As all law students know, the coveted summer associate position with a large nationally recognized firm is the equivalent of the golden ticket for 2Ls. For those of you who don't know, a 2L is a second year law student and a summer associate position is essentially an internship with a law firm in which you are paid like a lawyer for the summer. Law students drool over the chance to be one of the few selected law students for these positions not only for the pay, but also for the chance to land a job with the firm after graduation.
I was once one of the lucky law students to have the opportunity to be a summer associate at a relatively decent firm in Dallas, Texas. When my fellow summer associates and I began our first day of orientation, we were told "this is your job to lose." We all jumped for joy thinking that if we performed well and produced good work we were in. But we were definitely wrong.
Out of the 7 summer associates that summer, only 4 of them were offered positions and I was not one of them. I have racked my brain numerous times thinking about what went wrong. I mean, I was the perfect candidate for the law firm. I was a straight A law student, top of my class and was on law review (the prestigious law journal of the law school). I should have been a shoo-in, right? This is the mistake that many summer associates and law students make, thinking that they are worthy just because they perform well in law school. As I have come to learn, this is simply not the case anymore.
So, what does it take to land you the permanent job? You have to play the game. That is, you have to be good at schmoozing and getting to know the important people in the firm, which means introducing yourself, asking them questions, and making sure they remember you. Playing the game means that you get to the office before the attorney you are working under and that you stay later than most attorneys on your floor. Playing the game means that you attend all social events and spend the time promoting your worth to the law firm rather than socializing and enjoying yourself.
Playing the game does not include making friends or bonding with your fellow summer associates, rather, you need to leave an impression on everyone you come into contact with. This cannot simply be done by producing good work, but should be done by going above and beyond what you are asked. If you are asked to brief a case, make sure that the document is perfect and that all references are printed and attached to the document. Most importantly, playing the game is about showing an extreme interest not only in the law firm itself but also in the law. When I received the phone call telling me that I was not being offered a position, I was told that I was not passionate enough about the law. So, from experience I tell all law students to pick an area of the law and pretend to be passionate about it even if you are not. Playing the game will land you the job, looking pretty and producing work will not.
When I look back and consider why the three summer associates did not receive offers, I have come to the conclusion that they do not like people who socialize too much, people who are not good at oral arguments, people who produce good work that is not excellent, and people who do not put themselves out there enough. Nowadays, if you have the opportunity to get a summer associate position you better work very hard to keep it as the legal market is not what it used to be.
Melody Sabedra - I am an a young female attorney living in Atlanta. I live in the suburbs, work in the city, have a fiance, and love my 2 dogs. I am ...
