T50, top 5%, law review board position: 3L OCI chances Forum

[Anonymous User]

Not currently in a biglaw position. What do you think my 3L OCI biglaw chances are in any market? I will be blanketing federal district clerkships as well.

Stats:

-T50
-law review board position. published during 2L year.
-top 5%
-not currently in a biglaw position

[mallard]

Not very good, as far as I know. 3L OCI hardly exists even at top schools.

[steve_nash]

I'd say not very good. If you can land a federal district clerkship, I'd say your biglaw chances will improve after you finish. How much improvement, I don't know.

[rando]

what are you currently doing. and why? Did you get shut out of OCI? Massive grade improvement 2L year?

[Anonymous User]

OP here:

Grades: My grades have been pretty consistent. I have been top 5% after every semester.

1L summer: worked for a corporation

Current Position: Right now I am working for my dad at a small firm (12 attorneys). I did not do OCI, because I was just going to work for him after graduation. I am definitely regretting this, simply because I liked the type of work at the corporation much more. Obviously, I should have worked for my dad 1L year, and then tried OCI for 2L summer, but I am a dumbass.

Biglaw is the ultimate goal, as I would like to go somewhere where I can work with corporate clients... and make some money of course. By the way, I define big law as anything thats listed on NALP.

[rando]

OP here:

Grades: My grades have been pretty consistent. I have been top 5% after every semester.

1L summer: worked for a corporation

Current Position: Right now I am working for my dad at a small firm (12 attorneys). I did not do OCI, because I was just going to work for him after graduation. I am definitely regretting this, simply because I liked the type of work at the corporation much more. Obviously, I should have worked for my dad 1L year, and then tried OCI for 2L summer, but I am a dumbass.

Biglaw is the ultimate goal, as I would like to go somewhere where I can work with corporate clients... and make some money of course. By the way, I define big law as anything thats listed on NALP.

No sense in not trying for 3L OCI or seeing what's out there. But if you are deadset on Biglaw then you need to be working on clerkship apps asap.

[Anonymous User]

OCI will depend on your school. Generally, 3L OCI has been non-existent or super sucky. But we don't know what firms are gonna be at your school. Only you know that. Whether you have a chance will depend on the quantity and quality of those firms. Ask your CSO.

But OCI and clerkships aren't your only options. Gal at my TTT with top 5%, LR ed board, got an interview with a large market-paying firm over a month after graduation (class of 2010). Just gotta be consistent and keep sending out those letters and milking your contacts.

Also, don't wait to apply for state clerkships until after the federal ones. Clerkship hiring has become so competitive. I am class of 2010 and accepted a state clerkship in July 2009. Court was hiring before the feds. Keep in mind that your state courts might be hiring prior to or simultaneous with the feds. In years past, they apparently hired shortly after the feds. (As to whether a state clerkship is a good idea with your goals, you decide. Will not likely give you a "boost" for biglaw, but at least it's another year of hiding out ITE.)

Good luck.

s/ not OP

[Bankhead]

Resume spam. Better luck doing that than 3L OCI...

[98234872348]

you're working at your dad's firm?

Get a job there.

Be content.

Give up big law.

[asealclubber]

OP, what don't you like about your work now? I'm curious because I might be more interested in smaller firms. Why do you think you would prefer corporate clients?

[Anonymous User]

OP HERE:

OP, what don't you like about your work now? I'm curious because I might be more interested in smaller firms. Why do you think you would prefer corporate clients?

It is mostly plaintiff's work. I preferred the larger corporate issues and being on the defense side much more. If you have ever done it, there is a complete different feel with plaintiff's work. It is a different attorney-client relationship.

you're working at your dad's firm?

Get a job there.

Be content.

Give up big law.

Pointless response. It is irrelevant if I have a backup plan with my dad's firm or if I have no job at all. The point is I want something different and am trying to figure out what my chances are.

[pocket herc]

speak to career services, figure out what firms are coming to conduct interviews. That would be more helpful than any "guidance" you might find here. So much is fact dependent, the school, the market, etc. Given your success in school, you are certainly more well placed than most. I suspect many of us don't really know what to expect of 3l OCI, I certainly don't. G'luck.

[XxSpyKEx]

OCI will depend on your school. Generally, 3L OCI has been non-existent or super sucky. But we don't know what firms are gonna be at your school. Only you know that. Whether you have a chance will depend on the quantity and quality of those firms. Ask your CSO.

But OCI and clerkships aren't your only options. Gal at my TTT with top 5%, LR ed board, got an interview with a large market-paying firm over a month after graduation (class of 2010). Just gotta be consistent and keep sending out those letters and milking your contacts.

Also, don't wait to apply for state clerkships until after the federal ones. Clerkship hiring has become so competitive. I am class of 2010 and accepted a state clerkship in July 2009. Court was hiring before the feds. Keep in mind that your state courts might be hiring prior to or simultaneous with the feds. In years past, they apparently hired shortly after the feds. (As to whether a state clerkship is a good idea with your goals, you decide. Will not likely give you a "boost" for biglaw, but at least it's another year of hiding out ITE.)

Good luck.

s/ not OP

That's not too far out. I just sent out clerkship apps last month to some state courts, and a good number of them told me that they hired for their 2011-2012 term in 2009... So I guess I would have had to apply for post graduation clerkships at these judges right after 1L grades were released, which is kinda ridiculous if you ask me.

EDIT- OP- forget about biglaw. Unfortunately, you aren't going to get it unless you get really, really lucky and land a federal clerkship* and even then it's a crapshoot because a federal clerkship does not necessarily mean getting biglaw at the end.

*FYI- there were 401,000 applications last year for 1,200 spots, a 67% increase from the previous year, and this year is anticipated to be more competitive. Not exactly great odds, particularly when you aren't at a TOP law school.