Just because you're nabbed a summer associate position doesn't mean your summertime worries are over. After you've passed your spring exams and packed your warm-weather wardrobe, there's still the issue of where to live. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there's the all-consuming issue of where to live. Finding short-term housing in sometimes unfamiliar territory induces serious angst. Fortunately, many resources remain at your disposal.

Working with your summer law firm

First and foremost, check out whatever resources your summer employer makes available. Los Angeles' Latham & Watkins, for example, has two or three apartment brokers on hand to help summers find housing. The firm's recruiting coordinator also sends out a newsletter to incoming summer associates to help them hook up with other attorneys. One of our Latham & Watkins contacts tells us: "I know one of my fellow summer clerks ended up living in Pacific Palisades at the house of a partner who was out of the country."

In New York, Cravath, Swaine & Moore not only helps summer associates find a summer sublet, but will also pay for moving expenses and half the rent. (After taxes, the bonus actually works out closer to 30 percent of the rent.) Other firms, while not subsidizing summer rent, will offer to rent apartments for their out-of-state summer associates - often sight unseen.

While many law firms make great efforts in finding summer housing for associates, the problem for out-of-state associates is that they effectively must take it sight unseen. "It's a pain to get good summer sublets, so when they find something, they basically twist your arm to take it," says a former summer associate. "A lot of people get stuck with overpriced pieces of [expletive deleted]. I recommend you take the time to visit the proposed sublet before you move in." "They were going to put me in this small, dusty apartment with six cats," warns another summer associate. "It looked like a garage." ~

Sadly, not all firms offer the summer housing perk. For example, New York's Paul Weiss, in the words of one insider, "doesn't do all that much to help you find housing. They definitely don't pay for it. They'll send you a list of apartments for sublet."

Other resources

Stuck for housing? Start date in two weeks? A plethora of resources can speed your search. First, there are temporary housing companies that help procure housing in most major cities. The problem with these firms is that their accommodations are normally targeted at high-level executives on long-term business trips - the rentals are normally prices to be competitive with business-class hotels. However, if you can find others with whom to share these apartments, they may become more competitively priced.

You may also want to find a temporary roommate by subletting a spare bedroom in a house or apartment. While you do face the danger of roommate incompatibility, there are advantages as well - your rent will undoubtedly be lower, your roommate will already own things like brooms and utensils, and your roommate will be able to give you pointers about your summer city. Most large cities have some sort of free weekly with housing listings - most are accessible on the Web. In New York, you can check out www.villagevoice.com, and in DC look at www.washingtoncitypaper.com. These weeklies also have listings for temporary summer rentals and sublets.

Another resource to consider: your university. Virtually all universities have housing offices, and often have listings for temporary lodgings in other states and cities. Many campus newspapers also offer their classified listings on the Web.