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I am a 2L at a lower T14 school and a friend of mine (also a 2L at the same school) was recently informed that his summer internship program has been cancelled. I am committed to a mid-sized firm for the summer (NLJ250) and while the summer program has not yet been cancelled I have been growing increasingly more concerned about that possibility. My friend was set to intern with the legal department of a large corporation. Do you believe that summer associate positions with firms are "safer" than in-house summer internships? Also, what do you believe is the best course of action if someone's internship gets cancelled? Mass-Mail starting now? Apply to positions for this summer or just try to get a head start on 3L hiring?

FWIW I think firm positions are ~generally~ more essential than those with corporations. More so with big law, firms still need junior associates coming through the pipeline so cutting programs entirely seems like an overly extreme measure. In comparison, I feel like in house summer positions rarely carry the expectation of full time employment post-graduation so it is easier for a company to cut that posting.