Re-thinking summer plans... help...

[gordonma]

So I just got my class rank and I made it to top 15% (reall close to top 10) and i have a 3.5 gpa at shu law...

I was all set on taking a judicial internship this summer with a federal district judge... but now I am wondering if I should try for a firm...

with these stats do you think its wise to try to land a summer job with a firm or go the route of a judicial internship. The reason I was going to do the internship was so it looks better at fall OCI so I could get a great 2L summer position... but should I try for it now as well?

What do you think my best bet would be? would the federal internship be the best way to a great 2L associateship or should I try for something now and pass on the internship?


Any advice would be must appreciated guys!

thanks

[loki13]

I will be in the *distinct* minority on this one, but...

your 1L summer doesn't matter. Sure, do something law-related. It would be better to take an unpaid, but law-related job than to be asking, "You want fries with that?" just to pay the bills.

But, c'mon. In the grand scheme of things, it (almost) doesn't matter. Very, very few people get their jobs from their 1L summer jobs. So don't stress it.

Most importantly... you will be a lawyer (hopefully) for the rest of your life. Maybe working at big law. Why don't you take the summer abroad... learn the law in a nice location? Do some work (as you mentioned) with a judge? Do something you'll enjoy?

I'm not raining on the parade of those of you who want or have gotten the prestigious 1L summer jobs that you were lusting for. It's just my own, personal, idiosyncratic observation based upon what I've seen and experienced that 1L summer jobs are a tempest in a teacup.

[TDJD84]

I will be in the *distinct* minority on this one, but...

your 1L summer doesn't matter. Sure, do something law-related. It would be better to take an unpaid, but law-related job than to be asking, "You want fries with that?" just to pay the bills.

But, c'mon. In the grand scheme of things, it (almost) doesn't matter. Very, very few people get their jobs from their 1L summer jobs. So don't stress it.

Most importantly... you will be a lawyer (hopefully) for the rest of your life. Maybe working at big law. Why don't you take the summer abroad... learn the law in a nice location? Do some work (as you mentioned) with a judge? Do something you'll enjoy?

I'm not raining on the parade of those of you who want or have gotten the prestigious 1L summer jobs that you were lusting for. It's just my own, personal, idiosyncratic observation based upon what I've seen and experienced that 1L summer jobs are a tempest in a teacup.

I agree to an extent.. however, if you want to work for a firm, wouldn't you be more desirable to firms your second year if you worked at a firm your first year summer, since most other 1L's wont have that on their resume?

[loki13]

Honestly, it depends. Stay in the top 10% and you'll be desirable. Screw up your coursework and you won't be. It also depends on your interviewing- can you spin your 1L summer working for the judge, or in Barcelona, into a story of how you are now a better candidate? Will it be easier than if you work at Dewey, Cheatam & Howe for the summer? It's not like they're teaching 1L summer associates the secrets to BigLaw(tm) lawyering.

Again, I'm not saying that it's impossible for a 1L to parlay a summer job into greatness. But it doesn't happen that often. I talked to grads at my school (T1, not T14) who went on to BigLaw, and none of them worked BigLaw their 1L summers. Not a one. But this is a sample size of a dozen recent grads.

Again, this is my personal observation. I want to work for an NGO myself.

[slacker]

What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to do just biglaw? If so, then perhaps the firm is the best way to go. However, if you've got the internship now, and the firm job is not a given, a summer with a federal judge is really not a bad way to go. Doesn't pay what the firm will, at present, but may pay off in the long run.

[gordonma]

when I "grow up" lol i would like to go into big law, at least at the onset. As you said, a summer with a federal judge is a great way to spend the summer, which is why I am in such a bind. I know many of my fellow classmates would love to have an internship with a feeral judge, and by no means am I not gracious to that fact. I am just wondering if this will look better come fall OCI to the big firms out there (im not talking the "big" big firms) over a summer at a firm. Logically it would make sense that working for a firm 1L would be desirable for a 2L associateship... however, the job i would probably get as a 1L probably wouldnt be anything too impressive, which is why I think the judge may work a little better. You guys gave me some good avice, but I am still left pondering exactly what I should do. Am I wasting this good luck (with my grades) just to go work for a judge (which many other students do) or should I some how use it to my advantage early and get a step up on the competition...

[Felsen]

From what I hear, the only real advantage you have as a 1L at a firm, is that if that firm likes you, you'll come out of the summer with a job offer for your second summer.  Outside of that, I don't think it will help or matter much in the 2L Summer job search, and I'd say definitely not in the post-graduate job search.

Now, coming out of the 1L summer with an offer from a firm for a 2L summer can be advantageous.  It means you don't have to stress out as much.  You can place that firm as your low mark, and only interview with firms you think are better for you.  Or, you could decide you love the firm and won't do any other interviewing second semester.  It'll help your GPA to have attended all your classes that semester, unlike your schoolmates who'll miss various classes through November going on interviews.

[Lenny]

Does your offer for the internship with the district court judge have a short shelf life - i.e. do you have make a decision on that before you'll be able to know for certain whether you get a firm job?  This makes a huge difference in advising you on how to proceed.

[midjeep]

I did a federal intership my 1L year and I am glad I did it. It provides you with a different perspective on the law and you will have the opportunity to compare the clerkship to a firm job. If you only work in firms every summer, you will have no basis of comparision and end up hating the law because you will assume all jobs are mind-numbing and frustrating.

During my 1L year, my goal was to go straight to a big law firm and see how it goes. Now I think I will go for a federal clerkship for a year after graduation and then see where I want to go.

[easthall]

Which should I pick for a 1L summer?