Hello everyone. My younger brother is interested in making a career in corporate law. He would be a first gen lawyer with no connections in this field whatsoever. If he gets a Tier-1 nlu would he still have any trouble getting internships and job? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
I graduated from a tier 2 NLU and had got a PPO from a tier 1 law firm in my fourth year.
I had zero connections in the field whatsoever (first gen lawyer with no relatives or close people in the field). So honestly it isn't a big deal as people make it seem, and also do understand that getting a job in tier 1 isn't the biggest thing. Yes, the money is great, and being someone from a middle class family, it does look great from the outside; but essentially you're being paid for your time. You'll have to work on weekends, can't make plans with your friends all the time (you'll never know when you're going to get work calls), and there's always a constant stress/anxiety, but at the end of the day, if these are sacrifices you don't mind taking, then it's not a bad career choice.
If you can find an area of law that you actually like doing and get decent at it, then internships and jobs would follow. I wasn't the top of my class or won prestigious moots or wrote top publications, but it worked for me. And if it did work for me, then it can definitely work for anyone.
I agree with most of the things said here, except that you need to maintain a good rank to get the opportunity to be assessed through an internship. I am assuming that you graduated in 2023, and if that is true, your batch was an exception. If you don't have contacts, maintain a good rank (ideally top 20).
I had zero connections in the field whatsoever (first gen lawyer with no relatives or close people in the field). So honestly it isn't a big deal as people make it seem, and also do understand that getting a job in tier 1 isn't the biggest thing. Yes, the money is great, and being someone from a middle class family, it does look great from the outside; but essentially you're being paid for your time. You'll have to work on weekends, can't make plans with your friends all the time (you'll never know when you're going to get work calls), and there's always a constant stress/anxiety, but at the end of the day, if these are sacrifices you don't mind taking, then it's not a bad career choice.
If you can find an area of law that you actually like doing and get decent at it, then internships and jobs would follow. I wasn't the top of my class or won prestigious moots or wrote top publications, but it worked for me. And if it did work for me, then it can definitely work for anyone.
Cheers :)