1L Summer job process

[Jhuen_the_bird]

Thanks for the advice and encouraging words... sometimes this board amps my anxiety level! 

Wow.  Don't worry so much this far in advance.  You shouldn't even be thinking about it now.  Your focus = adjust to and enjoy law school, and do the best you can (grade-wise).  Your career development folks should be really helpful for this whole process, but do take everything they say w/ a grain of salt (I know ours are overly firm-happy, and really disregard people who want to get experience in criminal law or people who want to work with a judge).  Anyway ... also, don't get too hooked into thinking you MUST have a big fabulous firm job your first summer - it probably isn't going to happen.  Yeah, when I saw that some law students make up to 20grand for a summer - that looked GREAT.  But I know that the chances of getting those gigs (especially for after 1L) are slim.

Anything you do that gives you *legal* experience is well-worth your time.  Don't worry about getting paid ... I'm doing an "unpaid" externship this summer ... but somehow I'm going to come out w/ over 4grand for the summer (work study / federal funding/ public interest/government funds).  Not a big law number, but not too shabby, I think

[philosophia]

Right on. I definitely have things in perspective; I just tend to be really neurotic at times. I appreciate you sharing, though.  Before this summer, I really wanted to go into public interest and haven't ruled it out.  Somehow I have let some dimwits on this board scare me into thinking it's BIGLAW or bust.  I know that isn't true, of course, but I get caught up in the hype.  Plus, like most people going into LS, I believe I will be in that small percentage of super-geniuses that lands an awesome job... hey, one can dream, you know!!!

Actually, if you care to know, yesterday I finally had to let some frustration out on this board and try to refocus myself  (and hopefully a few others) re: school prestige vs. scholarship $$ and all the elitist comments that take place in some of the dicussions here.  Some people are so hell bent on BIGLAW and big salaries that they can't see past their own aszes.  Hope I can keep my perspective through this next year.

[Changed Name]

I wouldn't count out the 1L firm job.  There are lots of firms that don't pay $3k/wk but that do pay $1100, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800.... 

I'm working at one firm paying $2k/wk, and I'm with one T50 student, one T2 student, one T3 student and a student at a new law school.  All are very personable and friendly.  The other firm I'm working primarily hires T14 students, with a few of the top students from the local T50. 

Don't worry so much this far in advance.  You shouldn't even be thinking about it now.

You can prepare for the 1L job search now by FINDING those firms, researching them, editing and preparing cover letters and inserting the firm information, preparing the e-mails to send to each firm, etc.  You can't send them out until December 1, but that will be exam time.  I know a lot of people put off the job search for exams, and I think they were at a disadvantage.  I started in September/October, but it would have been nice to have the bulk of this done before school.  You will never have more time than you have right now.

Many people interview in December or January.  Some have offers before grades come out.  But it's also nice to be able to e-mail them when your grades come out and basically say "I first contacted you on December 2.... I remain interested in your firm; here are my grades."

I have a question: How would one go about finding those types of firms you mentioned? I'm assuming NALP wouldn't be so helpful in this area, right?

And lastly, I know the start date to begin contacting firms is December 1, but how much of an advantage is that when you don't have first semester grades? My current experience is working as a law clerk at a small firm, but I'm sure that's not really going to dazzle anybody into wanting to interview me for a summer position.

Thanks!

[The Artist]

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[Best-Legal-Aid.com]

For the first semester, just focus on your grades.  If you do well in your class, everything else will take care of itself.

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[Raul Duke]

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[LegallyAccepted]

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[BuckStoppage]

So I can't take off to Europe for vacation if I want a 1L SA gig? Do firms interview before start of spring semester?