1Ls should spend their first-year summer obtaining real-world legal experience. The first-year summer is a time to explore an issue area, practice setting, and/or geographic region of interest to you. Most students do not obtain an offer of permanent employment at the end of their 1L summer, which allows for great flexibility in choosing your experience.
The following chart shows the types of work HLS 1Ls engaged in during the summer of 2023. As you can see, the vast majority of 1L students work for a public interest employer, taking advantage of HLS’s guaranteed Summer Public Interest Funding Program.
NOTE: Many law firm summer positions were obtained via diversity fellowships.
Summer 2024 Data for the Class of 2026
| Job Type | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Government/Public Interest | 67% |
| Law Firm | 28% |
| In-House | 2.4% |
| Judicial Internship | 1% |
| Academic/Military/Other | 2% |
Review the Who Worked Where lists to see where rising 2L and 3L students have worked the last few summers.
Top Ways 1Ls Secure Summer Jobs
- Public Interest Job Search
- Targeted Mailing to Law Firm or In-House Legal Departments
- Spring Interview Program (SIP) and International Summer Employment Program (ISEP)
- CSM Job Bank Postings
- Diversity Fellowships
- Job Fairs, including the Massachusetts Law School Consortium Job Fair
- Networking
- Targeted Mailing to Judges