Summer Associate Job Search Forum

[Anonymous User]

Planning to start applying for summer associate positions after December 1. What is the best way - contact recruitment coordinator or contact alumni partners? Paper or electronic?

[sissyclark]

for 2012? If for 2011, then I think this is a flame. Even if for 2012 I think this is a flame.

[20160810]

If you are a URM, look on Symplicity for "diversity fellowships" and apply to those. If you are not a URM, your best bet for finding a post-1L SA gig is probably prayer.

[chipchip]

1L? Please, focus on your exams. Most (read: almost all) firms are not going to even look at you in the first place (particularly if you are looking for biglaw and are not at a T10), and even then, nothing will happen until your grades come in and they see how you do. You will not be screwed if you start applying after Dec. 17 for a summer job (I got public interest and my interview was in February).

Talk to your OCS. Look on the firm's website to see if they even hire 1Ls, and go primarily through recruiting (unless they post a listing on Symplicity for you). And please, don't be the dick who contacts the alumni partners directly asking for a job (unless you know them personally, and even then, I'd be cautious). They'll know exactly why you've contacted them, and they won't be bringing you Christmas cheer.

[Anonymous User]

CPA with multiple years of accounting xp looking for a transactional practice. My OCS said it may be a good idea for me to contact alumni partners as I may pique their interest.

[chipchip]

No matter your experience, focus on 1 thing right now: exams. If you fuck those up, having a 1L summer job won't matter next year at OCI.

[Anonymous User]

The word on the street is people with good work xp get 1L jobs before fall grades come out, and after that you are basically in the system and your grades do not matter that much.

[chipchip]

Whose street? Every offer I got, I got in mid February after interviewing in early February and applying in January (with a follow-up once I got my transcript).

Look, it depends on the job, and it depends on when the people you have applied to are hiring. If you're looking for DOJ in DC? Yeah, maybe apply right around December 1. I applied in late December/early January and didn't get lucky there, though to be fair, I'd say very few 1Ls did because of the legal market in general and the large amount of 2Ls applying for the same position. But I got a USAO when I applied in late January. SDNY accepts applications on Dec. 1, but they do on campus interviews for places like Harvard, Yale, and GULC in late January/early February.

As for being in the system and your grades not mattering? Highly doubt that to be true, especially if you are implying that if you get that job 1L summer at the firm, you're golden...

[Anonymous User]

Whose street? Every offer I got, I got in mid February after interviewing in early February and applying in January (with a follow-up once I got my transcript).

Look, it depends on the job, and it depends on when the people you have applied to are hiring. If you're looking for DOJ in DC? Yeah, maybe apply right around December 1. I applied in late December/early January and didn't get lucky there, though to be fair, I'd say very few 1Ls did because of the legal market in general and the large amount of 2Ls applying for the same position. But I got a USAO when I applied in late January. SDNY accepts applications on Dec. 1, but they do on campus interviews for places like Harvard, Yale, and GULC in late January/early February.

As for being in the system and your grades not mattering? Highly doubt that to be true, especially if you are implying that if you get that job 1L summer at the firm, you're golden...

Whose street - the street where people with solid work xp live. The 1L story is from a 3L from my school who made it from 1L SA to 2L SA to full time. She did a good job and they never checked her grades after first semester.

[rayiner]

If you've got legit CPA work experience you're not in the same boat as the K-JD rubes. Put together a good resume and spam everyone, especially smaller firms that take SAs and firms in secondary markets.

Hit that shit on Dec. 1 because by the time 1L grades come back it's too late. A bunch of my friends got 1L SA jobs by applying early. IMHO it's better to apply early with no grades than later with great grades.

Of course you need to focus on finals, but a bit of time over thanskgiving sending out applications won't hurt you.

[Anonymous User]

Who do you think I should spam - legal recruiting coordinators? Email or snail mail? Would not spamming over T-Giving be against the Dec 1 rule?

[NU_Jet55]

The word on the street is people with good work xp get 1L jobs before fall grades come out, and after that you are basically in the system and your grades do not matter that much.

Lol!

[Anonymous User]

The word on the street is people with good work xp get 1L jobs before fall grades come out, and after that you are basically in the system and your grades do not matter that much.

Lol!

That is what I said!

[NU_Jet55]

Why are there people in here abusing the anonymous function? Do work mods.

[rayiner]

Who do you think I should spam - legal recruiting coordinators? Email or snail mail? Would not spamming over T-Giving be against the Dec 1 rule?

I mean get your shit ready so you can hit "send" on Dec 1. E-mail firms directly to their recruiting address, put your cover letter as the email body and keep it short.

As for odds of getting a 1L job... About 10% of 1Ls at my school worked at big firms over the summer and the bulk of those were people with engineering/finance/accounting backgrounds. Your CPA is a great qualification for tax law and you stand a decent shot of snagging a firm job if you apply widely.

[Anonymous User]

Who do you think I should spam - legal recruiting coordinators? Email or snail mail? Would not spamming over T-Giving be against the Dec 1 rule?

I mean get your shit ready so you can hit "send" on Dec 1. E-mail firms directly to their recruiting address, put your cover letter as the email body and keep it short.

As for odds of getting a 1L job... About 10% of 1Ls at my school worked at big firms over the summer and the bulk of those were people with engineering/finance/accounting backgrounds. Your CPA is a great qualification for tax law and you stand a decent shot of snagging a firm job if you apply widely.

Thanks for the advise! My OCS lady suggested that I only apply via hard copy resume/cover letter, but then she is like 63 or so...All this new email stuff, damn it!

[Anonymous User]

Why are there people in here abusing the anonymous function? Do work mods.

Why am I abusing it again?

[Anonymous User]

1L at a T10. Work experience as a paralegal previously for a year. Bother leaving finals to apply to jobs?
i could waste a day!

[Anonymous User]

1L at a T10. Work experience as a paralegal previously for a year. Bother leaving finals to apply to jobs?
i could waste a day!

I think you should spend 2 hours in the middle of four days to apply to get some distraction from cramming.

[concurrent fork]

The word on the street is people with good work xp get 1L jobs before fall grades come out, and after that you are basically in the system and your grades do not matter that much.

Wow I wish I knew this as a 1L - silly grades!

[Anonymous User]

The word on the street is people with good work xp get 1L jobs before fall grades come out, and after that you are basically in the system and your grades do not matter that much.

Wow I wish I knew this as a 1L - silly grades!

Grades are needed to distinguish between liberal arts K-JD candidates, which are like dirt and in enormous supply. JD candidates with solid work xp are in a lot shorter supply, leading to grades being substantially less important for these candidates. Grades are the means, not the goal. But many people get so caught up in the game that they start identifying means as being the goal in itself.

[Kohinoor]

1L? Please, focus on your exams. Most (read: almost all) firms are not going to even look at you in the first place (particularly if you are looking for biglaw and are not at a T10), and even then, nothing will happen until your grades come in and they see how you do. You will not be screwed if you start applying after Dec. 17 for a summer job (I got public interest and my interview was in February).

Talk to your OCS. Look on the firm's website to see if they even hire 1Ls, and go primarily through recruiting (unless they post a listing on Symplicity for you). And please, don't be the dick who contacts the alumni partners directly asking for a job (unless you know them personally, and even then, I'd be cautious). They'll know exactly why you've contacted them, and they won't be bringing you Christmas cheer.

Not true.

[Anonymous User]

1L? Please, focus on your exams. Most (read: almost all) firms are not going to even look at you in the first place (particularly if you are looking for biglaw and are not at a T10), and even then, nothing will happen until your grades come in and they see how you do. You will not be screwed if you start applying after Dec. 17 for a summer job (I got public interest and my interview was in February).

Talk to your OCS. Look on the firm's website to see if they even hire 1Ls, and go primarily through recruiting (unless they post a listing on Symplicity for you). And please, don't be the dick who contacts the alumni partners directly asking for a job (unless you know them personally, and even then, I'd be cautious). They'll know exactly why you've contacted them, and they won't be bringing you Christmas cheer.

Not true.

what would you suggest kohinoor?

[Kohinoor]

1L? Please, focus on your exams. Most (read: almost all) firms are not going to even look at you in the first place (particularly if you are looking for biglaw and are not at a T10), and even then, nothing will happen until your grades come in and they see how you do. You will not be screwed if you start applying after Dec. 17 for a summer job (I got public interest and my interview was in February).

Talk to your OCS. Look on the firm's website to see if they even hire 1Ls, and go primarily through recruiting (unless they post a listing on Symplicity for you). And please, don't be the dick who contacts the alumni partners directly asking for a job (unless you know them personally, and even then, I'd be cautious). They'll know exactly why you've contacted them, and they won't be bringing you Christmas cheer.

Not true.

what would you suggest kohinoor?

Some positions go out before grades are in. This is for both URMs and non-URMs. I'm assuming that the non-URMs are either somebody's kid or have exceptional resumes but if that's you you should be applying on day 1.

::edit::
Of course, this is something you should have taken into account like 3 months ago. Now, you have like a week or two before exams.

[Anonymous User]

What is the best, most catchy and professional email title when spamming resumes on Dec 1?