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

[onionz]

I have a few questions about working while studying.

First - are 1Ls allowed to work part-time at all while attending NU or is there a policy against that? (already accepting the fact that it's never recommended).

Second - how many people do you know that do hold down jobs during term time. What are your impressions of how well they seem to be able to balance this?

Third - how is the job market there? for part-time term time jobs/ summer jobs/ post-law school jobs etc.

I am originally from Atlanta and have been living in DC now for a couple years. Wondering what moving to and surviving in Chicago would look like.

Thanks in advance. (and apologies if these questions have all been answered. I went through several pages in this thread but damn)

(1) 20 hours max, as per ABA rules.
(2) I didn't know anyone who had a job 1L year. By 2L or 3L, plenty of people had externships and a few even continued their summer firm jobs part-time into the year. Students can work at the library desk part-time. But I still can't think of anyone who had a regular outside job (I'm sure there were a few).
(3) I'll let other people answer this one.

20 hour maximum has been lifted by the ABA. no limit now.

I worked remotely and part-time through 1L and was fine with it, but I believe I was the exception. (I also took time off during finals). I wouldn't have done it if it required face-time or a non-flexible schedule.

[cookiejar1]

Third - how is the job market there? for part-time term time jobs/ summer jobs/ post-law school jobs etc.

(3) I'll let other people answer this one.

The job market is what you'd expect from a top law school. It's tough to answer this question without much generalizing. Do you have specific questions? Are you interested, for example, in returning to DC? Are you interested primarily in biglaw or are you asking about NU's post-law jobs in the public interest sector?

[tealeaves12]

Third - how is the job market there? for part-time term time jobs/ summer jobs/ post-law school jobs etc.

(3) I'll let other people answer this one.

The job market is what you'd expect from a top law school. It's tough to answer this question without much generalizing. Do you have specific questions? Are you interested, for example, in returning to DC? Are you interested primarily in biglaw or are you asking about NU's post-law jobs in the public interest sector?

I am open to both. My main interest is human rights law / civil rights law so will likely be public interest. I have studied International Law so far and would also consider Big Law for arbitration type cases as well ( - I have no idea what hiring looks like for this (!) anywhere. ) However, right now I work as a paralegal for an Estates and Trusts Practice. I am adaptable and just generally interested in law so as far as summer jobs go, I'm just interested in developing solid legal skills, regardless of practice area.

[Flips88]

Like most people interested in human rights law and civil rights law before going to law school, you will eventually learn that jobs for that either do not exist or are very hard to get or pay very bad relative to your debt burden from law school. I don't even get what you mean about big law and arbitration but I assure you that's not a viable career path either.

[wojo98]

Third - how is the job market there? for part-time term time jobs/ summer jobs/ post-law school jobs etc.

(3) I'll let other people answer this one.

The job market is what you'd expect from a top law school. It's tough to answer this question without much generalizing. Do you have specific questions? Are you interested, for example, in returning to DC? Are you interested primarily in biglaw or are you asking about NU's post-law jobs in the public interest sector?

would also consider Big Law

Here's a rough proxy for NU's biglaw placement power. Tl;dr - NU outperforms its "ranking" - considerably.

[crumpetsandtea]

Like most people interested in human rights law and civil rights law before going to law school, you will eventually learn that jobs for that either do not exist or are very hard to get or pay very bad relative to your debt burden from law school. I don't even get what you mean about big law and arbitration but I assure you that's not a viable career path either.

I think this really depends on what the poster means by "human rights law" and "civil rights law." International human rights? Yeah, that's a pipe dream. Working for the ACLU? Also going to be very competitive, but it's not impossible. Doing general PI law, via Skadden or Equal Justice Works or a government honors program? Totally doable, although it will require work/dedication, and it might be less straightforward than getting a biglaw gig.

As for loans, if you're willing to combine PSLF + IBR/PAYE, the debt burden can be more manageable on a lower salary. I say "willing to" because I can understand why some would be wary of committing to 10 years in the PI/government sector, but if that's what you want to do with your life, it's a good way to defray the burden of paying back your student loans.

I will say, though - there isn't much infrastructure at NU for PI/gov't students. You will need to be a lot more proactive and self-starting than if you decide to go the biglaw route. If you have decent grades and you're fairly sociable, you'll do fine looking for a 2L SA at NU.

[GoCats56]

Third - how is the job market there? for part-time term time jobs/ summer jobs/ post-law school jobs etc.

(3) I'll let other people answer this one.

The job market is what you'd expect from a top law school. It's tough to answer this question without much generalizing. Do you have specific questions? Are you interested, for example, in returning to DC? Are you interested primarily in biglaw or are you asking about NU's post-law jobs in the public interest sector?

I am open to both. My main interest is human rights law / civil rights law so will likely be public interest. I have studied International Law so far and would also consider Big Law for arbitration type cases as well ( - I have no idea what hiring looks like for this (!) anywhere. ) However, right now I work as a paralegal for an Estates and Trusts Practice. I am adaptable and just generally interested in law so as far as summer jobs go, I'm just interested in developing solid legal skills, regardless of practice area.

I can speak a little bit to "arbitration type cases" in BigLaw. I assume (because of your international law background) that you're talking about investor/state arbitrations under NAFTA and other free trade regimes. It's true that a fair number of firms are seeing growth in that area and are growing their practices. So getting a job in that area is not out of the question.

That said, I'd counsel caution for two reasons. First, purebred investor/state arbitration jobs are still a tiny minority of all jobs available, so your odds will be pretty bad just as a straight numbers issue. More than likely you'd end up with some investor/state work and a healthy dose of just general BigLaw litigation. Second, a lot of those growing investor/state practices are in DC. DC, you should know, is very very grade snobbish and difficult to get hired in. If you're at NU, I would say you'll need to be in the top 15% of your class to get serious consideration at large DC shops. Going to law school to get one of those jobs is not signing up for an impossibility, but it is a very risky bet.

[Chrstgtr]

When does the writing competition end? I.e. What day can I tell my summer gig I am ready to start by?

[splitsplat]

it is the week immediately following the end of spring semester

[jn7]

Hey guys -- does anybody have an outline(s) for Lutz private equity?

Thanks!

[furrrman]

it is the week immediately following the end of spring semester

So if the last exam is May 7th then the write on finishes the 14th?

[milkisforbabies]

it is the week immediately following the end of spring semester

So if the last exam is May 7th then the write on finishes the 14th?

Last year exams ended on Thursday, the 8th. Packet pick up was that night and the following day, and entries were due sometime in the afternoon on Wednesday the 14th. So you had about 5 and a half or 6 days to finish the writing comp.

[Micdiddy]

it is the week immediately following the end of spring semester

So if the last exam is May 7th then the write on finishes the 14th?

Probably, but nothing is set in stone.

[furrrman]

it is the week immediately following the end of spring semester

So if the last exam is May 7th then the write on finishes the 14th?

Last year exams ended on Thursday, the 8th. Packet pick up was that night and the following day, and entries were due sometime in the afternoon on Wednesday the 14th. So you had about 5 and a half or 6 days to finish the writing comp.

Ok thanks

[pamphleteer]

.

[cookiejar1]

You'll be fine. Plenty of people at NU don't have meaningful work experience. What interviewers at OCI really appreciate is professional maturity and if you can demonstrate that as a K-JD (or close) then you'll be fine. I don't think any of my prior work experience "boosted' my chances at OCI.

[Micdiddy]

You'll be fine. Plenty of people at NU don't have meaningful work experience. What interviewers at OCI really appreciate is professional maturity and if you can demonstrate that as a K-JD (or close) then you'll be fine. I don't think any of my prior work experience "boosted' my chances at OCI.

If anything my work experience made me look lazy and unmotivated for four years ... Which is pretty spot-on.

[Charger]

Anyone have an outline for DiCola's copyright class?

[applesnoranges]

.

[rinkrat19]

Anyone have an outline for DiCola's copyright class?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zzzmsex6m3cz ... yxzMa?dl=0

[Charger]

Anyone have an outline for DiCola's copyright class?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zzzmsex6m3cz ... yxzMa?dl=0

Amazing. Thank you!

[Calvin Murphy]

Thanks for all the help in this thread, I've learned a lot about the school from reading through it over the past few months. Hope to meet as many of you as I can at ASW! Here's my question: at matriculation, I'll only have about one year of post-undergrad WE at a shitty sales job that really has nothing to do with anything even tangentially law-related. Considering that the vast majority of the class at NU has significant substantive WE, how big of a disadvantage will my comparatively underwhelming resume be in OCI? Would I need to get top ~10-15% grades to counteract it? My concern is that, assuming I end up at median (which TLS has conditioned me to assume at any school), employers would rather hire any of my many median peers with superior work experience. Thanks!

You're going to talk about how your sales experience has made you a better communicator and you've become quite adept at organizing multiple tasks into a limited schedule.

It's gonna be fantastic.

Good job.

[dolfan0516]

Anyone take business planning with Grosmann and Dominguez last Spring and can answer a few questions and/or share an outline?

[applesnoranges]

Has anyone had O'hara for sec reg and have an outline? Also, how does he grade?

[rinkrat19]

The class of 2015 shirt design hit the listserv today. the back says:

Making up for 2014
Apologizing for 2016


I hate that someone chose V-neck shirts. V-necks look terrible with a design across the front.