a lazy question. I kinda assumed you basically needed to have worked at the place before since so many people have talked about sponsors from places they worked at. It's been awhile, so I clearly need to take a look again. Also, thanks an indescribable amount for creating that fellowship info thread .

[BlueLotus]

How to start the conversation with a potential sponsor--send an email with a cover letter and resume or less formally ask if they're taking fellows for 2015-16?

[sd5289]

Random question: is anyone debating fellowships vs. clerkships vs. jumping into perma-jerb? I have the grades to be competitive for clerkships (first world problems, I know), and I also think I have a good shot at something like EJW given my work experience, but part of me just wants to jump into my career...which is possibly motivated by the fact that I spent some years out before going to law school so I remember what it was like to be working and have a career. Does anyone feel like taking on a clerkship or an EJW project is just delaying that? It's something I'm going back and forth on a lot because the application season is about to start.

[worldtraveler]

How to start the conversation with a potential sponsor--send an email with a cover letter and resume or less formally ask if they're taking fellows for 2015-16?

Send an email with cover letter, resume, and writing sample. Also make it clear that you are familiar with the kind of work they do, who they are, and how you know this. If you don't know them explain why you want to work with them (the city they're in, etc).

The thing with fellowships is your proposal is meant to address a need that exists, so a good one doesn't just cover what the organization already does well. You need to serve a new population, start a new program, branch off in a new location. Find a place where they are not already doing exactly what you do.

Random question: is anyone debating fellowships vs. clerkships vs. jumping into perma-jerb? I have the grades to be competitive for clerkships (first world problems, I know), and I also think I have a good shot at something like EJW given my work experience, but part of me just wants to jump into my career...which is possibly motivated by the fact that I spent some years out before going to law school so I remember what it was like to be working and have a career. Does anyone feel like taking on a clerkship or an EJW project is just delaying that? It's something I'm going back and forth on a lot because the application season is about to start.

Both clerkship and EJW are part of a career. EJW especially, as a lot of people stay on as staff attorneys.

To be frank, PI students cannot be picky. It is extremely difficult to get your first job no matter who you are. Apply to everything, see how it works out. It is also next to impossible for most people just to get a salaried job in PI without a fellowship. It happens, but don't forego applying to things for which you are competitive.

I also think way too many PI people are too reliant on EJW and Skadden. Like 2% of PI people will get jobs through these. Apply for all the less well-known stuff, much of which is still prestigious and lets you do the same kind of work and you are much better off.

[History_Buff]

I'm going to love this summer I think.

[BlueLotus]

Provided that I get into a school in my home city as a visiting student (have legit medical reasons), would staying on with my 2L summer employer in the fall be a good idea, or should I intern with a new place during the school year and get to know more practitioners in PI?

[crumpetsandtea]

About to be halfway through my second week of my first internship for the summer. It's been AMAZING so far.

After having spoken to some of the folks in the office participating in the government honors program, I want to get a position with a gov't honors program SO BAD. It is such an amazingly nice job.

• Starting salary = $110,000
• Yearly raise of $10,000 until you hit $140,000 (then it is based off whether you are considered a 'senior attorney' or 'counsel')
• People at my office are discouraged from working over 40 hours
• Every 4 weeks of work = 6 hours of sick leave
• Every hour over 40 hours/wk that you work = an extra hour of sick leave
• Honors fellows typically are doing depos themselves 2-3 months in and one girl just wrapped up her first trial (she's been working here 1.5 years)
• You are guaranteed a permanent position after the honors program ends
• You can choose any location (DC or regional) to work in after your honors program ends and they will place you there
• The job security is amazing

Downside: 2,500 people applied for 11 positions (for the agency I work for) last year. )':

[A. Nony Mouse]

I mean, honors programs are incredibly competitive in terms of numbers. But interning for the agency you want to apply to is definitely a bonus, from what I can tell. (I did a lot of google/linked-in stalking of honors attorneys when I was applying, and of the ones I could find, by far the most had interned for their agencies during law school.)

[sd5289]

Only 2500 people applied for those 11 positions? That surprises me.

[BlueLotus]

Only 2500 people applied for those 11 positions? That surprises me.

What are the characteristics of those 11 people? T14, LR, Moot Ct, interned with the agency during law school, etc.?

[dreakol]

Only 2500 people applied for those 11 positions? That surprises me.

What are the characteristics of those 11 people? T14, LR, Moot Ct, interned with the agency during law school, etc.?

got to be that plus the right last names

[crumpetsandtea]

Well, for what it's worth the two fellows in my office both did federal clerkships. Neither are from t14 schools and they said about half th e DC class participated in either a prestigious fellowship for 1Ls and 2Ls targeted towards the type of law my department does, or had a history of community organizing work, or both.

[crumpetsandtea]

Oh, I fucked up. The income is much lower than I thought because I totally misread what the honors fellows were saying. It's more like 60K to 80k. Still a good job but not as incredible now. Sorry guys false info.

[LSL]

Oh, I fucked up. The income is much lower than I thought because I totally misread what the honors fellows were saying. It's more like 60K to 80k. Still a good job but not as incredible now. Sorry guys false info.

I was wondering . I was almost going to ask, "Damn, which agency?!" but then I figured you couldn't say anyway.

[BlueLotus]

I think I'm the latest starting person on here. Orientation is on May 29.

[sd5289]

I'm not far behind you. I start May 27th.

[jdmonkey]

I think I'm the latest starting person on here. Orientation is on May 29.

6/2 for me.

[samcro_op]

Checking in. I won't start until mid June for personal reasons but I am really excited. I will be working at a PD office as I rising 2L.
WT and anyone else do you have advice for rising 2L's trying to prepare for the post grad job hunt already? My GPA has dropped a bunch and I don't think I will be competitive for Skadden anymore. I am feeling anxious about trying to figure out where I want to intern next summer. I assume my best bet would be to find somewhere that I would like to do a fellowship at work there next summer right? My CSO recommended looking at where Skadden and EJW have sponsored people before because they tend to do the same again.
I just find it all to be really stressful. :/