For the first few months of school, don't spend time worrying about your legal career. You'll have plenty of time for doing so later, but for awhile simply let yourself acclimate to the heights of Mount 1L. The air may seem thin at times, so don't waste your breath.

Summer Job

But be aware that time goes quickly! Near the end of your first semester, talk will begin to circulate about finding work after your 1L year.

From December 1st, law firms begin accepting applications for summer positions from 1Ls. These positions are mostly meant to fill residual vacancies left over from the fall hiring season.

Here is the tradeoff: by December 1st, you'll be bearing down on final exams. Researching legal employers, preparing your résumé, writing cover letters, well, all these cost time. If you're of the belief that time studying relates proportionally to performance on exams, then you're looking at trading some points for the prospect of "beating" others to the punch for that summer job. So does applying on December 1st give you enough of an advantage? That's up to you. But quite rare was the person last year that got a job before finals.

What, other than big law, can I do for my first summer job?

The judiciary, either Federal or State, is a great place to look. You can "extern" for a judge and earn some great experience, though no pay. Most 1Ls will work at the trial level, i.e., Superior Court or Federal District Court. Competition for positions in San Francisco is steep; don't be afraid to look elsewhere in the Bay Area. The Northern District of California conveniently allows you to apply online. For state court judges, you'll still need to send in paper applications.

Small - medium law firms, who probably won't look to hire until December 1st. You'll probably have to pursue them (i.e., "cold call"), as they likely won't come to the very limited on-campus interviews during the spring.

Public interest, such as the Legal Aid Society. Hastings puts on the Public Interest / Public Sector Career Day, where many Bay Area public interest firms conduct interviews.

Research for a professor, by either inquiring with your favorite faculty member or keeping your eye on Hastings email and weekly newsletters.