1L Summer: Should I be embarrassed to work as an RA? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I got a job as a research assistant for the summer. It’s in a field I’m passionate about and this professor is well known in this area of law. If it matters, I’m doing actual research not just leg work.

Will this look bad for OCI? Do people (both employers and students) view being an RA as a fall back?

I’m still searching for a part time job but fear I won’t get anything this late. Am I screwed?

Any tips on finding jobs late in the game would be helpful too.

[Anonymous User]

What? No. I was an RA in field that I wasn't passionate about with a professor who wasn't particularly well known and barely doing research. Netted V10 offer pre-OCI in my dream location, only did 2 screeners at OCI, got 2 CBs, which turned into 2 offers both for top firms in my top location. I used the part-time nature of the work to network, which was immensely valuable to my getting my pre-OCI offer (especially compared to another 30 hours doing random summer work).

[JHP]

Definitely don't be embarrassed--a lot of people do RA work for the summer and I think most interviewers know that 1L summer jobs can be a bit of a crapshoot to find, especially depending on the market/region you're in. The best thing you can do is when interviewers ask "So what have you been doing this summer?" is to talk about your work passionately and really show that you made the choice to be an RA, and not that you fell back on a plan C. Maybe some interviewers will already have a prejudice about what RA'ing for the summer means, but you will only confirm their suspicions or make otherwise agnostic interviewers realize you're insecure about this summer position if you act like it's something to be embarrassed about or like you don't want to talk about it during the interview. Especially if you're planning to go into lit work, it can be a great way to slip in discussions about you passion for researching and writing and honing bluebooking skills. You're definitely not screwed. If you want to bolster your summer activities, you can always look to do volunteer legal work at your local legal services organization, some pro bono immigration work, local law school clinics, etc.

As for finding jobs late in the game, considering it's already May, pretty slim chances of finding much, but make it a weekly, if not every few days, calendar item for you to spend a couple hours surfing the web for job openings and applying to openings

[yooobagz]

I don't think you have any reason to feel embarrassed. The line I always got was that you should spend your 1L summer doing some kind of legal work that you can talk about adequately during OCI (or whatever future interview process you're a part of). It seems like you already check that box, so I wouldn't sweat it.

If you really feel like you want to be doing more, it's probably worthwhile contacting small, local firms or legal aid organizations to see if you can clerk/volunteer part time. They might find it useful to have you around just to use your broader access to Lexis and Westlaw.

[LBJ's Hair]

RA work with certain well-connected professors is probably substantially *more* valuable than some BS public interest thing you don't care about. Employers will just assume you're more of an intellectual. You're fine.

[Anonymous User]

RA work with certain well-connected professors is probably substantially *more* valuable than some BS public interest thing you don't care about. Employers will just assume you're more of an intellectual. You're fine.

My personal experience:
RA for 1L summer --> multiple v10 offers with okay but not stellar grades.

If you fully understand your research assignments and own them, you will be just as attractive as other 1Ls. Interviewers won't even assume you are more of an intellectual if your research is on really practical matters, like what's the most current doctrine in Delaware for something or other things like that.

Being an RA also offers you the flexibility to work offsite: take advantage of it and go to every reception there is in your target market.

[Wild Card]

Depends on the ranking of your school. At the very best schools, only the very best students are hired as RAs, and RAs do serious and painstaking research all freaking summer. And RAs are actually paid (a nominal hourly rate, but paid nonetheless) whereas everyone else is volunteering at non-profits or govt. agencies. In other words, it's a legit job.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on the ranking of your school. At the very best schools, only the very best students are hired as RAs, and RAs do serious and painstaking research all freaking summer. And RAs are actually paid (a nominal hourly rate, but paid nonetheless) whereas everyone else is volunteering at non-profits or govt. agencies. In other words, it's a legit job.

I'm just at a top 50 school but I will be doing actual, serious research (and getting paid for it).

What? No. I was an RA in field that I wasn't passionate about with a professor who wasn't particularly well known and barely doing research. Netted V10 offer pre-OCI in my dream location, only did 2 screeners at OCI, got 2 CBs, which turned into 2 offers both for top firms in my top location. I used the part-time nature of the work to network, which was immensely valuable to my getting my pre-OCI offer (especially compared to another 30 hours doing random summer work).

Sounds like it didn't hold you back at all. Congrats on doing well. What are some of the ways you networked?

[Anonymous User]

Sounds like it didn't hold you back at all. Congrats on doing well. What are some of the ways you networked?

My approach to is cold email alumni->phone call->coffee/lunch. These things should allow you to gather plenty of information and possibly get them to pass on a resume for you. I was reaching out to a market far away and with few alumni so the people I was talking to were basically guaranteed to come to OCI, making my screeners basically a formality. If you go to NYU and are networking in NYC for instance, this is a lot less likely to happen. You could always ask openly if the person you're engaging with does OCI. If done with the tone and context, it's a bit forward in terms of revealing your intent but not out of line by any means. If you also ask them if there is anyone you should reach out to, they may point you in the direction of someone does. There's just so many ways that networking grants advantages and so many ways to approach it.