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I'm a 1L at Duke and just got my grades back. I did pretty well (don't want to be too specific, but 3.8-3.9 range). I have basically no corporate experience. I didn't do any internships in college and I had a non-prestigious government job for two years between undergrad and law school. I've been applying to mostly PI places like public defender's offices, legal aid, a couple US Attorney offices so far but I'm thinking I might be competitive for more prestigious summer jobs.


Do I have a shot at something in-house or even a summer associate position (assuming it's not too late for that)? I'm targeting NYC for the summer. I'd appreciate any insight

If you want a 1L summer (and aren't "diverse") then you should blanket Texas biglaw firms starting yesterday. If you're eligible for diversity programs then you should also target NYC.

Pretty much anything else, you're at least as competitive as any other 1L. So just apply.

The Lsat Airbender wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:11 pm

If you want a 1L summer (and aren't "diverse") then you should blanket Texas biglaw firms starting yesterday.

Pretty much anything else, you're at least as competitive as any other 1L. So just apply.

No interest in Texas at all. So basically just apply everywhere in New York that I'm semi-interested in?

can't think of a "prestigious" 1L summer job? do those exist? (maybe there's some thing in the SG's office idk)

personally I would just blanket BigLaw 1L SA programs that aren't specifically for URM (assuming you aren't a URM of course).

$40K to go to lunch >>> telling people you did a 1L summer at USAO SDNY or with Judge Nathan or w/e. the people who list their judicial internships on their firm bios are extremely embarrassing

LBJ's Hair wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:17 pm

can't think of a "prestigious" 1L summer job? do those exist? (maybe there's some thing in the SG's office idk)

personally I would just blanket BigLaw 1L SA programs that aren't specifically for URM (assuming you aren't a URM of course).

$40K to go to lunch >>> telling people you did a 1L internship at USAO SDNY or for Judge Nathan or w/e. the people who list their judicial internships on their firm bios are extremely embarrassing

By "prestigious" I just mean jobs that pay basically haha. I am not a URM -- do you have any idea whether my GPA would make me competitive for NY SAs? Or are they almost exclusively for diversity candidates?

Mass blanket every firm with your cover letter and transcript. Just email the recruiter on NALP if there is no obvious place to apply. You'll get interviews if you move fast. Some of them might ask you to fill out whatever their diversity program application is after they've given an offer, as happened with me, which ought to tell you how seriously firms take those programs.

haldren2198 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:21 pm

LBJ's Hair wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:17 pm

can't think of a "prestigious" 1L summer job? do those exist? (maybe there's some thing in the SG's office idk)

personally I would just blanket BigLaw 1L SA programs that aren't specifically for URM (assuming you aren't a URM of course).

$40K to go to lunch >>> telling people you did a 1L internship at USAO SDNY or for Judge Nathan or w/e. the people who list their judicial internships on their firm bios are extremely embarrassing

By "prestigious" I just mean jobs that pay basically haha. I am not a URM -- do you have any idea whether my GPA would make me competitive for NY SAs? Or are they almost exclusively for diversity candidates?

your GPA is excellent, so it's worth applying to any place that would interview non-URM. there are generalist 1L programs, even among the V10 (there were when I was in law school at least, but maybe that's changed)

I personally think it's worth the time to check to see if the program is really for racial/LGBT diversity and to make sure you're not sending apps for those. wouldn't want to ruffle feathers.

but some people just blanket everywhere

What are your career goals? Has Duke already had OCIs? With those grades I assume you'd be at least a plausible candidate for most jobs. Just depends on what you want to get out of the summer.

namefromplace wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:31 pm

What are your career goals? Has Duke already had OCIs? With those grades I assume you'd be at least a plausible candidate for most jobs. Just depends on what you want to get out of the summer.

Broadly interested in both litigation and transactional, maybe slightly leaning towards transactional. I'd like to start in NY biglaw.


We have a spring OCI in a couple weeks that's mostly NC/TX firms but there's one Magic Circle firm's NY office attending. The firms preselect, but I bid on the Magic Circle firm along with a remote fintech company.


I'll start mass-mailing any NY firms with a non-URM 1L summer program this week.

haldren2198 wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:35 pm

namefromplace wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 22, 2022 5:31 pm

What are your career goals? Has Duke already had OCIs? With those grades I assume you'd be at least a plausible candidate for most jobs. Just depends on what you want to get out of the summer.

Broadly interested in both litigation and transactional, maybe slightly leaning towards transactional. I'd like to start in NY biglaw.


We have a spring OCI in a couple weeks that's mostly NC/TX firms but there's one Magic Circle firm's NY office attending. The firms preselect, but I bid on the Magic Circle firm along with a remote fintech company.


I'll start mass-mailing any NY firms with a non-URM 1L summer program this week.

If your goal is NY BigLaw then I don't think it'd be a bad move to do your 1L summer in TX BigLaw. You'll make a lot of money and be much more conversant in biglaw while interviewing for NY BigLaw positions for your 2L summer. NY isn't super ties-focused, and if you go into 2L OCIs with great grades and the ability to articulate why you want biglaw and that firm in particular (which having a TX 1L SA will help you do, even if you don't want to go back to the firm you SA'd at), you're in a great spot. Not that you shouldn't apply to NY jobs, just that I don't think you should rule out TX SAs entirely.

It's also worth it to just go through every V100's website and see if they're taking apps for non-diverse 1L SAs. Lots of firms have an online portal for applicants at schools that don't participate in their OCIs.