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Hate to do another one of these threads, but here we are anyways.

I'm a 1L at a t13, and I have no idea how my semester is going to turn out. I am interested in applying to SA's in St. Louis and Chicago, as well as any other markets which offer 1L SA's who would be willing to hire me (Texas, Kansas City, NYC, Cali, Las Vegas, come to mind). What kind of GPA do I need to have to be a viable contender? Is it worth it to slam out apps on December 1st, or would the time be better spent studying for finals?

If you aren't a diversity candidate, your chances at a 1L sa are incredibly small to start with fyi.

sparkytrainer wrote:If you aren't a diversity candidate, your chances at a 1L sa are incredibly small to start with fyi.

I am not, which is why I'm wondering if it's even worth taking the time to apply/write a bunch of cover letters

I've heard that secondary markets tend to have more non-diversity 1L SAs, especially those in the South and in Texas. Personally, I'm going to prioritize studying over applying for jobs. I think I'll have time to apply over winter break, and I'm fairly sure most firms will want to see grades before hiring anyway.

Don't waste any time on this until you're done with exams. You'll need top grades for a 1L SA, and even if you don't land one, your grades are far more important in the long run.

Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

I agree that finals are your priority right now, but if you have extra time, I would send out apps because even if you don't score a 1L SA, it can lead to better chances of a 2L SA at a firm that liked you (that's what happened to me). Make sure you interview well, b/c if you come off as a total weirdo, you might hurt your chances for 2L

AZ123 wrote:Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

How bad would it be to accept a 1L SA and then not work at that firm? Not that I would necessarily do that, but am curious

carsondalywashere wrote:

AZ123 wrote:Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

How bad would it be to accept a 1L SA and then not work at that firm? Not that I would necessarily do that, but am curious

I think it happens quite frequently. You might burn a bridge at the particular firm, but it's probably not a huge deal. I also think law firms that offer 1L SAs understand that risk. A lot of law students do it as a way to make some cash during their 1L summer, when they otherwise wouldn't be able to. I don't blame students for taking the 1L SAs if they have no intention of working there long term, but my personal opinion is that it's kind of a jerk thing to do since it prevents students who are legitimately interested in that market from getting those jobs. It can also screw over future students at your law school who apply later on. (That being said, if you get a 1L SA offer, take it, since you never know if that may be the only job offer you'll end up getting. Or you may end up really liking the firm/market and staying.).

carsondalywashere wrote:

AZ123 wrote:Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

How bad would it be to accept a 1L SA and then not work at that firm? Not that I would necessarily do that, but am curious

Most will let you "split" your 2L summer, requiring you to only come back for 2/3 weeks to keep your offer open. Even firms that normally don't let you split will let you go back to your 1L firm for this touchback. So you can still do OGI, find another firm you like, and keep the 1L offer open. The firms are not assuming that you're committed by coming for the 1L summer, although some make you sign a commitment to come back for your 2L summer (although I've heard of people ignoring these with no real consequences).

AZ123 wrote:

carsondalywashere wrote:

AZ123 wrote:Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

How bad would it be to accept a 1L SA and then not work at that firm? Not that I would necessarily do that, but am curious

I think it happens quite frequently. You might burn a bridge at the particular firm, but it's probably not a huge deal. I also think law firms that offer 1L SAs understand that risk. A lot of law students do it as a way to make some cash during their 1L summer, when they otherwise wouldn't be able to. I don't blame students for taking the 1L SAs if they have no intention of working there long term, but my personal opinion is that it's kind of a jerk thing to do since it prevents students who are legitimately interested in that market from getting those jobs. It can also screw over future students at your law school who apply later on. (That being said, if you get a 1L SA offer, take it, since you never know if that may be the only job offer you'll end up getting. Or you may end up really liking the firm/market and staying.).

Very interested in the secondary market I'm targeting, so that's great to know

Nagster5 wrote:

carsondalywashere wrote:

AZ123 wrote:Also, for 1l SAs in secondary markets, ties are going to be super important. A lot of the regional firms that offer 1l SAs will be skeptical of students without strong ties, since law students often use these smaller market SA positions to earn some money 1l summer before ditching the firm to head to NY/LA/DC for their second summer.

How bad would it be to accept a 1L SA and then not work at that firm? Not that I would necessarily do that, but am curious

Most will let you "split" your 2L summer, requiring you to only come back for 2/3 weeks to keep your offer open. Even firms that normally don't let you split will let you go back to your 1L firm for this touchback. So you can still do OGI, find another firm you like, and keep the 1L offer open. The firms are not assuming that you're committed by coming for the 1L summer, although some make you sign a commitment to come back for your 2L summer (although I've heard of people ignoring these with no real consequences).

Also very interesting to hear, thank you!

Also, FWIW - I know of 5 non-diversity candidates with 1L SA in D.C. I know of 1 non-diversity candidate in Baltimore - I think that person in Baltimore also said it wasn't uncommon.

I don't think everyone agrees on this point, but I think from what I gathered from anecdata it was super helpful for them to submit very early (like Dec. 1) to have their foot in the door. Personally, I submitted on Dec. 1 and went on 2 callbacks - and I know for sure that if I hadn't done that, I don't think I would have been looked at as closely as I was. [Feel free to PM for details.]