Working as a Summer Associate When Not in Law School Forum

[Endless Summer]

I have a question about summering at a law firm. Before I explain my circumstances and ask my question, I want to make something clear: I know that what I'm about to suggest is illegal. I am not looking for lectures on morality, right-and-wrong, or legal ethics. I just want to know if I'm overlooking any risks with my strategy.

Three years ago, I completed one year at a T20 law school. My grades were fine, but I dropped out for various personal reasons. Since dropping out, I've worked in temporary jobs. I've toyed with the idea of returning to law school, but I've decided that I do not want to be a lawyer. All the possible career paths in the law (public interest, big law, mid law, government) do not appeal to me.

There is, however, one phase of legal employment that I find appealing: working as a summer associate at a big law firm. If you work for 12 weeks, you get $36K. That's more than I make now when working 40 weeks a year. Given my current lifestyle, I can easily live off that income.

I have friends from law school who summered at big firms. Invariably, their experiences were awesome. It's mostly partying. I'm confident that I can easily do whatever actual work I'm assigned.

The problem, of course, is that I am not in law school. So how can I possibly land a SA spot? I have a plan. I am going to fake a first-year transcript from a T14 law school. (Just assume, for the sake of this question, that I have access to the technology that will allow me to do this.) I will give myself good grades—I'm thinking around top 15%. (I fear that top-of-the-class grades would be suspicious.) I will then mass mail big law firms and offices that do not come to my school's OCI. I will then, hopefully, get callbacks and offers.

I will then work at the firm over the following summer. At the end of the summer, I will decline the firm's offer for one reason or another (e.g., fictional clerkship, fictional fiancee in a city where the firm doesn't have an office, whatever). I'll then repeat the process the following cycle, creating a new first-year transcript (perhaps from a different T14—see below), and then mailing it to firms that I had not contacted the previous cycle.

I'm 28 now. I figure I can continue this cycle for at least six or seven years. Here are some concerns I have:

1. There will likely be other SAs at the firm who went to my 1L "law school." For that reason, I'm thinking of picking a big law school. So, for example, GULC would be better than Cornell. That way, it will be more plausible that the other summers from "my school" wouldn't have met me. Do you think that could work?

2. I'm assuming that firms don't do background checks on summer associates. Is that right? I'm sure they do checks when you're hired as an actual attorney but, as explained above, I never intend to get that far.

3. I won't have an email address from a law school. I intend to use my gmail address for all communication. Do you think that will raise any red flags?

4. Do firms actually check references? I'm thinking of picking a random professor (someone who teaches 1L classes) from my T14 law school as a reference, because I'm assuming that the firm would want to see a law-school-related reference on the list. This won't work, of course, if firms actually bother to contact references for summer associates.

Can you think of anything I'm overlooking? What else could result in me getting caught?

[Anonymous User]

One of my SA offers required a background check

[DELG]

Is this even illegal? What, wire/mail fraud?

[OutoftheWoods]

Man, this is one huge elaborate flame. Don't you have better things to do...

[inchipwetrust]

you go glenn co co

[03152016]

p good flame

biggest prob is you'd eventually get caught and make above the law
would come up every time someone searches for you on google, not such a great career move

[Endless Summer]

It's not a flame; I've been thinking about doing this for a couple of years. If you think it's made up, feel free to ignore.

As for whether it's illegal, I just assume that submitting a fake transcript to an employer is at least a violation of a state's employment laws. I don't know if it violates any federal laws like wire fraud.

[OutoftheWoods]

actually ending up on abovethelaw is probably a better career move for some law students

[MCFC]

Is this even illegal? What, wire/mail fraud?

Everything is wire fraud, so I would guess so.

[lymenheimer]

Dude is probably trying to write a book/movie with this as the plot line and trying to fill in all of the holes. Lame

[Anonymous User]

If it worked and someone in recruiting at a firm you summered at switches firms then you will quite possibly be very fucked when you try to summer with her new firm. I wouldn't try to do this six or seven times like you said.

[baal hadad]

Cool

[Endless Summer]

Dude is probably trying to write a book/movie with this as the plot line and trying to fill in all of the holes. Lame

You got me, lymenheimer. I've decided to crowd source the job of writing a summer-associate version of the show Suits. I'll be sure to give you a cut of the royalties.

[chuckbass]

I think you've been watching too much Suits

[n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t]

I was asked to fill out some sheet giving permission to the firm to request my school records at any time. I imagine that they will actually do this sometime before you start. Even if they do it while you are summering--or, in the best case scenario, after you summer--I doubt you want to face legal action from a large firm with resources.

[Anonymous User]

If they found out they'd probably sue you for all the costs of recruiting you. This is a bad idea. Heck, even Leonardo passed the Louisiana bar in Catch Me if You Can.

[baal hadad]

If they found out they'd probably sue you for all the costs of recruiting you. This is a bad idea. Heck, even Leonardo passed the Louisiana bar in Catch Me if You Can.

Lol they're not gonna sue him

[AlanShore]

Schools are in constant contact with career services so thats one huge risk. I'm not saying career services is aware of 100% of the offers but I do know they compile lists and statistics, etc. and they often know when people have offers (and I don't think everyone reports to career services with every offer they have)

[AlanShore]

Also I think the firm I worked for conducts a background check for summers bc I have one of those identity theft services that alerts you when people run a background check on you and I got an email alert a few mos ago

[lavarman84]

I would assume it depends on the firm whether they do background checks. The firm I received an offer from does background checks.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Sorry, pal, the TLS on-topics are not a resource for you to get a job under false pretenses.