DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate? Forum
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DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
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Last edited by Anonymous User on Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
Given your commitment to joining the government, given your lack of interest in the firm you have an offer from, and assuming you're right that you're competitive for an A3 clerkship... IMO you should take the plunge and do SLIP. It'll be great to have that on your resume, it'll help prove your dedication to public service, and you may even (although you shouldn't count on this) receive a funnel offer for post-grad.
Obviously there is some risk entailed, since BigLaw generally guarantees a return offer whereas SLIP decidedly does not, but if you'd be clerking and then pursuing government service anyway after graduation, then - again assuming you're right about your clerkship chances - it doesn't sound like you'd lose too much (aside from $) by forgoing the BigLaw SA.
Obviously there is some risk entailed, since BigLaw generally guarantees a return offer whereas SLIP decidedly does not, but if you'd be clerking and then pursuing government service anyway after graduation, then - again assuming you're right about your clerkship chances - it doesn't sound like you'd lose too much (aside from $) by forgoing the BigLaw SA.
- nealric
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Re: DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
I've done SLIP and been a summer associate. I'd chose the SA position.
My SLIP experience was very positive, but it's a fundamentally flawed program unless things have changed in the last few years. I think the original intent of SLIP was to attract candidates who might otherwise have taken an SA position into government service. They were clearly trying to make it a bit of a government SA equivalent (minus the excessive social events and booze). But in practice, funnel offers aren't common enough to justify the risk of foregoing an SA. My year, they decided not to extend any funnel offers. Also, there seemed to be little rhyme or reason where candidates got placed within a section. In mine, some candidates ended up getting interesting work (me for the most part), but others ended up slotted with a pretty dreadful and boring sub-group. It was luck of the draw. Obviously biglaw can be similarly capricious, but a big part of the reason to chose a government job is for better experience and exposure.
Perhaps the firm won't really be what you want, but with a firm offer in hand, you have a better shot at a job in a different firm, and are certainly not foreclosed from applying to clerkships or other government opportunities. In the meantime, you will also get a nice paycheck for the summer.
My SLIP experience was very positive, but it's a fundamentally flawed program unless things have changed in the last few years. I think the original intent of SLIP was to attract candidates who might otherwise have taken an SA position into government service. They were clearly trying to make it a bit of a government SA equivalent (minus the excessive social events and booze). But in practice, funnel offers aren't common enough to justify the risk of foregoing an SA. My year, they decided not to extend any funnel offers. Also, there seemed to be little rhyme or reason where candidates got placed within a section. In mine, some candidates ended up getting interesting work (me for the most part), but others ended up slotted with a pretty dreadful and boring sub-group. It was luck of the draw. Obviously biglaw can be similarly capricious, but a big part of the reason to chose a government job is for better experience and exposure.
Perhaps the firm won't really be what you want, but with a firm offer in hand, you have a better shot at a job in a different firm, and are certainly not foreclosed from applying to clerkships or other government opportunities. In the meantime, you will also get a nice paycheck for the summer.
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Re: DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
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Last edited by Anonymous User on Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- nealric
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Re: DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
I was in SLIP tax, and I was referring to sub-sections within tax. I had no interaction with non-TAX SLIP folks, so I can't compare outside. The people who drew the "black bean" in SLIP tax were placed in the collections department. It was basically just churning out debt collection actions. No different from low-end debt collection mill work. I was fortunate enough to be put in a trial section, which was interesting work (mostly business tax controversy litigation).Anonymous User wrote:OP here, thank you (and the prior poster) for the feedback. Would your calculus change if the summer associate position was with Reed Smith/Greenberg Traurig/a similar type firm? Also, if you don't mind sharing, what were the more interesting/dull SLIP sections in your experience?nealric wrote:I've done SLIP and been a summer associate. I'd chose the SA position.
My SLIP experience was very positive, but it's a fundamentally flawed program unless things have changed in the last few years. I think the original intent of SLIP was to attract candidates who might otherwise have taken an SA position into government service. They were clearly trying to make it a bit of a government SA equivalent (minus the excessive social events and booze). But in practice, funnel offers aren't common enough to justify the risk of foregoing an SA. My year, they decided not to extend any funnel offers. Also, there seemed to be little rhyme or reason where candidates got placed within a section. In mine, some candidates ended up getting interesting work (me for the most part), but others ended up slotted with a pretty dreadful and boring sub-group. It was luck of the draw. Obviously biglaw can be similarly capricious, but a big part of the reason to chose a government job is for better experience and exposure.
Perhaps the firm won't really be what you want, but with a firm offer in hand, you have a better shot at a job in a different firm, and are certainly not foreclosed from applying to clerkships or other government opportunities. In the meantime, you will also get a nice paycheck for the summer.
And yes, I would take a Reed Smith/GT offer over SLIP. Law students may look down on them, but at the end of the day they are still regarded as biglaw firms when it comes to lateraling or 3L recruiting. They are also massive firms that have some very good practices and partners even if they also have some less high-end work as well. They may be below market, but of course are far more lucrative than the government.
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Re: DOJ SLIP or Biglaw Summer Associate?
FWIW, I did DOJ honors, and I don’t think the fact that I worked at a firm 2L was ever held against me (it wasn’t even biglaw). And my impression is consistent with what nealric said, that funnel offers are actually pretty rare.
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