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You'll be able to score an SA through your spring OCI. Just bid on the big firms on Symplicity.

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Hipster but Athletic wrote:You'll be able to score an SA through your spring OCI.

LOL this is wildly optimistic.

Nelson wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:You'll be able to score an SA through your spring OCI.

LOL this is wildly optimistic.

With straight A's?
Yea, in addition to those on Symplicity, you might want to mass mail like 100 firms using http://www.resumelaunchpad.com/ in the city your school is in, NYC, and where you're from. It'll cost you ~$50. I'd do that tonight.

Hipster but Athletic wrote:

Nelson wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:You'll be able to score an SA through your spring OCI.

LOL this is wildly optimistic.

With straight A's?
Yea, in addition to those on Symplicity, you might want to mass mail like 100 firms using http://www.resumelaunchpad.com/ in the city your school is in, NYC, and where you're from. It'll cost you ~$50. I'd do that tonight.

Do you realize how many 1L SAs there are nationwide that aren't for diversity candidates? You can have straight As from a T14 and not get one.

I was in this situation last year and split the summer between big law (secondary market) and a federal judge. Out of the top ten people in my class I would estimate that I think 4 had 1L SAs, and I have no idea what determined who got them (#1 person in the class failed to get one, for instance).

You will have a ton of interviews; make sure to prep well, do mock interviews, have reasonable clothes, etc.

Even at a t-14 and perfect grades it's not a sure thing. More important is keeping them next semester. Prob worth more than the 31k.

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Jwood wrote:Thanks for the responses. So it seems like SA are the good internships to go after. I will for sure apply to these. Is it worth sending out a lot of applications to prosecutor offices, public defender, or attorney general offices? Or should I be looking for SA and judges? What sort of backups should I apply to if SA falls through?

Well you shouldn't plan on getting an SA. T14 students have trouble getting them. A kid from T30-50, even with good grades, isn't guaranteed anything. I know of 3 people at or around a 4.0 that didn't get anything as 2Ls, not to mention 1L SAs.

Apply everywhere, not just judges and SAs

Nelson wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:

Nelson wrote:

Hipster but Athletic wrote:You'll be able to score an SA through your spring OCI.

LOL this is wildly optimistic.

With straight A's?
Yea, in addition to those on Symplicity, you might want to mass mail like 100 firms using http://www.resumelaunchpad.com/ in the city your school is in, NYC, and where you're from. It'll cost you ~$50. I'd do that tonight.

Do you realize how many 1L SAs there are nationwide that aren't for diversity candidates? You can have straight As from a T14 and not get one.

seconding Nelson here. straight As is hardly hardly close to sufficient for a non-Diversity position candidate.

Most 1L SA positions are, as SW suggested, diversity-based. At least in the Northeast.

You need to apply to all the 1L Diversity positions. You need to apply THIS WEEKEND. Google 1L diversity. I hope you have a diversity statement already written as they sometimes require this. Don't care if you are a straight white male, apply to these. Mass mail EVERYONE. If you have straight A's you will be competitive. Go to firm open houses. Do not waste that straight A. Aside from SA, don't worry about what you do. Just make sure it is PAID. You have straight A's so you should apply EVERYWHERE. There are many unpaid internships, no one will care what you did 1L summer. So your first bet is getting something paid, hopefully a SA. But its also even more important that you get straight A's or close to it Spring semester. You must finish in the top 20% or higher!!!

The main focus should be 2L OCI. That will mostly determine your future. If you can get a 1L SA, great. That will get your foot in the door. But even with a 1L SA, if you do bad, and some how drop to below median, then the fact that you had a 1L SA won't mean shit unless that employer invited you back. The other firms won't care. They will only care about your grades. Trust me on this.

Please don't go if you are a straight white middle-class American male.

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Danger Zone wrote:Please don't go if you are a straight white middle-class American male.

I LIKE SKATEBOARDING I'M SO DIVERSE.

(Markin twitches uncontrollably)

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brotherdarkness wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:(Markin twitches uncontrollably)

Sssshhh. Let's leave that stupid shit in the Lounge.

true.

brotherdarkness wrote:

Danger Zone wrote:Please don't go if you are a straight white middle-class American male.

Seconded. I don't understand the above poster's advice about applying to a diversity position if you're not a diversity candidate. There are firms who hire white males for 1L SA positions, but they're very hard to get and even with straight A's you're not guaranteed (I had you grades at a similarly ranked school and didn't manage to land one). Apply to these positions, but also apply to judges and whatever else you might consider so that you don't end up making latte art this summer. Getting an SA position for the summer after your 2L year is the important thing and what you do this summer has very little bearing upon that.

The advice wasn't meant for you, so it's okay if you don't understand. Definitely apply to diversity positions. I have seen straight white males get these positions.....You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Especially if you already have a statement of diversity when you applied to law school. A 1L SA can mean $20,000 + vs. $0.

sparty99 wrote:

brotherdarkness wrote:

Danger Zone wrote:Please don't go if you are a straight white middle-class American male.

Seconded. I don't understand the above poster's advice about applying to a diversity position if you're not a diversity candidate. There are firms who hire white males for 1L SA positions, but they're very hard to get and even with straight A's you're not guaranteed (I had you grades at a similarly ranked school and didn't manage to land one). Apply to these positions, but also apply to judges and whatever else you might consider so that you don't end up making latte art this summer. Getting an SA position for the summer after your 2L year is the important thing and what you do this summer has very little bearing upon that.

The advice wasn't meant for you, so it's okay if you don't understand. Definitely apply to diversity positions. I have seen straight white males get these positions.....You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Especially if you already have a statement of diversity when you applied to law school. A 1L SA can mean $20,000 + vs. $0.

It's a huge waste of time.

Nelson wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

brotherdarkness wrote:

Danger Zone wrote:Please don't go if you are a straight white middle-class American male.

Seconded. I don't understand the above poster's advice about applying to a diversity position if you're not a diversity candidate. There are firms who hire white males for 1L SA positions, but they're very hard to get and even with straight A's you're not guaranteed (I had you grades at a similarly ranked school and didn't manage to land one). Apply to these positions, but also apply to judges and whatever else you might consider so that you don't end up making latte art this summer. Getting an SA position for the summer after your 2L year is the important thing and what you do this summer has very little bearing upon that.

The advice wasn't meant for you, so it's okay if you don't understand. Definitely apply to diversity positions. I have seen straight white males get these positions.....You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Especially if you already have a statement of diversity when you applied to law school. A 1L SA can mean $20,000 + vs. $0.

It's a huge waste of time.

Except I know people who have received these and they were white/straight, so I guess not.

sparty99 wrote:

Nelson wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

brotherdarkness wrote: Seconded. I don't understand the above poster's advice about applying to a diversity position if you're not a diversity candidate. There are firms who hire white males for 1L SA positions, but they're very hard to get and even with straight A's you're not guaranteed (I had you grades at a similarly ranked school and didn't manage to land one). Apply to these positions, but also apply to judges and whatever else you might consider so that you don't end up making latte art this summer. Getting an SA position for the summer after your 2L year is the important thing and what you do this summer has very little bearing upon that.

The advice wasn't meant for you, so it's okay if you don't understand. Definitely apply to diversity positions. I have seen straight white males get these positions.....You have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. Especially if you already have a statement of diversity when you applied to law school. A 1L SA can mean $20,000 + vs. $0.

It's a huge waste of time.

Except I know people who have received these and they were white/straight, so I guess not.

As long as you don't focus ALL of your time on it, I say don't leave any possibility unturned. Apply to them, but don't expect anything. I don't think I saw any 1L SA positions that were not diversity and everyone I know that did one is a diversity candidate in terms of race. However, a number of them do say what their definition of diversity is and if it is broad, it's worth it. I also had some hiring partners suggest applying to them since it shows a longer term interest in the firm.

In sum, I would apply so long as it does not say something like 'we only consider candidates of x background' and you don't spend tons of time on that (aka still focus on school and apply to other places). Don't count on it (chances are very, very slim), but you're definitely out if you don't apply.

Jwood wrote:I just finished my first semester at a tier one rank 30-40 law school. I got straight A's and am wondering where to go from here. I am not sure what kind of law I want to practice yet so I am up for anything. I would prefer to go into private practice and make some $$$. I am looking into internships for the summer and I don't know what are good and what I should apply to. I have heard of some people who will get big paid internships working for private firms. I also know a federal district court judge who I could apply to. Some other options would be like for the attorney generals office or the prosecutors office. What are the best options for employability after graduation. I would very strongly prefer a paid internship. My question is what kind of internships should I apply to? Also is it likely for a summer internship your first year to lead to a full time job after school?

Where do you go from here? Back to the library to make sure you don't fuck it up. You don't have it figured out, and your classmates have learned and are going to work harder this semester.

You need both first and second semester grades before you do any happy dance.

At a 30-40 ranked school, even with stellar grades, if you aren't a minority or bring something substantial to the table like a tech background for IP, then its going to be very hard to land a 1L job. Continue to network the crap out of the world. Apply to everything that shows up on CSO's webpage, and don't really panic until summer is much closer (many/most 1L positions aren't hired until then anyway).

Danger Zone wrote:Most 1L SA positions are, as SW suggested, diversity-based. At least in the Northeast.

fixed that for you