Is there any reason to do OCI if I don't want a firm job? Forum

[Anonymous User]

To be fair, the lulz. Each spot you get is a spot taken from a classmate.

I guess I don't get your point... ?

[Anonymous User]

To be fair, the lulz. Each spot you get is a spot taken from a classmate.

I guess I don't get your point... ?

Even if you don't land a job at OCI, at least you took someone else's chance at getting a job away from them--which is gratifying.

[Anonymous User]

To be fair, the lulz. Each spot you get is a spot taken from a classmate.

I guess I don't get your point... ?

Even if you don't land a job at OCI, at least you took someone else's chance at getting a job away from them--which is gratifying.

+1. That's why I'm going to do every interview I get, even if I get 50!

[Kohinoor]

To be fair, the lulz. Each spot you get is a spot taken from a classmate.

I guess I don't get your point... ?

--LinkRemoved--

[Anonymous User]

To be fair, the lulz. Each spot you get is a spot taken from a classmate.

I guess I don't get your point... ?

Even if you don't land a job at OCI, at least you took someone else's chance at getting a job away from them--which is gratifying.

Why is it gratifying? I'm not even competing with them for jobs. And don't I want _my_ classmates, as opposed to other school's students, to get those jobs, so as to increase (or at least maintain) the prestige of my school? And so that my classmates will get great paying BigLaw jobs, send large sums to the alumnae fund, and subsidize my access to public interest/government loan forgiveness programs?

[ggocat]

Even if you don't land a job at OCI, at least you took someone else's chance at getting a job away from them--which is gratifying.

+1. That's why I'm going to do every interview I get, even if I get 50!

ITT, xoxo.

[thesealocust]

edit: n/m

[romothesavior]

A thought...

Would doing a summer in biglaw hurt you? And if so, how? Would it take away opportunities?

I mean, I can't see getting a summer of work under your belt, making 20-30k (depending on market), and giving yourself a good backup plan. If you get hired into whatever it is you want to do, then great. If not then you'll at least have a likely associateship offer waiting for you at the end of the summer. And having that money from the summer would be really nice to start out your career with.

Am I missing something here?

[thesealocust]

edit: n/m

[Anonymous User]

I for one think OP is going to ENJOY DLA PIPER.

You really are a peculiar guy... If I don't get the job I want, I'll just go back to what I was doing pre-law school. Or I won't do anything. See, the nice thing about scholarships -- you don't have to sell your soul to pay off your loans. Plus, the sugar momma/daddy component is always a good fall back position should I need it...

A thought...

Would doing a summer in biglaw hurt you?

No. Doing 2 years in big law might even help you. The 90-95% of attorneys who don't make partner at their big law firm realize it's finishing school for new attorneys who 1) did well at good law schools and 2) like money more than it is a career path in and of itself.

Tell me, how is it going to help me? Seriously? There are no BigLaw firms that practice within my field (despite it being a high growth area, particularly in light of some recent "agency" rule changes.) For most people here, a JD is the highest degree they'll ever obtain -- for me, well, I've got four other frames on the wall. That's not to say I don't value it -- I definitely think 1L was the hardest nine months of my life, academically-speaking. But not everyone is approaching OCI from the same place. Yeah, maybe I could be happy at some perfect-for-me firm. But 1) I'm not convinced that firm even shows up at OCI, and 2) I feel like I'll be trying on a hundred slippers to find a so-so fit when I could be using the time learning law I'll actually use right off the bat at the right, non-firm place.

I pretty much know what I want, and usually would feel pretty confident that I'm heading in the right direction. The only problem is that my kind doesn't generally go to law school, so there's not a lot of institutional knowledge I can rely upon for guidance, and when I see my classmates doing the OCI mating-dance, I worry, despite what common sense tells me, that I should be following along like a good little lemming. This thread is only my lame attempt at convincing myself what I already know. If you want to think I'll end up in some basement doing doc review -- hey, more power to you...

[Jeff Mangum]

A thought...

Would doing a summer in biglaw hurt you? And if so, how? Would it take away opportunities?

I mean, I can't see getting a summer of work under your belt, making 20-30k (depending on market), and giving yourself a good backup plan. If you get hired into whatever it is you want to do, then great. If not then you'll at least have a likely associateship offer waiting for you at the end of the summer. And having that money from the summer would be really nice to start out your career with.

Am I missing something here?

I'm in a similar position (T10, skipping out on OCI), and my hypothesis is that taking a firm job for your 2L summer could hurt your prospects for getting a public interest job. PI employers look for genuine, sustained dedication to a career in public interest. Summer at a law firm may give the opposite impression. Other than deferrals, which are subsidized by firms, PI employers do not, by and large, want to waste job offers and training resources on recent grads who are weathering out the current economy. You do not want your interviewers to believe that you are interviewing with them because you were no-offered at your summer firm. Just a thought.

[worldtraveler]

A thought...

Would doing a summer in biglaw hurt you? And if so, how? Would it take away opportunities?

I mean, I can't see getting a summer of work under your belt, making 20-30k (depending on market), and giving yourself a good backup plan. If you get hired into whatever it is you want to do, then great. If not then you'll at least have a likely associateship offer waiting for you at the end of the summer. And having that money from the summer would be really nice to start out your career with.

Am I missing something here?

I'm in a similar position (T10, skipping out on OCI), and my hypothesis is that taking a firm job for your 2L summer could hurt your prospects for getting a public interest job. PI employers look for genuine, sustained dedication to a career in public interest. Summer at a law firm may give the opposite impression. Other than deferrals, which are subsidized by firms, PI employers do not, by and large, want to waste job offers and training resources on recent grads who are weathering out the current economy. You do not want your interviewers to believe that you are interviewing with them because you were no-offered at your summer firm. Just a thought.

I have to agree. From everything I've heard, for people who 100% want public interest, firm experience is often a hindrance and not an asset. You have to go into PI knowing the pay is not great, and if you seem the type who is only looking at it as a back up or is lured by cash, it's not good for you. From every PI employer I've talked to, they expect you to either intern for a judge (which is useful experience for just about anyone) or work with PI/Gov. If you worked for a firm, they think you really want a firm, and why wouldn't they?
Working at a firm might be more prestigious and make more money for a summer, but for me it would actually hinder career goals. Most PI jobs are found through contacts and networking, and the internships are crucial. 1L summer is also far more important for PI people for that reason.

[worldtraveler]

One thing I forgot to add is that public interest/goverment employers often extend offers far later than firm offers from OCI. It's not uncommon for PI/Gov interviews and offers to continue through fall semester, and some don't review applications until after January. If you do OCI as a back up, you'd have to make a decision on a firm before you'd even know what your options are. It doesn't really work as a back up plan.