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If private practice is something you're only curious about, what is the value of OCI?

I am a rising 2L on lr with good grades and WE but I am at a TTT. I interned this summer with a govt agency and would love to continue down this path. But ... I don't want to limit myself or make finding employment any harder than it already is. Am I just going to have to accept that finding govt work will be harder? I don't want to end up in a position where I go through OCI, get an otherwise good SA at a firm this next summer, hate it, and have to turn down a job offer because I realize I should have been targeting govt work. I just feel like the alternative (not participating in OCI) is very risky.

How much debt at graduation?

Many great government jobs hire extensively from people who leave large law firms. Basically no government jobs require that you do something with them for your 2L summer. And perhaps most importantly, even with strong credentials you're hardly guaranteed a firm job out of OCI.

I'd say it's absolutely worth interviewing, and probably worth taking the thousands of dollars per week summer gig even if you're not convinced it's what you want to do. You won't materially hurt your odds of getting a different job, if you hurt them at all, and you'll get a lot of money, experience, and insight at the same time.

All things considered, should be around $90k.

Definitely do OCI. As SL said, most federal government agencies hire from large law firms and getting a gov't job is harder. Plus 90k isn't nothing in debt. But did you already sign up for OCI? If not, isn't it too late?

I did sign up for OCI, so I am covered. And no, $90k isn't nothing and a summer earning decent $ would help. I really appreciate the advice, all.