As a 2L, I often find myself in a position to give (sometimes unsolicited) advice. Faced with questions like what elective should I take, when should I apply to jobs, where should I apply, when should I outline, and how do I outline, I often give the standard answer: it depends.
Continue readingcareers
Discovering Advocacy Before the Courtroom: My Journey to Law School
One Monday morning in the summer of 2022, I was greeted at work by my boss eagerly telling me today I would be meeting the defendant in the self-defense case I just started working on. After anxiously waiting until lunch, I watched with surprise as a young boy—barely five foot seven and still sporting a baby face—walked through my door and told me he was just seventeen yet was being tried as an adult for second-degree murder.
Continue readingHow My Grandmother’s Escape from Persecution Helped Me Discover My Own Path
Ilovik, Croatia, is a sparsely developed island with a compact area of just five square miles. With only 60 permanent residents and a modest influx of expatriates each summer, Ilovik’s way of life is characterized by its isolation and limited resources. The idyllic beauty of the island belies the history and complex legal struggles of many of its inhabitants. I have spent most of my childhood summers visiting my Baba, Croatian for grandmother, in Ilovik. During these visits, as I listened to Baba’s poignant recollections of her time on and off the island, I discovered my calling to pursue a career in law.
Continue readingA Sit Down Chat with BC Law Legend Professor Bloom
Generations of BC Law alumni have found common ground in relating their experiences with the institution’s most revered fixtures, names like Hillinger, Brodin, Blum, and Katz. This week, I had a chat with Professor “Bob” Bloom, an alum himself and a remarkable legal educator whose one-of-a-kind style has left an indelible mark on any student privileged enough to take his courses (BC Law Magazine published a lengthy Q&A with him last spring; read that here).
Continue readingFour Notorious 2L Summer Associate Stories
Every 2L summer associate dreams of a smooth path to a six-figure salary. But not everyone makes it to the finish line. For a select few, the summer ends not with an offer letter, but with a quiet email, a closed-door meeting, or in some cases, an HR debrief no one forgets.
Inspired by the most recent crazy case of the summer “Biglaw Biter,” the following are four other infamous examples of 2L summer associates who really went off the rails. All of them, for better or worse, are unforgettable—so unbelievable, you might think I’m making them up (so I included sources for you to prove it).
I probably don’t have to tell you this, but let this be your reminder: Biglaw firms are watching—and they never forget.
Continue readingLaw School Via a ‘Kick in the Pants’
50 years ago this fall, I was a member of the very first class to start at the then brand-new BC Law School campus. But I ended up there after an unexpected — but well aimed — kick in the pants.
Continue readingSeeing What Sticks: Trial and Error in Law School
For many law students, a consistent record of success follows them. A high undergraduate GPA, strong LSAT scores, and glowing recommendations make it seem like aptitude is a given and success is inevitable. Nevertheless, the heavier and harsh realities of law school quickly tear apart fanciful notions of an easy-breezy life. But if there was ever a place to fail, law school would be the place.
Let me explain.
Continue readingNo Post-Grad Job Offer? No Problem!
The journey of getting a J.D. is fraught with uncertainty, but there is a particular lasting uncertainty that many public-interest law students feel as they navigate their way through school. Specifically, public-interest students can find themselves at the end of a three-year J.D. program unclear on where their next journey lies.
One may find it unfortunate that the public interest sector does not have a defined linear track like the big-law business lays out for law students. It can feel daunting to constantly search for your next summer experience each school year without the certainty that you will be offered long-term employment.
Continue readingThe Conversations That Matter: How Mentors Changed My Life
The coffee was burnt. The décor, forgettable—muted earth tones, a token abstract print on the wall. The air-conditioning droned overhead, numbing the space, while the espresso machine sputtered and sighed into the empty café. But the conversation was life-changing. I was twenty-two, sitting across from an attorney at Bloomberg in Hong Kong, trying to calibrate my enthusiasm, trying not to seem too eager, too green.
He sipped his espresso, glanced at a fancy watch, and then, just as I started doubting my ability to navigate this unfamiliar dynamic, he leaned forward and asked, “So, tell me about yourself?”
Continue readingOne Size Does Not Fit All: The 2L Summer Job Search
You might be familiar with the term “two roads diverged in a yellow wood.” The poem, written by Robert Frost, reflects on the ways different choices can lead to different journeys and different destinations.
If – like me – the journey you’re contemplating is the 2L summer job search for Big Law firms, it’s less two roads diverging in a yellow wood, and more one of those massive highway interchanges – where it feels like there’s about 8 different paths you could take, all of them go somewhere different, you can’t make out any of the road signs, and it’s all happening at about 80 miles per hour.
What firms are you looking at? What part of the country? Do you want a big firm? A small firm? A small office in a big firm? A small practice area in a big office in a big firm? A big practice area in a big office in a small firm? Some other ungodly combination thereof?
And then – practice areas, which are different from industries. Litigation or corporate? Corporate litigation? Complex commercial litigation? Transactional? Disputes? A specific area of litigation? A specific area of transactions? Do you want to decide on your practice group as a summer associate? Anything involving technology? Anything involving labor and employment? What about real estate? Are you planning to clerk? Are you interested in pro bono?
And that’s just if you know you want to do a Big Law Summer. For example, many of my friends are interested in Big Law, but also want to explore public interest or government jobs.
So, you know, no stress.
At the same time, as you seek out people for advice – older students, mentors, professors, CSO, practicing attorneys and so on – you find that while the advice is helpful and based on experience, it often contradicts. Some people love networking, others emphatically do not, some people were sending out applications in March and others waited until after spring semester finals.
While it all seems confusing, and as mentioned above, there are multiple different paths, I’ve come to understand that multiple different paths are kind of the point. There is no one-size-fits-all plan for 2L recruitment.
For example, I plan on returning to California after graduation. I’m from San Diego, and I hope to begin my legal practice in Southern California – and definitely want to be a summer associate in a Southern California office. As such, my process looks a little different than many of my peers.
Whereas my classmates can meet attorneys for coffee within the city of Boston, I often connect with attorneys in Southern California via Zoom. While there are certainly more alums from BC law in Boston than in San Diego, the alumni network in California have all been open and willing to connect and talk about their experiences as various firms. Additionally, I can reach out to attorneys who attended the same undergraduate school as me, or attended my undergraduate school for law school and vice versa. When I attend events in Boston, my goals are to generally understand the culture of a firm and show interest to recruiters who can hopefully connect me with offices in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Many firms have virtual events – where you can connect with attorneys across the country. Furthermore, legal recruiters are a great way to start getting connected with an office.
And if you’re not sure where to start, Boston College has some great resources to put you on the path that is right for you:
- The Career Services Office: The Career Services Office has the benefit of knowing how the 2L job search is going on a macro level – they talk to a variety of students, and track job offers, acceptances, and interviews. Additionally, meeting with CSO can help you create a plan that does fit you, looking at a variety of different factors, including market, practice area, location and application timelines. They also know BC grads personally and can connect you with alumni who might be particularly helpful to your search.
- 2L and 3L Students: Speaking to 2Ls is helpful because their application process – hopefully – will be the most similar to the current application process. 2Ls can offer valuable advice on what worked and what didn’t when applying to firms. 3Ls have worked in the firm as a summer associate — they offer great insight into firm culture. Additionally, it can feel easier to ask questions to 3Ls instead of cold emailing an Associate or recruiter.
- Firm Prospects, Vault, Chambers Associate and other web pages: In my search for out-of-state firms, these websites have been invaluable. First, they’re a great way to find firms in different cities. Additionally, the websites will break down practice areas, explain which of the firm’s offices host summer programs, and provide insight into firm culture.
- Career Services Office Big Law Recruiting Website: CSO created a website tailored to the class of 2027 2L job search. Students can see historic GPA data, dates that firm portals open, and access resources such as sample cover letters.
Samantha Torre is a 1L student at BC Law. Contact her at torrs@bc.edu.
BC Law: Impact 