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I just accepted a 1L summer position with NORML (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws), I am pretty sure I want to do criminal defense when I graduate and the work I will be doing at NORML should introduce me to this.

Does anyone think this could hurt my resume if I decide to go for Biglaw or Midlaw my 2L summer?

Thanks in advance.

0L here, did you make a similar post some time back? Anyway, I don't really know, but I don't think a law firm will care where you worked before as long as the work shows you can work well for their firm.

Anonymous User wrote:I just accepted a 1L summer position with NORML (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws), I am pretty sure I want to do criminal defense when I graduate and the work I will be doing at NORML should introduce me to this.

Does anyone think this could hurt my resume if I decide to go for Biglaw or Midlaw my 2L summer?

Thanks in advance.

No direct experience with this, but they will def ask you about your 1L summer experience, so you will have to talk about it in a meaningful way. If you come off as radical in their eyes you're probably done. Another risk is that they wonder if you use marijuana yourself.

if i were a hiring partner id prolly forward ur resume around the office for lolz ("look at this fucking stoner who thinks he has a shot with our firm") before auto-rejecting u. others may differ in opinion, but just letting u know wat i think of u.

Thanks for your responses. I don't think I will come off as a radical in the interview. I mean I definitely support the organizations cause but my primary reason for taking the internship is for the experience and the location (DC). I go to a regional T1 so moving out to the East Coast was tough and this is where I eventually want to end up. I think that when I talk about it in the interview it will be clear why I chose the job. I'm just hoping the name won't preclude me from getting in the door.

dood wrote:if i were a hiring partner id prolly forward ur resume around the office for lolz ("look at this fucking stoner who thinks he has a shot with our firm") before auto-rejecting u. others may differ in opinion, but just letting u know wat i think of u.

Well I wouldn't want to work in that type of environment, so I'm not worried about getting hired at a firm that would go to that extreme.

I doubt it'll really hurt you at all, unless you're unable to talk about your experience or you smell like a dispensary in interviews.

Lawyers tend to be a pretty liberal bunch.

Lawyers traditionally want to blend in, because standing out generally results in more distractions than benefits. I feel the same way about this gig. Sure, I'm sure there are some who are open-minded enough to think of it as just a job, but I'm sure some will question if you will be the best fit for a corporate law firm given your predilections. The point is moot though given that you've already accepted the offer.