1L Panic despite top 10% and determined efforts Forum

[Anonymous User]

So far, I made sure to get a 4.0 in the first semester and then I promptly sent my resume, cover letter, writing sample, and transcripts to multiple sports teams (hoping this leads to sports law practice at a firm or in-house) and law firms in several cities in which I hope to practice, participated in the Spring Interviews, and continue to be on the daily job hunt grind, but somehow I have had 0 luck.

I am growing concerned about my chances at doing any legal work and in full disclosure: congratulating all my friends on their employment, including those I know I outperformed last semester, is only increasing my anxiety at this point.

Am I a lost cause at this point? Is the 1L Summer weighed more heavily than my GPA going in to OCIs? Is a solid GPA + summer RA, etc. going to still put me behind the people who get those summer firm jobs?

Also - preferred anti-anxiety therapy?

[ZyzzBrah]

you sent your resume to sports teams? admittedly I don't know about sports law, but wouldn't you want to send them to the firms that do sports/entertainment type law?

also 1L job is worthless, only matters that its legal

2L oci is about one thing: GPA/rank (and to a much lesser extent law review/moot crt etc).

[Anonymous User]

Most top 10% people (outside YHS) don't have an SA. Even YHS I'm not sure. Don't sweat it. Kill spring finals and you will have ton of 2L OCI interviews.

[Agent]

1. See the other thread for panicked 1Ls.
2. Improve those interviewing skills over the summer.

[hephaestus]

School range? And how many places did you apply to? I applied to ~120 places and it turned into 2 offers.

[rad lulz]

Dude you needed to have sent out like 150 letters yesterday

[mephistopheles]

Dude you needed to have sent out like 150 letters yesterday

yeah.. at this point, there's always the local italian restaurant, i guess.

[hephaestus]

1. Send professors emails asking if they take RAs.
2. Use symplicity for judge names and addresses and mail a résumé/cover letter to every state and article I judge in a location you can live for free.
3. Call legal non-profits/gov groups and straight up ask for an interview.
4. Use resume launch pad to find contacts in small firms and cold email everyone in the area.
5. See if your CSO can provide any other guidance.

[thesealocust]

What you do 1L summer doesn't fucking matter. I know SCOTUS clerks, V5/10/15 associates, professors, people at the DoJ, etc. who all spent their 1L summer as RAs.

Grades, work experience, pedigree/background, and demeanor/personality/fit/special-sauce are like 99% of the equation. 1L summer is nothing but something to chat about, and maybe to help you learn your way.

Pop some xanax, rock some sun salutes, and chill.

[dixiecupdrinking]

But definitely get something ASAP.

Get in touch with your career services people and see if they have leads on 1L opportunities, if you aren't aware of any.

In fact, I would recommend talking with OCS anyway, about your long-term goals, what you should be doing this summer and during your semesters, and what you can realistically hope for 2L summer. (Top 10% is great but could be Cravath material or "decent shot at an NLJ250 job" material depending on your school.) It kinda sounds like you could use more guidance in general about how these things work if you were cold mailing pro sports teams and hoping for the best. Maybe I'm reading uncharitably how much you've done so far, though.

[SHIA]

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[Nelson]

With those grades it should be easy to RA. Just do that.

[Anonymous User]

Most top 10% people (outside YHS) don't have an SA. Even YHS I'm not sure. Don't sweat it. Kill spring finals and you will have ton of 2L OCI interviews.

At YHS. I know half a dozen people, including me, who applied for 1L SAs, and only one person got one - at a v50 firm in a secondary market (with no ties, curiously). Career services person said it had been a tough year for 1L SAs, although she might just have been saying that to make me feel better.

[Myself]

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[Anonymous User]

What you do 1L summer doesn't fucking matter. I know SCOTUS clerks, V5/10/15 associates, professors, people at the DoJ, etc. who all spent their 1L summer as RAs.

Grades, work experience, pedigree/background, and demeanor/personality/fit/special-sauce are like 99% of the equation. 1L summer is nothing but something to chat about, and maybe to help you learn your way.

Pop some xanax, rock some sun salutes, and chill.

This x2. I was an RA and did something insignificant on the side, and I didn't feel it held me back in the least during OCI.

At YHS. I know half a dozen people, including me, who applied for 1L SAs, and only one person got one - at a v50 firm in a secondary market (with no ties, curiously). Career services person said it had been a tough year for 1L SAs, although she might just have been saying that to make me feel better.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what causes firms to pick up or drop off in 1L SAs? Is a lot of 1L SA hiring an indication of firm health, an indication that they don't have the cash to pay starting associates in the following year, totally random, or..? I've always wondered what the deal was, since I've heard it fluctuates a lot.