Non-OCI Successes? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone had success from non-OCI cover letter and resume mailings? Do firms typically looks at these at all, or only if there is need after OCI rounds?

[Anonymous User]

I'll start a very nice job at a small firm, albeit one with a very non-big-law salary, after I graduate (I'm a 3L). I've never lived in the city where the firm is, and didn't know any of the partners before. I just sent my resume out to about 300 firms, and they were the ones that bit.

[Archon]

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[Anonymous User]

This seems to be the case for me as a 2L attempting to get a SA somewhere. I'm top of my class at a TTT with a strong specialty, journal, graduate degree, solid undergrad. I've only gotten two callbacks in the Amlaw 200 (although one was V10) and each was based on some sort of connection.

Regional firms seem to give the love, though. Lots of initial interviews for regionals. I do still have a lot of apps out to the Amlaw 200 so those of us at TTT can continue to hope?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone had success from non-OCI cover letter and resume mailings? Do firms typically looks at these at all, or only if there is need after OCI rounds?

I've sent out ~100 resumes to CA firms (I'm out of state). My cover letters have been semi-targeted depending on the firm's primary practice areas or summer program.

Results so far:
- 20+ dings
- 1 phone interview (+ding)
- still waiting on the rest

[270910]

It depends. If your credentials and cover letter / story are appropriate, you can definitely get bites. But if you're blanketing firms with letters and don't have something to make you stand out, it's likely just charitable giving to the postal service.

[Anonymous User]

I got one from a resume collect posting at our school. They are actually flying me out as well.

[Anonymous User]

I had success with random mass mailing, although I started my mass mailing around Memorial Day weekend and didn't stop until the end of July. Ended up getting 9 interviews (5 were big law, V100), took an offer at a firm I was happy with, and then ended up canceling the rest of the interviews. My school's career office said to start emailing resumes in July, and thankfully, I ignored them and started much much earlier.

edit: I should mention I sent out ~ 150 resumes and cover letters.

[Anonymous User]

Small TTT, 12 callbacks and three phone interviews that didn't lead to callbacks based on a July mass mailing last year. Callbacks in four states. Firm size ranged from the bottom of the Amlaw 200 (2) to a 35-lawyer firm that paid about $70k to start. Majority of callbacks were with 100- to 150-lawyer firms that paid low six figures. Summered with one of them and accepted an offer.

[Anonymous User]

I know several people with average grades that have gotten multiple callbacks from resume mailings. Firms look at these before and during OCI, but not after (their classes will likely have been filled), so if you want to do a mass mailing you should do it as soon as possible.

[lovelaw27]

I had success with random mass mailing, although I started my mass mailing around Memorial Day weekend and didn't stop until the end of July. Ended up getting 9 interviews (5 were big law, V100), took an offer at a firm I was happy with, and then ended up canceling the rest of the interviews. My school's career office said to start emailing resumes in July, and thankfully, I ignored them and started much much earlier.

edit: I should mention I sent out ~ 150 resumes and cover letters.

This poster said they started mass mailing around Memorial Day (May 31). When would it be too early to start mass mailing? I am a 1L.

[Anonymous User]

I had success with random mass mailing, although I started my mass mailing around Memorial Day weekend and didn't stop until the end of July. Ended up getting 9 interviews (5 were big law, V100), took an offer at a firm I was happy with, and then ended up canceling the rest of the interviews. My school's career office said to start emailing resumes in July, and thankfully, I ignored them and started much much earlier.

edit: I should mention I sent out ~ 150 resumes and cover letters.

This poster said they started mass mailing around Memorial Day (May 31). When would it be too early to start mass mailing? I am a 1L.

That was my post. I think end of May is a good time. law firms really don't start thinking about recruiting until July b/c in May they're gearing up for their summers, so I think anytime before May is too early. I was also on one coast applying to another coast, so i felt the need to be really aggressive to make sure I landed a job in the market I wanted. I'd say Memorial Day-ish is good (I think I started around May 20th or so).

[Anonymous User]

I had success with random mass mailing, although I started my mass mailing around Memorial Day weekend and didn't stop until the end of July. Ended up getting 9 interviews (5 were big law, V100), took an offer at a firm I was happy with, and then ended up canceling the rest of the interviews. My school's career office said to start emailing resumes in July, and thankfully, I ignored them and started much much earlier.

edit: I should mention I sent out ~ 150 resumes and cover letters.

This poster said they started mass mailing around Memorial Day (May 31). When would it be too early to start mass mailing? I am a 1L.

You want to wait until you get your final grades from spring semester.

You might even want to wait until law review is announced, if you think you have a good chance.

I think early to mid July is fine.

[20160810]

I've had some interest and some dings on direct mailing (more dings than interest, not surprisingly). I think that if you're a competitive candidate in an out-of-market firm that just doesn't do OCI at your school and you can properly articulate in your cover letter why you're interested in that firm, then you've got as good a shot as anyone. If, however, it's apparent you just hit up nalpdirectory.com and resume-spammed the shit out of an entire market and you don't express any interest in the city or firm specifically, then I think it would be unwise to expect success.

However, and this is an important point, given that virtually all firms accept (and many even explicitly prefer) emailed submissions, there is virtually no downside to direct mailing. It takes almost no time, and requires no money.

[Anonymous User]

I had success with random mass mailing, although I started my mass mailing around Memorial Day weekend and didn't stop until the end of July. Ended up getting 9 interviews (5 were big law, V100), took an offer at a firm I was happy with, and then ended up canceling the rest of the interviews. My school's career office said to start emailing resumes in July, and thankfully, I ignored them and started much much earlier.

edit: I should mention I sent out ~ 150 resumes and cover letters.

This poster said they started mass mailing around Memorial Day (May 31). When would it be too early to start mass mailing? I am a 1L.

You want to wait until you get your final grades from spring semester.

You might even want to wait until law review is announced, if you think you have a good chance.

I think early to mid July is fine.

You can always update them with LR status, which is what I did.

[20160810]

Everyone I mailed before August either put me on ignore or told me to get back to them after 8/1. Given that many firms stop considering new submissions after 9/1, I think that mass mailings should go out sometime during the month of August, preferably in the first two weeks.

[Anonymous User]

I AM DROWNING IN BIGLAW OFFERS FROM THE LOYOLA PATENT INTERVIEW PROGRAM

[yellowjacket2012]

I've had some success emailing partners whose career trajectory I'd love to emulate (CAFC/CCPA clerkship, former AUSAs, patent trial lawyers, former ITC OGC folks) - they've responded at basically a 100% rate over the last 4 months, and I've gotten my foot in the door that way.

I guess this may indicate that people respond more when you draw on a personal experience they cherish professionally, and you state it in a way that doesn't make it seem like its just a talking point - the above list of things are career-stints I'd love to personally pursue, so I guess my solicitations have been fairly sincere, thus the results.

[Anonymous User]

I got an offer from a firm that a lot would consider biglaw (300+ attorneys, IP only, pay 140k) in this way.

[Anonymous User]

Just secured an interview via direct mailing.