way below median w/ preselect from a mid-law firm in the SE

[Anonymous User]

After a rough 1L year, I got my first interview. I go to a school in the T20-T30 and just received a pre-select from an out of region firm. This is my first choice firm and pretty much my only pre-select. I want to make the best of it. How do I thrive over the other potential candidates? How can I make myself more marketable during the interview? Things I should bring up/convey to the interviewer? I do have ties to the area. I really want to get to the callback stage. Thanks.

[micwrecka45]

brush up on your interviewing skills, of course. get in touch with your ocs and arrange mock interviews in order to get your interviewing style and answers critiqued. it helps to do mock interviews with more than one ocs counselor in order to get more opinions. it really helped me to brainstorm with an ocs counselor about ways to pitch your experience in a way that is unique.

research the firm (practice areas, recent work) and be prepared to discuss these things if the opportunity arises.

if your school does lottery picks as part of the OCI process, getting only a single preselect means it is very likely you were a lottery selection. in that case, try to impress, of course, but don't have unrealistic expectations of your chances as a lottery pick can, but more often that not, does not result in a callback.

good luck.

[gradesmatter]

journal? moot court?

[RVP11]

brush up on your interviewing skills, of course. get in touch with your ocs and arrange mock interviews in order to get your interviewing style and answers critiqued. it helps to do mock interviews with more than one ocs counselor in order to get more opinions. it really helped me to brainstorm with an ocs counselor about ways to pitch your experience in a way that is unique.

research the firm (practice areas, recent work) and be prepared to discuss these things if the opportunity arises.

if your school does lottery picks as part of the OCI process, getting only a single preselect means it is very likely you were a lottery selection. in that case, try to impress, of course, but don't have unrealistic expectations of your chances as a lottery pick can, but more often that not, does not result in a callback.

good luck.

Don't give advice in the Legal Employment forum if you don't know the difference between preselect and lottery.

[$$$$$$]

A pre-select is huge, that means there is something in your application that made the firm think you might be a good fit, regardless of grades. You should learn EVERYTHING about that firm and be able to talk about practice areas, deals (if corporate), cases ( if lit), and be able to tie these into a good conversation. Figure out what the firm is looking for in SA hires and then shape interview answers to reflect those qualities based on experiences you've had. Make it a good conversation, 20 mins flies by if you are connecting with someone in a genuine way. Know your resume cold, and know everything that you would say if asked about a particular thing on it. I would start now so that you are good to go come OCI.

[micwrecka45]

brush up on your interviewing skills, of course. get in touch with your ocs and arrange mock interviews in order to get your interviewing style and answers critiqued. it helps to do mock interviews with more than one ocs counselor in order to get more opinions. it really helped me to brainstorm with an ocs counselor about ways to pitch your experience in a way that is unique.

research the firm (practice areas, recent work) and be prepared to discuss these things if the opportunity arises.

if your school does lottery picks as part of the OCI process, getting only a single preselect means it is very likely you were a lottery selection. in that case, try to impress, of course, but don't have unrealistic expectations of your chances as a lottery pick can, but more often that not, does not result in a callback.

good luck.

Don't give advice in the Legal Employment forum if you don't know the difference between preselect and lottery.

at some schools, your symplicity will say preselect whether or not it was a preselect or a lottery pick. but thanks for the advice.

[Anonymous User]

brush up on your interviewing skills, of course. get in touch with your ocs and arrange mock interviews in order to get your interviewing style and answers critiqued. it helps to do mock interviews with more than one ocs counselor in order to get more opinions. it really helped me to brainstorm with an ocs counselor about ways to pitch your experience in a way that is unique.

research the firm (practice areas, recent work) and be prepared to discuss these things if the opportunity arises.

if your school does lottery picks as part of the OCI process, getting only a single preselect means it is very likely you were a lottery selection. in that case, try to impress, of course, but don't have unrealistic expectations of your chances as a lottery pick can, but more often that not, does not result in a callback.

good luck.

Don't give advice in the Legal Employment forum if you don't know the difference between preselect and lottery.

at some schools, your symplicity will say preselect whether or not it was a preselect or a lottery pick. but thanks for the advice.

OP here: it was a preselect and not a lottery pick. I also did get invited to do moot court this upcoming year as well.

[micwrecka45]

brush up on your interviewing skills, of course. get in touch with your ocs and arrange mock interviews in order to get your interviewing style and answers critiqued. it helps to do mock interviews with more than one ocs counselor in order to get more opinions. it really helped me to brainstorm with an ocs counselor about ways to pitch your experience in a way that is unique.

research the firm (practice areas, recent work) and be prepared to discuss these things if the opportunity arises.

if your school does lottery picks as part of the OCI process, getting only a single preselect means it is very likely you were a lottery selection. in that case, try to impress, of course, but don't have unrealistic expectations of your chances as a lottery pick can, but more often that not, does not result in a callback.

good luck.

Don't give advice in the Legal Employment forum if you don't know the difference between preselect and lottery.

at some schools, your symplicity will say preselect whether or not it was a preselect or a lottery pick. but thanks for the advice.

OP here: it was a preselect and not a lottery pick. I also did get invited to do moot court this upcoming year as well.

Nice! Congrats then OP.

Last summer I got a screener and made it to the callback for a well-paying position in the in-house dept of a major corporation. It definitely wasn't my grades that got me the interview and to the callback. It was pre-lawschool work experience in the exact same field as the company I was interviewing for. The screener and I talked a lot about this specific work experience.

If you really think it was unique work experience that got you this interview, then you really need to play that up. Be prepared to talk in-depth about your previous experience and make sure you connect those skills and knowledge with the current position.

Your ties to the area where the firm is could also have played a factor. Ties to an area though probably did not give you the interview as ties rarely cover up for a "rough 1L year" unless you had that rough year at HYSCCN.

Good luck. I really mean it - it's nice to see some opportunities open up to those of us who did not end up in the very tops of our class.