Does the United Nations (NYC) hire JDs? Forum

[ihaqua]

I have a major tie to someone very high up at the UN HQ in NYC, but I know nothing about whether the UN hires JDs and, if they do, for what types of positions. Does anyone have experience working for the UN in NYC in their 1L summer, 2L summer, or after graduation? What types of jobs do they have for JDs? Is the work considered prestigious? Stimulating? Good exit options into other public work / private firms? I'd greatly appreciate it if anyone out there could tell me anything and everything you know about the UN and JDs. Thank you!

[Renzo]

One of my classmates interned at the UN her 1L year. She enjoyed it.

As for more permanent employment, you're better off starting a unicorn ranch. They do hire lawyers from time to time, but they are so few and so supremely qualified that you would already know if you had the bona fides to compete for those jobs.

[ihaqua]

Thank you for the response. If the chances that I will turn it into full-time employment is low (I'm not going to be one of those "supremely qualified" ones, unfortunately), is it still worth it for me to pursue a summer internship there for my 1L summer? Is it a hard-to-get / prestigious summer gig if you're a 1L? Also, if I worked there my 1L summer, would I be locking myself into public interest for 2L summer (as in, would firms look down on the somewhat non-traditional experience)?

I realize it's a bunch of potentially-dumb questions, but I know next to nothing about legal employment and I need to know whether I'd want to use my connection or not fairly soon, so I'm trying to gather whatever info I can. Thank you Renzo and anyone else with information!

[Renzo]

My answer depends somewhat on where you are going to school, and what you plan to do after. If you are at a school that gives you a shot at biglaw, and that's your plan, no one gives one single fuck what you did with your 1L summer, so long as you can talk about doing something slightly law-related in interviews. This is a generally applicable rule; however, there are exceptions.

If you go to a TT/TTT school, you are better off trying to find work with places that might hire you, or that might realistically lead to networks that can help you get hired. You still wouldn't be "locking yourself in" to anything, but you might be passing up the chance to work at a small/midsize firm that would potentially give you a job someday.

[ihaqua]

I should have given you more information - I'm at a school ranked between 4 and 10. Please correct me if I'm wrong but based on your prior posts I'm guessing that you're at NYU - did you get the feeling from what your friend told you that it was a hard-to-get 1L summer gig for NYU students, or is it something that isn't too prestigious for students from schools like NYU?

[Renzo]

I should have given you more information - I'm at a school ranked between 4 and 10. Please correct me if I'm wrong but based on your prior posts I'm guessing that you're at NYU - did you get the feeling from what your friend told you that it was a hard-to-get 1L summer gig for NYU students, or is it something that isn't too prestigious for students from schools like NYU?

I am at NYU, and in that case my advice is go for it. You might get it and have a good time, and no one will care. As for the competitiveness, I really can't say-- 100% of the people I know (meaning one person) that applied got the job.