For context, I go to the University of Southern California, and I’m a sophomore business major (upper-division finance emphasis) and international relations minor in their pre-law program. I really want to work in international trade or finance law, but my only past internships have been in the government health sector and a health related nonprofit. This summer I landed an internship in a global asset management fund in NYC, which was perfect, until it got cancelled because of the coronavirus. I’ve been searching so hard for another internship even remotely related to what I want to do to show law schools my interest, but I can’t find anything because they cancelled on me so late, and I had the internship solidified in October. They offered it to me as a guarantee next summer, but I’m afraid that the gap on my resume this summer will put me at a significant disadvantage even with the internship there next summer. I have extracurriculars and leadership roles at school, and a 3.96 GPA, but I had hoped to go to law school right after undergrad without extra work experience. Is this impossible now? Should I definitely plan to work at least a year out of undergrad now if I want a shot at top law schools? Kinda freaking out
You are not at a disadvantage compared to your peers because.most people have had their internships cancelled this summer. Everyone’s in the same boat.
Chill.
Do well on the LSAT and you’ll be fine.
There is another thread on CC about cancelled internships. It seems like the large majority have been cancelled, or at least the large majority of internships related to the people who responded to that thread. As such I agree with @me29034, nearly everyone is in the same situation.
We all just need to do the best that we can in an unfortunate situation. Working for a year or two between getting your bachelor’s and going to law school might be a good thing. Whether it will be necessary is something that I do not think that we know yet.
You should try to be polite and calm and reasonable in your communication with the people who had to cancel your internship. You want to be on good terms with them since you might want to try to get the same internship a year later. They are probably having a tougher time than you are right now.
I agree that mostly everyone is in the same boat.
Your GPA is awesome.
Take that time to prepare for the LSAT, ace it, and you will have your choice of great law schools.
Best of luck!
GPA is awesome, keep it up. Everyone has cancelled internships/jobs.
Check around your community to see if you can find any safe volunteer opportunities. Perhaps walking dogs at the local animal shelter? Delivering meals to shut-in seniors. Anything.
Agree, everyone is in the same boat. You can note that your internship was cancelled due to the corona-virus outbreak so you did it the next summer and I’m sure everyone who reads your law school application will understand.
If you can’t find something for this summer, perhaps start to prepare for the LSAT with your time (there are lots of online prep classes or get a review book and start going through it) – a very strong LSAT score will go a long way towards getting your into a top law school.