How much does a 1L SA help at OCI? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Secured a 1L SA at a market paying boutique litigation firm that specializes in my area of interest.

Can any current 2Ls speak to the value of an SA during OCI. What kind of questions did you get about your experience? What is the most important thing to do during the summer?

The firm seems really receptive to my interests and getting their SAs practical experience, so I think I can make some modest requests about the types of assignments i get.

[ph14]

Secured a 1L SA at a market paying boutique litigation firm that specializes in my area of interest.

Can any current 2Ls speak to the value of an SA during OCI. What kind of questions did you get about your experience? What is the most important thing to do during the summer?

The firm seems really receptive to my interests and getting their SAs practical experience, so I think I can make some modest requests about the types of assignments i get.

1L here. You get great material for OCI conversation, plus the possibility of already having an offer heading into OCI.

[071816]

I'm also a 1L. From what I've heard it looks good, but it also carries the risk of some firms not wanting to give you an offer for 2L summer because they think you might choose the other firm over them. This doesn't seem to be a huge risk, but it's something to think about. I'm sure the benefits outweigh the risks in most cases though.

[Army2Law]

1L here.

I'm sure he appreciates your deep insight on the topic, virgin talking about sex.

No matter what you do over the summer it will just be conversation filler in the interview. It may make answers you give about what type of practice you want to do more credible, but it won't give you a big advantage going in. If you like the firm you got the 1L SA at, you'll have a good chance of getting an offer to return for your 2L summer and can sit out OCI all together. However, that cuts both ways and you may be limiting your options with other firms if you aren't completely sold on the one that gave you an offer, you accepted it, and they require X amount of weeks at a certain time that essentially prevent you from splitting with another firm.

[ph14]

1L here.

I'm sure he appreciates your deep insight on the topic, virgin talking about sex.

No matter what you do over the summer it will just be conversation filler in the interview. It may make answers you give about what type of practice you want to do more credible, but it won't give you a big advantage going in. If you like the firm you got the 1L SA at, you'll have a good chance of getting an offer to return for your 2L summer and can sit out OCI all together. However, that cuts both ways and you may be limiting your options with other firms if you aren't completely sold on the one that gave you an offer, you accepted it, and they require X amount of weeks at a certain time that essentially prevent you from splitting with another firm.

Thanks, douchebag.

[Anonymous User]

Secured a 1L SA at a market paying boutique litigation firm that specializes in my area of interest.

Can any current 2Ls speak to the value of an SA during OCI. What kind of questions did you get about your experience? What is the most important thing to do during the summer?

The firm seems really receptive to my interests and getting their SAs practical experience, so I think I can make some modest requests about the types of assignments i get.

The value of a SA is what you and your employer make of it. At OCI, you'll get asked very general questions about your summer no matter what you do: SA, government, clerkship. "So, tell me about your summer." This is when you can control the direction of the conversation. Even if you did nothing but research and facebook all summer, you need to spin it. These interviewers will hear 19 other stories about "writing memoranda, researching laws, etc.", so you need to use specific, interesting examples. Include failures, difficulties, frustrations, or times you had to tell an associate/partner some bad news. Be memorable. Expect a few follow up questions or a brief discussion about something you said.

The most important things is to do this summer are: (1) get a (or preferably more than one) writing sample that you can use for interviews; (2) work hard to get a solid reference from a partner at the firm; (3) do something more than write memoranda all summer (for example, go watch a few oral arguments at the federal court)

[071816]

1L here.

I'm sure he appreciates your deep insight on the topic, virgin talking about sex.

No matter what you do over the summer it will just be conversation filler in the interview. It may make answers you give about what type of practice you want to do more credible, but it won't give you a big advantage going in. If you like the firm you got the 1L SA at, you'll have a good chance of getting an offer to return for your 2L summer and can sit out OCI all together. However, that cuts both ways and you may be limiting your options with other firms if you aren't completely sold on the one that gave you an offer, you accepted it, and they require X amount of weeks at a certain time that essentially prevent you from splitting with another firm.

Thanks, douchebag.

+1. A little ad hominem action.

[Anonymous User]

The value of a SA is what you and your employer make of it. At OCI, you'll get asked very general questions about your summer no matter what you do: SA, government, clerkship. "So, tell me about your summer." This is when you can control the direction of the conversation. Even if you did nothing but research and facebook all summer, you need to spin it. These interviewers will hear 19 other stories about "writing memoranda, researching laws, etc.", so you need to use specific, interesting examples. Include failures, difficulties, frustrations, or times you had to tell an associate/partner some bad news. Be memorable. Expect a few follow up questions or a brief discussion about something you said.

The most important things is to do this summer are: (1) get a (or preferably more than one) writing sample that you can use for interviews; (2) work hard to get a solid reference from a partner at the firm; (3) do something more than write memoranda all summer (for example, go watch a few oral arguments at the federal court)

Thanks, this is helpful.

As for the offer situation, I'm not particularly worried. When offers are extended (which it seems like they frequently are), they encourage 1L SAs to go to another firm for 2L and then do a victory lap at the end of the summer.

[johansantana21]

Curious

[truevines]

Secured a 1L SA at a market paying boutique litigation firm that specializes in my area of interest.

Can any current 2Ls speak to the value of an SA during OCI. What kind of questions did you get about your experience? What is the most important thing to do during the summer?

The firm seems really receptive to my interests and getting their SAs practical experience, so I think I can make some modest requests about the types of assignments i get.

The best thing about the 1L SA is that you probably will get an offer to go back during your 2L summer. If you do get it, that assurance is worth more than anything else when you go through 2L OCI.

[c3pO4]

1 - going into OCI with an offer to go back to your 1L firm is huge. it boosts your value on the market, because you've already been vetted.

2 - firms have an incentive to extend an offer to you before others since you already have an offer somewhere else presumably with a deadline on it, so you can outperform your school rank/class rank by simply accelerating the callback to offer timetable. this is amazing and totally obviates the classic "want an update form recruiting but don't want to seem desperate" dilemma that all other 2L's will go through.

3 - you'll actually have some idea of what being an SA is like, so you decrease the risk of sounding like a complete newb in interviews. possible that you might even have an interesting story about helping on some brief that sets you apart from other interviewees.

4 - your stress level during 2L OCI will be exponentially lower as long as the 1L firm is a viable option. this will help keep you from bombing your grades and give syou confidence, which is key to callbacks and screeners

5 - you actually can say things about litigation vs transactional or other practice group preferences based on your experience and observations, rather than something you read on vault.com

6 - if you play your cards right, you'll have great memos and/or motion briefs to use as writing samples. these crush most people's legal writing fake writing samples.

7 - you can either say a) your 1L made you realize you wanted to leave X market if the 2L firm is in a diff market or b) that it convinced you you want to be in the market if the 2L firm is in the same market

there are probably more. 1L SA has huge ROI for 2L firm jobs. of course, public interest 1L jobs can be OK, but I really think leveraged correctly a 1L SA helps a lot.

[kalvano]

For what it's worth, a few people at my school who got a 1L SA position have already gotten offers for post-grad employment, as well as their 2L summer, with the firm.