How Important Is Your 1L Summer?

The Honest Answer

Your 1L summer won't make or break your BigLaw chances on its own. But it can meaningfully help — or quietly hurt — depending on what you do with it.

Here's why it matters: when you sit down for OCI screeners in August, interviewers will look at your resume and see one legal work experience. That's your 1L summer. It's the only substantive legal experience you have at that point. It's going to come up.

What Helps

A BigLaw 1L position. Landing a 1L summer associate spot at a large firm is the gold standard. It gives you real BigLaw experience to talk about, potential for a return offer, and credibility with every other firm you interview with.

These positions are competitive. Many are tied to diversity fellowships and structured programs. Check out our guide on how 1L recruiting works.

A federal judge. Spending your 1L summer clerking for a federal judge is excellent. It signals strong credentials and gives you great stories for interviews.

Government or public interest work. DOJ, SEC, a state AG's office, a legal aid organization — these are all respected 1L summer placements. They show you can do real legal work and they generate good interview material.

What Doesn't Help (as Much as You'd Think)

A non-legal job. Working in finance, consulting, or another field isn't bad, but it doesn't give you legal experience to discuss at OCI. If you go this route, be prepared to explain why and connect it to your legal career goals.

Doing nothing. This is the one to avoid. An empty summer raises questions. Even if you need to study for transfer applications or handle personal obligations, try to get some kind of legal experience on your resume.

How to Maximize It

Whatever you do this summer, extract maximum interview material from it. Pay attention to the matters you work on, the skills you develop, and what you learn about your own interests. These become your stories at OCI.

When you're researching firms for 2L recruiting, use the firm directory to identify which firms run 1L programs and what practice areas they emphasize.

The Bottom Line

Your 1L summer is one data point on your resume. It matters, but it's not the whole picture. Strong grades, solid OCI preparation, and genuine interest in the firms you're targeting matter just as much — probably more.