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0l in at a t14.

I have secured a 1 SA job in a midsize law firm relatively unknown in a non major legal market. The firm has a very low offer rate although I could come back for the 2l summer. I have to accept or decline the summer offer before I begin applying for other 1l sa gigs. When that time comes Ill know my first semester grades.

Should I take this opportunity no matter what and run?

Should I wait for my first semester grades and if im in the top 50% decline the offer and apply to other more prestigious law firms?

If I do take it, how much will that experience (compared to a biglaw 1l job) help me get a 2l biglaw?

I'm a little leery of a law firm that wants you to accept their offer BEFORE all of that. That said, getting a 1L SA is realllllly difficult, and I would have given my left leg to have gotten my summer employment dealt with before all the crazyness of law school.

Is it paying market value for a 1L SAs? If so, I'd run with it. Money is money, friend. No one really cares where you were your first summer.

Worry about the offer later. The fact that they gave you an SA now speaks good things about their opinion of you.

Scotusnerd wrote:I'm a little leery of a law firm that wants you to accept their offer BEFORE all of that. That said, getting a 1L SA is realllllly difficult, and I would have given my left leg to have gotten my summer employment dealt with before all the crazyness of law school.

Is it paying market value for a 1L SAs? If so, I'd run with it. Money is money, friend. No one really cares where you were your first summer.

Worry about the offer later. The fact that they gave you an SA now speaks good things about their opinion of you.

I know it's suspicious but they don't do this all the time. I don't think they pay market. In fact, their pay could be on the lowest end of the spectrum-which may be a reason why they don't get many (if any) students from top schools.

Also I'm URM, and I heard most 1l SA position in biglaw firms are part of a diversity program. But from what you're saying it sounds like I should not look anywhere else, accept the offer and be really glad I have something (unless I do very well the first semester?).

If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

You need to find out exactly what they pay, if it is well below market then I would pass. If below market is still like 1500 a week, I'd take it and try and upgrade and renege.

I can't find out exactly how much SA earn. It's not posted anywhere. But guessing from what I've heard first year associates earn it should be around $1k a week.

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I'm worried that after passing up this opportunity I could end up with nothing. I wish I could estimate my chances of landing a nice 1l biglaw SA job...

I'd probably pass it up. You will likely only be there for 8 weeks since you will likely have to be back early for OCI. That's 8k compared to whatever your school of choice would fund for PI (i.e. 5k where I am). So worst case you are looking at a 3k loss, but you are also keeping an 8-16k gain on the table (depending on what 1L markets you are applying to)

The best option imo is to take it and renege but you seem hesitant to do so.

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I disagree. Even for minorities it isn't necessarily that easy (though of course it is easier).

@OP: Take it and be happy. Go to somewhere else for 2L summer if you have the option and are worried about offer rates.

bk187 wrote:

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I disagree. Even for minorities it isn't necessarily that easy (though of course it is easier).

@OP: Take it and be happy. Go to somewhere else for 2L summer if you have the option and are worried about offer rates.

Agree

qwertyboard wrote: I'm worried that after passing up this opportunity I could end up with nothing. I wish I could estimate my chances of landing a nice 1l biglaw SA job...

They are not high. My school is TTT, but there were about 20 firms at the 1L OCI. I know of three people who got offers. I wanna say at least 150 students applied.

OP, I'd take the 1k a week and be happy with it. That's considerably more than I'm making.

Scotusnerd wrote:

qwertyboard wrote: I'm worried that after passing up this opportunity I could end up with nothing. I wish I could estimate my chances of landing a nice 1l biglaw SA job...

They are not high. My school is TTT, but there were about 20 firms at the 1L OCI.

They are definitely not high. I think NU has around 20% of the class getting 1L SAs. Oh and we only had 5 or so firms come to my 1L OCI.

bk187 wrote:

Scotusnerd wrote:

qwertyboard wrote: I'm worried that after passing up this opportunity I could end up with nothing. I wish I could estimate my chances of landing a nice 1l biglaw SA job...

They are not high. My school is TTT, but there were about 20 firms at the 1L OCI.

They are definitely not high. I think NU has around 20% of the class getting 1L SAs. Oh and we only had 5 or so firms come to my 1L OCI.

ANd my guess is we have a higher percentage than most schools.

Icculus wrote:

bk187 wrote:

Scotusnerd wrote:

qwertyboard wrote: I'm worried that after passing up this opportunity I could end up with nothing. I wish I could estimate my chances of landing a nice 1l biglaw SA job...

They are not high. My school is TTT, but there were about 20 firms at the 1L OCI.

They are definitely not high. I think NU has around 20% of the class getting 1L SAs. Oh and we only had 5 or so firms come to my 1L OCI.

ANd my guess is we have a higher percentage than most schools.

Yeah that's definitely pretty high. Cornell had 12% last year.

bk187 wrote:

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I disagree. Even for minorities it isn't necessarily that easy (though of course it is easier).

@OP: Take it and be happy. Go to somewhere else for 2L summer if you have the option and are worried about offer rates.

I didn't say it was easy, just easier. I would rather take the 20% shot at biglaw myself, depending on the pay and type of firm OP is looking at. If you miss out, it's not a big deal. I wouldn't be worried about ending up with nothing.

Samara wrote:

bk187 wrote:

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I disagree. Even for minorities it isn't necessarily that easy (though of course it is easier).

@OP: Take it and be happy. Go to somewhere else for 2L summer if you have the option and are worried about offer rates.

I didn't say it was easy, just easier. I would rather take the 20% shot at biglaw myself, depending on the pay and type of firm OP is looking at. If you miss out, it's not a big deal. I wouldn't be worried about ending up with nothing.

I meant that I disagree with not taking it. Unless OP really wants to be in a different city, I'd take it. That frees up so much time not having to 1L job search and you get paid. It's not like there's a bunch of jobs with better experience or higher prestige out there.

I'd take it. I'm a URM. Got mine like Octoberish 1L year. It was kinda under the table, the interview was just a fomrality. Grades came out did well and could have probably got a market paying job elsewhere. But let me tell you how nice it was to only have to send 1 app out all of 1L year for a job. And that was for my RA posistion in the dorm. Trust me take it don't deal with the stress of applying for jobs, and 1L positions are hard even for minorities. Good grades are a must and you don't know how your going to end up after first semester.

bk187 wrote:

Samara wrote:If you're a URM, that's different. It will be a lot easier to get a 1L firm job than for non-URMs. Since this is paying significantly below market, I wouldn't take it. Chances are good that you'll get something better, whether in money, experience or prestige.

I disagree. Even for minorities it isn't necessarily that easy (though of course it is easier).

@OP: Take it and be happy. Go to somewhere else for 2L summer if you have the option and are worried about offer rates.

I agree. You should take it. It's just for your 1L summer. Go somewhere else for 2L summer.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I think I'll take it. I'll come back to post if I change my mind.