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I know that the 2L SLIP spots are insanely competitive, but what about the 1L summer volunteer spots? I"m sure they aren't easy but are we still talking insanely difficult to get? Also what are they looking for other than grades (especially since they start accepting apps on Dec 1--before grades are out)? Does getting one of the volunteer spots help in landing SLIP as a 2L? Finally, somewhat more forward looking, how hard/feasible is it to go from the DOJ Civil Division to Big Law lit?

Anonymous User wrote:I know that the 2L SLIP spots are insanely competitive, but what about the 1L summer volunteer spots? I"m sure they aren't easy but are we still talking insanely difficult to get? Also what are they looking for other than grades (especially since they start accepting apps on Dec 1--before grades are out)? Does getting one of the volunteer spots help in landing SLIP as a 2L? Finally, somewhat more forward looking, how hard/feasible is it to go from the DOJ Civil Division to Big Law lit?

1) 1L VIP spots are fairly tough to get - everyone spams them and it can be tough to get a bite

2) No clue on whether VIP helps you get SLIP - however, if you're trying to go to the same division, doing a kickass job as a VIP intern will certainly help.

3) Its a lot, lot, lot easier to get generic Big Law than DOJ Civil Division straight out of law school.

Thanks, but for your number 3 I meant: how hard is it to work for the DOJ and then eventually switch to Biglaw (as in years into your career)?

Anonymous User wrote:Thanks, but for your number 3 I meant: how hard is it to work for the DOJ and then eventually switch to Biglaw (as in years into your career)?

Quite a few people (who can get it in the first place) work for DOJ Civil and then move to BigLaw. This is attributable to the fact that it's hard to get DOJ Civil (making it a great resume line) and the fact that work there provides a valuable education for corporate litigation, since a lot of corporate litigation involves being sued by ... DOJ Civil.

I got a DOJ volunteer offer for 1L summer. They told me they received 200+ applications for 2 openings. I am not sure how many people they had to offer the job to in order to fill the 2 spots (I myself did not take it), but the odds do not seem great.

Anonymous User wrote:I got a DOJ volunteer offer for 1L summer. They told me they received 200+ applications for 2 openings. I am not sure how many people they had to offer the job to in order to fill the 2 spots (I myself did not take it), but the odds do not seem great.

What were your grades/school/resume ? Was it the civil division?