(1) If money is not a big concern, I would definitely intern for a federal judge. Its a great opportunity to see the legal system from behind the scenes and to make great connections early in your career. Hopefully you'll get alot of face time with the Judge too, but every chamber is different. I've heard horror stories of clerks who were afraid to talk to their Judges and never got do discuss their recommendations. If this is the case, you may be better off making big money at a law firm. My judge, however, was an overall great guy. I got to discuss every motion with him and we talked all the time. Through him, I got to meet local attorneys and politicians too. You should ask the Judge what the summer experience will be like on a day-to-day level.

(2) I doubt a federal judge would let you split the summer but it never hurts to ask. But law firms are generally good about letting students split summers.

(3) A law clerks' job really depends on the judge he/she is working for. Each judge has his own system for dealing with motions and trials. When I clerked during 1L summer, I read the motions, researched the law, wrote bench memos with my recommendations, and discussed and defended my recommendations to the Judge before each motion hearing. It was an awesome experience. I'm also clerking for the same judge after graduation so it worked out really well.

From an employer's perspective, a summer federal internship looks good on the resume but I still think grades matter the most. You also have to consider that if you land a 1L summer associate job, you'll probably get an offer from the law firm as long as you don't get hammered at a recruiting event and yack on the partner.

One thing I would caution against is working for corporate counsel during 1L summer. Corp counsel rarely hires students out of law school and in the rare cases that they do, they won't pay very much.

Ok dood it doesnt seem like you really read my post, and the points you did understand you dispute.  Why?  What do I have to gain from lying about my school's average LSAT?  I go to the University of San Diego.  Average LSAT 162.  Look the school's stats up for yourself.

I mass mailed to 60 not 40, so get the number right before you criticize.  Second, I don't need to be slapped on the wrist for whining that I don't have my dream job.  I said in my post that I'm not looking for biglaw, not even midlaw...I'm happy clerking for 15 bucks an hour at a small firm this summer....that's hardly a rose garden.

Anyone else have something to say that's perhaps a bit more helpful/constructive?

LOL! I had to laugh at your comeback. Nice one. There are lots of non-constructive responses on this site which defeats the purpose of the forum.

Now, onto your question. Yes the number of mailing and rejections in your situation is normal. OCI is typically reserved for the top 15-20% of students who are recruited by biglaw firms. The reason biglaw can recruit so far in advance is because they have a structured hiring process and can better predict their business cycle. The smaller firms, however, cannot predict so far in advance so they have to wait until spring to make a decision. One thing the other poster said is right. The reality is that its a tough legal market, but he didn't add that there are still opportunities out there. Its on you to hustle for it. Here's a good tip. Grow a thick skin to rejection because its part of the job-search process and part of life. If you don't apply, you can't get the job.

Like you, I'm a 3L at an upper tier 2 and I can sympathize with your situation. During 2L, I got a few interviews but was rejected at over 80 firms throughout the year. Finally, at the end of the year, I got two offers in one week. One offer was through a firm partner I met before attending law school, and the other was with the NASD. Sound advice is that you should get in contact with every single legal connection you have. Perhaps your family members or friends are attorneys or know attorneys, etc. Bottom line is that now is not the time to be shy.

I just wanted to add that I'm on my way to a federal clerkship after graduation, and if I had chosen to sit around and believe all the negative "can't do" crap I read on this board, I wouldn't have a job. Good luck.

I'm a 3L and can promise you the classes and lifestyle get much easier after 1L. During 2L, the professors stop using the socratic method and instead treat you with respect like a future colleage. And the above poster is right, 3L is a freakin' cakewalk.

You mentioned that you are terribly out of shape as well. But the truth is that you can make time to work out if you really want to, and it's definitely worth it. Exercise relieves stress, makes you feel good, and makes it easier to deal with the 1L workload. Perhaps instead of scouring this discussion board, you could jump on a treadmill or pick a hobby. For me IM sports was an aweseom source of fun and stress relief during 1L.

As for jobs, I was in the bottom of my 1L class and faced the same grim job prospects as you. The bottom line is that you can either use your grades as a source of frustration or motivation, but its ultimately up to you. The choice is yours. I hustled and ended up with a federal clerkship so now I'm just cruising to the finish line. I really hope you don't drop out of law school based on 1L experience but lets face it, many people do. Just know that 1L is not a good indicator of what it means to be a lawyer. At least get a 1L summer job and see if you like it, perhaps clerking in the local court. Make it happen.

"It depends" on where and what type of international law you want to practice. For instance, Temple has a strong international business presence in Japan. Many of my fellow students study abroad and then interview for part-time or summer positions once abroad.

If you want to pursue international diplomacy or something government-related, you can intern at the United Nations or work for a foreign government.

Btw, don't you love the answer "it depends?" Sometimes I think my entire law school tuition has been spent learning these two words...

I've heard about federal externships (clerkships?) for post-graduation, but do they exist for 1Ls?  Is it possible to get federal judicial internaihps/externships that first summer?

Yes. As a summer 1L intern/extern, you are working under the post-grad clerks.