Stupid Question about summer employment

[be10dwn]

Okay, for you guys that are working after their 1l summer, how many weeks are you going to work?  I'm just trying to sort of estimate how much in loans I'm going to need, and I'm rying to guestimate how much money I can make in the summer assuming I can get a summer job post 1L.

[be10dwn]

I don't know anything about you, obviously, or what school you are going to attend, but for budget purposes, I would be VERY conservative in estimating that you will get a high-paying summer associate position after 1L.  I know lots of people working, but many are 100% volunteer (even one guy at a small firm not getting paid), or working as an RA for $10/hr, a couple Public Interest jobs making about that, and only a few making $2k/week at a firm.

I don't know a LOT about the loan thing, but for at least the federal loans, I applied for all I could, then I get discretion much closer to the time of need to accept the loan, decline the loan, or accept a lesser amount.

Regards,
Todd

Oh I absolutely agree with you.  I was just curious because it would be nice to have some money in the bank when next school year comes around.  I don't think it will affect how much money I borrow for 2l but it along with a job after 2l might mean I don't have  to borrow anything for 3l.  Just trying to look at all the angles as they say.  Thanksa for the input, I really appreciate it.

[twarga]

Hopefully with 9 years paralegal experience, I won't have to take a volunteer job next summer.  That would suck sooooooo bad!   

[abomb]

Check into whether or not your school gives "assistance" in the way of grants or fellowships to 1L's taking non-paying jobs in the summer in the public sector. Without being top 5%, its incredibly dificult to find that job the first summer, but there are opportunities that don't pay, and a lot of times your school will give you some $$$ for that. Call the financial aid office to see what options are out there, and also to see if they have current numbers of what there students do during that summer. Maybe a whole lot of them get those choice jobs, because of a great career services department (call them too, they probably have better statistics than the fin. aid office does). Thats what these offices are there for, and at this point in the summer, they're able to put a litle more time, thought and effort into helping incoming 1Ls. [

[up_late]

Do NOT plan to work the week before you return to school.  You need time to gather everything together before 2L job interviewing season and law journal work begin.