What are the advantages of SLIP over a normal internship? Forum

[omegaweapon]

If you come from a school that funds public interest employment, are there any real differences between getting into the SLIP program, and just doing a volunteer internship, which seems easier? The money is the same either way, just from a different source.

[A. Nony Mouse]

SLIP provides the possibility of getting a funnel offer, or a permanent post-grad offer. Admittedly they are by no means guaranteed - not all components even have them and the ones that do don't offer everyone by any means - but they're possible. I'm pretty sure that a standard volunteer internship doesn't have that possibility. (There may well also be SLIP-specific programming, but that I don't know about.)

[nealric]

If you come from a school that funds public interest employment, are there any real differences between getting into the SLIP program, and just doing a volunteer internship, which seems easier? The money is the same either way, just from a different source.

I did SLIP after my 3l summer (before firm start date). They didn't do any funnel offers my year (budget cuts), but it was still in the immediate recession aftermath. I did get to travel for a deposition with one of the attorneys. Got to see Eric Holder speak at a closed DOJ meeting. Nice experience overall given that I wasn't depending on the DOJ for a job.They also paid me the same as a first year attorney (since I had graduated). I don't think public interest funding would pay as well.

I think the original idea for SLIP was to be an answer to firm 2L recruiting. Unfortunately, I don't think it quite lives up to that.