DO AS I SAY!! (WELL, NOT ALWAYS!): Should a law student send out a "bulk" Cover Letter??

                                          That's me and my law school buddy driving cross-country
                                          I' m behind the wheel. . do you like my hair? #Route66

When a law student asks for job search strategies for getting a job or internship, I usually say that the one thing that should NOT be done (for sure!) is to send out a “one size fits all” cover letter. Well, if I may step up to the confessional and kneel. . . I would tell you that I did EXACTLY that when I was a rising 3L applying for a summer internship.

Midway during my 2L year, I decided that I wanted to intern with a United States Attorney’s Office – any U.S. Attorney’s office – anywhere! I did want a position in the Criminal Division, but if offered one in a Civil Division, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. So I did the unthinkable – I sent a generic cover letter to over 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country (during the years that I went to law school, most law students at Georgetown Law didn’t even know what Career Services was (like me), so I sure that I am not offending anyone in that current office by this admission against interest). . .

. . Low and behold – I got two “bites.” The U.S Attorney’s Offices in Los Angeles AND San Diego were interested! Yes, the only two offices that were the least bit interested in me were both over 3,000 miles away from my apartment in Washington, D.C!

After final exams, I gathered up what passed for traveling money that I had (it would be called “loose change” today) and with some added financial assistance by my parents, I boarded an airplane and flew cross-country for the final ‘in person” rounds of interviews with both offices (San Diego first, and then I rented a car and drove up through Disneyland and into the Spring Street office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles).. Two weeks later, I received the letter that I had already become accustomed to the – “You have such absolutely off the charts stellar credentials that we simply cannot believe it!!!. . BUT, unfortunately we are sorry to say that we can’t hire you.” – letter.  However, a week later, my fortunes took an abrupt turn for the better as I received an acceptance letter for an summer internship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, CA. . Yes, indeed! . . off to lalaland!

I packed up my UN-air-conditioned Chevy Chevette (do they even make those things anymore?) and headed cross-country, arriving three and a half days later (having dropped off a colleague who was interning in Denver along the way). I was able to quickly sublet an apartment in San Monica from two guys who were sound engineers for the motion picture industry. One looked like Charles Manson and the other a young Michael Chang (probably Warner Brother guys) . Sorry Michael ( @changesq. ). but you know I care!)

I’ll share one trial experience that I had during this summer internship in Part II. For now, keep in mind that there are no strict rules that work for everyone in their search for summer and/or fall internships. While I STILL DON’T recommend “blasting” out generic cover letters, I do appreciate that all law students need to “think out of the box” and figure out for themselves new and innovative strategies to go out and get internships. Don’t just stare into your Symplicity screen and sigh because there is nothing available.

WATCH OUT FOR PART II OF MY L.A. INTERNSHIP:  . . . .BAG MEN, DEFENDANTS CRYING ON THE WITNESS STAND. . It will be better than an episode of “The Good Wife!”

LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION DAY! - IT'S WITHIN SIGHT! DON'T DROP THE BALL!

On the day that I should have been donning a cap and gown on the campus of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington D.C, near the U.S. Capitol, I was, in fact, sitting in the upper deck of Memorial Stadium (left-field side, near the foul pole). It was a beautiful Baltimore/Washington area kind of day – shining sun, cool (but not cold) -- breeze blowing through the stadium. My kind of day – PLAY BALL!

The reason that I had not gone to my law school graduation is that my family was not in the area, and really didn’t want to make the 4 hour flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Washington, D.C.  to see me graduate from law school. Law school was my “second career.” I had been a high school teacher for some seven years before I decided to attend. I figure that my parents thought that if law school had not been my first choice, they sure weren’t going to travel from their beautiful scenic farm to watch me pick up a piece of sheepskin (they would probably tell you different, but I’m writing this essay, not them! :-) ).

 Moreover, I had no one else who knew my daily struggles as a law student and would appreciate the great accomplishment of graduating from law school and all the grit, determination, and hard work that it takes to accomplish that feat No one to share my joy and elation . . So I opted for a Sunday afternoon baseball game to watch my favorite team – The New York Yankees (a/k/a The Evil Empire) play the local Baltimore Orioles. My then girlfriend (now wife) and I took the drive down the Baltimore/Washington Parkway from Washington to Baltimore then zigged and zagged through Baltimore the quaint neighborhoods of Baltimore until we reached the old, venerable Memorial Stadium:

 This was before the era of the new “retro” ballparks and Camden Yards (the first of these new urban centered baseball parks) was still not-yet a thought in the minds of the park’s architects, HOK Sport.  It really didn’t matter to me one way or another where I was. I was at a ball game. The sun was shining. The Yankees were right there! What could be better than this? Right?? . . Well, maybe not . . . . .

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It’s been years since that beautiful sunny afternoon at Memorial Stadium, but I still think about it --- a lot. 

Truth be told, I really regret not having gone to my law school graduation ceremony. Dumb move on my part.

During law school I had worked very hard: (1) adjusting to a new way of teaching and learning; (2) changing my entire study habits and hours to conform to the rigors of this intense academic environment; (3) working AND going to classes at the same time (no small feat for me!); (4) driving an old Chevy Chevette (with no AC, no less!) cross-country from Georgetown Law in the District of Columbia all the way to the shores of the Pacific Ocean to do a Summer Internship in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles (more on that adventure in another post. . stay tuned); and, (5) meeting the challenges of a full year Criminal Justice Clinic at Georgetown with a legendary professor (Bill Greenhalgh) who would make Professor Kingsfield seem like a pussycat (he was still a wonderful man and a great Criminal Law Prof) . . .  

 . . . There is so much to tell as I look back at all the blood, sweat and tears that I endured in law school, but I hope that you get the picture.

I’ve learned through my own years in law school, and now as a law school career counselor, that if nothing else, law school graduation is a celebration of all that a law student has been through – good and bad. It is a time to sit back, breathe deeply and simply enjoy the moment (for you know that the bar exam looms right around the corner!).

So my advice to 3Ls everywhere -- as the rollercoaster ride toward graduation starts to accelerate here in early March, is:

. . . Finish strong and then celebrate all that you have accomplished. Don’t let the naysayers and the cynics throw water on your parade. You will have accomplished so much. Cheers!

Phil Guzman

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P.S. The Yankees were absolutely “murdered” by the O’s on that day so many years ago. It serves me right for having dared to go to the game. For all you baseball geeks (like me) out there, I could not resist but include a copy of the box score of that day in May, 25, 1981 where both the Yankees and I had a very bad day:

New York	0	1	0		0	0	0		0	0	0	–	1	5	3
Baltimore	1	3	0		0	4	0		2	0	x	–	10	12	0

New York Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Guidry  L (4-3)	4.2	8	7	6	0	2
Bird	1.1	4	3	2	1	1
LaRoche	2.0	0	0	0	2	0
Totals	8.0	12	10	8	3	3
Baltimore Orioles	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Palmer  W (3-2)	9.0	5	1	1	2	1
Totals	9.0	5	1	1	2	1
E–Nettles (2), Revering (2), Cerone (1).  DP–New York 2, Baltimore 1.  HR–New York Jackson (6,2nd inning off Palmer 0 on, 0 out), Baltimore DeCinces 2 (4,2nd inning off Guidry 1 on, 0 out,5th inning off Bird 2 on, 2 out); Belanger (1,2nd inning off Guidry 0 on, 2 out).  SF–Dauer (2,off Guidry); Ayala (1,off LaRoche).  SB–Bumbry (11,2nd base off Guidry/Cerone).  U-HP–John Shulock, 1B–Vic Voltaggio, 2B–Bill Kunkel, 3B–Terry Cooney.  T–2:21.  A–42,949.