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So I had a callback with a biglaw firm last week and thought I knocked it out of the park. Each interview went well over the allotted time and I got into some great conversations. I'm a 3L and have done 6 callbacks in law school and this was the best one so far by a mile. I got the callback because I do some outside work for one of the major partners at the firm.

Today I received a rejection notice.

I'd like to find out what the hell happened. I've always consider myself just an average interviewer who is unlikely to wow anyone but not liable to make any huge mistakes. I'd always thought my rejections were due to my grades and resume not being that spectacular at the callback stage. As a 3L, I've found that not having any corporate experience or taking any corporate classes has been a tough sell to corporate departments. But now I'm starting to think something else may be going on with my interviewing, because most people seem to think corporate groups aren't that concerned with prior experience as long as you can express coherent reasons for doing what they do.

Is it okay to get in touch with the partner I work for and ask for some feedback on how the decisions were made? I feel like I need to know ASAP if I'm making serious mistakes in these interviews or if it's really my grades, resume, or lack of corporate classes/internships that is holding me back.

Anonymous User wrote:So I had a callback with a biglaw firm last week and thought I knocked it out of the park. Each interview went well over the allotted time and I got into some great conversations. I'm a 3L and have done 6 callbacks in law school and this was the best one so far by a mile. I got the callback because I do some outside work for one of the major partners at the firm.

Today I received a rejection notice.

I'd like to find out what the hell happened. I've always consider myself just an average interviewer who is unlikely to wow anyone but not liable to make any huge mistakes. I'd always thought my rejections were due to my grades and resume not being that spectacular at the callback stage. As a 3L, I've found that not having any corporate experience or taking any corporate classes has been a tough sell to corporate departments. But now I'm starting to think something else may be going on with my interviewing, because most people seem to think corporate groups aren't that concerned with prior experience as long as you can express coherent reasons for doing what they do.

Is it okay to get in touch with the partner and ask for some feedback on how the decisions were made. I feel like I need to know ASAP if I'm making serious mistakes in these interviews or if it's really my grades, resume, or lack of corporate classes/internships that is holding me back.

You can ask. I have asked but never gotten a response worth anything. Generally, they'll say they just didn't have the spaces and it wasn't a reflection on you. Some on TLS have said that they have been given lots of valuable feedback, but that certainly has not been my experience. No harm in trying though.

I'm sorry this happened to you, and I know how you feel. I think it's a good idea to reach out for feedback. You could explain that you want to ensure that whatever went wrong doesn't happen again.

Good luck; I hope you get some useful responses from them...

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:So I had a callback with a biglaw firm last week and thought I knocked it out of the park. Each interview went well over the allotted time and I got into some great conversations. I'm a 3L and have done 6 callbacks in law school and this was the best one so far by a mile. I got the callback because I do some outside work for one of the major partners at the firm.

Today I received a rejection notice.

I'd like to find out what the hell happened. I've always consider myself just an average interviewer who is unlikely to wow anyone but not liable to make any huge mistakes. I'd always thought my rejections were due to my grades and resume not being that spectacular at the callback stage. As a 3L, I've found that not having any corporate experience or taking any corporate classes has been a tough sell to corporate departments. But now I'm starting to think something else may be going on with my interviewing, because most people seem to think corporate groups aren't that concerned with prior experience as long as you can express coherent reasons for doing what they do.

Is it okay to get in touch with the partner and ask for some feedback on how the decisions were made. I feel like I need to know ASAP if I'm making serious mistakes in these interviews or if it's really my grades, resume, or lack of corporate classes/internships that is holding me back.

You can ask. I have asked but never gotten a response worth anything. Generally, they'll say they just didn't have the spaces and it wasn't a reflection on you. Some on TLS have said that they have been given lots of valuable feedback, but that certainly has not been my experience. No harm in trying though.

Normally I wouldn't bother, but I do have the working relationship with the partner (who used to be a co-managing partner). I wonder if people have had more luck getting feedback if they personally know somebody who works at the firm.

One thing you might try is having your schools office of career services contact firms for you, I guess firms regularly share information with them so I have gotten some good feedback doing that.

Anonymous User wrote:One thing you might try is having your schools office of career services contact firms for you, I guess firms regularly share information with them so I have gotten some good feedback doing that.

What kind of feedback do they give?

They told me how poorly I was coming off in interviews. I ended up stinking out as a 2L, but my screener to CB rate has been above average for a 2L, which considering I am now a 3L is not bad. So they can certainly give you info on the general impression your interviews have been getting of you. In my cases it was things like arrogant, detached, disinterested, etc.

Anonymous User wrote:They told me how poorly I was coming off in interviews. I ended up stinking out as a 2L, but my screener to CB rate has been above average for a 2L, which considering I am now a 3L is not bad. So they can certainly give you info on the general impression your interviews have been getting of you. In my cases it was things like arrogant, detached, disinterested, etc.

How did you work on the detached and disinterested part? If I had to guess that might be my problem.

Anonymous User wrote: I got the callback because I do some outside work for one of the major partners at the firm.

I think it's possible that this is the reason you were treated differently. An interviewer might give you more respect if he knows you're a friend of his colleague. But the hiring decision still needs to be objective.

I once had a "courtesy interview" where they'd already offered the job to someone else, saw my resume and liked it, and didn't want to alienate me with a cold rejection, so they invited me to interview with this understanding. The partner might have felt like he was otherwise being rude, so invited you in even though he didn't think you were a likely candidate.

Is it okay to get in touch with the partner I work for and ask for some feedback on how the decisions were made? I feel like I need to know ASAP if I'm making serious mistakes in these interviews or if it's really my grades, resume, or lack of corporate classes/internships that is holding me back.

I think so, as long as it's done tactfully. Don't count on a response, but I have known at least one lawyer who gives this kind of feedback to candidates who ask. I would ask if he had any feedback from your interview rather than asking him to explain the decision. "Why did you reject me" (or equivalent) puts him on the defensive. And if it's your grades or resume, you can't do a whole lot about it anyway other than keep trying.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:So I had a callback with a biglaw firm last week and thought I knocked it out of the park. Each interview went well over the allotted time and I got into some great conversations. I'm a 3L and have done 6 callbacks in law school and this was the best one so far by a mile. I got the callback because I do some outside work for one of the major partners at the firm.

Today I received a rejection notice.

I'd like to find out what the hell happened. I've always consider myself just an average interviewer who is unlikely to wow anyone but not liable to make any huge mistakes. I'd always thought my rejections were due to my grades and resume not being that spectacular at the callback stage. As a 3L, I've found that not having any corporate experience or taking any corporate classes has been a tough sell to corporate departments. But now I'm starting to think something else may be going on with my interviewing, because most people seem to think corporate groups aren't that concerned with prior experience as long as you can express coherent reasons for doing what they do.

Is it okay to get in touch with the partner and ask for some feedback on how the decisions were made. I feel like I need to know ASAP if I'm making serious mistakes in these interviews or if it's really my grades, resume, or lack of corporate classes/internships that is holding me back.

You can ask. I have asked but never gotten a response worth anything. Generally, they'll say they just didn't have the spaces and it wasn't a reflection on you. Some on TLS have said that they have been given lots of valuable feedback, but that certainly has not been my experience. No harm in trying though.

On that note, you might have your Career Services office contact the firm on your behalf. I've heard that the feedback might be more honest if it's delivered through an intermediary.

{edit} beaten to the punch.