Law Student Outlook: Navigating the 2L summer job search

As another school year begins, rising 2Ls are preparing for a new semester, but unlike the years that came before, this one is guaranteed to be the most challenging yet. Among a full course load, leadership positions on the executive boards of student organizations, moot court, journals with endless cite-checking assignments and other time-consuming obligations, one thing is common among top priorities: the job search.

In school we are constantly told to think about our second summer employment way before we have any idea what we even want for our first summer. There are many reasons why the job you take during your second summer is important. For many people, it solidifies the path their legal career is going to take. Regardless of whether you want to work in the public or private sector, the work you do during your first summer is often experimental and potentially unrelated to your future goals. However, a law student’s second summer carries a lot more implications. With more skills and experience to influence your work, and with possible long-term employment opportunities on the line, your second summer can determine where you will be after graduation.

In approaching our second summer employment, we found it best to get a wide perspective of experiences and advice and to try to combine it all in our job search efforts. Of the advice we have been given, there has been one clearly consistent pearl of wisdom: Networking is one of the most crucial and effective things to do. Networking is so much more than just showing a potential employer you are interested in their work. Networking also gives you the opportunity to learn about the people and place you might work at and what expectations you should have going into the office.

Both of us began our networking early in our 1L year. We were filled with anxiety about our futures, not knowing what working at a firm versus in public interest entails, or really even looks like, so we both turned to the people who used to be in our shoes to fill us in. Armed with an alumni list, we reached out to people who worked in the cities we wanted to ideally practice in and were given an inside look at what all sorts of practices look like.

Ultimately, both of us decided we wanted to pursue opportunities at law firms for our 2L summers and spent the latter part of our 1L year equipping ourselves with the criteria typically seen as “necessary” to get those jobs. Heading into our first summer, we both viewed our respective positions as great learning experiences to help us head strongly into the next year of classes and work. Outside of our work, we spent time speaking with our various connections to get feedback on our resumes and hearing about what we should expect heading into the chaotic on-campus interview period in August.

In our experience, the firms that became front-runners in our job search were the ones where we had made connections with attorneys before interviews even began. Having an established relationship with someone has made both of us feel like we were in good hands and that we could see ourselves as summer associates there. One of the best pieces of advice an associate gave us is that getting to know a partner you could potentially work for is a crucial step in the job search. It was helpful to know this partner would be the one in your corner to send work your way and to look out for your professional development, so getting to know the workplace culture is very important.

Through our first year at law school, we have encountered many students who are intimidated by networking, despite knowing how beneficial it can be. Often, people feel like they are bothering someone or are nervous that it might be a bit awkward at first. Both are valid fears. However, it is important to realize that for every “no” to a request to chat or an uncomfortable conversation you have, there are many more people who will gladly grab a coffee or share stories of how they got their first opportunities after law school. We are entering a profession that is people-centric and inherently pushes you out of your comfort zone on a regular basis, so it’s good practice to get comfortable flexing your people skills as early as possible.

With neither of us coming from legal families, we relied mostly on networking to teach us about what to expect in the legal industry. From Indiana University Maurer School of Law alumni to the attorneys who currently hold our dream jobs, all the people who have taken the time to share their stories with us have given us insight into what we want out of an employer during OCIs. Overall, attorneys we have spoken to have been refreshingly candid ahead of us entering into what seems to be a mutual wooing. Being able to see employers for who they really are, good and bad, makes us all the more confident that we will make the right decision for our futures.•

Francesca Campione and Amanda Vaughn are second-year law students at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. The opinions expressed are those of the authors.