1L Summer, offered a job at a Lobbying firm? Paid? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I was offered a 1L summer position with a boutique lobbying firm in DC. The position is paid and lobbying is something I can definitely see myself doing in the long run. Should I look into this position for 1L summer? Will it hurt me during 2L SA recruitment?

[Anonymous User]

I was offered a 1L summer position with a boutique lobbying firm in DC. The position is paid and lobbying is something I can definitely see myself doing in the long run. Should I look into this position for 1L summer? Will it hurt me during 2L SA recruitment?

anyone with any thoughts?

[Moxie]

Does it involve legal work? If so, then take it! If not, then I'd try and find something else that involves legal work, or split between the two.

Edit - at this point you should probably take whatever you can get, considering we're almost into the summer months.

[HWS08]

0L, but I work at a lobbying firm so I feel qualified to answer. We've had 1L summers as interns before. Not sure what firm you have an offer at, but at my firm (one of the largest in DC) there is pretty much no legal work for 1Ls. They do the same work as our undergrad interns.

Also, unless you have prior Hill/political experience/family political connections you are unlikely to get a lobbying job straight out of law school. You may be better off working on the Hill over the summer so you can get a Hill job after you graduate (most offices want you to have some prior Hill experience, which usually means an internship) and then eventually get picked up by a lobbying firm after you spend several years on the Hill. People who do not have that sort of experience may get hired at a lobbying firm right out of law school, but you'll probably be in a junior level position making $50K or less per year. Work on the Hill for a few years or more and your starting salary will be more like $100K to $250K, depending on the experience you have and how much business you can bring in.

I don't see a direct path from 1L lobbying internship to becoming a lobbyist right out of law school, so I'd personally probably try to get a position at a law firm, with a judge, or something a little more relevant to actually practicing law, or I would spend the summer working on the Hill if you're sure you eventually want to lobby. It's not the worst option out there, but if you have any of those other opportunities available I'd consider those.