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Was there anything anyone did/will do to help prepare for the summer associate position? Obviously you took your core classes, and can't replicate the work you will get at a firm, but was there anything else you felt made you more prepared for your summer (i.e. clinics, books, etc.)?

Note - I get that there may not be anything you really can do to try to get an edge on it, so please spare sarcastic comments. I really am more interested in hearing what you all are doing or have done to put yourself in as best position as possible to succeed and work towards earning your full time offer.

No- just work hard as an SA. They assume you know nothing- any attempt to demonstrate prior knowledge probably won't come off well.

Exercise? I mean this seriously.

aheisman wrote:Exercise? I mean this seriously.

Credited. I hear you put on 10-15 from all the gorging off fine food and wine

BunkMoreland wrote:

aheisman wrote:Exercise? I mean this seriously.

Credited. I hear you put on 10-15 from all the gorging off fine food and wine

Ouch, lets hope not lol.

I was wondering when this thread would come up. What, with all the other threads about how to prepare for 1L a year before starting.

Just buy the "Summer Associate" E&E.

More seriously:

1) If you're not on a journal, read the bluebook.
2) Don't forget your research skills from legal writing.
3) Socialize with as many people as you can instead of being a typical TLSer. Committing a social faux pas will kill your career more quickly than not knowing what 10b-5 is. Practice being a normal person.

Also, should go without saying:

Get work clothes.

Re-read Getting to Maybe. You'll at least get a cold offer.

aschup wrote:Re-read Getting to Maybe. You'll at least get a cold offer.

I actually never read that book in the first place.

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

BunkMoreland wrote:

aheisman wrote:Exercise? I mean this seriously.

Credited. I hear you put on 10-15 from all the gorging off fine food and wine

Yeah- you will probably put on weight. Almost everyone in my SA class did (even though we got free gym memberships).

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

My firm is biz casual, but almost every summer was in a suit on day 1.

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

I was planning a suit day one, not sure if my firm is biz casual though.

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

I was planning a suit day one, but then again I think my firm may be a business casual fridays type, I should probably check this out.

If your firm is business formal, absolutely wear a suit on day one. If your firm is business casual, you can wear business casual on day one unless told otherwise.

Anonymous User wrote:

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

I was planning a suit day one, but then again I think my firm may be a business casual fridays type, I should probably check this out.

If your firm is business formal, absolutely wear a suit on day one. If your firm is business casual, you can wear business casual on day one unless told otherwise.

Don't you guys normally just roll with a suit jacket on biz casual anyway? Just lose the tie?

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:

If it's business casual, we don't have to show up in a suit the first day to appear super gunner-ish do we?

I was planning a suit day one, but then again I think my firm may be a business casual fridays type, I should probably check this out.

If your firm is business formal, absolutely wear a suit on day one. If your firm is business casual, you can wear business casual on day one unless told otherwise.

Don't you guys normally just roll with a suit jacket on biz casual anyway? Just lose the tie?

No. It's summer. It's hot. Why on earth would you wear a suit jacket?

Keep a suit in your office for the emergency court hearing or client meeting, though.

The point about keeping a suit in your office is a good one. If your firm is biz casual, there is just no need to wear a suit the first day. If you really feel the need to, then go for it, but no one will care, and you won't look better or anything.

The point about exercising is a good one. You are going to have tons of food and booze shoveled at you. 5-10 lbs is a conservative estimate to how much people gain. There are always cookies and brownies!!

If you just have down time and are looking for something to read, there is a book called Jagged Rocks that is pretty good. It mostly talks about how to handle yourself and all that stuff. The basic point is to act normal, treat EVERYONE with respect (this is something a lot of people need to realize going in), and do your best and most carefully crafted work.

The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law.

I agree, it's not necessary.

Also, make sure to increase your alcohol tolerance. Nothing like getting drunk before everyone else does at a summer event and fucking up when everyone can remember the act the morning after.

G. T. L. Rev. wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law.

Not a bad idea, but surely not necessary either.

Working out is credited, as is getting your wardrobe in order. Really the latter is all that is truly required; everything else you might do to "prepare" ranges from optional to useless. Just like with 1L year.

What are your wardrobe recommendations for DC?

Suit first day of work to any job. Seriously. I've never worked anyway, internship or job where it wasn't standard to be in a suit the first day. Next day keep the tie, lose the jacket (still meeting people, etc). Third day go business casual.

Blindmelon wrote:Suit first day of work to any job. Seriously. I've never worked anyway, internship or job where it wasn't standard to be in a suit the first day. Next day keep the tie, lose the jacket (still meeting people, etc). Third day go business casual.

This is what I have always operated under. Biz casual or not, never hurts to set a good example on day 1.

You'll be meeting new people throughout the summer, so I'm not sure why it's particularly important to wear a tie on the second day.

Moreover, wearing just a tie with a shirt and slacks makes you look retarded.

a) don't be an aspie
b) don't shit where you eat
c) learn about the appropriate length of a work skirt. there were some serious ho-bags at my firm last summer. other females judged.
d) invest in some certain-dri. nothing says "professional" quite like pit stains.
c) don't judge other summers based on their law school. (outside the v10) if they're from a TTT, they probs had way better grades than you and could own your ass. if they're from a t6, they were just as scared as you about getting a job and probably aren't entitled narcissistic jackasses.
d) read ATL. avoid being on ATL.
e) find the best drycleaners within a ten block radius of either your home or your work. BE NICE.
f) find the best cobbler within the parameters above. wearing beat-ass shoes just looks horrid.
g) come to grips now with the fact that everyone will not like you over the summer, and you will not like everyone
h) if you're working in a place that isn't familiar to you, make sure you know how to get to work and how long it takes. this does not condone, however, showing up an hour early on the first day. if you're placed in such a predicament, spend 40 minutes in a starbucks or something.
i) find a good, sturdy, quality work bag (edit: not a goddamn backpack. it looks childish.)
j) smile, say yes please, and thank you
k) brush up on dining etiquette
l) make nice with your office mate, if you have one. nice does not equal passive-aggressive. that's your best ally, someone to bounce what are probably dumb questions off of, someone who may actually care about your Corporations professor's funny lisp.
m) most of all, follow the lead of the people around you. if the associate takes off his jacket, you can too. if everyone in the office is wearing peep-toe patent louboutins, you can too.

How can I improve my writing before SA starts? I'm a median writer and won't have practiced all school year. Panicking. What's the best legal memo book you know?

Anonymous User wrote:How can I improve my writing before SA starts? I'm a median writer and won't have practiced all school year. Panicking. What's the best legal memo book you know?

don't know about that, but I assume you got through Strunk and White in college?