Okay first, a newbie question... what's the easiest way to find the 'rank', so to speak, on a legal firm?
Second, I'm at a T2. Marginally above median grades for 1L. I am very aware of my precarious position... My question is, what 'range' of employers should I bid on? I don't want to waste my bids. How can I know whether an employer will give my resume an honest look?
Finally, what are the best ways to research a firm?
Thanks in advance.
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nymario
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:57 pm
Re: OCI
Most top firms won't give your resume more than a glance. That's the unfortunate state of the economy today. However, there are a ton of smaller firms who will be less grade sensitive. You need to identify these and be relentless. Bid on realistic midlaw firms, but with your rank and school you need to be taking this process very aggressively. Consider OCI a lottery ticket. Don't stop going to work (researching, pumping out resumes, networking) unless your lottery ticket number comes up. But the vast majority of your time allocation should now be devoted to non-OCI methods.
As far as bidding advice -- unless you think you can absolutely crush an interview to the point where they have to ignore you grades (you probably can't, at many firms nobody can -- and at others, you have to be so unbelievably exceptional as to make it incredibly remote), only bid on firms that do not specify top 10, top 20, etc.... Maybe take a shot at a top 33 -- but mostly look to ones that don't announce cutoffs.
Also, if you're on LR, this calculus may change some, but not much. I think you would have said it if you were.
Ways to research? CSO, NALP, there are some threads that collect a lot of firm research info -- look at the stickied threads. This is a lot of pounding the pavement though, unfortunately.
How to rank? There's Vault, but I don't think your target is the V100. NALP shows salary for many firms, so that may be a way to distinguish. Outside the NJP250, you won't really be able to rank other than by number of attorneys and salary information...
As far as bidding advice -- unless you think you can absolutely crush an interview to the point where they have to ignore you grades (you probably can't, at many firms nobody can -- and at others, you have to be so unbelievably exceptional as to make it incredibly remote), only bid on firms that do not specify top 10, top 20, etc.... Maybe take a shot at a top 33 -- but mostly look to ones that don't announce cutoffs.
Also, if you're on LR, this calculus may change some, but not much. I think you would have said it if you were.
Ways to research? CSO, NALP, there are some threads that collect a lot of firm research info -- look at the stickied threads. This is a lot of pounding the pavement though, unfortunately.
How to rank? There's Vault, but I don't think your target is the V100. NALP shows salary for many firms, so that may be a way to distinguish. Outside the NJP250, you won't really be able to rank other than by number of attorneys and salary information...
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Anonymous User
- Posts: 432438
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: OCI
Thanks man! Fantastic reply, I'm very grateful for the help.
