Believe it or not, it is now time to turn to
the process of finding your next summer
internship. Unlike this past year, the 2L
summer job search begins as early as August
or September for some employers. We
generally advise that 2Ls complete their
summer job hunt by Thanksgiving to avoid
having to compete for positions with 1Ls.
However, every year 2Ls secure great
internships with nonprofits, private public
interest firms, or government entities in
the spring as well.
This email will go over some key points and
remind you of some key resources to help you
land a fantastic summer job next year. As
always, you are welcome to meet
with us (Melanie, Alex or Eric — by phone or in person) over
the summer to discuss your job search and
strategy.
Searching for Jobs: On-Campus
Interviewing Programs & On Your Own
As a 2L, your summer job search
should be more specific and targeted. You
should put some thought into what
employer(s) will best give you a competitive
advantage for your ideal post-graduate
position. Which employers routinely host
successful project-based fellows? Which ones
hire straight from law school? Remember
also that your classmates have a wealth of
knowledge to share–over 200 Berkeley Law
students are working at PIPS jobs this
summer. For a general overview of the 2L
summer PIPS job search process, please view
the recording
of our presentation on the topic from
April.
By now you should have received important
information on our two on-campus interview
programs: Early Interview Week (EIW) and the
Fall Interview Program (FIP). PIPS employers
participate in BOTH programs, so make sure
to review our emails carefully.
As of today, the following PIPS employers
have registered for Early Interview Week:
Federal
Reserve Board
San
Francisco District Attorney
Altshuler
Berzon
Lieff
Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein
In addition, many more PIPS employers will
participate in FIP–employers continue to
register with us. You can look at who came last
year for a quick preview of which
employers are likely to participate in FIP
this year.
You can of course apply directly to
employers on your own. B-Line and PSJD.org
remain the best places to find job postings,
but you don’t need to wait for postings to
appear before you can apply. As there are
no restrictions on when you can begin
applying, you can go ahead and contact
employers over the summer to ask about
internships for the summer of 2015.
Applying for Jobs
Don’t forget, the CDO’s website has several
great resources to help you put together
strong cover
letters and resumes. If you’re in a
hurry, you can watch our helpful cover
letter or resume
webcasts, both under 5 minutes long.
Since strong cover letters and resumes are
so important to employers, we encourage
students to send drafts to CDO counselors
for review before submission (please note
our schedules and areas of expertise):
Eric
Stern (out 6/25 – 6/27): government
agencies and judicial externships
Melanie
Rowen (out 7/10 – 7/21): nonprofits,
government agencies (including public
defenders), private public interest firms
Alex
Lee (out 7/28 – 8/4): nonprofits,
government agencies (including district
attorneys and US Attorneys)
Please make sure to send drafts to a
counselor for review no later than July
11th (preferably earlier) to
ensure a timely turnaround for EIW!
Getting Help
If you have questions about anything above,
please don’t hesitate to contact us or make
an appointment! We will send
additional information and resources for the
2L PIPS summer job search in the coming
weeks. Stay tuned!