Big Law firms hiring undergrads for summer employment?

[jspillner]

I was wondering if anybody here ever worked a summer job for a Big Law firm as an undergrad doing clerical work. I worked at the US Attorneys office last summer as an undergrad but I didn't know if this was just a government thing or if Big Law firms also hired undergrads for summer employment.

[anonymousposter]

Some do, yes.  I've worked at one and can think of many Vault firms that hire undergrads.  If you've been accepted to a top law school, know a partner well, or are a big client's child the position will probably be easier to land.

[*devo*]

If you want to do something at a biglaw firm other than filing, then you will need some connections. I interviewed at a biglaw firm for a filing position and ultimately turned it down because the pay was bad and the range of responsiblity was extremely limited. I asked if I could "move up" in the ranks after working as a filing clerk and they said no.

I decided to work at a small firm where I have a wide range of responsibilities and the pay is 40% higher than the biglaw job I turned down.

Obviously this is only one man's experience so take it for what it's worth.

[wtracing]

I also went the small firm route after UG for the summer and got to do a lot of somewhat meaningful work.  A lot of the tasks were clerical in nature or editing the senior partner's journal submissions, etc.  However, I did get acquainted with the BlueBook, Lexis, Westlaw, and the local law library.  It was somewhat useful for my 1st year of law school in the sense I knew how to read a case, put together cases to synthesize points of law, etc.  My boss was really helpful and wanted to make sure I mastered at least some skills before putting me out the door.  If you can find someone who wants to mentor you a little bit, it would be an excellent opportunity and I also made pretty good money too.