OK to spend 1L Summer in Hawaii? Forum

[drbarry987]

If you go to a school like NYU, which offers $4500 grant $ for 1L summer funding, is it OK to spend the summer working for free in a legal position at a non-profit in Honolulu? Never been to HI and it sounds fun to live there for a summer. Will this hurt you at OCI/EIW if you're target market is NYC?

Like, would there be any risk of a perception of "this kid spent the summer in Hawaii for the lolz and is thus not as hard working as all these other identical GPA CCN canditates with similar grades who stayed here in NYC?" Or does it not matter, so long as I can intelligently talk about what I did/learned?

[rinkrat19]

The Hawaii market is incredibly insular. Do you have this fantasy job lined up already?

[drbarry987]

No no, not full time. Just for the 1L summer working for FREE. Seems easy enough to beg some non profit to let you be free labor. No? I'm a 0L, but just curious if this is either doable or advisable. Thanks for your time and forgive my ignorance.

[rinkrat19]

I would imagine that the UH students have all the jobs (even the free 1L summer stuff--I got that's what you were talking about) pretty well locked down. I could be wrong, but that's what I've heard about Hawaii.

[bk1]

Seems easy enough to beg some non profit to let you be free labor. No?

No.

[Mce252]

If you go to a school like NYU, which offers $4500 grant $ for 1L summer funding, is it OK to spend the summer working for free in a legal position at a non-profit in Honolulu? Never been to HI and it sounds fun to live there for a summer. Will this hurt you at OCI/EIW if you're target market is NYC?

Like, would there be any risk of a perception of "this kid spent the summer in Hawaii for the lolz and is thus not as hard working as all these other identical GPA CCN canditates with similar grades who stayed here in NYC?" Or does it not matter, so long as I can intelligently talk about what I did/learned?

Sounds cool but it would raise a few questions in my mind if I was interviewing you.

[KMaine]

The only question it would raise in my mind is "why didn't I think of that?"

[Mce252]

The only question it would raise in my mind is "why didn't I think of that?"

Ha, yeah. It really does sound nice. Just not a good idea if you want a solid job in New York out of OCI.

[PMan99]

The only question it would raise in my mind is "why didn't I think of that?"

Ha, yeah. It really does sound nice. Just not a good idea if you want a solid job in New York out of OCI.

If he has the grades from NYU I highly doubt any firm in NY is going to give a shit that he spent his 1L summer in Hawaii. I suppose it might make a difference on the margins.

[sparty99]

No one will give a rat's a$$ that you spent a summer in Hawaii.

I think you will stand out (in a good way). Your resume will say "Honululululululu" and they will be like, wtf? How did he get there.

And obviously they will want to know about your time there. What you did at the job, if you went surfing, etc...

I would definitely do this if this is what you want to do. This is kind of like studying abroad, but yet you will actually be doing something legal.

[Mce252]

No one will give a rat's a$$ that you spent a summer in Hawaii.

I think you will stand out (in a good way). Your resume will say "Honululululululu" and they will be like, wtf? How did he get there.

And obviously they will want to know about your time there. What you did at the job, if you went surfing, etc...

I would definitely do this if this is what you want to do. This is kind of like studying abroad, but yet you will actually be doing something legal.

I think that's a fair assessment. But based on what the OP said, my natural reaction to a random unpaid gig in a State half way across the world would just generally send up a red flag. Not because of the desire to work in a cool place for the summer, but because it would cost almost a semester's worth of tuition to fly there, put yourself up, and work for free.

We're talking about law firm recruiting attorneys here. If you're going to consider this valuable you might as well "study law abroad" for the summer. That's just fine but it's probably not going to help you get a job in New York.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Some attorneys might think you just wanted a vacation and will slightly look down on it. More will think it's interesting and it'll give you something to talk about. Most won't care one way or the other. This is assuming it's a law job.

But it will be harder to find this unpaid Hawaiian job than you think so this is probably moot.

[CanadianWolf]

They may think that you're clever to get your law school to fund a summer vacation in Hawaii.

[bromance]

Just got back from HI, and Honolulu is really not that great - its expensive, the city itself is pretty meh and you need a car to go anywhere cool...if you're only going because you think it might be fun to spend a summer in Hawaii but are concerned about damaging your future job prospects I would think twice. Use your 2L SA salary to go on vacation in HI instead .

[sparty99]

No one will give a rat's a$$ that you spent a summer in Hawaii.

I think you will stand out (in a good way). Your resume will say "Honululululululu" and they will be like, wtf? How did he get there.

And obviously they will want to know about your time there. What you did at the job, if you went surfing, etc...

I would definitely do this if this is what you want to do. This is kind of like studying abroad, but yet you will actually be doing something legal.

I think that's a fair assessment. But based on what the OP said, my natural reaction to a random unpaid gig in a State half way across the world would just generally send up a red flag. Not because of the desire to work in a cool place for the summer, but because it would cost almost a semester's worth of tuition to fly there, put yourself up, and work for free.

We're talking about law firm recruiting attorneys here. If you're going to consider this valuable you might as well "study law abroad" for the summer. That's just fine but it's probably not going to help you get a job in New York.

What you do 1L summer hardly matters. Whether he gets a job in NYC will depend mostly on his grades, how well he interviews, and how hard he networks. Unless he is working at a firm this summer or some prominent judge who knows people in NYC, then I don't see how this opportunity would provide him with any less opportunities. He is already in the NYC legal market by going to school there.

Also, it is not unpaid, he is getting a $4,500 grant. The airfare will cost $1,100. And at the end of the day, his job is with a legal employer. He is still learning American law.

BUT, OP question is kind of dumb because he is only a 0L and doesn't even have an unpaid job in Hawaii lined up. YOU WON'T GET THE $4,500 GRANT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE JOB. DONE AND DONE.

[swc65]

The only question it would raise in my mind is "why didn't I think of that?"

Ha, yeah. It really does sound nice. Just not a good idea if you want a solid job in New York out of OCI.

yeah this seems like extra interview points material.

you'll have a good story that every interviewer will want to hear about.

[rad lulz]

Seems easy enough to beg some non profit to let you be free labor. No?

No.

[sparty99]

Seems easy enough to beg some non profit to let you be free labor. No?

No.

Hell No.

[FlanAl]

Seems easy enough to beg some non profit to let you be free labor. No?

No.

+1