Internships/Experience as a 0L Forum

[RefleX]

Where would be the most worthwhile places to apply for an internship to gain experience (to see if I'll actually even like the legal field) and to boost my resume a bit? I see a lot on summer internships and clerkships but I haven't found any on being a 0L. Thanks.

[lawschoolgrapedme]

Corporate or Lit?

I've found that having some experience in either accounting or finance to be especially helpful for me. I wanted corp, specifically M&A, so I worked in M&A in banking and also in the corporate development dept. of a middle market company. If you are just wanting a more general corp. gig, then I would still suggest anything heaving in accounting or finance, you just need not tailor it so much to a specific area. That said, best option would be an investment bank, with second best being something in-house.

I'm about to be bombarded with people saying this is a terrible idea, but I've found it to be what gets me looked at.

If you want lit I'll save that for someone else as I don't know much about what they look for, but I would imagine anything in state court or paralegal work would be valued.

But like you said, as a 0L (I suppose that means you graduate this May) you will probably be limited in what you can find, especially if they know you are just going to leave in August.

[RefleX]

Corporate or Lit?

I've found that having some experience in either accounting or finance to be especially helpful for me. I wanted corp, specifically M&A, so I worked in M&A in banking and also in the corporate development dept. of a middle market company. If you are just wanting a more general corp. gig, then I would still suggest anything heaving in accounting or finance, you just need not tailor it so much to a specific area. That said, best option would be an investment bank, with second best being something in-house.

I'm about to be bombarded with people saying this is a terrible idea, but I've found it to be what gets me looked at.

If you want lit I'll save that for someone else as I don't know much about what they look for, but I would imagine anything in state court or paralegal work would be valued.

But like you said, as a 0L (I suppose that means you graduate this May) you will probably be limited in what you can find, especially if they know you are just going to leave in August.

Thanks for the response. My short goal (post grad) would be to work in a corporate setting; I have limited experience with law in general but I liked learning about contracts and I think I'd like negotiating as well. My long term goal would be an in-house counsel to an industrial corporation, working on negotiations and contracts for something maybe like steel or railroads or anything.

[RefleX]

Now I'm debating whether an MBA is a better route in these times, considering I want in on a corporation.

[lawschoolgrapedme]

Now I'm debating whether an MBA is a better route in these times, considering I want in on a corporation.

With MBAs it is even more important for you to go to a top program. Minus the name, an MBA is little more than a piece of paper. Not to say you don't learn and become more marketable, but what you are really wanting to get is a network (and 2 years off from working).

To get accepted, you will need at least 2 years of great work experience, and likely more than that. Typical entering age of a MBA is 28-30.

This is a decision I also tossed around, since I wasn't sure on Biglaw. I have decided to go the legal route though, and am not interested in a JD/MBA program (but I would have done that had I gotten into a 3 year).