Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP Forum

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ffemt107

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Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:52 pm

I'm a current 2L at Rutgers and I have already accepted an offer at a mid-sized firm. Subsequent to my acceptance, I got an offer to work for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. I would be acting as a park prosecutor there, prosecuting misdemeanors and, under the local rules of EDCA, I would be able to make appearances without an attorney present.

Should I renege and go for Yosemite or stick with the firm?

I am mildly interested in what the firm practices. Yosemite is unpaid.

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North

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by North » Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:10 pm

So let me get this straight, you, coming out of Rutgers, have landed a paid 2L summer job at a mid-size firm that might hire you as a full time associate after you graduate, and you're thinking about reneging on that to take an unpaid internship with zero chance of long term post graduation employment?

If you're deluded enough to think this is a serious decision that has to be mulled over, then you should take the internship at the park and let one of your desperate, unemployed classmates have the firm job.

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Sirius Blackstone

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by Sirius Blackstone » Tue Mar 24, 2015 12:14 pm

This should not even be a question. While getting courtroom experience working in a national park sounds cool, you should not pass up the opportunity for paid 2L summer employment that could lead to an actual job.

ffemt107

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:17 pm

It is very likely that this firm will not hire me post graduation. They have taken between 3 and 5 interns every year since 2009 and only hired one person in that time. So, out of about 15 or 20 people, they have hired 1.

ffemt107

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:19 pm

Also, I am in virtually no debt thanks to scholarships.

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BigZuck

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by BigZuck » Tue Mar 24, 2015 1:24 pm

1/20 odds is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than 0% chance of employment. Take the firm.

If you want to continue to fight back against the hive and try to get it to say that working at the park is the right call, then just take the park job. Cuz YOLO. But don't expect the hive to sign off on that decision.

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Worker and Parasite

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by Worker and Parasite » Tue Mar 24, 2015 3:24 pm

holy cow I want to be a park prosecutor, prosecuting yogi bear for stealing pic-a-nic baskets

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bearsfan23

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by bearsfan23 » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:35 pm

Umm, being a park prosecutor at Yosemite sounds amazing. If that has the potential to lead to full-time employment, I'd absolutely do that over working at some shitty midlaw firm

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TLSModBot

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by TLSModBot » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:38 pm

Worker and Parasite wrote:holy cow I want to be a park prosecutor, prosecuting yogi bear for stealing pic-a-nic baskets
It's the most preftigious outfit in BigPark work.

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fratstar1

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by fratstar1 » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:49 pm

I know someone who did that in a manhattan central park office. He really enjoyed it but he got quit after he found out all the complaints he issued to the squirrels got buried.

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rpupkin

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by rpupkin » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:53 pm

ffemt107 wrote:I'm a current 2L at Rutgers and I have already accepted an offer at a mid-sized firm. Subsequent to my acceptance, I got an offer to work for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. I would be acting as a park prosecutor there, prosecuting misdemeanors and, under the local rules of EDCA, I would be able to make appearances without an attorney present.

Should I renege and go for Yosemite or stick with the firm?

I am mildly interested in what the firm practices. Yosemite is unpaid.
The correct answer is to take the paying SA gig. But fuck that shit. Spending the summer in Yosemite and prosecuting misdeameanors sounds awesome.

While you're there, try to get a paying job working for the park service or one of the lodges. (Not a legal job, just any job.) If that works, just stay in Yosemite and don't return to Rutgers for 3L.

Am I kidding/trolling? I might be, but I'm honestly not sure. Truth be told, I'm more than a little jealous of you right now.

Stevoman

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by Stevoman » Wed Mar 25, 2015 12:16 pm

Paid job in an interesting field that builds your resume and has a slim (but real) chance of leading to employment.

...versus...

Unpaid volunteer work that has no chance of employment, but makes your feels tingle.

Really, really tough choice here.

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martymoose

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by martymoose » Sun Mar 29, 2015 12:32 am

I don't know what kind of relationship you have with the people at the firm, but you might try asking them what they would do if they were in your shoes.

Personally, I'm inclined to say go with the firm and find a few days to vacation in Yosemite.

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MarkfromWI

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by MarkfromWI » Sun Mar 29, 2015 12:47 am

rpupkin wrote:
ffemt107 wrote:I'm a current 2L at Rutgers and I have already accepted an offer at a mid-sized firm. Subsequent to my acceptance, I got an offer to work for the National Park Service in Yosemite National Park. I would be acting as a park prosecutor there, prosecuting misdemeanors and, under the local rules of EDCA, I would be able to make appearances without an attorney present.

Should I renege and go for Yosemite or stick with the firm?

I am mildly interested in what the firm practices. Yosemite is unpaid.
The correct answer is to take the paying SA gig. But fuck that shit. Spending the summer in Yosemite and prosecuting misdeameanors sounds awesome.

While you're there, try to get a paying job working for the park service or one of the lodges. (Not a legal job, just any job.) If that works, just stay in Yosemite and don't return to Rutgers for 3L.

Am I kidding/trolling? I might be, but I'm honestly not sure. Truth be told, I'm more than a little jealous of you right now.
+1

CountDooku

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by CountDooku » Wed Apr 01, 2015 1:17 am

As cool as the Yosemite job sounds (and it does sound fucking rad), I just can't recommend you take it over the SA job. I assume you want to work and NJ, and you can at least get some contacts through that firm that you wouldn't get at Yosemite. Unless the squirrels in the park are originally from the Garden State

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Thu Apr 09, 2015 7:20 pm

I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.

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baal hadad

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by baal hadad » Thu Apr 09, 2015 7:55 pm

ffemt107 wrote:I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.
You are so dumb

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North

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by North » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:16 pm

OP catching a quick nap between littering citation hearings:

Image

Also pictured: OP's post-grad employment prospects.

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bearsfan23

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by bearsfan23 » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:25 pm

ffemt107 wrote:I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.
Congrats, you made the right choice. Yosemite is about as prestigious as BIGPARKLAW gets

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pancakes3

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by pancakes3 » Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:30 pm

FWIW, Yogi Bear lives in Jellystone, not Yosemite.

This dude, on the other hand, probably does deserve some prosecuting

Image

ffemt107

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Thu Apr 09, 2015 11:48 pm

baal hadad wrote:
ffemt107 wrote:I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.
You are so dumb
Maybe, but I'll have an awesome summer in Yosemite and you won't. I'll spend my days getting time on my feet in court and spend my weekends in the most epic landscape in the nation.

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Worker and Parasite

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by Worker and Parasite » Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:14 pm

smarter than the average bear

FSK

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by FSK » Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:21 pm

I too like to burn money and opportunity to prosecute litterbugs
Last edited by FSK on Sat Jan 27, 2018 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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sanjola

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by sanjola » Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:55 am

ffemt107 wrote:I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.
You're making a terrible mistake. Why don't you just visit Yosemite for two weeks prior to starting at the firm?

"Prosecuting" littering charges is not going to get you employment after graduation.

ffemt107

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Re: Summer at a firm or summer at Yosemite NP

Post by ffemt107 » Sat Apr 11, 2015 11:00 am

sanjola wrote:
ffemt107 wrote:I'm going to Yosemite. The firm was chill about it. Maybe it's the best choice, maybe it's not- who cares I'm going to spend a summer as a federal criminal prosecutor for the National Park Service in Yosemite. Under the local rules there, law students can make appearances without attorneys.

It helps not having loans to pay back, it gives me freedom to do things like go to Yosemite for 10 weeks.
You're making a terrible mistake. Why don't you just visit Yosemite for two weeks prior to starting at the firm?

"Prosecuting" littering charges is not going to get you employment after graduation.
As an idealist, it's not just about being in the park, it's about enforcing the mission of the National Park Service and protecting something that is priceless. As a realist, the only way I would have chosen the firm was if they could have given me a reasonable assurance that it would lead to a full time job. But, they said that situation is extremely unlikely.

On the one hand, I have an opportunity to serve the purpose that I went to law school for with free housing in the most epic setting in the country, and, on the other hand, a paid temporary position at a firm in a practice area that is only mildly interesting to me. Long term, I don't want to be at a firm- I want to work in the government or for a non-profit. Also, I'm in no debt, so I don't care how much I make for a summer.

I did not pose this question to ask what someone else should do; I posed it to ask what I should do.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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