2L here - questions anyone?

[Helpful Chap]

We only agree if you agree that working in a non-legal field over your 1L summer does not necessarily show lack of motivation/drive/etc. to an employer. 

Well, maybe we don't agree completely.

I'll agree that it doesn't necessarily show lack of all the good stuff I mentioned.  That said, based a large amount of anecdotal evidence and research, the market-paying firms will (generally) look down upon a non-legal job your 1L summer if you have nothing else legal-related on your resume to point to.  I'm not saying you're definitely screwed, but again I will go back to my hypo.  Answer me this:  You are interviewing for a Summer Associate gig at a local firm.  Helpful Chap and Astro are two candidates who are equal in all ways except for 1 - on Helpful's resume it says "2007 - Summer - Smith & Johnson - Summer Associate" and on Astro's resume it says "2007 - Summer - Bill's Taxi Co. - Taxi Driver."  Our gpas are close to the interview cutoff, so it's between these two candidates for the last interview spot.  Who gets the interview?  Also, a variation - same situation, except they've interviewed both candidates and can't decide which candidate to hire.  Who gets the job?   

[Astro]

Again, if you're always working from "market-paying job", then I agree with you.  So maybe all this bickering actually is pointless.   

[Helpful Chap]

Again, if you're always working from "market-paying job", then I agree with you.  So maybe all this bickering actually is pointless.    

Yup, this is what I was saying before.  I think we dissected this thing about as much as is possible, and I think other's will gain valuable perspective from reading our back and forth, so it wasn't pointless up to this point, but I think from this point on it is pointless.

[Astro]

Again, if you're always working from "market-paying job", then I agree with you.  So maybe all this bickering actually is pointless.    

Yup, this is what I was saying before.  I think we dissected this thing about as much as is possible, and I think other's will gain valuable perspective from reading our back and forth. 

I doubt this, but I'm too lazy to delete.   

[fuwaf]

  at Astro the taxi driver

[Astro]

I disagree that studying abroad looks bad.  It definitely shouldn't be a first choice for something to do your 1L summer, but it ranks higher than doing something outside the legal field, and it would probably rank higher than just taking summer classes at your school. 

5) Summer school at your law school/non-legal-related job/nothing - Huge black mark.  This will really hurt you.  No real way to explain why you decided to go to summer law school or do nothing or work as a taxi driver instead of doing one of the 3 or 4 options listed above.   It shows lack of motivation, lack of drive, lack of focus, etc. It's just plain bad, and there is no way I can sugarcoat this.

FYI I was talking frankly with a hiring partner the other day, who only recruits at top national schools, and the bolded is exactly, almost word for word how he described 2L OCI.

He said if your in OCI to get a job its shows you follow the heard well, but don’t think outside the box. He says he only looks for two things for first year associates in OCI: grades (because they show him you can follow orders w/o trying to get original) and the fact that your looking for a job though OCI (that says to him you will do whatever they tell you to do, because you can’t think outside the box).

He told me in no uncertain terms, OCI provides great first year fluff, they work hard, and it takes them 2-3 years to realize they have no shot at going any further before they finally leave. Then he just replaces them with the next round of OCI fodder. He’s a grumpy guy, but at least he does not BS you.

There's a strange sort of irony.

Welcome back, Matthies.  Done exams?

[Astro]

Didn't you still have a Part III or IV coming up...?

::nudges::



That is, assuming you're all done being drunk.  Which may be an incorrect assumption.

[Astro]

Didn't you still have a Part III or IV coming up...?

::nudges::



That is, assuming you're all done being drunk.  Which may be an incorrect assumption.

I was all done about five years ago.

Yes, yes that reminds me I need to add more to that thread. I’ll do it next week when I can do it at firm on their time.

 


Good to see you've got your priorities straight.

[Lost Girl]

Why do schools require a second seat deposit?  I'm not that fat so I won't take up two seats.  Can I just pay the first one and promise to maintain my current weight? 

[Thistle]

Why do schools require a second seat deposit?  I'm not that fat so I won't take up two seats.  Can I just pay the first one and promise to maintain my current weight? 

as a 1L you will probably be in more than one classroom.  therefore, you have to pay a deposit for each of those seats.