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Not many firms hire 1Ls but you should be able to secure an SA position. Do you have to in order to get an SA the year after? No. But you'd get paid so I would shoot for that if possible and since BigLaw is your plan.

Most students at these schools will do an SA in biglaw between 2L and 3L year. There will be firms that hire 1L SA's, but it is much less common. For 1L summer, anything law-related is fine to have on your resume for biglaw OCI

Just curious (0L here), what is a common job for 1L-2L summer that isn't an SA position. Government? Internship?

WhiteHouse wrote:Just curious (0L here), what is a common job for 1L-2L summer that isn't an SA position. Government? Internship?

Typical lawyer answer: it depends. I would say a majority (but not most) of students do government. Summer SA is rare. At H, around 10-20% do 1L SA. Last year, 18% did SA, 11% in Biglaw. (Roughly).

Most people I knew who wanted to do BigLaw and didn't get 1L SAs, gunned for judicial externships. If they didn't get that, they tried government or small firm or RA positions, and if not that, whatever else was available.

Most of my friends did 1L summer internships with judges. I myself did a fed district court internship and found it really interesting. I know someone who worked for a fed. magistrate, someone for a state supreme court judge, etc.

Other people did internships with public interest organizations, some worked for firms (though mostly smaller firms, with only a select few getting 1L biglaw positions).

There are 900 1Ls between HYS. There are probably around that many 1L SAs available in the nation. You do the math.

Even people not going for Biglaw at T7 schools get 1L SAs, but prospects quickly dry up if we're talking about T11.

Serett wrote:Even people not going for Biglaw at T7 schools get 1L SAs, but prospects quickly dry up if we're talking about T11.

What about T8 or T9? It's that in between range that I'm really nervous about attending b/c biglaw or bust.

lymenheimer wrote:

Serett wrote:Even people not going for Biglaw at T7 schools get 1L SAs, but prospects quickly dry up if we're talking about T11.

What about T8 or T9? It's that in between range that I'm really nervous about attending b/c biglaw or bust.

Well, let's not muddy the waters by considering T8 and T9 together; they're streets apart. At a T8, it's possible if you've already been networking throughout undergrad, but T9, you better be a partner's (equity, none of that fake partner bullshit) offspring and in the top 18% of your class if you want a 1L SA.

WhiteHouse wrote:Just curious (0L here), what is a common job for 1L-2L summer that isn't an SA position. Government? Internship?

This is the breakdown at Chicago for 1Ls and 2Ls, I'm not sure how representative this is of other schools:

Class of 2017 1L Summer 2015

Public interest - 26.1%
Government - 37.2%
Law firm - 20.2%
Corporate/Business - 10.1%
Research Assistant - 6.4%

Class of 2016 2L Summer 2015

Law firm - 84.6%
Public interest - 5.8%
Government - 3.8%
Corporate/Business - 4.3%
Research Assistant - 0.5%
JD/PhD Coursework - 0.5%
Not Seeking - 0.5%

http://www.law.uchicago.edu/prospective ... oymentdata

Serett wrote:

lymenheimer wrote:

Serett wrote:Even people not going for Biglaw at T7 schools get 1L SAs, but prospects quickly dry up if we're talking about T11.

What about T8 or T9? It's that in between range that I'm really nervous about attending b/c biglaw or bust.

Well, let's not muddy the waters by considering T8 and T9 together; they're streets apart. At a T8, it's possible if you've already been networking throughout undergrad, but T9, you better be a partner's (equity, none of that fake partner bullshit) offspring and in the top 18% of your class if you want a 1L SA.

damn. Guess I missed the ship. Any advice on time traveling to network through UG or alter DNA to become offspring? Currently debating which school to attend - Does the T8/T9 dichotomy fall on alphabetical lines, or is this going to be a decision I should make once USNWR comes out with it's new report?

eta: waiting for P to drop out of the T7 to see how OP's tier ranking changes.

Let's make something clear: not getting an SA during 1L does not mean you will not get one during 2L summer.

PeanutsNJam wrote:There are 900 1Ls between HYS. There are probably around that many 1L SAs available in the nation. You do the math.

This strikes me as an absolutely baseless conjecture which I suspect is likely to be an underestimation given my experience at a V-5 firm. Do you have any data to back this up?

Edit: While I am fairly confident that the T7/T8/T9 distinction is trolling, it's TLS, so I need confirmation.

GFox345 wrote:

PeanutsNJam wrote:There are 900 1Ls between HYS. There are probably around that many 1L SAs available in the nation. You do the math.

This strikes me as an absolutely baseless conjecture which I suspect is likely to be an underestimation given my experience at a V-5 firm. Do you have any data to back this up?

I'm assuming your experience is at Skadden, which is known for hiring legions of summer associates. Most vault firms don't even take any 1L SAs, and the ones that do take no more than like 5 nationally. Skadden 1L Scholars is an extreme exception to the rule of 1L hiring.

PeanutsNJam wrote:

GFox345 wrote:

PeanutsNJam wrote:There are 900 1Ls between HYS. There are probably around that many 1L SAs available in the nation. You do the math.

This strikes me as an absolutely baseless conjecture which I suspect is likely to be an underestimation given my experience at a V-5 firm. Do you have any data to back this up?

I'm assuming your experience is at Skadden, which is known for hiring legions of summer associates. Most vault firms don't even take any 1L SAs, and the ones that do take no more than like 5 nationally. Skadden 1L Scholars is an extreme exception to the rule of 1L hiring.

I didn't realize this when I first posted, but it's not a V-5 firm. It's is a V-10. I have worked at Kirkland for roughly a year now, and I believe that there were more than 10 SAs in the Litigation Practice group alone in the Chicago office alone.

1Ls or 2Ls?

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

900 1L SAs nationwide sounds like an overestimation to me but all my experience is with V62s and lower so I'm really in no position to comment here.

GFox345 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

I bet at most 1 or 2 is a 1L but good chance they are all 2Ls

Is Kirkland really trying to convince themselves they are a V5? That's almost as bad as trying to group Penn in with actual elite law schools.

BigZuck wrote:

GFox345 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

I bet at most 1 or 2 is a 1L but good chance they are all 2Ls

Is Kirkland really trying to convince themselves they are a V5? That's almost as bad as trying to group Penn in with actual elite law schools.

You sound fun.

GFox345 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

GFox345 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

I bet at most 1 or 2 is a 1L but good chance they are all 2Ls

Is Kirkland really trying to convince themselves they are a V5? That's almost as bad as trying to group Penn in with actual elite law schools.

You sound fun.

Consider my feelings SHATTERED

GFox345 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

I ask just because everyone knows there are lots of 2L SAs, it's 1L SAs that seem much less common.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:

GFox345 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:1Ls or 2Ls?

Are you asking me? I am really not sure at all whether they are 1Ls or 2Ls. I know someone personally that I worked with as a Paralegal before she left for Law School, and she will be an SA as a 1L this summer, but I can't speak for last summer or this summer's class beyond that.

I ask just because everyone knows there are lots of 2L SAs, it's 1L SAs that seem much less common.

NALP hasn't been updated for the most recent year and has nothing on 2014 but in 2013 looks like Kirkland Chicago had 37 2Ls and 1 1L. Presumably 2014 had no 1Ls. Doubt they had 10 in 2015.