Thread: Going out on a limb here... LF 1L summer position in Phoenix

Well, since the shave community has been so helpful and full of great people, I figure I will give this a shot. Anyone know of any firms or government positions looking for a 1L for the summer?

thanks in advance.

-Leighton

The summer between my first and second year I took off and backpacked New Zealand. I highly recommend that you undergo a similar undertaking, because you have the rest of your life with no summers off, and no ability to take 3 months at one time and enjoy yourself. Do not beat yourself up over a summer internship between the first and second year of law school.

Matt

Tough time to get a 1L position. I'd try to find an interesting volunteer position and/or back pack per the other post.

And be glad you are not a 2L or 3L - things may actually stabilize by the time you exist law school. This is going to get nasty - expect a wave off lawfirm offer recissions (and layoffs and de-partnering).

Just say no to 1L internships. Fid yourself somehting that will look good NEXT year when you are talking to firms for your summer. Take it unpaid if you need to. What areas would you like to focus in (both practice and geography)
Then, go backpacking for the second half of the summer. Or, come here, go to meetings for me, do my job for the summer, and I"LL go backpacking! (do you have any regulatory compliance and/or private placement experience?)

Forgo the 1L internship. I did it, along with two other part-time jobs my 1L summer, and it was one of the worst experiences ever.

I look back from my lofty perspective of 25 years post-law school, and agree with Mhailey's advice. Go backpacking for the summer! See cool stuff, meet great people, meet like-minded women and ... well, you know. If it's finances, consider some other job for two months and backpacking for one month. I can't urge you strongly enough to take the time off. Seriously. You will never be as healthy, as free, as energized as you are now. I wish I'd taken a summer off between college and law school, or between 1L and 2L. A 1L internship will not get you a 2L internship; your well-roundedness and experience as a human being will.

Well said!

Originally Posted by smokelaw1

Just say no to 1L internships. Fid yourself somehting that will look good NEXT year when you are talking to firms for your summer.

This is not necessarily good advice. There are more things that we do not know about this poster than we do, and the employment landscape is radically different from when those of us who are practicing attorneys came through the system.

Where are you attending law school? If you are at an Ivy, you can probably get away with screwing around this summer having a great time. If you are at a State school, or a lower ranked private school, this is probably a good time to get some extra practical experience, and add a feather to your cap that will impress the recruiters who will be showing up on campus in the fall to fill a dwindling number of choice spots for 2-L summer associate positions.

How are your grades? If you are in the top 10% of your class, you may be able to afford to skip interning this summer. But, maybe not.

How are you set up financially? I am still paying off my student loans, and I could not afford not to work my 1-L summer. I worked two jobs--one internship with the Feds, and nights doing research for a professor.

Good luck to you! This is a terrible market to be looking for a job or an internship. At least you are only a 1-L--by the time you are out, hopefully things will have picked up. With all the huge layoffs in the nation's law firms, they will need to hire like crazy when the turnaround comes.

In terms of what to do in AZ this summer, I would try judicial clerkships, Federal and State, or talk to a professor about doing paid research.

I go to a low ranked private school, haven't gotten ranked yet, but probably in the top 15%. GPA is 3.6. Even the volunteer positions are competitive here. Overburdened with student loans, so backpacking somewhere is not an option. Plus I have a car to pay for.

So basically I need to either get some experience to set me up for a 2L position or go study abroad somewhere and try to impress recruiters that way. The way the job search is going, going to China and borrowing even more money is looking mighty attractive.

Originally Posted by miketo

A 1L internship will not get you a 2L internship; your well-roundedness and experience as a human being will.

Actually, your first year grades will get you a 2L summer job.

Do you know what kind of law you want to practice (I'm not saying you should know, but if you do know then that might impact the decision).

I'm not sure going to China will do much for you - if you were fluent in Chinese and at a top school that would add an element for the firms with offices there, but I don't think it's going to help with typical jobs.