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: Who Owns the Fox?

Fishing

I was requested to do a post on the 1L job hunt. Here it is...

Extern/Firm (a good approach would be to plan using all four routes)
Route 1:
a. GET YOUR STUFF IN BY DECEMBER 1. This is important! Judges and firms will start considering applications on Dec. 1, so make sure your application is in by then. Both of these groups want to fill their summer class/externs as soon as possible, and to get "the pick of the crop," and hence, they hire early.
b. Make sure your resume is free of typos. Work on your writing sample. Write a good cover letter. Collect your undergraduate grades.
c. Buy a good suit.
d. Because people will be hiring before your have any law grades, they will be hiring based on undergraduate grades, any graduate degrees, past work experience, unique skills, etc. Figure out what you will highlight and what your "pitch" will be.
e. Figure out which judges you want to apply to (i.e. don't mass mail the entire 9th circuit, since judges want to know why you're applying to them, and that your political leanings match theirs). But for firms, figure out what city you want to work in, and then mass-mail every single firm in that town.

Route 2:
a. Prepare for spring OCIP. Repeat steps (b) through (d).
b. BUT employers will have seen your first semester grades when they interview you, so realistically, you better have high grades to expect a shot at a firm job during spring OCIP.

Route 3:
Network. Hit up relatives, ex-significant others, your alumni mentor, your doorman, etc. Hope you can get your foot in the door this way.

Route 4:
Sleep with the recruiting coordinator/hiring partner/judge. I'll leave it up to you to figure out how to do this.

Government/Public Interest
-Figure ou t which organizations you want to apply to.
-Know what deadline they have.
-Look for the organization where you think you can have the best legal experience as opposed to finding an organization that fits your interests but where they will have you photocopy for 3 months.
-Repeat steps (1b) through (1d).

Full post as published by Who Owns the Fox? on November 16, 2007 (boomark / email).