I’ve already mentioned some fantastic public interest opportunities at HLS here and here, so today I’m touching on more of a niche issue: the advantage Harvard gives to students seeking summer work in what some call “secondary markets.” For those of us who see the value of working in New York, DC, or the Hague, but feel more personally compelled to go back and benefit our hometowns, Harvard couldn’t be more of a leg up.
This didn’t occur to me until recently, because for 1L summer I decided to work in the Boston area. That application process was pretty competitive, with students from dozens of nearby law schools and often more than one from within Harvard bombarding every employer. I sent out hordes of cover letters and only heard back about a few, so while I wound up at my top choice—the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute—it definitely didn’t come easy.
So this time around, when I decided to work back home in Austin to build connections for after graduation, I was blown away by the difference. For one thing, when Alexa Shabecoff had me call a certain alum for Austin job search advice, he quickly assured me that he would gladly hire me himself if only our interests weren’t so different. He actually seemed sorry only to be able to recommend me to some wonderful-sounding colleagues in my preferred fields.
After a few e-mails back and forth with those colleagues, one of them called me up one October evening just to chat. I remember hearing about his day in court and agreeing to the importance of a legal services background even for people not interested in that kind of work in the long run. Before I knew it, he was saying, “Well, if you would like to come clerk with us this summer, I can definitely make that happen.” Around the same time, a more recent HLS graduate I’d called put me in touch with his boss, who was soon checking in regularly to remind me to consider them for my summer employer.
I wound up accepting both of these offers, so I’ll be splitting my summer between the two. But I wonder sometimes, how did all this happen so fast?
I can think of two main explanations. First, when an HLS student applies to work in a smaller town, she is likely the only one an employer will encounter that particular hiring cycle. In this context the Harvard “brand” is undiluted and doing an exceptional amount of work. Second, since the nearest law school probably has a fraction of the summer funding Harvard does, employers who are used to scraping together some payment for their interns are delighted, even flabbergasted, to hear someone offering to work for free.
Because of these things, my new public service career advice for 1L friends is this: if you think you could enjoy working in a “secondary market,” do your job-hunting self a favor and give it a try. To admitted students, I’ll say: don’t just think of Harvard as the place that will give you a shot at that coveted U.N. or Department of Justice job. Think of it also as the place that will give you your choice of jobs, literally, in the city you (but not necessarily 8,300,000 other people) love.
– Lea
