Are you "supposed" to get a law-related job in summer after first year of law school?

[nocturnalrelativism]

For context, I am in Quebec. 

Should I be searching for a law related job this summer or is it "ok" to just get a regular summer job (retail/café/etc.) and do some volunteering? 

Asking because I feel like all the resources online say yes but they're also mostly US based 

thank you!

[Hegdis]

First year summer it’s pretty rare to get any meaningful law related work. It’s second year where things start to change. 

[nocturnalrelativism]

6 minutes ago, Hegdis said:

First year summer it’s pretty rare to get any meaningful law related work. It’s second year where things start to change. 

ty legend

[Pecan Boy]

I have to say I disagree with @Hegdis, though I suppose it depends on what you consider "meaningful" legal work. The notion that its rare to get a legal job in 1L is seemingly the conventional wisdom, but pretty much every law student I know had a law-related job in 1L. It's rare to end up at a big law firm, sure, but tons of people do clinic work, work as Research Assistants, or get jobs at small firms. 

That said, in order to get a law-related job for your 2L summer, it's not at all required to have had one during your 1L summer. So you'll be fine either way.

[CleanHands]

I don't want to induce stress, and a 1L summer law job certainly isn't necessary, but I found getting one immensely useful in many ways (learning, mentorship, networking, resume-building, exposure to legal work and focusing interests, etc) and further opportunities followed from it. I think it's at least worth trying to obtain one and accepting it's okay if you don't land, rather than just deciding that it doesn't matter and isn't worth it.

(Although my impression is that this really doesn't matter for BigLaw OCI type jobs, but I will fully concede I don't know much about that.)

Edited January 21, 2022 by CleanHands

[Hegdis]

I'll defer to people more recently through the process - my recall is approaching 20 years old now, augmented by past discussions on this topic on the old forum.

[SlytherinLLP]

It's super useful to get any form of legal experience during 1L. For most students this will come in the form of research assistantships.

Three reasons:

a) It's arguably your last chance to do a full-time deep dive into one area of law that interests you or to work with a professor you like.

b) It's a great way to get into the rhythm of polishing resumes and cover letters - something you will have to do in 2L and onwards anyways.

c) It will be an asset for you and firms will look at the experience favorably. You will be asked about it during interviews whether BigLaw OCIs or otherwise. 

 

[CleanHands]

1 hour ago, SlytherinLLP said:

It's arguably your last chance to do a full-time deep dive into one area of law that interests you

As an aside: this is probably true for most people, but that's sad because it absolutely doesn't have to be that way.

[GGrievous]

1 hour ago, SlytherinLLP said:

b) It's a great way to get into the rhythm of polishing resumes and cover letters - something you will have to do in 2L and onwards anyways.

It’s been great practice for me. I quickly realized how bad I am at it. The only jobs I’ve ever had before were ones where the only criteria to get hired was my willingness to do it, and then one from getting bridged in after an internship I was placed in, and I didn’t need to apply.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Barry

[MissRepresented]

As someone heavily involved in the interview process, I'd say "it depends" (not helpful, right?). By this I mean, if you are able to get some experience through clinic or other volunteer involvement either during 1L or over that summer, that's probably good enough. If you have none, then it would be helpful to see some summer experience, but it shouldn't be a deal breaker (for the 2L recruit) if you don't have anything formal - just highlight the transferable skills from the jobs that you have done (customer service etc.). I should hedge this by saying I'm out west and there may very well be a different sentiment in Ontario. 

[capitalttruth]

I don't know about other schools, but uOttawa usually has internship funding for students who volunteer in legally meaningful work. You just have to secure the volunteership yourself and then apply to the school for funding, which is usually successful. So I'd recommend students who can't find a 1L summer job through a formal recruit pursue that route if they want to find legally meaningful work in the summer after 1L. I did it last year and I got a pretty sweet gig working for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing. It was great experience for my CV and I was able to survive on a livable stipend provided by the university.

Edited January 22, 2022 by capitalttruth

[ZukoJD]

1 hour ago, capitalttruth said:

I don't know about other schools, but uOttawa usually has internship funding for students who volunteer in legally meaningful work. You just have to secure the volunteership yourself and then apply to the school for funding, which is usually successful. So I'd recommend students who can't find a 1L summer job through a formal recruit pursue that route if they want to find legally meaningful work in the summer after 1L. I did it last year and I got a pretty sweet gig working for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing. It was great experience for my CV and I was able to survive on a livable stipend provided by the university.

I was under the impression that the student proposed internships were not granted funding, and that the paid fellowships are restricted to 2nd and 3rd year students (it says that on the faculty’s website). 
 

Is this not the case in practice then?

Edited January 22, 2022 by ZukoJD

[capitalttruth]

3 minutes ago, ZukoJD said:

I was under the impression that the student proposed internships were not granted funding, and that the paid fellowships are restricted to 2nd and 3rd year students (it says that on the faculty’s website). 
 

Is this not the case in practice then?

Student proposed internships are different. They are volunteer work in exchange for course credit. I am using the term "internship" loosely - what I am referring to specifically is the summer fellowships. The summer fellowships are open to all law students irrespective of year. It may be the case that some paid fellowships at certain places are reserved for upper years, but nothing in the fellowship program precludes a 1st year from securing a volunteership at an organization and then making an application for funding.