When should 1L start looking for a summer job?

[KSpW]

Do 1L's usually start to look for a summer job as soon as school starts or even earlier?

[jacy85]

The NALP firms won't accepts resumes from 1Ls until after Dec. 1.

Some firms may accept them earlier, however many smaller Firms don't know their hiring needs until closer to summer, so the typical application timeline is very different (you apply in the spring).  Same goes for most public interest employers.  Some government positions have very early deadlines, so that's something to watch out for as well.

[luckyboy]

yesterday...  or tomorrow...

[Felsen]

You can start looking and preparing now.  You just don't apply to the firms yet.

Since you are starting law school, you should now have a nice updated resume from the application cycle.  Update it again.  You now need to include your law school under education.  You also might need to modify it to now target a potential employer instead of a potential school.

You can check the NALP Directory to find out the names of some firms that hire from your school and also hire 1Ls.  Do a bit of research and see if there are any firms you absolutely dislike or any in which you are especially interested.

When school starts, you can chat up some of the 2Ls and 3Ls and find out where they did their 1L summers, if they went through Career Services to get the job, or if they did their own mass mailing campaign.

December 1st may be the first day you can send out applications for jobs, but there is still work you can do now to make sure that you have your resume and cover letters ready and that you know where to send them.

[mrdot]

you can't apply until dec. 1, but that doesn't mean you can't send your resume to specific attorneys at a firm before then...

[LawLady]

NALP only includes the large firms.  There are lots of small firms that you can apply to whenever!

[J D]

NALP only includes the large firms.  There are lots of small firms that you can apply to whenever!

Perhaps, but many smaller firms may work on much later hiring schedules than the larger firms, since they aren't able to predict their needs as far in advance.  So if you apply now, it probably won't help (and there is a chance, however, small, that they might misplace your materials or just forget about you in the meantime).

[nosleepstudent]

I was told to start at the beginning of the new year. Of course, my school doesn't put out grades until February, which delays things a bit, but I was told to at least get started now.

Of course I'm an evening/4 year student, so my circumstances may be different.