Dear 1L: The 2L Summer Job Search Starts Soon!
Dear 1L, The 2L summer job search is right around the corner, and is very different today than when I went through it in the mid-1990s.
đź”· 1L Summer Jobs
IN THE 1990s: There was little to no stress over finding a job for the summer after 1L because it didn’t really matter what job we did.
I wanted to live at the beach that summer, not in a hot city, so I:
—worked for a Newport catering company to earn money, and
—volunteered on a local political campaign to be “interesting.”
My choices were completely acceptable back then, but they might not fare so well now.
TODAY: The pressure is much greater. 1Ls must secure a real “legal” job doing real “legal” things.
Typical 1L summer jobs include:
—working for a state court judge (federal court for the very lucky);
—being a research assistant for a law-school professor or for the law-school research librarians; or
—being a legal intern at another private or governmental entity.
For those who qualify for a diversity scholarship, there are also well-paid, law-firm summer associate positions available, and a rare few non-diversity qualifiers get law-firm jobs, too.
Many of my 1Ls this year are still searching for summer employment.
đź”· 2L Summer Jobs
The law-firm recruiting process for summer jobs after 2L (called OCI, for On Campus Interviews) also has changed.
IN THE 1990s: OCI did not start until September of 2L year.
Everything was controlled by NALP (the National Association for Law Placement), and all law firms and law schools were required to act consistently as to:
1/ when firms and students could connect;
2/ when interviews would take place;
3/ when offers would be communicated; and
4/ when student decisions on acceptances were due.
TODAY:
In 2018 or 2019, NALP took a back seat because of antitrust concerns. The resulting changes have been significant, because here is no longer a universal body setting consistent standards.
In the OCI chaos that was 2020-2021, significant pre-OCI recruiting took place through online, virtual meetups. The situation led some observers to conclude that the 2L summer job search was becoming like the wild, wild west.
Some order was restored last year (2022), with a regular OCI occurring the last week of July and first week of August. I believe that was universal.
This year, law schools and law firms continue to seek guidance from NALP, but the entity will continue to take a hands-off approach. (See February 28, 2023 letter.)
My understanding is that certain top schools and firms are even conducting an early, pre-OCI in June.
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🗳️ All thoughts on the above-described changes are welcome.
🗳️ What did you do your summer after 1L?
Fondly,
đź’Ś Amanda
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