Split Summers
Many students divide their summer among
two or more firms, a practice which appears desirable for students when making
decisions during the fall of the second year. By the time the summer rolls
around, the risks become clear. What seemed wrapped in Solomonic sensibility
last Fall is risky — you want two firms to place complete faith in you even
though your loyalty is divided. You split the summer — you assume the risk of
failure. A less than sparkling performance is more likely to result in a
‘no-offer’ decision.
The
risk of not receiving a permanent offer is greater for students who split their
summer. There is less time to recover from a blown assignment or a bad review establish relationships, understand a firm’s practice and make a reasoned
decision. But since you decided to split, here is how to minimize the risks.
Understand that the risks of failure during a split summer are far greater in a
soft economy. If for some reason a firm decides to pare down the percentage of
offers extended, a summer associate with divides their summer is at more risk
than a summer associate who does not.
First, the burden is on you
to perform above and beyond the call of duty throughout both halves of the
summer.
Second, do good work and lots
of it. The file for someone who spends only four to six weeks will be quite
thin. If you are not energetic, you stand a good chance of having only 30
percent of the reviews and work product of those who work the entire summer. If
you arrive mid-way through the summer, many lawyers are on vacation. Those who
are not wish that they were. The firm is weary of the summer program and it is
hard to find good assignments. In the dog days of August, these problems can be
acute.
Third, assimilate in both halves of the summer. Do not
ever say “This dinner is not
nearly as much fun as when my Smith &
McKenzie took over Ortolan
before going to our black-tie backstage party with
the original New York cast of Billy Elliot. Poor form, Fabio. Very poor
form. Ortolan is
wonderful but a bit over the top
for law firms in 2009. And, Elton
told me the original New York cast of Billy Elliot did not tour.
Fourth, if your significant
other is back in city #1, do not bring luggage to the office on Friday before
running to LAX to catch the shuttle to SFO. It shows a lack of commitment.
Fifth, scrupulously protect
the confidences of the first firm. Do not tell tales out of school about its
internal politics, events, or recruiting shenanigans no matter where they fall
on the boundary of the attorney-client privilege.
Sixth, do not pout if your are
not immediately embraced by the summer associates already in residence. All
those people are not really staring at you and whispering as you head to the
elevator. Or are they? You showed up six weeks late for summer camp. Put Parent Trap on your NetFlix list, and
call me in the morning. I like the
original from 1961— but the 1998 re-make is commendable — even with the
then-youthful Lindsay Lohan.
In
some cities -notably Dallas and Houston - the split summer has been a fact of
life for decades and summer associates often divide the summer into two, three,
or more parts. But even in markets where split summers are the rule rather than
the exception, a summer associate must take each firm seriously.
Next week: Accounting For Time