It looks like I only got 2 call back interviews. Out of many more OCIs. My first choice of the two is this coming Thursday, and as has been my pattern, I'm too busy to be nervous about it. My second isn't for a couple of weeks, b/c they're a really big firm that interviews 10,000,000 people, and they couldn't fit me in until then. And it's an afternoon slot, culminating in DINNER instead of lunch. THAT should be fun!!

Even though that stress is barely behind me, it is right now time for my WINTER co-op search. I actually handed in resumes last Monday, and starting yesterday, interview notices went up.

Very few "big firms" do co-ops outside of summer, so many of the choices for winter are small and medium sized firms, public interest employers, government employers, and about 7,000 judges.

Has anyone noticed my propensity to exaggerate?

I applied for 3 more "public interest" jobs, and 7 smaller and medium sized firms. I have recieved notice that I have thus far received interviews for 2 of the public interest jobs. One with a criminal appellate group, and one with ....

A Child Advocacy group. This one excites me ... a LOT. It is what I came to school to do. Child Advocacy. It seemed at the time that the path to such work was family law, and so I did the co-op with the family law judge this summer. i saw so much of family law that DOES NOT interest me, that I thought I would back off. But the child advocacy side was the stuff that excited me, still. I just don't know how to specialize right out the gate.

But this group that I'm applying to ... they DO the specialization. And so I'm thrilled that I may have this opportunity.

And I'm thrilled that they are TWO BLOCKS from my house, and literally ACROSS THE STREET from Thing One and Thing Two's school.

however. (of course). I'm concerned that I will be pigeon holing myself if I do this for a co-op right after the family law judge. It *is* work that I find meaningful and challenging, and it is the thing that made me thinking going to law school could result in a job that was good for my soul.

But the law school experience has shown me so much more. And I'm not sure.

Already, while sitting across the table from the OCI people, I see how at least 2 interviewing attorneys highlighted the two places where "Family Law" was on my resume. Both with the judge from this summer, and in a description of my last place of employment - before law school. Big firms don't DO family law.

I don't want for everyone who sees my resume in the future (I may still have 2 co ops to shop for, if I don't get a summer associate for next summer, as well as a Real Job at the end of all this) to decide "oh, she's a family law person, take her off the list" in the event it turns out 1) I'm not a family law person, or 2) There are no family law person jobs.

My interview is tomorrow. Which means I'm going to find myself in a position of needing to make a decision - FAST. The co-op program has rules as to how long you can wait before accepting/rejecting an offer. There's also a 24 hour rule from the time you get notice of an interview to the time you have to call and schedule it.

I am interested in doing a criminal law co-op. This one is the appellate unit of a semi-local D.A.'s office. I am SUPER interested in doing appeals work. This office is supposed to be amazing, as well, and if an appeal I work on comes up for argument, they'll let me argue it. That interview is Monday.

It will be hard to turn down something I'm interested in. But if it's for the sake of something else I'm interested in, and for the sake of keeping my options open - should I do it?

Neither of these 2 options come with any $$, by the way.

And, there are still potentially 8 other options out there. But if they don't hurry up and make contact with their interview choices, my time limits are going to expire on these 2.

posted by Zuska @ 7:07 PM

2 Comments:

At Tuesday, September 27, 2005 10:05:00 PM, Anonymous said…

what the heck?! i get all stressed out about my new job, crash early, and you're just a whirlwind of blog entries while i slip behind! ack!

clearly i was NOT in the room when you listed the "7 important things in my room". where was i? oh yeah, that's right: sleeping.

i too like the freckles on your shoulder, but you know, i never mentioned them for fear that you didn't like them. you can get touchy about these things, you know.

what is "write a book" in really tiny letters? are you not sure you want to do this? you've wanted to do this for as long as i've known you, as long as you've wanted to go to law school -- and you managed to do that. in time, in time, let me get one of mine published first, though ;)

"allow my kids to play video games"? no comment!

so. when do you think we can hit the water in a kayak? i'm thinking we're running out of time....

xo
At Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:22:00 AM, Zuska said…

No, gorgeous, you were not in the room. I could have listed #7 as "the sound of my Beloved's snores rattling the windows."