V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

[itbdvorm]

Do you know anything about how big firms value bankruptcy clerkships?

I'm clerking in a decent sized market but am considering a route to NY. Right now thinking about trying to clerk again in SDNY after my current gig.

Would presume BK clerkship for SDNY would be a good thing for BK groups. But you should ask folks who are in BK, they will know more.

[chingwoo]

What are your thoughts on class size expansion? Of course not pre-ITE levels but much better?

Also what are your thoughts on groups that will be "hot"? I figure M&A while it needs associates most likely, might be risky once opportunities dry up when multiples go down. What are your thoughts on this?

[justkeepswimming794]

I went to a recruiting invite-only event with about 15 or 20 rising 2Ls and tons of Summers/Associates/Partners. I really hit it off with this one guy and we chatted for a long time. Turns out he went to my school and we had a lot in common / similar sense of humor / etc. Anyway I went to look him up on the firm website to email saying thanks and hopefully ask to grab coffee/network, but as it turns out he is a partner.

Is it inappropriate for me to ask him if he is free for coffee? I don't know the politics of the legal profession yet so any advice is much appreciated

[ozymandius]

I went to a recruiting invite-only event with about 15 or 20 rising 2Ls and tons of Summers/Associates/Partners. I really hit it off with this one guy and we chatted for a long time. Turns out he went to my school and we had a lot in common / similar sense of humor / etc. Anyway I went to look him up on the firm website to email saying thanks and hopefully ask to grab coffee/network, but as it turns out he is a partner.

Is it inappropriate for me to ask him if he is free for coffee? I don't know the politics of the legal profession yet so any advice is much appreciated

Not inappropriate at all. Good work.

[First Offense]

I went to a recruiting invite-only event with about 15 or 20 rising 2Ls and tons of Summers/Associates/Partners. I really hit it off with this one guy and we chatted for a long time. Turns out he went to my school and we had a lot in common / similar sense of humor / etc. Anyway I went to look him up on the firm website to email saying thanks and hopefully ask to grab coffee/network, but as it turns out he is a partner.

Is it inappropriate for me to ask him if he is free for coffee? I don't know the politics of the legal profession yet so any advice is much appreciated

I believe that qualifies as "mission accomplished."

[itbdvorm]

What are your thoughts on class size expansion? Of course not pre-ITE levels but much better?

Also what are your thoughts on groups that will be "hot"? I figure M&A while it needs associates most likely, might be risky once opportunities dry up when multiples go down. What are your thoughts on this?

M&A is probably the least risky transactional group in my view. Other groups (bank finance, capital markets, etc.) are more product-driven; M&A is useful no matter the stage of a company's life. And skillset is more desirable generally from in-house perspective.

Class sizes will definitely increase. Not to 2007 levels, but I think 2005 levels is likely soon....

[Anonymous User]

Is it better to follow up and send a thank you to attorneys late (two weeks after event) or better to not send anything at all at this point?

[itbdvorm]

Is it better to follow up and send a thank you to attorneys late (two weeks after event) or better to not send anything at all at this point?

Couldn't hurt. Just different wording appropriate.

[El Pollito]

two weeks late is pretty weird unless you have an independent reason to reach out

[Anonymous User]

Massmailing ethics question.

My class rank guarantees me a spot on LR but formal LR offers don't come out until mid-August. I fully intend to do LR, so would it be a misrepresentation to list LR on my resume/cover letter? If so, what would be a good way to phrase it?

Much appreciated.

[El Pollito]

Massmailing ethics question.

My class rank guarantees me a spot on LR but formal LR offers don't come out until mid-August. I fully intend to do LR, so would it be a misrepresentation to list LR on my resume/cover letter?

Much appreciated.

yes

[Devlin]

Massmailing ethics question.

My class rank guarantees me a spot on LR but formal LR offers don't come out until mid-August. I fully intend to do LR, so would it be a misrepresentation to list LR on my resume/cover letter? If so, what would be a good way to phrase it?

Much appreciated.

I would not put it on your resume.

I think there is a way you can do it in your cover letter. I personally would try to add it artfully in my cover letter.

[itbdvorm]

Massmailing ethics question.

My class rank guarantees me a spot on LR but formal LR offers don't come out until mid-August. I fully intend to do LR, so would it be a misrepresentation to list LR on my resume/cover letter? If so, what would be a good way to phrase it?

Much appreciated.

I would not put it on your resume.

I think there is a way you can do it in your cover letter. I personally would try to add it artfully in my cover letter.

I would say something like GPA 3.8 (Top 10%, Law Review cutoff is Top 15%) or something to that effect

[chuckbass]

Or just wait another week or so until it's official and then mass mail? If you have to turn in bidlists and resumes, you can just update those later.

[hoos89]

Or just wait another week or so until it's official and then mass mail? If you have to turn in bidlists and resumes, you can just update those later.

He said that he won't know officially until mid-August, which is way too late.

Go ahead and mass mail. You can mention that you expect to be invited to join the law review in your cover letter and then send an updated resume when it becomes official (which is a great excuse to follow up in mid-August).

[Anonymous User]

Junior IP Litigation associate here, wanting to do transactional work. My basis is that litigation is not a personality fit. I've talked to peers doing transactional work, and it seems like a right fit. Do I need more explanation? My firm doesn't have general corporate work so I'd have to switch.

[rpupkin]

Junior IP Litigation associate here, wanting to do transactional work. My basis is that litigation is not a personality fit. I've talked to peers doing transactional work, and it seems like a right fit. Do I need more explanation? My firm doesn't have general corporate work so I'd have to switch.

You're a working lawyer. If you want to completely change practice areas, you probably need a better answer than "personality fit." What is it, specifically, about transactional work that suits your personality? If you can't answer that question, you're going to have a hard time.

[Anonymous User]

I apologize for a post that I already made a topic about, but I realized that an actual recruiter/interviewer could probably answer this question much more accurately than anyone else:

I was fired from a previous job for poor performance. It wouldn't create an inexplicable gap on my resume because it was only a few months before the beginning of law school, and is therefore in line with normal work departure to take time off before law school. However it was for cause (again, performance related only though). Will this come up or be a problem in regard to getting hired or receiving a full-time offer? Thanks a lot for any advice or perspective.

[JenDarby]

Do you know anything about how big firms value bankruptcy clerkships?

I'm clerking in a decent sized market but am considering a route to NY. Right now thinking about trying to clerk again in SDNY after my current gig.

Would presume BK clerkship for SDNY would be a good thing for BK groups. But you should ask folks who are in BK, they will know more.

(anecdote!) I did an internship with an SDNY BK Judge and the clerks had a lot of trouble finding firm jobs even though both went to T10 schools and one went firm > Chi BK clerkship > SDNY BK clerkship. One ended up big law and one ended up at a small firm after both extended their clerkships to find jobs.

[itbdvorm]

I apologize for a post that I already made a topic about, but I realized that an actual recruiter/interviewer could probably answer this question much more accurately than anyone else:

I was fired from a previous job for poor performance. It wouldn't create an inexplicable gap on my resume because it was only a few months before the beginning of law school, and is therefore in line with normal work departure to take time off before law school. However it was for cause (again, performance related only though). Will this come up or be a problem in regard to getting hired or receiving a full-time offer? Thanks a lot for any advice or perspective.

Maybe? Too many variables to tell. If "performance" means you were the 15th man on a NBA roster and they just signed their first round draft pick, probably not. If "performance" means you drove a fund into the ground in spectacular, public fashion probably yes.

You should prepare to talk about it in a reasonable, polished way (like a lawyer would present a case). Doubt most folks will ask in interviews but could be a background check item.

[Anonymous User]

Definitely nothing like driving a fund into the ground, more just wasn't pulling my weight to the standard that they wanted. I mean I was still there for 2 years so it wasn't like I was unbearable lol more of just an up-or-out kind of deal.

But if I had already received an offer could an HR issue like that result in one being rescinded? I mean I certainly wouldn't lie about it anywhere, but if that would be a problem after it was too late to accept an offer for anywhere else that could completely screw me. If so is there any way that I could know ahead of time what firm would do that so that I could make sure not to accept an offer from them?

[ozymandius]

Definitely nothing like driving a fund into the ground, more just wasn't pulling my weight to the standard that they wanted. I mean I was still there for 2 years so it wasn't like I was unbearable lol more of just an up-or-out kind of deal.

But if I had already received an offer could an HR issue like that result in one being rescinded? I mean I certainly wouldn't lie about it anywhere, but if that would be a problem after it was too late to accept an offer for anywhere else that could completely screw me. If so is there any way that I could know ahead of time what firm would do that so that I could make sure not to accept an offer from them?

Sounds like a complete non-issue. When called for references, former employers generally won't go further than confirming dates of employment. So long as you didn't do something that resulted in widespread news coverage or jail time, you're fine. If someone asks you why you left that job, just say that you felt like it was time to move on, or you wanted to go to law school, or something like that. Certainly no need to volunteer that you were fired, which it doesn't even really sound like you were, anyway.

[El Pollito]

are you doing OCI? most firms don't ask for references IIRC

[ozymandius]

Calling former employers that are listed on your resume is not the same as asking for references. It's not a big deal, though, because in any event the former employers really won't say much, even if you were fired for taking a shit on the floor.

[Anonymous User]

I graduated a few years ago and am at a well regarded big NY firm in a transactional practice (finance not M&A). I have been told by the associates and partners I work with that I'm doing an excellent job, the best jr/lower-mid level associate, pulling above my weight, etc and I have a lot of responsibility and autonomy relative to my seniority. What should I do to take advantage of my situation? I have maneuvered to have more control over which deals I work on and some senior lawyers have taken me under their wing which has yielded some advice.

I'm not naive enough to think that being a good junior/midlevel associate = partner, so that's not my plan although I am not ruling it out either. If I don't stay at the firm i would go in house probably at a bank or maybe a PE firm.

No matter what I'm going to keep working hard and doing the other things that have gotten me this far but I'm curious as to any other advice you have.