SEC Observer program fall and spring Forum

[Anonymous User]

Do you think doing 2 semesters of the SEC Observer program is better than just 1 semester?

[Danteshek]

Do you think doing 2 semesters of the SEC Observer program is better than just 1 semester?

Completely depends. Are you having fun? Are you getting interesting assignments?

[Anonymous User]

Do you think doing 2 semesters of the SEC Observer program is better than just 1 semester?

Completely depends. Are you having fun? Are you getting interesting assignments?

Im not sure if I will get interesting assignments. Do you think 2 semesters looks better on my resume?

[Danteshek]

Do you think doing 2 semesters of the SEC Observer program is better than just 1 semester?

Completely depends. Are you having fun? Are you getting interesting assignments?

Im not sure if I will get interesting assignments. Do you think 2 semesters looks better on my resume?

I would have to see your resume. Are you in DC?

[Anonymous User]

Do you think doing 2 semesters of the SEC Observer program is better than just 1 semester?

Completely depends. Are you having fun? Are you getting interesting assignments?

Im not sure if I will get interesting assignments. Do you think 2 semesters looks better on my resume?

I would have to see your resume. Are you in DC?

Yes. I m trying to figure out whether or not doing 2 semesters at the SEC or 1 at the SEC 1 at the DOJ will help my chances of getting a job. Im around top 15-25% GW.

[Danteshek]

Do you have work experience that is relevant to SEC? How committed are you to ending up at SEC?

[Anonymous User]

Do you have work experience that is relevant to SEC? How committed are you to ending up at SEC?

I really want to work at a midlaw/biglaw firm doing corporate/securities work. The midlaw firm I am at right now does have a lot of securities work and corporate is pretty slow.

[Danteshek]

One semester is fine.

[Anonymous User]

Do the D.C. deadlines apply if we want to submit an application for a regional office? As in, is it too late to apply for the Fall 2011 program (and too early to apply to the Spring 2012 program)? The website is a little vague.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry for the thread high jack, but I need some advice fairly quickly:

I'm a rising 2L, currently doing a judicial internship for the summer.

For this fall, I've applied to do another (federal) judicial externship for credit, and the SEC observer program. My primary goal is to have a good experience but also have something I can bolster my resume with for OCI.

With that in mind, which internship should I accept, if I end up having the option?

[Danteshek]

I would advise you to work at the SEC and not do the judicial internship. Turn down the judge if you have to (don't listen to the law school if they tell you that's a no-no -- they are full of shit and only interested in the school's reputation, not your career). I did two judicial internships and in general think that they are overrated. Law schools want you to do judicial internships because they think that improving a school's relationship with a particular judge will improve the chances of other students at that law school of getting clerkships with that judge. The experience itself, depending on the judge, can mostly consist of doing administrative tasks like preparing scheduling conference memoranda (basically deciding when hearings are scheduled according to the rules). As a rising 2L you are probably simply incompetent to write substantive orders without an inordinate amount of supervision and guidance which the clerks may or may not be willing to give you. Moreover, in my experience, 2.5 months is not enough time to learn how to do good work for the judge, or even contribute. So, it ends up being a mostly observational experience. The SEC may not give you a better substantive experience (indeed, you might be assigned mostly administrative tasks), but at least it signals an interest in securities law, which may or may not be genuine. Signaling an interest in securities law can help you argue persuasively that you want to work in a corporate law firm environment.

[Anonymous User]

Interviewed at one of the regional offices for fall... has anyone heard back or know their turnaround time?