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It won't really matter, but why not try to intern for a federal district judge instead? It's a better signaling device for someone interested in patent litigation.

I think you can find a summer externship with a federal district judge somewhere, and I second UVA2B that it's a better signal than the land courts.

It's not tactless to ask a professor for references and help. Assuming you were attentive in class and didn't bomb, the prof will want to help.

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That isn't right. 1L SA hiring will continue throughout January (depending on the market. If you were targeting TX, you could very well be out of luck).

But federal judges will continue interviewing for internships for awhile too. It's not too late to get some applications out in hopes of landing something. And while you'd prefer to stay in your city for social life aspects, you should apply back home as well since you won't be getting paid and maybe it's less competitive than the city you're currently in.

UVA2B, would you agree with the idea that it's less likely to get a 1L SA gig than a 1L extern for federal judge? I feel like it is based on my observations in law school. If I could do it over, I would have focused on applying to federal judges and other spots rather than waiting to hear from firms, just based on how poorly the 1L SA apps went.

mcmand wrote:UVA2B, would you agree with the idea that it's less likely to get a 1L SA gig than a 1L extern for federal judge? I feel like it is based on my observations in law school. If I could do it over, I would have focused on applying to federal judges and other spots rather than waiting to hear from firms, just based on how poorly the 1L SA apps went.

Obv not UVA2B, but this was my experience. I get the impression that 1L SA gigs are pretty rare, or at least were when I was in school.

mcmand wrote:UVA2B, would you agree with the idea that it's less likely to get a 1L SA gig than a 1L extern for federal judge? I feel like it is based on my observations in law school. If I could do it over, I would have focused on applying to federal judges and other spots rather than waiting to hear from firms, just based on how poorly the 1L SA apps went.

Normally yes, federal judge is much more likely than a 1L SA, but the chances do change when you're talking patent work depending on the strength of the applicant's background and the strength of their law school credentials. If it's a BS in math from a school like, idk, Tulane, then you might want to focus more on federal judges because those STEM credentials aren't likely going to be enough to snag a 1L SA in patent work by themselves and the law school isn't exactly impressive enough to make them a shoo-in for a 1L SA. But if it's a BSEE from Penn or a MSEE from UIUC, they should absolutely try their hand at the 1L SA market first, because the relative short supply of those credentials make 1L SAs a distinct possibility.

Edit: or, you know, you could focus on both paths simultaneously and see what sticks. Applying to SAs and judges only takes so much time.

UVA2B wrote:

mcmand wrote:UVA2B, would you agree with the idea that it's less likely to get a 1L SA gig than a 1L extern for federal judge? I feel like it is based on my observations in law school. If I could do it over, I would have focused on applying to federal judges and other spots rather than waiting to hear from firms, just based on how poorly the 1L SA apps went.

Normally yes, federal judge is much more likely than a 1L SA, but the chances do change when you're talking patent work depending on the strength of the applicant's background and the strength of their law school credentials. If it's a BS in math from a school like, idk, Tulane, then you might want to focus more on federal judges because those STEM credentials aren't likely going to be enough to snag a 1L SA in patent work by themselves and the law school isn't exactly impressive enough to make them a shoo-in for a 1L SA. But if it's a BSEE from Penn or a MSEE from UIUC, they should absolutely try their hand at the 1L SA market first, because the relative short supply of those credentials make 1L SAs a distinct possibility.

Edit: or, you know, you could focus on both paths simultaneously and see what sticks. Applying to SAs and judges only takes so much time.

Good point about the patent stuff.

Yeah I agree about applying to both. I think OP is paranoid the same way I was of getting an offer from a judge quickly before hearing about an SA gig and having to decline it or accept and then back out.

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