Law School Discussion

Hi Folks-
The April 16 deadline for registration for the Legal Tech summer program has passed.
For those of you I've talked to, I hope you've found the jobs you were hoping for, and if not, I hope CLCT's program turned out to be a good option.
Apparently we've got a record number of out of state applicants, so it should be a fun summer with good opportunities to make contacts from all over the country.

POST-DEADLINE APPLICATIONS:
While the deadline has passed, I think there's a chance there are a handful of spots available-- if anyone was interested but missed the boat, or is scrambling to make some solid summer plans, skip me and contact Mary Beth Dalton, who administers the program, at medalt@wm.edu.

Thanks again for everyone's interest!
-Corey

I worked with a Federal Public Defenders' office last summer (my 1L summer). I think it would be comparable to a county office, with the big differences being the workload (county PD's get hammered), and the experience level (federal PD's are generally a bit more veteran than local PD's). But both those things are, I think, good- as the more work, and the more help the attorneys need, the more hands on experience you get.
All told, it was a pretty great experience, and has paid off in a number of ways--
1.) the FPDs spent a lot of time in the courtroom, and I was able to tag along constantly. This might seem menial, but when it came time to do mock trials this spring, I really stood out because of my familiarity with the courtroom.
2.) these guys were pretty veteran attorneys, but they have a heavy workload and need a lot of help. I got to do a lot of real work, not just writing stupid memos that don't get read, but drafting some pleadings and responses, really getting involved with individual cases.
3.) the experience has generally played very well in interviews for my 2L summer- because I got to do real work, I'm able to talk with some authority about really being helpful to the guys I worked for, and I've got a ton of stories and anecdotes to throw out for any situation.

THE ONE CAVEAT: I'm sort of leaning away from criminal law now, and am having to explain that "I wanted the best possible legal experience my 1L year,and got it w/FPD's, but I'm looking into other areas of law"-- this can be an annoying and awkward disclaimer, but most employers have been receptive and perfectly understanding that my interests have changed.