New York City Law Department OCI Forum

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New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 12, 2010 5:21 pm

I had an interview with The New York City Law Department for its Summer Honors Program a little over a week ago. I am really interested in this program and wanted to see if anyone has had any experiences with the Law Department or its recruitment process.

I know there are three stages of interviews. I was told that the second stage is with a 3-person panel. What exactly are they looking for in this interview compared to the initial screening interview? What types of questions should I expect?

Also, my initial interview was over a little over a week ago. Does anyone know how quickly the Law Department typically gets back to students for callbacks?

Thanks.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 12, 2010 6:42 pm

My friend worked for the law department last year but didn't go through OCI. I know that they tend to ask more substantive questions than screeners, such as about work that you've done in law school, your writing sample, favorite class and a well-thought out "why," examples of projects done during the summer, etc.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Sep 25, 2010 6:42 pm

Has anyone received a callback/rejection from The New York City Law Department yet?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:08 pm

Callback came a little more than a week after my initial interview. Anyone go through the second round of interviews yet? Any insight would be appreciated.
Last edited by Anonymous User on Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Sep 25, 2010 9:30 pm

Congrats! What are your approximate stats like?
My screener didn't ask for a transcript... dno if that's the standard or if she just forgot.

From what I've researched, the 2nd round is just like the screening interview, just 3-4 of them.
I heard that there's a 3rd round as well, but don't know how that's different from the 2nd round.

It seems like a pretty cool job. Paid government/public interest jobs are hard to find, and they give out offers for permanent employment after the summer, which is like unheard of, other than firm jobs. It seems super competitive though.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 10:43 am

I attend a T2. Don't want to give out my specific rank. I have good grades, but am not in the top 10% of my class.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:30 am

I worked there last summer. I won't say which division (trying to maintain anonymity), but I knew people from lots of divisions and can give my general impressions.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:42 am

Did you work there as a 1L or a 2L? Can you describe the rest of the interview process (2nd and 3rd rounds)?

It seems that most newly admitted attorneys work in the Torts and Family Court divisions. Did interns enjoy their work in those divisions? Overall, did you enjoy your internship experience with the Law Department?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 11:52 am

1) What percentage of the 2Ls got permanent offers? Their website only has figures from 2008, before the recession.

2) Did you like your work/people? Does it seem like a desirable place to work? What are the hours like?

3) Do you know what their exit options are like? A lot of the attorneys seem to have lateraled from firms or are qualified enough that they could've done private practice if they wanted to (lots of T6, LR, clerkships, etc). I was wondering where people go after NYC Law Dept.

4) And I hate to ask this and use this word, but is working there considered prestigious?

Thanks in advance for your response!

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:41 pm

From what I've researched, the 2nd round is just like the screening interview, just 3-4 of them.
That is wrong. I made it to the 3rd round last year as a 2L but was ultimately dinged. The second round is far more substantive and the interviewers may have you make an oral argument on a legal issue...they may ask you questions about the substantive law of a class you took. They will want to see how you are on your feet; basically it's just a lot less friendly than a screening interview, but I liked that a lot; it really is a way to weed out the ones that just don't have it in them. Maybe it depends on your interviewer.

They will definitely probe you for your interest in public service, which makes sense since making 60k in nyc is like making 40k somewhere else.

The third round interview is a meeting with the director of recruitment.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:45 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Has anyone received a callback/rejection from the New York City Law Department yet?
I got rejected by mail about a week after my OCI interview.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote: 1) What percentage of the 2Ls got permanent offers? Their website only has figures from 2008, before the recession.
Not sure what the percentage was, but if you do good work, you'll get an offer. The department seemed really good about picking people who wanted to do this type of work and only hiring as many 2Ls as the could expect to employ after graduation. Sorry I don't have a more precise answer.
Anonymous User wrote:2) Did you like your work/people? Does it seem like a desirable place to work? What are the hours like?
Generally, everybody was nice, but there is a heavy tilt of lifelong new yorkers-more so that at a firm. As a result, there isn't as much diversity (geographic, life experiences) as there is at many firms.

I really like the work, but it's not for everybody. You get responsibility early you have to juggle a lot at one time. Also, it's much more hands on that firm work (from what I here). You aren't just sitting and writing memos. You'll have your own cases right off the bat: family court people are always in court, tort people are constantly negotiating, etc. This gets into the hours. Since it's your case, you do the work. If this takes all hours of the night, that's what you'll do. It's not biglaw hours, but it's not some cushy 9-5 job that people think of when they think of government work. That all being said, it's a desirable place to work if you want to be in NYC and want to defend the city. It's very different work than you'd do at a firm, so make it's what you want to do. (Also, unlike firms, it seems much harder to switch around because you aren't just "litigation" or "corporate," you're assigned to a specific division.) It's not for everyone, but it's great for some people.
Anonymous User wrote:3) Do you know what their exit options are like? A lot of the attorneys seem to have lateraled from firms or are qualified enough that they could've done private practice if they wanted to (lots of T6, LR, clerkships, etc). I was wondering where people go after NYC Law Dept.
Not sure about exit options as most people tend to be career law dept people. Some started at firms, but many came right from school. I don't know of anyone who left to go to a firm, however. This seems to be a function of the fact that people who work at the law department want to do government work and be in NYC. Some people could have done biglaw, but I wouldn't say most people. Grades and school have some importance, but it seems like they're mainly looking for a good fit - people who have a passion for doing this type of work. (Most people who were T6 seemed to be 1Ls (IIRC legal counsel and appeals was full of Harvard and Yale 1Ls).)

So, the short of it is I don't know where people go after because most people don't plan on using it as a stepping stone and have little interest in private practice. But if I had to guess, I'd say people who leave would go to similar jobs elsewhere (maybe into a city agency, or do family court defense, or what have you).
Anonymous User wrote:4) And I hate to ask this and use this word, but is working there considered prestigious?
Nope, not prestigious. It's city government. But then again, most people there don't care about prestige, which I think is nice.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:32 pm

Anyone go through the second round of interviews? What sort of substantive legal questions are there?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Oct 04, 2010 9:10 pm

I went through all the rounds at once (I'm an out of state applicant), and I wasn't asked any questions about class material or anything like that.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by NightVision » Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:16 pm

Anyone else have further details about the NYC Law Dept hiring process or know hiring has been going so far this semester?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:10 pm

Bump. I'm interested in knowing about other people's experiences too.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 08, 2010 11:12 pm

anyone got an offer yet?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:25 pm

yeah folks have received offers. don't know if hiring is over.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:28 pm

what was the wait time between callback to offer?

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 15, 2010 2:53 pm

Can't speak to this year, but last year it was a few weeks. My guess is 2Ls who haven't heard back yet are kaput.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by blsingindisguise » Wed Nov 17, 2010 12:31 am

I will tell you one thing -- if you get to the 3rd round and someone tells you it's practically just a formality, DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Nov 19, 2010 8:40 pm

I will tell you one thing -- if you get to the 3rd round and someone tells you it's practically just a formality, DO NOT BELIEVE THEM.
Completely credited. I did 3rd round as well with the head hiring guy, felt it went great. While I know I was at a disadvantage coming from a non-T14, I thought making it 3rd round and doing well at the final interview would be enough, but I was dinged two weeks later.

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:46 am

Reviving an old thread here, but does anyone have any info on how the 3rd round interview with the director of legal hiring goes? Is it congenial or adversarial? Substantive questions? Thanks!

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:09 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Reviving an old thread here, but does anyone have any info on how the 3rd round interview with the director of legal hiring goes? Is it congenial or adversarial? Substantive questions? Thanks!
No advice but I totally thought I was reading a bunch of current stuff, and that freaked me out!!! Any words of advice for a 2L at a distant/non-NE t14 who applied like a week ago? How have the timetables been moving, submission to call to 3 interview to offer-- tell us everything

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Re: New York City Law Department OCI

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:49 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Reviving an old thread here, but does anyone have any info on how the 3rd round interview with the director of legal hiring goes? Is it congenial or adversarial? Substantive questions? Thanks!
No advice but I totally thought I was reading a bunch of current stuff, and that freaked me out!!! Any words of advice for a 2L at a distant/non-NE t14 who applied like a week ago? How have the timetables been moving, submission to call to 3 interview to offer-- tell us everything
You might be a little late. I've already been through the whole interviewing process and am waiting to hear back. I was told that hiring decisions will be handed out within a month. If you really want the job, schedule a trip to NYC and e-mail the director of recruiting saying that you'll be in town. That's how I got my screening interview. I did my 2nd (and 3rd) round of interviews about a month later.

As for the 3rd interview with director of legal recruiting, I did it on the same day as my 2nd round of interview--they probably did this so that I didn't have to fly back out. Until I read this thread, I was not aware that this was even a separate stage. It was fairly congenial, but there were some substantive questions.

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