Sole practitioners often hire students to work as research assistants during school or summers, but rarely hire graduates. It is possible to do this either in a large city or a smaller town. Sometimes students can find an experienced sole practitioner willing to share space and knowledge in exchange for assistance. Occasionally, the experienced practitioner wishes to train the new attorney gradually to take over the established practice. The large law firm usually hires those students who are at the very top of their class and often want students with Law Review or Moot Court experience.
Many large firms come on campus in the fall to recruit second year students for summer positions.
These positions give the firm and the student an opportunity to evaluate each other and frequently result in an offer for permanent employment after school. The atmosphere in these firms tends to be relatively structured and hierarchical, and most of their clients are corporations or other large organizations. Large firms offer the advantage of a generous income but often provide minimal freedom of hours, choice of clients and location. A compromise between a solo practice and a large firm is a small or medium-sized firm, which may employ anywhere from two to twenty attorneys. Other small law firms maintain a general practice and provide a variety of services for their clients.