Northwestern 1L/2L/3L/Grads Taking Questions and Challenges Forum

[Icculus]

Just having a “did summer research with my professor” is going to get your ass shot down at 2L OCI.

...this is emphatically not true in my experience just FYI. I did a couple of other very minor things as well during the summer, but I really wanted to work with a particular professor on a project, did it, and it worked out fine. The project ended up being a good conversation-starter in a lot of interviews.

My 1L summer: took 2 classes (not a judicial practicum) and did research for a professor unpaid for credit instead, no fancy research, it was research for my CLR prof and I maybe worked 10-15 hours/week writing sample/example memos for the next year's class to see. Zero negative impact on my 2L OCI experience. The key thing to 1L summer experience is being able to discuss it competently, explain what you did, and discuss how the experience has helped further your legal education. Recruiters really don't care what it is as long as it is something legal.

[Icculus]

I'm gonna disagree with the thread's resident neurotic 2L and say there's not really any hierarchy of prestige for 1L jobs. So long as you have something positive and substantive to say about your 1L summer job and you have the grades + personality fit, the firms won't really care if you had a 1L SA or a judicial externship or a government job.

We had this debate earlier, but I think certain federal government stuff like SEC/CFPB/FTC/whatever can look better because you can spin it to your interests (SEC --> securities litigation, for example) and it is DIFFERENT than the armies of people doing judicial externships. If an interviewer sees 10 people who worked for a judge and 1 person who worked for the SEC, which summer experience is more likely to stand out?

This is something that may help, MAYBE on the margins. But what really sets you up for a practice is your 2L summer when you actually work for a particular practice area and they see your work first hand. I maintain my earlier post and think Flips has it right, none of it really differentiates you. 1L SA is great because you get paid and because if you do well and it is a place you like you usually get auto offered for at least a few weeks the following summer and can get experience at a couple firms, not because of prestige.

[Blumpbeef]

Before I got grades back, the advice I got was "if your grades are good enough for a 1L SA, they're going to be good enough for a 2L SA, so either way just do something fun"

[Icculus]

Before I got grades back, the advice I got was "if your grades are good enough for a 1L SA, they're going to be good enough for a 2L SA, so either way just do something fun"

This is true.

[09042014]

Before I got grades back, the advice I got was "if your grades are good enough for a 1L SA, they're going to be good enough for a 2L SA, so either way just do something fun"

This is true.

30k is a hell of a lot of money.

But I dispute the premise. I don't think great grades are all that helpful for a 1L SA. Plenty if people who murder 1L and murder OCI don't even get screener interviews. I don't think firms are really looking to pick up random good grades. They are looking for urms, local people in smaller markets before oci takes it away, and patent prosecutors.

[Icculus]

Before I got grades back, the advice I got was "if your grades are good enough for a 1L SA, they're going to be good enough for a 2L SA, so either way just do something fun"

This is true.

30k is a hell of a lot of money.

But I dispute the premise. I don't think great grades are all that helpful for a 1L SA. Plenty if people who murder 1L and murder OCI don't even get screener interviews. I don't think firms are really looking to pick up random good grades. They are looking for urms, local people in smaller markets before oci takes it away, and patent prosecutors.

I think this is true for most positions but there are some that are grade based. That said I personally would never turn down the 30K but I could see someone in a better financial position turning down for something they thought was more interesting.

[cookiejar1]

I'm gonna disagree with the thread's resident neurotic 2L and say there's not really any hierarchy of prestige for 1L jobs. So long as you have something positive and substantive to say about your 1L summer job and you have the grades + personality fit, the firms won't really care if you had a 1L SA or a judicial externship or a government job.

We had this debate earlier, but I think certain federal government stuff like SEC/CFPB/FTC/whatever can look better because you can spin it to your interests (SEC --> securities litigation, for example) and it is DIFFERENT than the armies of people doing judicial externships. If an interviewer sees 10 people who worked for a judge and 1 person who worked for the SEC, which summer experience is more likely to stand out?

The one with the high GPA and great interpersonal communication skills.

[bricktemplar]

.

[IAFG]

I'm gonna disagree with the thread's resident neurotic 2L and say there's not really any hierarchy of prestige for 1L jobs. So long as you have something positive and substantive to say about your 1L summer job and you have the grades + personality fit, the firms won't really care if you had a 1L SA or a judicial externship or a government job.

We had this debate earlier, but I think certain federal government stuff like SEC/CFPB/FTC/whatever can look better because you can spin it to your interests (SEC --> securities litigation, for example) and it is DIFFERENT than the armies of people doing judicial externships. If an interviewer sees 10 people who worked for a judge and 1 person who worked for the SEC, which summer experience is more likely to stand out?

The one with the high GPA and great interpersonal communication skills.

Or full time WE with a client.

[LRGhost]

Would anyone who had Calabresi for Con Law have an outline to share?

[feralinfant]

Would anyone who had Calabresi for Con Law have an outline to share?

just read this bro http://nymag.com/news/features/antonin-scalia-2013-10/

[LRGhost]

Would anyone who had Calabresi for Con Law have an outline to share?

just read this bro http://nymag.com/news/features/antonin-scalia-2013-10/

Just do spooky ghost devils, bro.

But seriously, I take such sparse notes.

[Kikero]

Hey guys. Quick q. Not to be too gunnery, but do you know what the typical status is for 1Ls right now? Worried I'm falling behind on the job search hunt (already!).

Also--is it true that they're just basically handing out judicial district externships? Because no one I know seems to have landed one, even the few who I know did well in class, and only a couple with interviews and whatnot

You're not falling behind, it's very early. Everybody will get a 1L summer job, there are a lot of people out there who would love to have you do work for free. I had a friend who didn't send out a single resume or application until April and she was absolutely fine (not that I encourage waiting that long).

[Bumi]

Would anyone who had Calabresi for Con Law have an outline to share?

Write a good book report and make flashcards now, that's my Calabresi outline.

[LRGhost]

Would anyone who had Calabresi for Con Law have an outline to share?

Write a good book report and make flashcards now, that's my Calabresi outline.

kill me

[Optimist Prime]

Hey, 0L here with a random question.

I'm looking through my Linkedin connections to get an idea of what places the law school students I know are interning/summering at and I noticed that many of them have multiple dates that overlap with the school year. What's the deal with this?

For example one current 3L had:

JD at T25 school 2011-2014(expected)

Legal Clerk at <Vault Firm X> September - Present

Summer Associate at <Vault Firm X> May-July 2013

What does the ongoing "job" mean - is that just the way people signify that they got an offer?

Thanks

[Georgia Avenue]

It means they're working there right now. One of the SAs in my class from this past summer goes to night school and works at the firm during the day instead of at her old job. Her title is "law clerk at _____"

[Optimist Prime]

It means they're working there right now. One of the SAs in my class from this past summer goes to night school and works at the firm during the day instead of at her old job. Her title is "law clerk at _____"

Thanks, is there anything else this could mean? I know for a fact that this person is not in night school.

[rinkrat19]

It means they're working there right now. One of the SAs in my class from this past summer goes to night school and works at the firm during the day instead of at her old job. Her title is "law clerk at _____"

Thanks, is there anything else this could mean? I know for a fact that this person is not in night school.

Either they're working there now during the term (there are a few who work part-time) or they just call themselves currently employed because they have an offer for the coming summer. Who cares?

[Optimist Prime]

It means they're working there right now. One of the SAs in my class from this past summer goes to night school and works at the firm during the day instead of at her old job. Her title is "law clerk at _____"

Thanks, is there anything else this could mean? I know for a fact that this person is not in night school.

Either they're working there now during the term (there are a few who work part-time) or they just call themselves currently employed because they have an offer for the coming summer. Who cares?

I do Don't you remember being a 0L and waiting for acceptances? I have so much free time I can afford to just be curious about this type of stuff.

Seriously though - not so important in this specific case. That person is clearly going to do Biglaw and has an offer. In general I'm trying to understand what some of the people who have multiple jobs listed overlapping with LS classes are doing so that I can congratulate/contact them about the correct things and not some school sponsored unpaid internship they did during their Spring 2L semester after striking out OCI.

[rinkrat19]

It means they're working there right now. One of the SAs in my class from this past summer goes to night school and works at the firm during the day instead of at her old job. Her title is "law clerk at _____"

Thanks, is there anything else this could mean? I know for a fact that this person is not in night school.

Either they're working there now during the term (there are a few who work part-time) or they just call themselves currently employed because they have an offer for the coming summer. Who cares?

I do Don't you remember being a 0L and waiting for acceptances? I have so much free time I can afford to just be curious about this type of stuff.

Seriously though - not so important in this specific case. That person is clearly going to do Biglaw and has an offer. In general I'm trying to understand what some of the people who have multiple jobs listed overlapping with LS classes are doing so that I can congratulate/contact them about the correct things and not some school sponsored unpaid internship they did during their Spring 2L semester after striking out OCI.

Or, how about not being weird and congratulating random LinkedIn strangers about their job search/choices?

[Optimist Prime]

Not strangers - Just people I went to undergrad with but haven't spoken to in years. I like to save my congratulating strangers for the TLS Law School Acceptances Denials and Waitlists forum.

[rinkrat19]

Not strangers - Just people I went to undergrad with but haven't spoken to in years. I like to save my congratulating strangers for the TLS Law School Acceptances Denials and Waitlists forum.

Then just strike up a normal conversation and work in 'What did you do last summer?' and 'Have you decided what you're doing this summer?'

[Optimist Prime]

Not strangers - Just people I went to undergrad with but haven't spoken to in years. I like to save my congratulating strangers for the TLS Law School Acceptances Denials and Waitlists forum.

Then just strike up a normal conversation and work in 'What did you do last summer?' and 'Have you decided what you're doing this summer?'

Do you never stalk people on FB to see what they are up to? If I wanted to just call them I wouldn't have posted the question - I would have just picked up the phone.

If my question was unanswerable that's fine. It was just a question on the internet.

[Flips88]

Not strangers - Just people I went to undergrad with but haven't spoken to in years. I like to save my congratulating strangers for the TLS Law School Acceptances Denials and Waitlists forum.

Then just strike up a normal conversation and work in 'What did you do last summer?' and 'Have you decided what you're doing this summer?'

Do you never stalk people on FB to see what they are up to? If I wanted to just call them I wouldn't have posted the question - I would have just picked up the phone.

If my question was unanswerable that's fine. It was just a question on the internet.

You should probably post this in the UChicago thread. Seems like you'd fit in better there.