while I don't want to comment on whether it's right or wrong to use contacts for internships, that's not really how it works. internships are not a zero-sum game (even if HR says they have a fixed number of slots). if you do not receive an internship at a specific firm, you would not have received the internship offer regardless of whether someone with contacts applied.

can confirm. it's sickening but that's how it works. if you are someone who doesn't have contacts, just cold mail. it definitely works. I got to intern at SAM by cold mailing a partner randomly. The X factor is being smart in how you draft your cold mail. you have to be able to catch the attention of the associate/ partner you are writing to bec they ofc get like a gazillion mails everyday. don't make it generic but also don't make it outlandishly weird. Just the right amount of unique and normal to intrigue them to want to work with you.

Untrue, in a pool of about only 60+ active business law students in RGNUL, about 25+ have gotten placed with big leagues (I'm talking 4 with SAM, 4 with Trilegal, AZB, Dentons Link Legal, S&A, LKS, EY, Indus) and multiple others with smaller law firms. RGNUL has shitty placements but PPOs have been kind.

If you're not from NLS, NALSAR, NLUD, NUJS, GNLU and NLUJ then your chances of getting a PPO are too less. Infact, this year NLIU hasn't manage to get enough PPOs. Let that sink in first because if students from NLIU or HNLU do not manage to get PPOs. What chances do you have in getting one?

As others have already said, it all depends entirely on your team. I'm basing this answer on my personal knowledge, I've interned with SAM last winter.

The practice now seems to be to assign a Training Guide (fancy term for essentially a mentor) to each intern. Your TG will typically be an SA or a PA, basically the seniormost person in the team below a Salaried Partner.

The TG has to fill a feedback form at the end of your tenure. Three things can happen thus: (1) you get recommended for a PPO interview, (2) you get recommended for a callback, or (3) nothing. Practically, I suspect the TG will consult the Partner on the team before they make any recommendation. So, the key is: do great work for, ask for feedback from, and ensure you're noticeable to, both the Partner and the TG.

There's no hard and fast rule that you won't get a PPO without a callback. I know because I got recommended for a PPO interview after a single 6 week stint. However, to be fair, a PPO after a single stint generally appears to be rare.

Please try to get your internship extended, to an aggregate of at least 6-8 weeks. A recommendation from the Partner, or TG, will practically guarantee it.

Some questions not related to the topic of discussion.
Why do you want to start with a Tier 1 right out of law school? If money is the motivation here then my friend you are on the wrong track. Always keep learning above money and you can surely learn anywhere and later on make a choice whether Tier 1 really is a matter of concern. If you get immense exposure at Tier 1 then go for it or else skip it and look to begin your career with a Tier 2/3 and later on after 2/3 yrs you can always make a switch.
Hope this helps!!!

Quote:

or at least give a certain amount of visibility to students from the senior years of top law schools if they have good academic or other credentials

Honestly, what is it with top law schools? Do they not/ hardly consider people from the lower-ranked NLUs or private universities?

That's not necessarily true; I think this would vary from team to team. Again, a lot of variables. Most top firms will try and make room for, or at least give a certain amount of visibility to students from the senior years of top law schools if they have good academic or other credentials (I speak from experience having got internships this way years back). Whether you'll stand to benefit from an internship where you don't actually work is another issue altogether. It's helpful if you have worked for someone in the firm who can vouch for your credentials, though this is by no means a hard and fast requirement (I think it gives maybe a 5-10% bump at best in my experience). Cold emails, if well put together (proof it multiple times and maybe have an experienced lawyer look at it once) and a well written resume go a long way.

But again, really depends on the team that you want to work for. Many teams have informal criteria that they may have to consider call backs etc.

I interned twice at SAM for 2-3 week each. Got an interview both times. Tanked the interview both times.

After every intern's term is over, they send an appraisal form to the team. If you are recommended for a PPO by the team, and you are in your 4th / 5th year, you get a call for an interview. Don't share political views during the interview, you won't clear it. Twice bitten, forever shy.

Okay, you may not like what you'll hear, but it really depends. There simply are too many variables.

Lots of law students intern at SAM. These days, internships aren't even that selective - which is actually quite unfortunate because it effectively dilutes the quality of the intern pool and makes it harder to get recruited based just on internship performance. It's worth noting that only an extremely small minority will get called back and fewer still get placed. Let that sink in first.

To be considered for a call back, you need to have received very strong positive feedback AND the associate you worked with must have recommended you for a call back while filling out your appraisal form. Similarly, for a PPO, the associate (and the partner to whom he reports) must recommend you. Unless this happens, you can pretty much forget about call back.

Generally, a PPO isn't given to someone who hasn't interned with the firm at least twice, though, I'm sure exceptions exist. Factors that matter are, your law school, grades, performance, attitude while interning etc. Again, not every team looks to hire right out of college (which basically is what a PPO is), so it's best to check with the person who you worked most for what the scene is. Again, how important each of these factors is depends on practice area. Some practice areas/teams aren't as selective, others are.

Reaching out to HR won't help. Without your appraisal being processed, they'll not be able to really do anything.

Hope this helps

It's mostly the usual process of getting the feedback from all the associates you worked with. The senior, the better. PPO process may differ based on teams. I interned with the competition team at SAM Delhi, and both Mumbai and Delhi offices need you to intern 2-3 times for a minimum of one month each before they offer you a ppo.