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1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:42 pm
by sharkadoo
As the title says, I am trying to decide between working for a [district court] judge or for a small environmental nonprofit. I know I would like the nonprofit more but I just want to make sure I am not fucking up my career. I am at upper t14, good first semester grades (equivalent to maybe top third of CCN). My goals are biglaw, higher on vault the better. Do biglaw firms care if you spend one summer working for a nonprofit?
Re: 1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 4:51 pm
by Avian
Doesn't matter for biglaw, although judges can be very interesting to work for.
Re: 1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:46 pm
by hiima3L
Judge.
Interning with judges was easily the most worthwhile thing I did in law school.
Re: 1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:55 pm
by rpupkin
sharkadoo wrote:As the title says, I am trying to decide between working for a [district court] judge or for a small environmental nonprofit. I know I would like the nonprofit more but I just want to make sure I am not fucking up my career. I am at upper t14, good first semester grades (equivalent to maybe top third of CCN).
This is a really, really weird way of saying that you're top quarter at Penn.
In any event, go work for the environmental law non-profit if you think you would like it more.
Re: 1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:14 pm
by Anonymous User
sharkadoo wrote:As the title says, I am trying to decide between working for a [district court] judge or for a small environmental nonprofit. I know I would like the nonprofit more but I just want to make sure I am not fucking up my career. I am at upper t14, good first semester grades (equivalent to maybe top third of CCN). My goals are biglaw, higher on vault the better. Do biglaw firms care if you spend one summer working for a nonprofit?
Employers tend to like the prestige of judicial externships. I would definitely say you go for that, specially for your career goals.
Re: 1l summer: judge or environmental law non-profit?
Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2015 9:20 pm
by rpupkin
Anonymous User wrote:sharkadoo wrote:As the title says, I am trying to decide between working for a [district court] judge or for a small environmental nonprofit. I know I would like the nonprofit more but I just want to make sure I am not fucking up my career. I am at upper t14, good first semester grades (equivalent to maybe top third of CCN). My goals are biglaw, higher on vault the better. Do biglaw firms care if you spend one summer working for a nonprofit?
Employers tend to like the prestige of judicial externships. I would definitely say you go for that, specially for your career goals.
Why are you anon when you're offering general advice?
Judicial externships aren't prestigious. An externship with a judge can be valuable experience, but so can lots of other types of experience (like working at a nonprofit).
Do a judicial externship if you'd like, but don't pick it over some other type of legal work because you think that it will add prestige to your resume.