The Top Signs Your Legal Internship is "Just Not That Into You"

When the movie "He's Just Not That Into You" came out, my friends were split over it. Some felt that the movie was really harsh. However, I, ever the cynic, adopted this movie as my dating mantra/bible/best friend. When it comes to dating and life, I don't mess around. I'm quick to drop toxic relationships and am not afraid to face harsh realities, especially the daunting "he's just not that into you." I realized early on that this approach, in the most utilitarian sense, simply saves a lot of time and energy.

I see no reason why this ideology cannot and should not be applied to internships as well. I see many of my peers in "toxic" internships. It is apparent to everyone, except the intern, that the employer has no intention to commit (hire). The current job market is still strongly in favor of the employer. This means that you, as a full-time-job-seeking intern, need to be cognizant of the signs of employers who are wasting your time.

Top Signs Your Internship Is Just Not That Into You

1. They've already hired other people

You're working for an office and they just made their initial offers, and you aren't one of them. No, they didn't just forget you. No, they aren't saving your offer letter for a surprise office party. They aren't hiring you. They've seen your work and they found better elsewhere. Save face and leave sooner rather than later because the intern-equivalent of a pink-slip is coming your way (unless you aren't getting paid, see below).

2. They've casually mentioned that the partner has a child who is also a 3L

If you are working in an office that only hires someone every once in a while, this sign is a huge red flag. Don't be the "mistress-intern" that is just filling the void until the law student off at the far away law school comes home to her job waiting for her. Take the cue and don't be foolish in thinking that the firm is going to bend over backwards to make room for you too.

3. They are avoiding the hiring conversation

Can't seem to get an appointment with the hiring manager.... ever?! It's not an easy conversation to tell an intern that the company has no intention of hiring her. This also goes for putting the conversation off, telling you to come back in a week/month/later, or asking someone else. Like men, if the employer has any interest in committing to you, they will express it. You may love your internship and the experience it's giving you, but don't let that blind you into thinking that if you love it enough, a job will be in a pot at the end of the rainbow.

4. You begin to convince yourself that you didn't really like this career path after all

You love civil litigation. Don't pigeon-hole yourself into thinking that working at X, Y & Z firm is the only place you will like or can practice civil litigation. Same goes from criminal law, a certain Public Defender's office not hiring, try the next county over. Don't let a toxic relationship ruin a field of law for you. If you came into the job loving the field and it's only because you are feeling scorned that has led to you feeling otherwise, take a step back and walk away.

5. You aren't getting paid

I understand that many, many internships today are unpaid. So long as you are working in public interest, working for free is not a total red flag that you aren't getting hired. However, consider your role from the employer's perspective: FREE LABOR. So long as you are a quality intern, OF COURSE, they want to have you around as long as possible. Do you really think they will say, "We don't really plan on hiring you so you can just go" or "You're a great intern but we'd love to spend two weeks training someone new so that you can pursue other opportunities." Didn't think so.

Now if you are working for a firm for free. First, that's dumb, they have "for profit" income, the least they can do is give you, someone with a bachelor's degree plus some legal education, minimum wage. Second, they definitely don't plan on hiring you and giving you a real, valuable salary. If they had money, you'd assume they'd be giving some of it to you now.

6. Budget Constraints 

Budget constraints may not mean that the employer is not into you. This is a classic case of: "it's not you, it's me." Maybe you can find a grant to support your job if it's in public interest. If you work for a firm, see exactly what the constraint is. Is someone considering retirement? Is there not enough work load? Do they need to land a big client to support another income? Something I have seen my peers do is offer a unique salary plan to employers who are in tight financial situations but want to hire. For example, some offer to take a lower salary but negotiate to keep a much higher percentage of all the clients they bring in.

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If you recognize any, or several, of these signs in your internship, it may be time to move on, ESPECIALLY if you are a 3L. (Granted if you are in a formal internship program with a fixed length, finish it out like a champ so at least you can walk away with a letter of recommendation.) The end goal of law school (assuming you aren't going for your J.D./M.R.S.) is a meaningful, paying job. Understandably, in this market, it may very well not be your dream job. However, we have loans, rent, and bills to pay and frankly, toxic internships that will not commit are not the path to fulfilling these needs.

Please know that is post is coming from a place of love, not judgment. I believe that we all learn something from every relationship we are in, professional or otherwise. Take what you learned from your toxic internship and use it to get an even better one, that hopefully values your work enough to commit to your awesome, job-worthy self.

So what do you think? Am I a cynic? Would you add anything else to the list? Have you ever been in a toxic internship?

xo

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Studying Essentials

Finals week is upon many of us in the law school world. It seems like the world stops and only E&E's exist. It's so incredibly easy to let yourself go both physically, mentally, and emotionally. I feel like I'm constantly reminding myself to put down the books and eat, get some fresh air, and exercise a bit to counteract all the sitting in the library. Here are some of the things I couldn't do without during my exam period:

Focus

Do what you need to do to kick ass. Blast some music. or block out the world with ear plugs. 

Hydrate

I don't drink caffeine. Period. So to keep me going during my studying, I always have a full water bottle. I'm partial to my Lexis Camelbak because it's 1,000,000% spill proo.

Power Up

While I'm studying I want to eat food that won't weigh me down, tire me out, or give me a sugar rush. Granola bars are the perfect balance of sweet and savory to keep me going between meals. I'm a huge fan of Cliff and Kashi brands.

Low Maintenance

This is the time to go uber low maintenance and ditch the make-up and blowdryers. Throw your hair in a pony tail and/or throw on a hat for the  sporty but really "I've completely given" up look.

Comfort

I refuse to wear sweat pants to school. REFUSE. So to stay comfy all day in the library I just sport my gym clothes. It looks cuter and I don't have to pack an extra gym bag!

Good luck & see you on the flip side!

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The Great Debate: Law Students + Business Cards?

People seem to be very passionate about whether law students should have business cards. To be honest, until very recently I felt very strongly in one direction (against). However, I recently purchased business cards and have found several occasions where I was glad to have them. By and large, I think law students should use their business cards to network with other law students. Realistically, lawyers have no use for a law student's card. Any follow-up interaction between a law student and a lawyer will 9.9/10 come from the law student. I have heard that some law students feel more comfortable asking to exchange cards, rather than asking just for the attorney's card. However, I find that simply saying that you upon receiving a card is more than enough. Plus you saved a card for someone who may actually utilize it!

Once I decided to take the plunge and buy law student business cards, I struggled with what exactly should be on the card and where. I think placement can be personal, but here is the information that made the cut onto my card:

• Name
• School
• Graduation Year
• City/State --> absolutely necessary for networking across the country! 
• Cell Phone
• Email Address 
• LinkedIn Profile URL with QR code --> can't even begin to tell you how many new connections this has given me

I have ordered my business cards from more places than I'd like to admit. In all fairness I have law student cards, blog cards, and cards for my side job. Unabashedly, each is from a different vendor. I can't say I have a favorite but each definitely has their perks and drawbacks.

Top Picks for Law Student Business Cards:

1. Moo.com
I love Moo's pre-made template and their paper quality feels high end. I have also used their interface to upload a custom card that I created on photoshop with absolute ease. Con: price.

2. Vistaprint.com
Vistaprint=cheap. You really do get what you pay for. I wouldn't be caught dead handing out a card in their cheapest stock. You really could have just used printer paper from home. HOWEVER, I recently ordered cards with a thick, glossy stock and they came out nearly as good as my Moo.com cards for much less.

3. Fedex//Kinkos
Caught across the country and need cards ASAP? Your local Kinkos can bang these puppies out in an hour. The paper quality isn't the greatest and the price is far more than if you order through the mail with Moo or Vistaprint, but when you're in a bind there is nothing better.

Which side of the aisle are you on?

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Top 5 Reasons Why Law Students Should Join the ABA

1. Network
Confession: I love networking. Before I got involved with the ABA, I exclusively networked with my local bar association, the magnificent Philadelphia Bar Association. However, the networking I've done through the ABA is at a whole other level. When I was in San Francisco this summer for the ABA Annual Meeting, nearly every attorney I chatted with was at the top of their field. Best of all, these attorneys, judges, and professors LOVED talked to law students!

I also highly recommend joining the ABA if you wish to practice in a region outside your law school's primary placement area or if your area of specialization is practiced more heavily in another region. For example, going to school in Philadelphia isn't the greatest for entertainment law. There is just a handful of attorneys and none of the big power players. If I wanted to network with the big guns in NYC or LA, a national association is the way to go.

2. Learn
If there is an area of the law you are interested in, there is likely a section or committee for you. As a law student, joining sections is usually free or for a nominal fee. By joining sections, you'll receive their publications and get on their listserv. This is an priceless way to learn about key players, issues, and events going on in a specific area of law. All things you'd want to know to nail a job interview, right?

3. Profession
If you believe in our profession as lawyers, you MUST join the ABA. The ABA is the only organization that speaks for lawyers at the national level. Student debt reduction for lawyers? Yep, the ABA is lobbying Congress for that. Accreditation standards for law schools? The ABA handles that. Creating standards for legal ethics? ABA makes those. (p.s. Congrats to everyone who took the MPRE last weekend!)

4. Lead
There are innumerable ways for law students to get involved with the ABA so I will just hit on a few. In the Law Student Division, you can be a representative (like me) and represent your school at national meetings. Speaking at the Law Student Division Assembly this summer was by far the highlight of law school career. Getting a standing ovation didn't hurt either ;-)

You can also represent your region as a "Circuit Governor." Governors represent a particular region and all the law school in it. Circuit Governors also plan programming in their region alongside their lieutenant governors.

Law students can also get involved with particular sections as "liaisons." Each section selects one law student to represent ALL law students regarding a particular area of the law. This is an incredible opportunity to influence a specialization you are interested in.

Shout out to the 3rd Circuit!

5. Compete
Studying law is one thing but practicing it is a whole other ball game. Get your hands dirty with ABA member-exclusive competitions including moot court, client counseling, mediation and arbitration, and trial team. Prove yourself on the national stage!

Join the ABA HERE!

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Another One Bites the Dust

I absolutely cannot wrap my mind around the fact that I've finished my second year of law school. That means only ONE more year left. I don't know if I'm more excited or nervous. One thing I'm 100% positive about is that I will miss law school. CRAZY! I know. I have made some absolutely amazing friends over the past two years. I've found that to be such a blessing because so many of my friends at other law schools cannot say the same. The law school process can knock you down. Over and over and over again. I know that I would never have kept my sanity with out the fab 6, my orientation buddies, networking partners in crime.

Today is my law school's graduation and to be completely honest I cried when I saw the pictures of the 3Ls in their cap and gowns. I didn't cry at my high school or college graduation but I was in tears just thinking about leaving this part of my life behind. It's crazy to think that's going to me and my friends in just one year walking across the stage. Moving on. Growing up. Hopefully never drifting too far apart. 

I know that our careers will keep up busy and pull us to different parts of the country. We'll get married and have kids one day and we won't have the easiness of just walking into the library and seeing a hundred friendly faces.  

2L year was definitely better than 1L. I got to pick classes that interested me, I got to go to the Supreme Court, I learned a lot about myself, I lived with a cat, I dated, I dumped, I got my dream internship, I sang karaoke for the first time, I donated 8 inches of hair to locks of love, I stood up for myself, and I worked hard for everything I earned. Here are some of my favorite moments with my classmates from my 2L year:

The semester ended two weeks ago today and I miss so many of these guys! I can't wait for 3L year to start! I can't wait to hustle to find my first REAL job. You know, one with benefits and a salary. I can't wait to go to  two cities I've never been to before, San Francisco and Chicago, for ABA conferences. I CANNOT wait to cherish every last moment of being with my amazingly smart, talented, hilarious, driven, and beautiful classmates. 

The Esquirette Meets SCOTUS

I had the COOLEST day yesterday. I would have blogged about it then but I was so physically exhausted that I crashed at 8:30 pm (yes, you read that correctly). So at 4:30 am yesterday I woke up to go hang out at the Supreme Court of the United States, hereinafter "SCOTUS", (<-- there's some legalese to spice up your Wednesday morning). Add: black suit, pearls, pointy black pumps, and power bag and I was ready to go!

When we arrived at SCOTUS, I was positively bubbly over every little thing. Luckily for me I was travelling with one of my professors and two fellow classmates who are also crazy SCOTUS nerds. Parallel parking between the justices' official cars? Too much to handle and it was only the beginning. Once we took the elevator up to the main floor, my classmates and I had the biggest, goofiest grins on our face. Turning the corner and seeing the giant statue of John Marshall was just surreal. For the three of us, it was our first time at the Court and we were so lucky to have our professor who seemed to know EVERY person in the building from the reporters to the members of the Supreme Court bar and even a few justices.

Before we went into the courtroom to watch the oral arguments we HAD to take a picture with John Marshall. You can see that we still had the goofy grins about an hour in to our visit. Note: I'm the furthest to the right.

We were extremely fortunate to be able to watch the high profile case of Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl. If you care to read about it here is the Oyez overview and a NYTimes opinion piece. To be honest, I still don't know how I think the case should come out. Either way it's heartbreaking. I was surprised to see during the arguments many of the justices reclining back in their seats and the amount of little jokes they made. As expected, Justice Thomas didn't make a peep and Justice Alito was pretty quiet too. Justices Sotomayor, Breyer, and Scalia were by far the most talkative on the bench.

After the argument, we got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Supreme Court by Chief Justice Robert's assistant. We even got to meet the Chief Justice himself which was a total surprise. To say that I was in shock would be an understatement. He was extremely kind and even asked us what we thought of the argument. Afterwards, we toured his office, which contains the couch that John Quincy Adams died on and this famous portrait of George Washington. We also made stops in the robing room and the conference room where the justices hash out the cases and decide who will write the opinion and any dissents. I loved hearing all the history behind the building, the traditions that the Justices have, and a little bit of SCOTUS gossip.

At the end of the day, I was so inspired by what it means to be a lawyer and to be a part of the legal system in this country. No matter what at what level of the judicial system, it was humbling to remember that there are real people with real interests involved. Do I want to be a Supreme Court justice? Nope but I will forever be in awe of the Court's majesty.

The 10 Commandments of Coffee Shop Etiquette

It's that time of the semester. Finals. It seems like every student has their spot. Be it in an isolated carrel in the quiet section of the library, at home in bed, or at a coffee shop, most of my peers can't get in the studying zone without being in their spot. For me, that spot is a corner table in the back of a coffee shop with a window view and OUTLETS! As much as I love/need/survive on my coffee shop studying, other patrons can be a pain. So in the spirit of passover I've created the 10 Commandments of Coffee Shop Etiquette.

1. Thou shall buy something. Common sense. Somebody has to pay for the "free" wifi. Also, if you're going to be there all day. Probably should buy more than one cuppa joe.
2. Thou shall tip the barista. Every time. Even if it's just the change.
3. Thou shall not use an obscene amount of outlets. Obscene means more than one. If necessary, bring a power strip. 
4. Thou shall use the smallest table possible. By yourself? Don't take up a table for four. On a similar note, you get one seat. Put your bag on the floor.
5. Thou shall clean up your mess. Bus your table when you leave. It's not that hard and keeps the baristas doing their job.
6. Thou shall talk in an "inside voice." This one depends on the culture of the coffee shop but in general: Group studying is fine, just don't have a party. Probably should keep it to no larger than four people. Conference call? Depends on the length, but you should probably should take it outside. 
7. Thou shall use headphones. No exceptions. Plus, it's really awkward for other patrons ask you to cut the crap.
8. Thou shall not bring in outside food and beverages. Lunch break? Leave.
9. Thou shall not hog the bandwidth. Downloading large files and streaming? Probably should do it elsewhere.
10. Keep to yourself. Just because someone doesn't have earphones in doesn't mean they want to talk to you.

You can find reviews of The Esquirette's favorite coffee spots (& more) here!

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From Briefcase to Backpack

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions and events. As a Type-A borderline control freak, the most difficult part for me is the roller coaster, not necessarily the difficult events along the way. I'm going to try to make a long story short.

In October, I arranged to have a part-time externship for credit this semester. To say that I was excited to start this internship is an understatement. I looked forward to getting extensive experience in family law, an area of law which I'm extremely interested in but have limited experience. I couldn't wait to get more involved with practicing attorneys, the Philadelphia Bar Association, and hopefully find a mentor, one of my new years resolutions. However, this week when I arrived at the office for my first day, I found the firm to be in a major upheaval. During a meeting later that day with my internship advisor at the law school, I was told that the firm was no longer a suitable placement. We scrambled to find another internship, however, the proposed opportunities weren't aligned with my interests and I didn't want to have an internship just for the sake of having one. I felt like I was getting pulled in every direction and time wasn't on my side. After a tear-filled conversation with my favorite professor and about 1 million calls to my parents, I decided that it would be in my best interest to take classes this semester.

Picking up an additional 10 credits of classes hasn't been easy. I missed an entire week of some classes and have had to catch up on readings assigned for winter vacation. I'm not going to lie, reading 100 pages of my Federal Income Tax book in one day was brutal. But after spending long evenings and the weekend in the library, I've caught up. I'm drained, exhausted, but also proud.

On the bright side, I was able to get into every class I wanted (Trial Advocacy, Federal Income Tax, Family Law, Criminal Procedure, and Litigation Drafting) with some amazing professors. After improving my grades last semester I'm hoping to continue that trend this term. I' have already started participating more in class, limiting my computer use in class, and meeting with my professors more often. Having new goals for my new schedule has helped me adjust quickly. I'm also immensely thankful that this all happened the first week of the semester, I really don't know what I would have done if the firm had these issues in the middle of the semester. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason and I am already finding reason in all of these changes.

Hopefully now that things are settling again, I'll be able to begin posting here more frequently again.