How to spin public interest work during 1L summer Forum

[Anonymous User]

What are some ways to describe public interest work during 1L summer during interviews for BigLaw so that it doesn't sound like public interest was the only option for 1L summer or a stepping stone onto BigLaw?

[smaug_]

What are some ways to describe public interest work during 1L summer during interviews for BigLaw so that it doesn't sound like public interest was the only option for 1L summer or a stepping stone onto BigLaw?

I'd be very surprised if it was ever phrased like this. You might get a question about why you want to do BigLaw if your résumé seems to have a PI focus, but PI work during 1L is the norm, not something that needs to be spun.

[Anonymous User]

When ever I try to talk about transferable skills, I get the feeling that the interviewer's thinking if you want BigLaw why didn't you work at a law firm during your 1L summer.

[hephaestus]

When ever I try to talk about transferable skills, I get the feeling that the interviewer's thinking if you want BigLaw why didn't you work at a law firm during your 1L summer.

Not many people can work at firms their first summer. Firms expect you to do gov/PI/judge.

[maximator]

When ever I try to talk about transferable skills, I get the feeling that the interviewer's thinking if you want BigLaw why didn't you work at a law firm during your 1L summer.

They aren't thinking this.

What did you do at your 1L job? If you did any kind of research or writing, you should be able to spin it as a transferrable skill.

Also, just remember that OCI interviews aren't super substantive. Even if you worked at a big firm 1L year you really wouldn't have developed any useful skills and the interviewers know this. The focus is more on your personality and interest in the firm.

[frankc]

There is zero expectation that you worked at a firm your 1L summer. Think about the number of people who worked at firms 1L summer (very few) vs. the number of people who work at firms their 2L summer (a bunch). As long as your 1L work was at least arguably legal and you can talk for a bit about stuff you learned there, how great it was, etc. then you're golden.

The only way I'd anticipate an issue is if your resume is overwhelmingly PI-focused, but even then I don't really see that being a dealbreaker unless you are already a marginal candidate.

[msridiculous447]

Almost everyone does a PI/government/judicial internship their 1L summer. Out of my group of friends (virtually all of whom went to biglaw/clerkships), not one of them did their 1L summer at a firm. Seriously...no one is going to ask about it. Frankly, trying to put a "spin" on it, other than talking about what you learned/what skills you developed, sounds like it's going to come off really awk.