1L Summer: Legal Aid vs. AG - Help! Forum

[Anonymous User]

So I have two summer offers but relatively little time to decide between the two. (Both are unpaid)

Internship 1: Legal Aid -

Pros:
In the state where I go to law school (lower t14). Means I would commute from where I currently live and wouldn't have to pay anything additional (my lease runs through the summer and if I take a job elsewhere I highly doubt I can find a subletter). The hiring atty got me excited about the fact that there would be a lot of client interaction and made it seem like the work would be varied and I would have the opportunity to argue in front of an admin judge (even as a 1L). 10 min or less commute

Cons
Have no interest in staying in the state after law school. No interest in working in Legal Aid type PI anytime during my career. Worried that employers will perceive AG>Legal Aid and I'll be hurting myself by taking legal aid.

Internship 2: State AG

Pros
In the city I want to target primarily for OCI and beyond (secondary market but I do have ties to the region, born and raised, whole family still in area). While I want to hit biglaw first, the internship is in the division that I want to focus on as a litigator (health care). Personal perception that State AG>Legal Aid.

Cons
The city is expensive and home is too far to commute from so I'd have to sublet on top of the rent I owe at my place at school (I could afford it but it will be really tight). Longer commute from the place I'm looking to sublet from friends.

Other Info:
Right now I'm probably around top 25% of my class if not better, but I know that's only one semester. Is the state AG's postion that much better that it justifies paying an extra $2500 or so in rent and higher CoL on top of the rent I'll already be paying at my place by school. I know its personal choice esp since money is involved but I just want to get a sense of what y'all think. Thanks!

[FlanAl]

pretty sure that consensus on here i that it doesn't matter what you do 1L summer.

[Anonymous User]

Doesn't really matter where you work for your 1L summer, as long as you're gaining substantive experience and will have something to talk to employers during your 2L interviews.

[CanadianWolf]

Some might view this as a "good versus evil" type decision. In my experience, legal aid attorneys & prosecutors are cut from different molds--at least when still young & idealistic. Determine which side you view as the good side & take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate committment early in your career.