SA in 1L Summer Forum

[brownpride]

0L here, starting at HLS next fall (deferred). I know that at the top schools, what a lot of people do is a PI internship in 1L summer and a private SA in 2L summer. I'm wondering, however, if it's possible to do private, paid internships for both summers to help keep debt down. Is this common? Is it feasible/likely to obtain such a position after 1L summer?

Thanks.

[rinkrat19]

Possible but unlikely unless you're URM. Most firms/companies don't do paid 1L positions anymore, except for some diversity programs.

The thing is, firms used to have to woo the best candidates and 1L summer was just part of the courtship. (Because 1Ls are pretty much useless from an actual work product perspective--let alone worth $2000-3000 per week.) Now there are way more candidates than jobs, so they don't have to spend money to lure in candidates anymore.

[rad lulz]

Not really feasible unless you are a minority or from a place that hires a lot of 1L SAs like Alabama.

[badaboom61]

Can't hurt to apply to every major firm, occasionally some will hire 1Ls, but even from Harvard have plenty of backup plans in PI or government. Best to try to do something in region you eventually want to practice and possibly in subject you eventually want to practice.

[onehellofaride]

You will not be saving money if you are accepted to a SA program 1L summer because HLS factors that summer income into your financial aid for 2L. The benefit is being on track to getting a position at that big firm or using the name to impress other big firms, if thats where you want to work.

[brownpride]

You will not be saving money if you are accepted to a SA program 1L summer because HLS factors that summer income into your financial aid for 2L. The benefit is being on track to getting a position at that big firm or using the name to impress other big firms, if thats where you want to work.

Thanks - I didn't know this.

[yuzu]

You will not be saving money if you are accepted to a SA program 1L summer because HLS factors that summer income into your financial aid for 2L. The benefit is being on track to getting a position at that big firm or using the name to impress other big firms, if thats where you want to work.

This assumes HLS has offered OP substantial grant aid. Not every student taking on debt qualifies for grant aid (particularly if they worked before coming to HLS), and for those who don't receive grant aid, a 1L SA can make a significant financial difference.

And some say that a 1L SA can actually hurt you in terms of EIP, since there is a chance of getting no-offered from your 1L firm, which would look really bad to firms.

[brownpride]

You will not be saving money if you are accepted to a SA program 1L summer because HLS factors that summer income into your financial aid for 2L. The benefit is being on track to getting a position at that big firm or using the name to impress other big firms, if thats where you want to work.

This assumes HLS has offered OP substantial grant aid. Not every student taking on debt qualifies for grant aid (particularly if they worked before coming to HLS), and for those who don't receive grant aid, a 1L SA can make a significant financial difference.

And some say that a 1L SA can actually hurt you in terms of EIP, since there is a chance of getting no-offered from your 1L firm, which would look really bad to firms.

Thanks - didn't know this.

HLS is not giving me anything substantive in the way of aid even though my family's income more than qualifies (but my parents have some retirement savings that mean HLS won't help me out), but debt is a major concern for me. So I was hoping a 1L SA would help mitigate the effects of that. So would you say overall then that the SA would be a bad thing or a good thing?