A Proposal For A Summer Associate Job Database
I have no idea why this doesn’t exist already. I suspect that quite a few qualified 2Ls such as myself [shameless plug but if you're still hiring, please see my resume (redacted for my privacy)] are still looking for summer work. BigLaw is essentially done hiring, and in fact, they’re anti-hiring, so my applications are mainly going out to small to mid-sized firms.
Yes, I have a template which I only minimally edit from firm to firm, but it still takes me around 15 minutes to ensure that I have the right person, title, firm name, that they have relevant practices, etc. That’s 15 minutes of my wasted time, and an unknown amount of time spent by the firm actively rejecting me, that could be avoided if I knew that they weren’t hiring in the first place.
The proposal: a centralized website / database in charge of sending 1 ding letter to every firm inquiring whether they’re still hiring summers. Assuming people are checking the database, the firm should drastically reduce the number of applications they receive when they’re finished hiring. If the firms were seeing substantial benefit from the database, a system could even be implemented whereby firms can actively notify the website when they complete the hiring process.
I feel like at least career services should be jumping at this idea. Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the money to undertake such a large project.
Do you think it would be worth it? Would you pay for this kind of service?
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If I were still in law school and on the job hunt, I’d definitely be in favor of this type of database. It’s a great idea and would ultimately save law students and employers time and effort. I’d pay for it, but probably no more than $20.
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