SO...judicial internship or firm job?

[llavoy]

Lets say first that that making a living for the summer isn't a consideration, and second that grades are fine so either should be a possibility, location being flexible. Which one of these is really better for you in the long-term? Sarcasm acceptable but not encouraged.

[Blunderbuss]

I have applied to only 5 firms and got 2 rejections.  I plan to mass mail some firms in the Chicago area, but seriously, I am not getting my hope up.  I will mass mail some judges later next week. 

[Blunderbuss]

The senior judges are in semi-retirement state, should I bother sending my resume to them?

[Strong]

I got a judicial internship and interviewed with one other Judge. I think it varies greatly and depends on who you get in terms of what to expect. The judge I'm going to work for is in his 30's and so I think it will be a fun experience.

My philosophy is that it never hurts to try.

[Blunderbuss]

I narrowed it down to like 200 federal judges and about 200 law firms.  Is that crazy that I am sending out 400 letters??? 
What amount of letters do people send out in a mass mailing situation?

[Felsen]

If I didn't have to worry about money and had an offer from each, I'd take a firm job over the summer.  In the long term, you are more likely to have a career at a firm than as a judicial clerk.  Take the summers to get to know the personality and operation of a firm or two, so you can make a better evaluation of the firms after you graduate.  If you want to spend some time with a judge, do a judicial clerkship your first year after graduation.  At that point, you'll have the experience of working with a judge.  You'll have many possible contacts in all sorts of firms.  You'll also have some experience working in a firm, so you can better choose between your offers.

[GA-fan]

400 letters... So, if you tailor each one for 3 minutes, print, stuff envelopes, address, lick stamps... 10 minutes minimum per letter, plus a few hours researching the firms and their addresses. Yes, you are crazy. This would add up to a minimum of 4000 minutes, /60= 67 hours... That's like an entire week of work.

[jacy85]

400 letters... So, if you tailor each one for 3 minutes, print, stuff envelopes, address, lick stamps... 10 minutes minimum per letter, plus a few hours researching the firms and their addresses. Yes, you are crazy. This would add up to a minimum of 4000 minutes, /60= 67 hours... That's like an entire week of work.

With 400 letters, I doubt Blunder will be tailoring anything at all, and will be sticking to one letter for firms and one letter for judges, and then doing a massive mail merge.  What this ultimately means, is that he/she will waste 50-70 hours of their life, because the likelihood of getting anything out of huge mail merges with little to no personalization or tailoring is very very unlikely.

[Blunderbuss]

400 letters... So, if you tailor each one for 3 minutes, print, stuff envelopes, address, lick stamps... 10 minutes minimum per letter, plus a few hours researching the firms and their addresses. Yes, you are crazy. This would add up to a minimum of 4000 minutes, /60= 67 hours... That's like an entire week of work.

With 400 letters, I doubt Blunder will be tailoring anything at all, and will be sticking to one letter for firms and one letter for judges, and then doing a massive mail merge.  What this ultimately means, is that he/she will waste 50-70 hours of their life, because the likelihood of getting anything out of huge mail merges with little to no personalization or tailoring is very very unlikely.

Not true.  I can send out 400 letters and each can be easily tailored to target its recipient.  All that requires is rudimentary knowledge of relational database and microsoft office. 

[Bob Loblaw Esq.]

Wrong.

"Tailored" does not mean that you know how to do a data merge.

Anyone can send out 400 half-assed letters with a data merge, but every firm will know that you have done ZERO research and have no true passion, or knowledge for that matter, for or about their organization.