By UVA Law School Students

The window of opportunity to pursue summer positions opens for first-year students on December 1. As this is the last issue of the Law Weekly prior to that date, the Law Weekly asked second- and third-year students three questions: (1) What did you do during your 1L summer? (2) How did you get the job? (3) What advice do you have for this year’s 1Ls?

Jane Beall, 3L

Going into the 1L job hunt, I had the luxury and the burden of not having my heart set on a particular location or type of job. I knew my chances of getting a position would be better the earlier I got started (i.e., before my grades came out), so I mail-merged my way through two ink cartridges, and, on December 1, I sent applications to every firm and federal judge in D.C., New York, Chicago, and Richmond. I also targeted smaller markets more specifically. In particular, I thought Charleston, S.C., would be a good fit for me. I asked a sorority sister of mine who grew up there if she knew any lawyers or good firms in the city. It turned out her dad was a partner in a firm down there, and he was willing to pass along my resume to the hiring partner. Meanwhile, I also applied with the federal judges there. In my cover letters, I mentioned I would be visiting family in the state during Christmas and would love to meet in person. The firm was kind enough to meet with me in early January, and I coordinated that interview with meetings with two judges. A week later, I got the good news that I had offers from all three and decided to split my summer between the firm and one of the judges. I loved that I had two very different experiences without having to relocate halfway through the summer. Based on my experience, I would advise 1Ls to keep an open mind, get started as early as allowed, and not to be shy about utilizing whatever contacts you have. The one call to my friend was far more successful than the reams of resumés I mailed out blindly.

Eric Risendal, 2L

It seemed like an opportunity that was too good to be true. A summer in beautiful Africa coupled with an opportunity to help shape the future of international law. As an intern with the Office of the Prosecutor at the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, that is exactly the summer experience that I had. Located in Arusha, Tanzania, the ICTR is responsible for judging the individuals most responsible for planning, orchestrating, and directly participating in the genocide that gripped Rwanda in 1994.

Although my work as a member of the Gatete trial team was somber, the internship gave me an opportunity to develop my legal skills and get a unique look at the practice of international law. During the summer, I spent time working on the prosecution’s pre-trial brief, preparing exhibits for the opening, writing witness summaries, and attending court sessions; but the highlight of my summer came during a weeklong mission to Kigali and the eastern provinces of Rwanda, where I was able to visit the massacre sites and meet with and interview witnesses, bringing the genocide to life in new and deeply emotional ways.

Today, the trials at the ICTR are winding down, but there are still great internships available, not just with the Prosecution, but with Defense, Chambers, and the Registry, as well. Although I applied in December last year, I recommend starting the application process as soon as possible this year. As the saying goes: the earlier, the better. 

Just like last year, the applications are being handled and sent through UVA Law. Professor Deena Hurwitz was an invaluable resource throughout the application process. Additionally, two online resources—the Postcards From Abroad catalog of summer work, and the Public Service Center’s summer-employment surveys—gave me insight into other students’ summer experiences and provided a helpful look into the international opportunities available for 1Ls.

April Russo, 2L

I had an internship at the American Council of Education in Washington, D.C. I was the only legal intern in the office and worked directly for the general counsel, Ada Meloy. Most of the work I did involved research and writing. It was a great experience in the sense that I was exposed to many different practice areas―from tax to employment to administrative law. I found the job by contacting alumni with education-related positions. My advice: Do not expect to get a job right away. Especially in this economy, it is tempting to take the first job offer that presents itself. One of the opportunities that was really interesting to me was a 1L job with DOJ. I was selected for an interview with them but had already accepted the position with the American Council of Education. I also had several other job offers from earlier interviews which came through after I agreed to work at the ACE. That said, I had a great summer and learned a lot. Everything I did had a purpose and was used, and the office was small enough that I really got to know the other people who worked there. For anyone wanting to explore several different areas of the law, I highly recommend working for a general counsel. Also, just a helpful hint: Most places will want to see your first semester grades. It is not impossible to get a firm job your first-year summer, but all of the callbacks I had from firms were after first-semester grades came in. Two were in March. And one more thing: If you get a callback from a firm, go to Career Services and run through a mock interview with them.

Ian Hiatt, 3L

I spent my 1L summer working for Blue Ridge Legal Services, the local legal-aid society in Harrisonburg, Va. For this position, I got to do a lot of different projects and work in several areas of the law, all for indigent clients. For example, I helped clients resolve issues with their Social Security payments, assisted families with housing issues, and helped clients get relief from payday loans, as well as other forms of debt relief.

I found this position through Career Services’ Spring OGIs. To current 1Ls, I would suggest that if they have a strong idea of what they want to do following graduation, they should do everything they can to get a job in that area. The 1L summer should be seen as not only a chance to get some experience but also a chance to add some direction to your resume. Jobs may be hard to come by this year, so it will be important to use all the available resources you have. This includes personal contacts, which you should not hesitate to use.

Chris Colquitt, 2L

I split my 1L summer at two law firms in Texas―a big firm in Houston and a small litigation firm in Austin. I got the job at the Houston firm by sending letters to a number of firms at the beginning of December. They invited me to interview during the Christmas break, and they offered me a job shortly afterward. The Austin firm came to UVA for Spring OGI, and I worked through that process. Working at a firm during 1L summer was a great experience, and I would certainly recommend it to others. Besides being a lot of fun, it allows you to learn about law firms and the summer associate process, which has proved very helpful in the 2L job search. If you like your 1L firm, you can usually come back for a shorter time period during 2L summer and still go to another new firm. For Texas, it definitely helps to have a Texas connection and a genuine interest in ultimately practicing in that market. They try to weed out people who really want to be in New York or D.C. If you have any personal connections with attorneys, that will help as well.

Demetra Karamanos, 3L

I split my summer between the D.C. Superior Court and Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH). I would highly recommend splitting your summer because it exposes you to a variety of legal work, which is crucial in your 1L summer. The Superior Court was a great experience—I did a lot of legal writing and research and spent quite a bit of time with my judge and her clerk. I also recommend interning at any court you can, especially if you would like to clerk after graduation.

As for LVMH, I interned in the General Counsel’s office. I was exposed to employment litigation matters, M&A, and a great deal of intellectual property/anti-counterfeiting work involving virtually every LVMH brand. I was interested in what it would be like to work in-house, so I immediately zeroed in on these opportunities during my 1L job search. I couldn’t find any information on the Internet regarding an LVMH legal internship program, so I called the New York office directly to inquire about any opportunities. I spoke with the receptionist, and she connected me (to my surprise) with the General Counsel. After I explained that I was interested in interning, she suggested I email her my resumé and said that she would contact me if she were interested.

I suggest that 1Ls look beyond the traditional opportunities out there and think about where they would really love to work. Find out more about how you can intern there, and don’t be discouraged if there is no formal internship program. A simple phone call to the company may be the first step to securing the job. It may not be easy at first, but with a bit of persistence, it will work out!

Mario Lorello, 3L

The summer of my 1L year I worked as law clerk/intern for the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Alexandria, Virginia. The Commonwealth’s Attorney is Virginia’s equivalent to a District Attorney and is the top prosecutorial position in a jurisdiction. My experience in the Alexandria office was amazing. My primary work involved assisting in the prosecutions of major felony cases involving the sexual assault and exploitation of children. I researched and drafted numerous pleadings such as responses to motions to suppress, and I assisted with developing legal strategies for oral arguments and for the trials themselves. One of the best aspects of my summer was that it afforded me an opportunity to observe numerous trials from the voir dire stage to sentencing. Most importantly, however, was that the work was incredibly rewarding. I secured the position by contacting a UVA alumnus that served as a prosecutor within the office. The hiring process was less formal than many of my peers, and I found that many public interest and governmental organizations are simply eager to have additional help. Virginia has many excellent jurisdictions for anyone considering a career in prosecution, but they are all different. 1Ls should contact other students or alumni who may have worked in a particular office in order to gather some insight. The most important thing is that you find a position that will allow you to do work that interests you. Personally, I could not have asked for a better experience for my first summer. The work was gratifying, and I developed strong relationships and friendships with other interns and my supervisors.

Marie Acosta, 3L

I spent my 1L summer working as a research assistant for Professor Johnson. It was a really beneficial experience for me because a lot of the work I was doing solidified important principles from my first year Contracts class. Working as a research assistant is a great way to get hands on experience with a variety of legal concepts as well as with the tools of legal research, with the added bonus that it’s a job that actually pays money, which can be tough to find your 1L year.

The one thing I’d really like to suggest to 1Ls still in the job market is to not get discouraged. I didn’t have a position lined up until well into my spring semester, and I’d been pretty beaten down by all the rejection letters—but in the end, they just don’t matter. The hundreds of rejections are worth it if they secure you one offer. And always remember, if the job is posted, either on Symplicity or on the wall of the law school, it’s because they’re hiring, and you have as good a shot as anyone. So go ahead and print out your resume on one more sheet of fancy paper, jimmy-rig another corny cover letter, and get your name in the mix!

Chris McCoy, 3L

During my 1L summer, I worked at the Illinois State Appellate Defender’s Office in Elgin, Illinois. It was a great experience for a 1L. Basically, when I got there the first day, they gave me the record of a felony criminal trial that had been appealed and told me to write a brief. Over the summer, I ended up writing several appellate briefs on various charges ranging from stealing a credit card to drug possession to carjacking.

I knew that I wanted to work at a public defender’s office over the summer, and I knew I wanted to work around Chicago. I started out by looking on the Internet for different public defender’s offices in the Chicago area. I then called all the offices that I was interested in during December. I asked what I should send (a resumé, cover letter, writing sample, etc.), where I should send it, and when I should get it in. After talking to the various offices, I realized that I could not participate in any court proceedings during 1L summer. However, I could write appellate briefs with an attorney’s supervision. So I decided to work at an appellate office during my first summer. Overall, it was an excellent opportunity to develop my legal research and writing skills.

My advice for 1Ls interested in public interest work is to stay persistent. Public defender’s offices do not have the same streamlined recruitment process as big firms. Thus, it takes a lot more effort, which usually means many repetitive phone calls. Yet, the effort is worth it in the end. Public interest jobs, particularly public defender jobs, offer a unique chance to get hands-on experience with the legal system.

Jenna Gallagher, 2L

This past summer, I worked as a research assistant for Professor Jim Ryan, and I really enjoyed it. Being a research assistant gave me flexible hours, and it’s a pretty great environment here during the summer. I was a little apprehensive about the project at first because we were revising an Education Law casebook for its next edition, and I hadn’t taken Education Law yet. It turned out to be a really interesting field, and I ended up learning a lot about something I think I’d like to study in the future. It also gave me an interesting subject to discuss during interviews, and it was definitely a plus to be able to tell prospective employers that I had spent the summer revising a book.

The best advice I can give to 1Ls interested in working for a professor is to start looking early. Professors usually post positions on the bulletin boards in Slaughter Hall during the spring semester, but a vast majority of professors take on at least one research assistant, so you can definitely get a head start by asking around. If you have a 1L professor you really like, I would suggest trying to lock that up early. Otherwise, you can definitely knock on doors and see who’s doing work you might be interested in. They’ll usually ask for your first semester grades, a resumé, and some references (any 1L professor is generally fine). In the end, being a research assistant is a great way to spend your summer, and I would definitely recommend it.