Emailing Smaller firms in your home market for summer internship Forum

[MGH1989]

Is it appropriate If I email a partner or associate my resume and CV stating my interest in their firm and inquiring whether they take on interns for the summer? Is it better to call and then send materials? Is it appropriate at all? Career services seems to be big into information interviews, which are definitely important. It just seems like unnecessary foreplay when I am trying to secure employment in the near future.

I am a 1L btw.

[smallfirmassociate]

Is it appropriate If I email a partner or associate my resume and CV stating my interest in their firm and inquiring whether they take on interns for the summer? Is it better to call and then send materials? Is it appropriate at all? Career services seems to be big into information interviews, which are definitely important. It just seems like unnecessary foreplay when I am trying to secure employment in the near future.

I am a 1L btw.

I would rather someone just send a brief email with a resume attached. Cover letter maybe, if you're good at it. TBH, the less shit my secretaries and I have to deal with to get to the point (e.g. what you want and why you are qualified), the better. The vast majority of our partners are going to be too busy to really want to do lunch with what is basically a cold-caller. What might be a better option than any of the above is a snail-mail cover letter with resume. Then it's just there already, doesn't need to be printed and stuff. Plus it's more formal and seems more professional, especially to the older partners.

But yeah, I would find some form of contact expressing interest to be completely acceptable and even appreciated. It's not always easy to track down decent interns.

[Good Guy Gaud]

+1 to the above.

Make sure you relate your ties to the area.

[RaceJudicata]

Send email --> introduce yourself --> ask if there is any possibility of connecting for a brief telephone call b/c you are interested in their practice area and would appreciate any advice they may have for a law student.

Attach resume, but DON'T mention it.

Lined up a ton of connections and a few OCI interviews this way.. I know you are just looking for a 1L position, but I think the same mentality and approach will work

[ballouttacontrol]

definitely appropriate. Approaches will vary, but anything reasonable is fine if you feel it's the best approach. No one really knows the answer, and there probably really isn't one answer

[lawschoolftw]

Totally appropriate. It's how I landed my 1L summer, and post- clerkship firm gig. I agree with the previous poster who said busy attorneys would prefer you just lay out what you're looking for. You'll get a lot of people who just ignore you, but you'll get a couple of bites if you have a strong resume.

[GreenEggs]

Attach resume, but DON'T mention it.

I think everything sounds good, but this part. I think it's weird to attach a resume as an "implication" without mentioning it.

[RaceJudicata]

Attach resume, but DON'T mention it.

I think everything sounds good, but this part. I think it's weird to attach a resume as an "implication" without mentioning it.

I think thats fair criticism. I only did this because i didn't want to seem pushy/presumptuous ... even though its pretty clear that by sending one of these emails you are looking for a job.

I think all of us (myself included) overanalyze the entire situation. What works for one person may not work for another, and a lot of that has to do with factors outside of our control.

Bottom line: sending the emails are totally appropriate, and successful approaches will vary.