[ID:0607]Employers want to hire individuals who already have legal skills and experience. You'll gain some of this experience in law school, particularly if you participate in moot competitions, but your greatest opportunity to gain legal experience comes over the summer. If you're interested in a career in PIL, the summer is also a time to gain overseas experience.

Getting the right summer job could be the catalyst in putting you ahead of the hundreds of people who will typically apply for each available law position. This is especially important in today's legal job market, which is particularly competitive.

For most law students you'll have two summers to build up your legal experience before applying for articling positions. Of these, the second summer is crucial, because if you want to work for a corporate law firm, it is increasingly required that you spend a summer with them. This allows the law firm to make sure you fit into its culture. Even if you are hesitant to work for a corporate law firm, you should at least consider it, because the larger...