1L SA for first half but nothing for second half... is that bad? Forum

[TXgal]

Howdy,

I'm a long-time lurker, occasional poster here on TLS (I hope I'm posting this in the right spot! If this is wrong, someone please help me correct it ) and I could use some employment advice. I landed a 1L SA at a TX firm for first half, but have struck out for second half for some reason. Thoughts on whether or not it looks bad going into 2L OCI if I don't do something my second half? If it does, any ideas regarding what types of second half jobs I should look for this late in the game? I have an accounting background and I'm hoping to do transactional/corporate law, so I've been hesitant to apply for judicial internships. I'm not really sure what else 1Ls do beyond work for a firm or clerk for a judge.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[ellewoods817]

Howdy,

I'm a long-time lurker, occasional poster here on TLS (I hope I'm posting this in the right spot! If this is wrong, someone please help me correct it ) and I could use some employment advice. I landed a 1L SA at a TX firm for first half, but have struck out for second half for some reason. Thoughts on whether or not it looks bad going into 2L OCI if I don't do something my second half? If it does, any ideas regarding what types of second half jobs I should look for this late in the game? I have an accounting background and I'm hoping to do transactional/corporate law, so I've been hesitant to apply for judicial internships. I'm not really sure what else 1Ls do beyond work for a firm or clerk for a judge.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Did you bid for spring OCI? I know a few people who got their second half jobs through spring OCI last year, so it seems like a viable option. Other than that, I've been focusing on in-house, state agencies, and smaller law firms. I've also been hesitant to apply to judicial internships and am going to wait and see what interviews I get from OCI before I apply to judicial internships. Be sure that you're also checking symplicity!

[zot1]

Blow your SA money at Disneyland.

[Trippel]

Don't think it will matter much, but try to look for something else, if possible. Can you do research for a professor? Congrats on the 1L SA.

I also don't think it hurts if you do something lit friendly like working for a judge after the SA. To the contrary, it might make your corporate preference seem more informed to firms during 2L OCI.

[Anonymous User]

How long is your "first half" going to last? It'd certainly be best to try and get something for your second half but I don't think it's the end of the world if you work at least 6 weeks. I worked as an intern at a medium sized regional firm for 1L summer and their summer intern program only lasted 6 weeks. I was a little worried about not having a summer job that lasted at least 8 weeks, but in all honesty that's never going to come up in your OCI interviews. Your resume will say "XYZ firm, Summer 2016."

So definitely see if you can get something else lined up, but if you are working for 6 weeks for the firm I think you should be fine if you can't get anything else lined up. I interviewed a lot during in OCI and in a few different markets and no point did the length of my summer job come up. When they see "Summer 2016" at a firm they won't be thinking "how long does 'Summer' entail?"

[TXgal]

Howdy,

I'm a long-time lurker, occasional poster here on TLS (I hope I'm posting this in the right spot! If this is wrong, someone please help me correct it ) and I could use some employment advice. I landed a 1L SA at a TX firm for first half, but have struck out for second half for some reason. Thoughts on whether or not it looks bad going into 2L OCI if I don't do something my second half? If it does, any ideas regarding what types of second half jobs I should look for this late in the game? I have an accounting background and I'm hoping to do transactional/corporate law, so I've been hesitant to apply for judicial internships. I'm not really sure what else 1Ls do beyond work for a firm or clerk for a judge.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Did you bid for spring OCI? I know a few people who got their second half jobs through spring OCI last year, so it seems like a viable option. Other than that, I've been focusing on in-house, state agencies, and smaller law firms. I've also been hesitant to apply to judicial internships and am going to wait and see what interviews I get from OCI before I apply to judicial internships. Be sure that you're also checking symplicity!

I didn't bid for spring OCI - when I looked at the list I had already contacted most of the Texas firms Dec 1 and followed up with grades. (In hindsight I'm not sure if that was the right move or not!) Thanks for the ideas regarding in-house and state agencies - I'll try finding some of those to apply to!

[TXgal]

How long is your "first half" going to last? It'd certainly be best to try and get something for your second half but I don't think it's the end of the world if you work at least 6 weeks. I worked as an intern at a medium sized regional firm for 1L summer and their summer intern program only lasted 6 weeks. I was a little worried about not having a summer job that lasted at least 8 weeks, but in all honesty that's never going to come up in your OCI interviews. Your resume will say "XYZ firm, Summer 2016."

So definitely see if you can get something else lined up, but if you are working for 6 weeks for the firm I think you should be fine if you can't get anything else lined up. I interviewed a lot during in OCI and in a few different markets and no point did the length of my summer job come up. When they see "Summer 2016" at a firm they won't be thinking "how long does 'Summer' entail?"

Mine lasts 6 weeks (I think there is an option to extend to 8 weeks, but I might be wrong about that), so this is super comforting to hear!

[ballouttacontrol]

Try to get something if u can, anything. Even if it's a joke like interning for a judge or whatever. Something so u can say u wanted to try it instead of admitting going unemployed for 2nd half

Obviously a 1st half only isn't the end of the world and happens to a lot of people, but it will absolutely come up at OCI. This is exclusive to TX, and ppl in other parts of the country probably won't have any idea how the Tx 1st/2nd half thing works

As long as u pull out an offer from your 1 firm though, you're obviously in a good place.

[Clearly]

non-tx so this is foreign to me, but as a transactional focused person, I'm really happy I interned with a judge 1L. It was a cool experience. Do it!

[Lacepiece23]

I would literally not do anything for the other half of the summer. No one will care. And this is the last time of your life that you will ever have that much time off. Why not enjoy every last minute of it? Go travel. Do something fun. Enjoy your life.

[Anonymous User]

I did an eight-week first half near Dallas during 1L summer, and didn't do anything the second half. I accepted an offer to go back to the same firm/location for ten weeks during 2L summer, so I didn't even bother to do OCI. I realize that's kind of an "all my eggs in one basket" strategy, but I'm comfortable with it.

[Anonymous User]

Try to get something if u can, anything. Even if it's a joke like interning for a judge or whatever. Something so u can say u wanted to try it instead of admitting going unemployed for 2nd half

Obviously a 1st half only isn't the end of the world and happens to a lot of people, but it will absolutely come up at OCI. This is exclusive to TX, and ppl in other parts of the country probably won't have any idea how the Tx 1st/2nd half thing works

As long as u pull out an offer from your 1 firm though, you're obviously in a good place.

I'm the anon who had a 6 week 1L internship and said it never came up at OCI. Just wanted to say that my experience was in CA and I only interviewed with CA and NY firms at OCI. So just want to put it out there that my situation had nothing to do with TX and I had no idea TX was like this.

Just curious, during TX interviews at OCI they will just straight up ask you "how long was your summer job for?" Or is it more of the fact that they will probably recognize the firm OP worked for and know from previous experience that the firm only does a 6 week summer program? If it's the former that seems rather odd to me.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a 2L at UT and only did a judicial internship for 6 weeks of the summer because I couldn't get anything else worth doing and didn't feel like doing another 6 week judicial internship. I had at least 30 interviews and I don't think I was ever asked how long my internship was and why I didn't do anything second half. I ended up getting big law so take that for what it's worth. I think the general TLS advice of just do something legal your 1L summer is the right advice. A judicial internship would be useful but I don't think doing just a 1L SA with hurt you at all with any firms in Texas

[Anonymous User]

Try to get something if u can, anything. Even if it's a joke like interning for a judge or whatever. Something so u can say u wanted to try it instead of admitting going unemployed for 2nd half

Obviously a 1st half only isn't the end of the world and happens to a lot of people, but it will absolutely come up at OCI. This is exclusive to TX, and ppl in other parts of the country probably won't have any idea how the Tx 1st/2nd half thing works

As long as u pull out an offer from your 1 firm though, you're obviously in a good place.

Had a 1LSA first half. Did absolutely nothing second half. Never came up once during interviews. Had multiple big law and in house offers after the 2LOCI. OP'll be fine.

Even if someone did ask me, I'd tell them I didn't want to work for free doing something I'm not interested in. And if it bothers them to the point where they wouldn't want to offer me, believe me, they're doing me a favor because I wouldn't want to work with such uptight people.

[RaceJudicata]

This shouldn't be a concern, this should be a goal. 1L SA money + half the summer off before OCI... literally could not dream of a better outcome. Congrats!

Also, i didn't read thoroughly, but if you mentioned that you could extend to 8 weeks, then go ahead and do that. Many 2L SA programs are only 8 weeks to begin with. Don't write on your resume "First Half Summer Associate," just write Summer Associate, because its the truth.

[RaceJudicata]

Try to get something if u can, anything. Even if it's a joke like interning for a judge or whatever. Something so u can say u wanted to try it instead of admitting going unemployed for 2nd half

Obviously a 1st half only isn't the end of the world and happens to a lot of people, but it will absolutely come up at OCI. This is exclusive to TX, and ppl in other parts of the country probably won't have any idea how the Tx 1st/2nd half thing works

As long as u pull out an offer from your 1 firm though, you're obviously in a good place.

Even if someone did ask me, I'd tell them I didn't want to work for free doing something I'm not interested in. And if it bothers them to the point where they wouldn't want to offer me, believe me, they're doing me a favor because I wouldn't want to work with such uptight people.

OP, please do not do this.

[ballouttacontrol]

There's only like 4 big firms that do 2nd half these days anyways, so it's not easy. But if a Tx interviewer is recently out of LS and knows what's up he will probably know just based off the name of the firm alone whether they are a 1st half or 2nd half firm

It's about optimizing your chances. Obviously working another 6 weeks is better experience than 6 weeks vacation. But if u like ur firm and get an offer it's a moot point regardless.

[TXgal]

Thanks so much for the analysis/advice, guys! I think I'll keep looking for something to do second half, but I'm significantly less worried about it now.