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1L Career Guides

How to Get a 1L Summer Job

The tactical playbook: build your target list, get your resume law-school-ready, write cover letters that don't sound generic, network deliberately, and prep for the interviews that actually convert.

Last updated: June 2026.

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The Seven-Step Playbook

1.Build your target list (1L fall — November)

Create a long list of 30-50 potential employers across multiple tracks.

  • Include federal judicial chambers in cities you'd live in (use OSCAR and your school's clerkship office).
  • Include 5-10 federal agency programs (DOJ Honors, agency student intern programs).
  • Include 10-15 public interest orgs (national PI like ACLU, local Legal Aid, public defender, DA).
  • Include 10-15 small/mid firms in cities you'd target — plaintiff, defense, employment, IP.
  • Include 2-3 stretch options (BigLaw 1L diversity programs, judicial internships in dream cities).
  • Filter by location: do you actually want to spend 8-10 weeks there? If no, remove.

2.Get your resume law-school-ready (1L fall)

1L resumes look different from undergrad/professional resumes. Use your career services template.

  • Single page, no exceptions.
  • Education section at the top: school, expected JD year, undergrad school + GPA + honors.
  • Add a 'Honors and Activities' line under Education with journal memberships, moot court, Dean's list.
  • Professional experience listed in reverse chronological order.
  • Use action verbs, focus on impact: 'Drafted...', 'Researched...', 'Built...', 'Led...'.
  • Reference list ready (separate document — don't include on resume).
  • Get career services to review before applying. Two rounds of feedback typically.

3.Build cover letter templates (early December)

Have 2-3 cover letter templates that you adapt per employer.

  • Template 1: Judicial chambers — explain interest in the judge's docket or jurisprudence, your relevant background, why their court.
  • Template 2: Public interest — explain commitment to the cause, your relevant experience, what you'd contribute.
  • Template 3: Firm / agency — explain interest in their practice areas, your relevant background, why this employer specifically.
  • Each letter ~3-4 paragraphs, half a page. Hiring managers skim.
  • Customize the opening line and the specific-firm/judge paragraph per application. Don't customize the whole letter every time — you'll burn out and the marginal value is low.
  • Always end with a clear ask: 'I would welcome the opportunity to discuss...'

4.Apply on December 1 onwards (ABA Standard 304 unlock)

Send your first applications the day the rule opens. Set up a tracking sheet.

  • Federal agency programs (DOJ Honors, SEC) — apply December 1-15.
  • BigLaw 1L diversity programs — apply on rolling basis as they open.
  • Federal judicial chambers — most accept applications January-March. Bookmark deadlines.
  • Use a spreadsheet: employer, application date, follow-up date, status, notes.
  • Send applications on Tuesday-Thursday morning when hiring managers are most likely to open.
  • Personalize each. Mass emails get filtered out fast.

5.Network deliberately (December - February)

Outreach to alumni and 2L/3L students who landed roles you'd want.

  • Use your school's alumni database and LinkedIn to find lawyers at target employers.
  • Send short (~150 word) outreach emails — coffee chat / 15-minute call to ask about their work.
  • Don't ask for a job in the outreach. Build context first; ask for a referral or specific advice in a follow-up.
  • Ask 2L students who landed roles you'd want for honest tactical advice (which firms responded to which applications, who interviewed them).
  • Send thank-you emails within 24 hours of any conversation. Reconnect 4-6 weeks later with an update.

6.Prep for interviews (January - March)

1L interviews are typically 20-30 minute behavioral conversations. Be ready for the standard questions.

  • Have 4-6 stories ready that you can adapt to common prompts (challenge, leadership, conflict, failure, recent project, why law).
  • Practice the 'walk me through your resume' answer to 90 seconds, hitting the most relevant work in detail.
  • Have 'why this employer' specific answer ready: name a practice area, a recent matter, a value of the office.
  • Ask 2-3 thoughtful questions at the end. About the work, not about benefits or logistics.
  • Dress conservatively. Suit and tie for men; suit or business dress for women, with conservative shoes.
  • Practice with a 2L or career services counselor. The first time you do a mock interview is rougher than you think.

7.Follow up + accept (March - April)

Move quickly, communicate professionally, and accept clean offers.

  • Follow up on any application 3 weeks out if you haven't heard. Polite, one-paragraph email reaffirming interest.
  • If you have multiple offers, communicate honestly about timing — most employers will give you 2 weeks to decide.
  • Accept by phone or video, follow up in writing.
  • Decline gracefully and quickly when you've accepted elsewhere. Burning bridges in the early career is expensive.
  • If unplaced by mid-April, expand to non-legal jobs, research assistant positions, or volunteer roles. Don't sit on it.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ Mass-mailing identical cover letters to 40 employers.

✓ Fix: Customize the opening line and the specific-firm paragraph per application. Hiring managers tell each other about generic letters; it spreads fast in PI and judicial circles.

✕ Waiting until February to send first applications.

✓ Fix: ABA Standard 304 opens December 1. Federal agencies and big PI orgs are filling slots in December-January. Late starts cost the best roles.

✕ Ignoring career services until you need a panic-mode resume review.

✓ Fix: Build a relationship with career services in 1L fall. Multiple resume reviews, mock interview prep, and warm intros come from a counselor who knows you.

✕ Asking for a job in the first networking email.

✓ Fix: Networking is information first. Ask about their work, their path, what they look for. Make a clear ask later if rapport develops. Asking too early closes the door.

✕ Optimizing only for BigLaw 1L summer associate (when those programs barely exist).

✓ Fix: 1L BigLaw summer associate programs are rare and competitive. Optimize the broader application strategy — judicial, agency, PI, small firm — for an actual job.

✕ Refusing roles outside major markets.

✓ Fix: A federal judicial internship in Sacramento or Atlanta is a stronger signal than a small-firm role in NYC. Quality of experience > geography for the resume.

FAQ

When do I start applying for 1L summer jobs?+
ABA Standard 304 prohibits 1L summer outreach until December 1. Apply on December 1 onwards. Federal agency programs like DOJ Honors deadline in mid-December. Federal judicial chambers accept applications January-March. Public interest fellowships from your school deadline in February. Most students who land top roles started in December, not March.
How many places should I apply for 1L summer?+
30-50 applications across multiple tracks (judicial, federal agency, PI, small firm). Two reasons: (1) most 1L summer roles are competitive enough that a 5-10% hit rate is normal, so 50 applications produces 2-5 offers; (2) applying to many forces you to clarify what you actually want and reveals which application pitches resonate. Customize each, don't mass-mail.
What should a 1L resume look like?+
Single page, with Education at the top (school, expected JD year, undergrad, GPA, honors, journal/moot court), then Professional Experience in reverse chronological order, then Skills or Languages if relevant. Use action verbs and lead with impact in each bullet. Get career services to review at least once before applying. Most law school career offices have a template — use it.
How do I write a 1L cover letter?+
Half a page, 3-4 paragraphs. Opening hook (1-2 sentences explaining why this employer specifically). Body paragraph (relevant background). Body paragraph (what you'd contribute / why you'd be a fit). Closing with clear ask. Use three different templates: one for judicial, one for PI, one for firms/agencies. Customize the opening and specific-employer paragraph per application; templates handle the rest. Don't try to write fully custom letters for 50 applications — you'll burn out and the marginal value over a well-built template is small.
How do I network as a 1L?+
Use your school's alumni database. Send short outreach emails (150 words max) asking for a 15-minute coffee chat or call. Don't ask for a job in the outreach — ask about their work and path. Build rapport, then in a follow-up ask for a referral or specific advice. Send thank-you emails within 24 hours and reconnect 4-6 weeks later with an update. Most students don't network well; doing it deliberately puts you ahead.
How do I prepare for 1L summer job interviews?+
Have 4-6 prepared stories that adapt to common prompts (challenge, leadership, conflict, failure, recent project, why law). Walk-me-through-your-resume should be 90 seconds. Have employer-specific 'why this office' ready — name a practice area, a recent matter, an institutional value. Ask 2-3 thoughtful questions at the end about the work, not benefits. Do at least one mock interview with career services before your first real one.
What if I don't get any offers?+
Don't sit on it. Options: (1) RA position with a professor (paid, builds recommendation, often available late), (2) volunteer at a Legal Aid clinic without formal title (still real legal work, looks fine on resume), (3) non-legal job for savings (defensible, doesn't hurt much), (4) summer abroad / study abroad program if your school offers one. The 2L OCI process cares about 1L grades much more than the 1L summer line. Frame whatever you do positively and move on to OCI prep.

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