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About me: Top 10% after first semester at a T30. Objective is BigLaw, Corporate/Transactional. I'm young and came straight from college, but I do have some work experience from a year-long legal internship at a solo-firm during college.

My job search has been miserable (I think I managed it poorly initially) and I had nothing until this week. I just got an offer to work as an RA part-time 20hrs a week doing commercial/contract stuff. I was hoping to tack this on to another position, but it is looking like I might find nothing else compatible.

Is the part-time RA position substantial enough for my 1L summer? Will the employers know/Do I have to tell them it was 20hrs instead of 40hrs?

It's sufficient (I have friends going to V5s after RA positions); more will depend on how your grades pan out the rest of the year and how OCI at your school is.

Unless they ask how much you worked, you can avoid being explicit. You can talk more about what you did and that's what they will care about.

Oh hai me!

Also, as the summer gets closer more professors will look for RAs, and you may be able to swing another part-time position to fill up the other hours. Try asking the professor you're working for if he knows of any colleagues who will need someone.

Sup Kid wrote:Also, as the summer gets closer more professors will look for RAs, and you may be able to swing another part-time position to fill up the other hours. Try asking the professor you're working for if he knows of any colleagues who will need someone.

I thought about that.... is that kosher? I wasn't sure if it would seem weird, "thanks for the job offer, but you aren't enough..." lol/

0L here--- Could anybody explain the definition of "RA?" Honestly I thought he or she meant resident advisor...

gbpackerbacker wrote:0L here--- Could anybody explain the definition of "RA?" Honestly I thought he or she meant resident advisor...

Research assistant.

gbpackerbacker wrote:0L here--- Could anybody explain the definition of "RA?" Honestly I thought he or she meant resident advisor...

Research assistant. You work for a law school faculty member and help them publish by performing research and reviewing papers, help them create/organize materials for new classes, etc. It's not a ton of work, it pays $10-12 an hour usually (which in the world of free 1L summer work sounds heavenly. Honestly, as a 0L, I thought RA positions were on the low end of the spectrum, but now that I'm in law school, it sounds like they are the golden ticket. Everyone wants one more than anything.

Anonymous User wrote:

Sup Kid wrote:Also, as the summer gets closer more professors will look for RAs, and you may be able to swing another part-time position to fill up the other hours. Try asking the professor you're working for if he knows of any colleagues who will need someone.

I thought about that.... is that kosher? I wasn't sure if it would seem weird, "thanks for the job offer, but you aren't enough..." lol/

I think it's fine to ask, so long as they told you that you're only needed 20 hours/week. Professors understand that law school is expensive and you're trying to make some money, and working for someone else at the same time is not going to impact the work you do for him/her.

Sup Kid wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Sup Kid wrote:Also, as the summer gets closer more professors will look for RAs, and you may be able to swing another part-time position to fill up the other hours. Try asking the professor you're working for if he knows of any colleagues who will need someone.

I thought about that.... is that kosher? I wasn't sure if it would seem weird, "thanks for the job offer, but you aren't enough..." lol/

I think it's fine to ask, so long as they told you that you're only needed 20 hours/week. Professors understand that law school is expensive and you're trying to make some money, and working for someone else at the same time is not going to impact the work you do for him/her.

I'm honestly thinking RA/Bartender.

Anonymous User wrote:

Sup Kid wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Sup Kid wrote:Also, as the summer gets closer more professors will look for RAs, and you may be able to swing another part-time position to fill up the other hours. Try asking the professor you're working for if he knows of any colleagues who will need someone.

I thought about that.... is that kosher? I wasn't sure if it would seem weird, "thanks for the job offer, but you aren't enough..." lol/

I think it's fine to ask, so long as they told you that you're only needed 20 hours/week. Professors understand that law school is expensive and you're trying to make some money, and working for someone else at the same time is not going to impact the work you do for him/her.

I'm honestly thinking RA/Bartender.

QF holly

nice try, anonymous

I did nothing but RA my 1L summer (and had worse grades than OP, also from T30) and did fine in OCI. I think RAing is great work, just make sure you know how to spin it in interviews ("ZOMG RESEARCH SKILLZ!")

Your 1L summer job is merely fodder to talk about during interviews.

Therefore, there are two requirements:

(1) Is the job legal?
(2) Can you talk intelligently about one major project you did?

While there may be some downside to taking an RA position with a professor who is doing work that is mainly social sciences and only tenuously legal, I think that this contracts/commercial RA is fine. You may want to try to find another job since you're only part-time- you can go either another legal job (I had a friend who did PD/RA) or go for a waiter/bartending job to bank it.

mths wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: I'm honestly thinking RA/Bartender.

QF holly

nice try, anonymous

WRONG. Government intern/bartender. Duh.

Holly Golightly wrote:

mths wrote:

Anonymous User wrote: I'm honestly thinking RA/Bartender.

QF holly

nice try, anonymous

WRONG. Government intern/bartender. Duh.

Desert Fox wrote:

gbpackerbacker wrote:0L here--- Could anybody explain the definition of "RA?" Honestly I thought he or she meant resident advisor...

Research assistant.

lol i used to think the same thing when i first lurked here.

I don't understand why people don't think RAing is a great gig. You work on research and writing skills, get paid, and formulate a great relationship with a professor. I understand that people get hard over judicial internships because it seems prestigious, but most of those are pretty lame and you don't really do much from what I hear (not to mention you only go 2 days a week for some).

beach_terror wrote:I don't understand why people don't think RAing is a great gig. You work on research and writing skills, get paid, and formulate a great relationship with a professor. I understand that people get hard over judicial internships because it seems prestigious, but most of those are pretty lame and you don't really do much from what I hear (not to mention you only go 2 days a week for some).

I agree with this. RA gig > unpaid internship (for the most part)

Has anyone had any success landing an RA position with a professor you had second semester? In other words, are the less willing if you don't have a grade in their class?

Geist13 wrote:Has anyone had any success landing an RA position with a professor you had second semester? In other words, are the less willing if you don't have a grade in their class?

I've got interviews with profs I've never taken a course with.

Desert Fox wrote:

Geist13 wrote:Has anyone had any success landing an RA position with a professor you had second semester? In other words, are the less willing if you don't have a grade in their class?

I've got interviews with profs I've never taken a course with.

I need to do this for some PT positions.