Law Review and Employment Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello all:

I was lucky enough to score a 1L diversity SA spot with a biglaw firm in a secondary market. From what I've been told (and looking at the traditionally high offer rates to SA's), as long as I work hard this summer and don't commit some unbelievable faux pas, I should look forward to a 2L summer offer. Assuming that all goes according to plan, will the firm care too much if I decide to not participate on the LR or other journal? I realize that this is a hard question to answer, but any advice is appreciated. Not sure if it matters too much, but I'm top %20 at a T1 and my LWR grades were A's for both semesters.

Thanks!

[Georgiana]

Hello all:

I was lucky enough to score a 1L diversity SA spot with a biglaw firm in a secondary market. From what I've been told (and looking at the traditionally high offer rates to SA's), as long as I work hard this summer and don't commit some unbelievable faux pas, I should look forward to a 2L summer offer. Assuming that all goes according to plan, will the firm care too much if I decide to not participate on the LR or other journal? I realize that this is a hard question to answer, but any advice is appreciated. Not sure if it matters too much, but I'm top %20 at a T1 and my LWR grades were A's for both semesters.

Thanks!

Do you have any desire to clerk?

[Anonymous User]

No desire to clerk. Just hoping I can get a permanent gig out of this firm.

[Sup Kid]

Hello all:

I was lucky enough to score a 1L diversity SA spot with a biglaw firm in a secondary market. From what I've been told (and looking at the traditionally high offer rates to SA's), as long as I work hard this summer and don't commit some unbelievable faux pas, I should look forward to a 2L summer offer. Assuming that all goes according to plan, will the firm care too much if I decide to not participate on the LR or other journal? I realize that this is a hard question to answer, but any advice is appreciated. Not sure if it matters too much, but I'm top %20 at a T1 and my LWR grades were A's for both semesters.

Thanks!

Other journals you can take or leave, but if you make LR, do it. It's a ton of work, but it stays with you for the rest of your career. Also, even if you do get a 2L SA offer from this firm, many times its for 4-6 weeks at the end of the summer, and you would do the majority of the summer at another firm (the full 10-week program). Therefore, you will still probably be doing OCI, where LR is always a plus.

[Anonymous User]

Hello all:

I was lucky enough to score a 1L diversity SA spot with a biglaw firm in a secondary market. From what I've been told (and looking at the traditionally high offer rates to SA's), as long as I work hard this summer and don't commit some unbelievable faux pas, I should look forward to a 2L summer offer. Assuming that all goes according to plan, will the firm care too much if I decide to not participate on the LR or other journal? I realize that this is a hard question to answer, but any advice is appreciated. Not sure if it matters too much, but I'm top %20 at a T1 and my LWR grades were A's for both semesters.

Thanks!

Other journals you can take or leave, but if you make LR, do it. It's a ton of work, but it stays with you for the rest of your career. Also, even if you do get a 2L SA offer from this firm, many times its for 4-6 weeks at the end of the summer, and you would do the majority of the summer at another firm (the full 10-week program). Therefore, you will still probably be doing OCI, where LR is always a plus.

Gotcha. I am pretty sure that my firm wants all the SA's for the entire summer, though (I could be wrong here). Also, the way they have been communicating with me since I got the offer has given me the impression that I would somehow offend the hiring partner(s) if I decided to even participate in OCI with the idea of finding another firm to split the summer with. Comments like, "welcome to the family," "we are confident you will eventually be a successful associate here," blah blah. I know that a lot of firms say this kind of stuff, but the general sentiment I get is that they want to own you and don't want to share So in the case that I don't even participate in OCI, would it be terrible if I don't do LR, maybe volunteer a bunch of hours instead, and just keep riding this wave? I know that this sounds prestige-whorish, but it was a big deal for my firm that I went to HYS for undergrad, so there's at least one "impressive" bullet point I can put on a firm bio, FWIW.

thanks.

[swc65]

Hello all:

I was lucky enough to score a 1L diversity SA spot with a biglaw firm in a secondary market. From what I've been told (and looking at the traditionally high offer rates to SA's), as long as I work hard this summer and don't commit some unbelievable faux pas, I should look forward to a 2L summer offer. Assuming that all goes according to plan, will the firm care too much if I decide to not participate on the LR or other journal? I realize that this is a hard question to answer, but any advice is appreciated. Not sure if it matters too much, but I'm top %20 at a T1 and my LWR grades were A's for both semesters.

Thanks!

Other journals you can take or leave, but if you make LR, do it. It's a ton of work, but it stays with you for the rest of your career. Also, even if you do get a 2L SA offer from this firm, many times its for 4-6 weeks at the end of the summer, and you would do the majority of the summer at another firm (the full 10-week program). Therefore, you will still probably be doing OCI, where LR is always a plus.

Gotcha. I am pretty sure that my firm wants all the SA's for the entire summer, though (I could be wrong here). Also, the way they have been communicating with me since I got the offer has given me the impression that I would somehow offend the hiring partner(s) if I decided to even participate in OCI with the idea of finding another firm to split the summer with. Comments like, "welcome to the family," "we are confident you will eventually be a successful associate here," blah blah. I know that a lot of firms say this kind of stuff, but the general sentiment I get is that they want to own you and don't want to share So in the case that I don't even participate in OCI, would it be terrible if I don't do LR, maybe volunteer a bunch of hours instead, and just keep riding this wave? I know that this sounds prestige-whorish, but it was a big deal for my firm that I went to HYS for undergrad, so there's at least one "impressive" bullet point I can put on a firm bio, FWIW.

thanks.

I think it is pretty common for you to only spend a couple of weeks at the firm your second summer if you have been there for your 1L summer. They will get to evaluate your work/character the first summer and there is little need for them to pay you 30K to reevaluate. From what I have been told, they like it if you spend a few weeks your second summer just to show you're still interested.

Also, if they really want you that bad, they're not going to cut you loose because you tried out another firm your second summer. What they really want is for you to come there after you graduate anyway.

The firm where I am spending my 1L summer has said that the goal is to give a full-time offer by the end of the summer, not just an offer to come back the second summer. Maybe your firm has a different way of doing things though-

Also you should definitely do LR if you can. You have no idea what is going to happen in the legal market between now and when you graduate or even after. Things could tank this summer and your current firm may no-offer you. You might fail a class during 2L (there's a thread on here about someone who did just that) and get no-offered- though this is probably not likely. Why not limit the risk of any of these things happening by being on LR- especially since your reason for not doing it seems to be that it will be too much work.

[blsingindisguise]

1) Take the firm's puff talk with a grain of salt. Obviously there's a decent chance they're going to want you back, but I guarantee you they're hedging and so should you. They want you to feel attached to the firm in case they do decide to bring you back, but they'll let go of you in a heartbeat if it suits them. This is in no way a reflection on you, as I'm sure you're talented and qualified to already be in this position, I just wouldn't get too comfortable.

2) Law Review has the potential to improve the trajectory of the rest of your career. No plan on clerking now, but maybe a few years in you want a break from biglaw and decide to go for it. No interest in academia now, but maybe you change your mind about practice down the road. It may be a lot of work, but it's for such a short period of time. In fact I think the boost you get from law review is one of the most disproportionate benefits you can get from any activity in any career. So do it.

HTH

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for those points, will definitely keep in mind as I now start this write-on comp :/ The motivation is picking back up...

[2LLLL]

Law review will help you for your entire career. Not only will it raise your short-term employment prospects, but it also offers a great opportunity to build a network of the highest-achieving students at your school.

That being said, as others have indicated, a secondary journal may not be as worthwhile if you are certain that you have a job locked up.

[MrKappus]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

[Anonymous User]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

OP. "Get it together?" The whole point of the thread was for me to find out if, relative to my position, the added benefit would be worth the effort. I found out that it probably is. Chill the f out. Do you never have anything productive to say?

[MrKappus]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

OP. "Get it together?" The whole point of the thread was for me to find out if, relative to my position, the added benefit would be worth the effort. I found out that it probably is. Chill the f out. Do you never have anything productive to say?

It was a stupid question. Sorry you didn't like the answer you got.

[Aqualibrium]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

Had a 1L SA at an NLJ250. Chose not to write on to law review. Wrote on to a secondary journal instead. Had no trouble distinguishing myself as an SA or as an applicant during OCI.

If I could go back, I wouldn't even have done the secondary journal...

[MrKappus]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

Had a 1L SA at an NLJ250. Chose not to write on to law review. Wrote on to a secondary journal instead. Had no trouble distinguishing myself as an SA or as an applicant during OCI.

If I could go back, I wouldn't even have done the secondary journal...

"Might" have problems, is what I said. Did not say "will" have problems.

I'm sure OP's sharp. But his/her question was basically "I've had one semester of good (not great) law school grades at a good (not great) law school, and I got a 1L summer job. Should I stop trying to build my law school resume?"

It just seemed silly to me. Maybe I was overly harsh. My bad.

[Aqualibrium]

If you can't get it together to apply for something with benefits as obvious and tangible as law review, you might have problems distinguishing yourself as an associate.

Had a 1L SA at an NLJ250. Chose not to write on to law review. Wrote on to a secondary journal instead. Had no trouble distinguishing myself as an SA or as an applicant during OCI.

If I could go back, I wouldn't even have done the secondary journal...

"Might" have problems, is what I said. Did not say "will" have problems.

I'm sure OP's sharp. But his/her question was basically "I've had one semester of good (not great) law school grades at a good (not great) law school, and I got a 1L summer job. Should I stop trying to build my law school resume?"

It just seemed silly to me. Maybe I was overly harsh. My bad.

You were overly harsh. What you said in this post makes sense though. I didn't do law review, but I had a resume that made up for it in other ways, so I agree with building the building your resume comment. Every decision you make at this point should be a calculated one that is aimed at getting you a job.

[2LLLL]

"Might" have problems, is what I said. Did not say "will" have problems.

I'm sure OP's sharp. But his/her question was basically "I've had one semester of good (not great) law school grades at a good (not great) law school, and I got a 1L summer job. Should I stop trying to build my law school resume?"

It just seemed silly to me. Maybe I was overly harsh. My bad.

This is right. Your firm is talking you up now- but they'll be more than happy to no-offer you for basically a completely arbitrary reason in September. In fact, since you're a 1L it won't even be a no-offer, you'll just go your separate ways at the end of the summer and never hear from them again.

Until you have a firm post-graduation offer in your pocket, you do everything you can to distinguish yourself.