ID mill or unprestigious PI 2L summer? Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 12:53 pm

I'm between a rock and a hard place for 2L summer jobs. I'm a transfer at a t6 but whiffed at OCI for a combination of reasons (bidding, interviewing, dilettantish background). i have a soft offer from the regional office of a very large id mill and a firm offer from EEOC non-litigation dept.---like writing policy stuff for their website. there's a few more outstanding PI things I'm waiting on, but assume it comes down to these two, which would you choose? (or drop out. would you drop out?)

Most important thing to me is exit options. The ID mill doesn't make any guarantee about post-summer offers, FWIW. also the billable requirement is 2000 hrs. not sure about pay, but reckon between 60 and 70k. also worried that working there will ghettoize me in the future. the EEOC thing i guess could lead to honors gov. hiring....maybe? but could also lead to unemployment. in the long, long run i would like to run my own shop, but in the medium long-run i would like to avoid /self work conditions. btw. i recognize this is a fucked up place to be in...

note: i have a semi-sizable trust fund (~400k)but am still very worried about debt post graduation.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 5:05 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I'm between a rock and a hard place for 2L summer jobs. I'm a transfer at a t6 but whiffed at OCI for a combination of reasons (bidding, interviewing, dilettantish background). i have a soft offer from the regional office of a very large id mill and a firm offer from EEOC non-litigation dept.---like writing policy stuff for their website. there's a few more outstanding PI things I'm waiting on, but assume it comes down to these two, which would you choose? (or drop out. would you drop out?)

Most important thing to me is exit options. The ID mill doesn't make any guarantee about post-summer offers, FWIW. also the billable requirement is 2000 hrs. not sure about pay, but reckon between 60 and 70k. also worried that working there will ghettoize me in the future. the EEOC thing i guess could lead to honors gov. hiring....maybe? but could also lead to unemployment. in the long, long run i would like to run my own shop, but in the medium long-run i would like to avoid /self work conditions. btw. i recognize this is a fucked up place to be in...

note: i have a semi-sizable trust fund (~400k)but am still very worried about debt post graduation.

Money is better than no money, all things being equal. What do they pay their summers?

If the government work were more substantive, I'd lean towards that. But writing for their website? At least the insurance defense job pays and has a chance of future employment. Admittedly the T6 helps you for future gov honors hiring, doing the EEOC gig seems like a waste of a summer. Maybe you can extern at the EEOC/other government agency during your school year to build up resume points for future government hiring?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 5:05 pm

Whoops, double post

OneMoreLawHopeful · Post by **OneMoreLawHopeful** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:44 pm

So, my school has an event in March/April where all the employers who are coming to OCI in the fall show up and do a "meet and greet." Since my 1L summer hadn't happened yet, and I had two options available, I asked around for what the recruiters wanted to see.

I remember many of them telling me that ANY firm > non-prestigious PI.

Now, granted, this is in reference to a 1L summer, but I would suspect it would hold for 2L summer as well, especially if you didn't do firm work 1L summer. Their reasoning was mostly based on the idea that they're looking for someone who understands what law firm work will actually look like, and the only way you can show that to them is to have actually worked at a firm.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 8:30 pm

OneMoreLawHopeful wrote:So, my school has an event in March/April where all the employers who are coming to OCI in the fall show up and do a "meet and greet." Since my 1L summer hadn't happened yet, and I had two options available, I asked around for what the recruiters wanted to see.

I remember many of them telling me that ANY firm > non-prestigious PI.

Now, granted, this is in reference to a 1L summer, but I would suspect it would hold for 2L summer as well, especially if you didn't do firm work 1L summer. Their reasoning was mostly based on the idea that they're looking for someone who understands what law firm work will actually look like, and the only way you can show that to them is to have actually worked at a firm.

This makes sense for 1L (though the vast majority of 2Ls who get offers from OCI did a PI 1L summer anyway so I doubt it really matters) but once you strike out at OCI, what big firms are looking for isn't really a concern anymore. It's not happening, unless you can maybe clerk.

EEOC would help for gov't hiring, a little, but that is really competitive regardless and the EEOC itself hasn't hired Honors attorneys for a while. It might help you move into small/mid law employment practice, especially if you take employment law, do a term-time employment law externship, etc. That's not a bad non-Biglaw option.

OTOH a paying summer is nice, and you can always add an extra externship or two during the spring semester of 2L (best for gov't) or the fall semester of 3L (best for small law) that is unpaid and will help you get experience.

Robespierre · Post by **Robespierre** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:36 pm

When you say insurance defense, do you mean that narrowly, i.e., you'd be defending policyholders against tort claims? Or are you using the term loosely, to include coverage work for insurers vs. policyholders?

If the latter, I'd say definitely go for it. Coverage work is a strong specialty and experience in the field could lead to a good job at good pay.

If the former, which is more dime-a-dozen, it's a closer issue. I guess I'd take that over an unprestigious, unpaid PI gig, but reasonable minds could differ.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:53 pm

The non-legal EEOC gig won't give you enough of a boost in government hiring to make it worthwhile. EEOC has been on a hiring freeze for a number of years anyway. Take the firm job or wait for another government gig that will give you actual legal experience.

-Gov't attorney, former EEOC intern

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:14 am

I'm OP, how can I get in touch with anon user to PM? I'd like to run past him/her the name of the program i'd be in...to elaborate, might have over-stressed how non-legal is it. they're only hiring 2L JDs. i would be doing research and writing re: regulation and advising employers on compliance. but not litigation. different answer?

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