Top Law Schools

When a job clearly marked as an internship says: 2L/3L, what does it mean? Or if it says "Rising 2L?"

At what point are you what class? I think of it as first summer or second summer.

And do job postings mean be a 2L now? Or be a 2L as in you finished your first year?

I know there is some common sense involved here...but I am honestly confused by some postings being vague. Why would a 3L apply to an internship for next summer? All I can think of it means the 2L>Rising 3L (second summer) summer. But then that would mean that 2L/3L are effectively the same thing.

I am reading internship postings and utterly confused which ones are available to someone for their first summer after 1L year but before 2L starts. Am I a 2L at that point? Or still a 1L?

Thanks for confirming.

It makes most sense if you're the next "tier" after you've completed the semesters for the previous tier. Not a perfect analogy, but you'd be applying for jobs open to "Recent Grads" after completing 3L Spring Semester, not jobs open to 3Ls.

If it says 2L/3L, I would imagine that they are seeking current 2Ls and 3Ls. Rising 2L would mean they are looking for current 1Ls to work their 1L summer. The 3L posting is a bit weird, but it isn't unheard of for 3Ls to work the summer after they graduate (although most just study for the bar).

Or it might be a school-year internship.

Requirements for Summer Law Clerk
Must be a rising 2L
Minimum GPA of 3.5 (with a minimum B+ equivalent in legal research and writing)
Preferences for Summer Law Clerk
Law journal experience
Exceptional oral and written communications skills

So look at this posting. Very confusing, right?

So they are only taking "rising 2Ls"...but with journal experience. Don't those conflict?

Also dang 3.5? I guess GPA does matter.

Seeking 3-5 2Ls (full-time Summer, 10-wk commitment preferred, but split Summers permitted) and 1-2 2Ls and 3Ls (part-time Spring and Fall) for unpaid 2018 Intern Program.

How about this one? Not accepting any 1L summers, right?

The ____ seeks 2Ls for its 10-week, paid...Summer Law Clerk Programs...

How about this one? No 1Ls either here, right?

WHY CAN'T JOB POSTINGS BE CLEAR?!!!

The above postings really aren't that unclear:

"Rising 2L" means that you've completed your first year. And yes, "journal experience" is odd phrasing, but rising 2Ls are able to put their journal on their resume as soon as they have one.

If it doesn't say "rising" before 2L, then I'd assume that they're looking for someone who is currently in their second year.

And yes, GPA matters for a lot of positions. That hopefully didn't come as a shock.

The law journal experience is a little weird because its unlikely that any 1L would know that they're on a journal until after they've started their summer job.