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I'm trying to figure out what to do next summer. I had a goofy idea and wanted to get your sense of how goofy it is.

I grew up in a state with no legal markets to speak of. It's not a place where many law students want to go and the market for new lawyers tops out in the 60-70 range. Some of the firms do have summer programs, however, and hire both 1Ls and 2Ls. I don't want to move back there after LS, but I was thinking I might be an attractive candidate to these firms as they mainly pull T2/TTT grads.

2L summer and after school, I hope to practice in the same state where I go to school. Would firms in the state in which I want practice after LS get turned off if I went out of town my 1L summer? Given that firms are hiring clerks with an eye toward hiring them permanently in the future, is it a dick thing to go for a position someone else is trying to get for after school? What would I do about getting a reference from them for interviews for 2L summer?

Appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Where you spend your 1L summer has some impact on what firms think about you when hiring during 2L OCI. They want to see demonstrated ties, so anything that shows that you want to be in/have ties to the city where the firm is, will help you.

That being said, it is by no means determinative. I go to school in LA, spent my summer 1L summer in NYC, and have my 2L SA in DC (but I went to UG there and have ties).

I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you get any kind of work at all your 1L summer ITE, it will be a positive thing for your resume, no matter what the location. No employer in the state where your law school resides will hold it against you for trying to find work any place you can and possibly using a local-yocal connection to obtain work during your 1L summer..

Because you want to practice in the state where you go to school, you already have strong ties to the area, so it doesn't matter where you spend your 1L summer. If you think you'll get a worthwhile experience back home, go for it. Things would be different if you were hoping to break into a legal market somewhere besides your home state or school state -- then yes, it would be best to look for a 1L summer gig there. As things stand right now, though, your "goofy" idea is not goofy at all.

Depends on what market your school is in. If you're gunning for NYC your 2L year, employers likely don't care where you worked 1L year. If you're targeting a city like Boston for your 2L year and you go to school in Boston, it may make a huge impact.

The few people at BU with top grades who wanted Boston SA positions and didn't get them seemed to have the same characteristics: didn't grow up/go to undergrad in Boston, worked in their home state for 1L year. In some markets, like Boston, employers want to know that you're in Boston for the long haul and not just going to work for a few years and jump ship. If you're in a market like this, just stay in it your 1L year or you may regret it.

Blindmelon wrote:Depends on what market your school is in.

This. And more specifically, what school you go to.

warumnicht wrote:Because you want to practice in the state where you go to school, you already have strong ties to the area, so it doesn't matter where you spend your 1L summer.

Not necessarily this.