PI heavy resume Forum

[Anonymous User]

Not sure if this needs to be anonymous but...

I'm wondering if a public-interest heavy resume (in a very specific field within public interest...say, child advocacy) could hurt chances at firm/big law? All the work I've done has been in [child advocacy] and I'd love to spend my 1L summer doing [child advocacy] work. However, since I have to eventually pay my loans off and I'd like to gain some firm experience, I'm wondering if the fact that I've never truly expressed an interest in a particular practice area (or in the corporate world in general) will hurt me.

[Tanicius]

Not sure if this needs to be anonymous but...

I'm wondering if a public-interest heavy resume (in a very specific field within public interest...say, child advocacy) could hurt chances at firm/big law? All the work I've done has been in [child advocacy] and I'd love to spend my 1L summer doing [child advocacy] work. However, since I have to eventually pay my loans off and I'd like to gain some firm experience, I'm wondering if the fact that I've never truly expressed an interest in a particular practice area (or in the corporate world in general) will hurt me.

It can hurt, depending on the specifics, yes. I interviewed at firms with a public defense-heavy resume, and some of them straight of told me that, looking over my resume, they didn't believe I would fit in or enjoy the work. Be careful on what you emphasize and how you emphasize it.

[redsox550]

Being super PI heavy can hurt (or so the books, CSO's, forums, logic) says. I think the problem could be worse if all of that PI is concentrated in one area - it makes it seem like you REALLY REALLY want to go into that field.

I really think if you want to work for a firm, then its time to start for your 1l summer job search to look elsewhere besides child advocacy. Now getting a firm is no easy pickle, assuming you cant get one, fed government is a nice transition , i think its slightly easier to get a job their and if you work for think SEC, DOJ, FTC, than you can claim interest in securities, or antitrust or something.

Also, I would recommend that you get some other more firm related stuff on your resume. Now you are in 1L i presume so dont do a lot of work, join a few clubs maybe (dont really have to show up), ummm idk anything that will help make someone think more firm instead of PI when they look at your resume.

Also dont worry about that now

[dixiecupdrinking]

It can hurt, though not as much as you might think. It's not like biglaw hates PI stuff—you'll actually probably encounter a lot of interviewers who think what you've been doing is really cool and want to hear about it. But it means you have to have a convincing narrative for why you want to go biglaw. The worse your school and grades, the better your narrative has to be. They're not interested in hiring someone who wants to make a bunch of money over the summer and then go do PI work (and yes, if you go to a law firm 2L year you are going to be fucked trying to get a PI job later, but most biglawyers involved in hiring are from pre-ITE and seem to think you can just waltz into a job at Legal Aid after your V50 summer gig).

But I think that most people try to play too many games with this stuff. If you're interviewing for biglaw, you probably have a reason, right? Other than money? Chances are that reason will be a) perfectly acceptable to them and b) much more convincing than something you make up because you think it's what they want to hear.

Anyway, I'd say do what you want 1L summer because you won't get a firm job anyway, but be thinking about your narrative.

[Nelson]

But I think that most people try to play too many games with this stuff. If you're interviewing for biglaw, you probably have a reason, right? Other than money? Chances are that reason will be a) perfectly acceptable to them and b) much more convincing than something you make up because you think it's what they want to hear.

Anyway, I'd say do what you want 1L summer because you won't get a firm job anyway, but be thinking about your narrative.

TCR. Some interviewers will ask about it. Just be honest about your interest in your PI work in the past and your reasons for going to a firm. It won't hurt you and people do it all the time.

It's also not that unusual to move from firms to PI, but that's more of a mid career thing.