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Looking to get some perspective. Have offers from a Fortune 500 company in the field I would like to specialize in (tech) and 1L SA from a lower V100 firm.

I prefer the Company's offer, it's a huge name and just sounds like a better experience overall, but the pay is 3.5x less than a biglaw firm (I'm in a major market, so you can guess the amount).

Will be aiming for a biglaw firm in 2L. My grades are not stellar, but I interview very well. I'm a non-URM male.

Thoughts?

Anonymous User wrote:Looking to get some perspective. Have offers from a Fortune 500 company in the field I would like to specialize in (tech) and 1L SA from a lower V100 firm.

I prefer the Company's offer, it's a huge name and just sounds like a better experience overall, but the pay is 3.5x less than a biglaw firm (I'm in a major market, so you can guess the amount).

Will be aiming for a biglaw firm in 2L. My grades are not stellar, but I interview very well. I'm a non-URM male.

Thoughts?

1lSa - at least you'll have an opportunity to lock up next summer without going to oci. Having a summer at a company v. a law firm isn't going to vault your career any further.

barkschool wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Looking to get some perspective. Have offers from a Fortune 500 company in the field I would like to specialize in (tech) and 1L SA from a lower V100 firm.

I prefer the Company's offer, it's a huge name and just sounds like a better experience overall, but the pay is 3.5x less than a biglaw firm (I'm in a major market, so you can guess the amount).

Will be aiming for a biglaw firm in 2L. My grades are not stellar, but I interview very well. I'm a non-URM male.

Thoughts?

1lSa - at least you'll have an opportunity to lock up next summer without going to oci. Having a summer at a company v. a law firm isn't going to vault your career any further.

I see your point. I want to go through 2L OCI though. The firm is not strong in the practice area I'm interested in, and I think I can get a better ranked firm in 2L

Anonymous User wrote:

barkschool wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Looking to get some perspective. Have offers from a Fortune 500 company in the field I would like to specialize in (tech) and 1L SA from a lower V100 firm.

I prefer the Company's offer, it's a huge name and just sounds like a better experience overall, but the pay is 3.5x less than a biglaw firm (I'm in a major market, so you can guess the amount).

Will be aiming for a biglaw firm in 2L. My grades are not stellar, but I interview very well. I'm a non-URM male.

Thoughts?

1lSa - at least you'll have an opportunity to lock up next summer without going to oci. Having a summer at a company v. a law firm isn't going to vault your career any further.

I see your point. I want to go through 2L OCI though. The firm is not strong in the practice area I'm interested in, and I think I can get a better ranked firm in 2L

Seems like you want to work at the company. Just do that if the money isn't important to you.

Anonymous User wrote:

barkschool wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Looking to get some perspective. Have offers from a Fortune 500 company in the field I would like to specialize in (tech) and 1L SA from a lower V100 firm.

I prefer the Company's offer, it's a huge name and just sounds like a better experience overall, but the pay is 3.5x less than a biglaw firm (I'm in a major market, so you can guess the amount).

Will be aiming for a biglaw firm in 2L. My grades are not stellar, but I interview very well. I'm a non-URM male.

Thoughts?

1lSa - at least you'll have an opportunity to lock up next summer without going to oci. Having a summer at a company v. a law firm isn't going to vault your career any further.

I see your point. I want to go through 2L OCI though. The firm is not strong in the practice area I'm interested in, and I think I can get a better ranked firm in 2L

The point is that you can enter OCI without any worries of not finding a job. Most people interview much better when they already have an offer, as it turns the process around a bit (you choosing firms instead of them choosing you). Also, from my perspective as an interviewer, a fortune 500 summer position does not provide any meaningful boost in job prospects, while a 1L SA does.

All that said, if you have the grades/school to almost guarantee a job in 2L OCI and you don't care about the money, then the company job won't hurt you.

Op here. Thanks for the input.

I am more excited about the company. One of those big names I'd kill to work in-house for down the road.

I have the school and interview skills to do well in OCI...grades not so much.

Sounds like 1L SA is objectively the better decision. I thought it might be more unique/help to have a big client name going in for OCI but it sounds like having a firm trumps all that.

No one cares what you did 1L summer.
Take the 1L SA and the $$$. You'll barely do anything and you'll be wined and dined all summer.

If you don't care about the $, do whatever you want.

Anonymous User wrote:Op here. Thanks for the input.

I am more excited about the company. One of those big names I'd kill to work in-house for down the road.

I have the school and interview skills to do well in OCI...grades not so much.

Sounds like 1L SA is objectively the better decision. I thought it might be more unique/help to have a big client name going in for OCI but it sounds like having a firm trumps all that.

I skipped over the part about having less than favorable grades.

I would ABSOLUTELY take the 1lsa in that case. Work on locking up future employment, no reason to gamble on 2l oci unnecessarily.

If you think you have long term aspirations of going in house then it would be a good experience you won't have again. On the other hand, it's a lot more money to do the firm thing for the summer.

barkschool wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Op here. Thanks for the input.

I am more excited about the company. One of those big names I'd kill to work in-house for down the road.

I have the school and interview skills to do well in OCI...grades not so much.

Sounds like 1L SA is objectively the better decision. I thought it might be more unique/help to have a big client name going in for OCI but it sounds like having a firm trumps all that.

I skipped over the part about having less than favorable grades.

I would ABSOLUTELY take the 1lsa in that case. Work on locking up future employment, no reason to gamble on 2l oci unnecessarily.

This. In-house gigs tend not to lead to permanent offers. Law firm 1Ls usually do. Better to have the offer in your back pocket. I say this as an in-house lawyer.

firm by a long-shot.