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Not to put the cart ahead of the horse, but to the extent 1L SAs exist for people with ties (AL, TX), is it bad form to aim for a 1L SA in a market you're not super interested in postgrad simply because it's one of the rare markets that offers postgrad work?

It's not bad form, no. You'll be seen as a jerk if you go around to the other SA's saying "well, I really hate this backwards place, next summer in San Francisco is going to be sooooo much better," but I assume you have better sense than that. But if you can convince a firm to hire you for the summer, it's never bad form to accept it.

You also shouldn't assume you'll be able to get any other job in a more desired market, either as a 2L SA or elsewhere. Jobs are not easy to come by for anyone right now. Take every opportunity you have to get a job lined up. If a better one comes along, great. If not, you'll be very happy to have a job, even though its in Birmingham.

Not at all. I did it. As long as in some realistic scenario, you could see yourself working there, ie nothing else working out. Who knows? You may love it

Well good thing you don't need to worry about it for another 3 months.

Take a 1L SA if you can get one, even if it's in a secondary market you're not interested in. I did that and I really feel like it helped prepare me for my 2L SA in a different market.

BullShitWithBravado wrote:Take a 1L SA if you can get one, even if it's in a secondary market you're not interested in. I did that and I really feel like it helped prepare me for my 2L SA in a different market.

this. it's amazing in interviews and will really help you relative to people who didn't get one in terms of adjusting quickly.

mephistopheles wrote:

BullShitWithBravado wrote:Take a 1L SA if you can get one, even if it's in a secondary market you're not interested in. I did that and I really feel like it helped prepare me for my 2L SA in a different market.

this. it's amazing in interviews and will really help you relative to people who didn't get one in terms of adjusting quickly.

Do not buy the nonsense that a 1L SA will put you at an advantage for 2L employment, because it's not going to put you ahead of anyone who did anything else law related. It'll come up in your interviews, of course, but so will anything else you do 1L summer. You'll either have to be asking to split your summer, or defending why you weren't given an offer to return. Neither of these scenarios makes you more appealing than someone who interned at a federal court or worked at an agency or PI org where you still end up writing all summer.

Pursue the 1L SA for the money and chance at permanent employment.

KidStuddi wrote:

mephistopheles wrote:

BullShitWithBravado wrote:Take a 1L SA if you can get one, even if it's in a secondary market you're not interested in. I did that and I really feel like it helped prepare me for my 2L SA in a different market.

this. it's amazing in interviews and will really help you relative to people who didn't get one in terms of adjusting quickly.

Do not buy the nonsense that a 1L SA will put you at an advantage for 2L employment, because it's not going to put you ahead of anyone who did anything else law related. It'll come up in your interviews, of course, but so will anything else you do 1L summer. You'll either have to be asking to split your summer, or defending why you weren't given an offer to return. Neither of these scenarios makes you more appealing than someone who interned at a federal court or worked at an agency or PI org where you still end up writing all summer.

Pursue the 1L SA for the money and chance at permanent employment.

I actually agree with this. I performed as my GPA + journal would suggest. But definitely do it for the chance at a permanent offer.