Transfer OCI Strike out, back-up-plans and thoughts. Forum

[Anonymous User]

So, I am a transfer into CCN from a top 30 school. I was offered LR at my old school, and was top 1-2%. So far, I have gone on about thirty screening interviews and have twenty rejections and one call back. While I have not heard back from the CB firm, I am not optimistic, nor am I optimistic about the non-responses. No real WE, but I did work in college I targeted NYC pretty much exclusively. I have started a mailing campaign but again I am not optimistic because I started it late.

So here is my question, do you guys think I have any shot of breaking into big law, either as a 3L or of going the clerkship route? I posted this thread really to see what effect, if any, you guys think transferring (with no SA 2L) has on ones ability to clerk or go the 3L OCI route. For example, do you think if I (or the few other transfers at my school who are also having a lot of trouble) do well 2L we have a shot at 3L OCI? Or is the lack of a 2L SA plus transferring fatal in the super competitive 3L market, likewise for the clerkship market?

Thanks,

[Anonymous User]

Of the 30 screening interview do you know how many were lottery?

I read somewhere on the NALP that the percentage of people that start as a new associate who were not a summer associate at that firm was 3%. That should give you some idea of your chances especially if you don't work as a summer associate this summer.

[Anonymous User]

The school is all lottery. Thanks for the data, even though it is not exactly heartening.

[Anonymous User]

So, I am a transfer into CCN from a top 30 school. I was offered LR at my old school, and was top 1-2%. So far, I have gone on about thirty screening interviews and have twenty rejections and one call back. While I have not heard back from the CB firm, I am not optimistic, nor am I optimistic about the non-responses. No real WE, but I did work in college I targeted NYC pretty much exclusively. I have started a mailing campaign but again I am not optimistic because I started it late.

So here is my question, do you guys think I have any shot of breaking into big law, either as a 3L or of going the clerkship route? I posted this thread really to see what effect, if any, you guys think transferring (with no SA 2L) has on ones ability to clerk or go the 3L OCI route. For example, do you think if I (or the few other transfers at my school who are also having a lot of trouble) do well 2L we have a shot at 3L OCI? Or is the lack of a 2L SA plus transferring fatal in the super competitive 3L market, likewise for the clerkship market?

Thanks,

What Vault range did you bid at?

[spondee]

Your school doesn't have an ongoing OCI?

[Anonymous User]

Your school doesn't have an ongoing OCI?

They do, but most of the firms have quick turn around and the majority of the interviews were this week. Since i have not heard anything from them, I would guess most of them are dings.

As to the vault ranking question, I spread my bids all around. In retrospect I should not have bid as many v5 and v10 firms as I did, but I also bid a lot of lower ranked firms. In fact my CB was with an unranked firm.

[Anonymous User]

Going the clerkship route is definitely a possibility, but you MUST start focusing on that now. That means you must join a journal and focus on grades. Also build up at least one really good relationship with a professor THIS SEMESTER. Clerkships are very, very competitive, but I see no reason why you can't get one (especially a year out of school).

[Anonymous User]

I was in a similar position at this time last year. Focus on getting good grades, developing relationships with professors, and exploring non-firm options for 2L summer work. I spent the first couple months at my new school fretting about finding a job at a firm and nothing positive came from it.

A professor made a call on my behalf to help me land a decent summer gig. I applied to firms mid-summer and solid grades helped distinguish my applications from others, I think. I have an offer from a great firm as a new associate in 2011. I am not on a journal, but did receive a few clerkship interviews. I did not receive an offer from a judge, though.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Congrats man on turning that around. I will certainly would like to establish a relationship with some profs, but I am not very good at networking. What did you do, go to office hours, or work as an RA? I ask because networking is the part of the law school/legal business I think I understand the least and am worst at.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Congrats man on turning that around. I will certainly would like to establish a relationship with some profs, but I am not very good at networking. What did you do, go to office hours, or work as an RA? I ask because networking is the part of the law school/legal business I think I understand the least and am worst at.

Paying attention in class, asking a questions a couple times per semester, and/or visiting office hours. Also, asking for advice on job searches, clerking, their experience prior to law school is a good way to learn about their path to academia, if you're interested in that.

[Anonymous User]

You're at CLS--we have an OCI happening right now, don't we? EIP is done, but OCI is happening at the moment, I thought.

[Anonymous User]

Your school doesn't have an ongoing OCI?

They do, but most of the firms have quick turn around and the majority of the interviews were this week. Since i have not heard anything from them, I would guess most of them are dings.

As to the vault ranking question, I spread my bids all around. In retrospect I should not have bid as many v5 and v10 firms as I did, but I also bid a lot of lower ranked firms. In fact my CB was with an unranked firm.

My original bidlist was a lot of V-20. I had a wake-up call a week before bid submission and put a bunch of lower V-100 way up in my rankings. I'm pretty thankful that I did. Did you receive interviews with those lower-ranked firms - in other words, were your EIP interviews with a range of firms, or did you only bid on a range?

[Anonymous User]

OP here again. Thanks again to the successful transfer, I will certainly do that. I bid high, but I did get a range of interviews. They were skewed high, but I certainly had a bunch of interviews with lower ranked firms. I do not want to say what school I am at, but as I said I am doing OCI now. I just do not have much faith in it. Very few firms, with very small classes, and lots and lots of applicants.

[Anonymous User]

OP here again. Thanks again to the successful transfer, I will certainly do that. I bid high, but I did get a range of interviews. They were skewed high, but I certainly had a bunch of interviews with lower ranked firms. I do not want to say what school I am at, but as I said I am doing OCI now. I just do not have much faith in it. Very few firms, with very small classes, and lots and lots of applicants.

Mass mail.

[Anonymous User]

OP here again. Thanks again to the successful transfer, I will certainly do that. I bid high, but I did get a range of interviews. They were skewed high, but I certainly had a bunch of interviews with lower ranked firms. I do not want to say what school I am at, but as I said I am doing OCI now. I just do not have much faith in it. Very few firms, with very small classes, and lots and lots of applicants.

How many people are applying through your OCI? Did most people get jobs through EIP?

[Anonymous User]

For mass mailing, I would certainly recommend targeting firms that are outside of the V50 and that are probably more mid-market firms, especially in NYC. It seems that most of the firms that I mass mailed who did not come to OCI (also a transfer to CCN) that were in the V50 are not extending call backs to their firms. Of course, this could be on a case by case basis (doesn't hurt to try), and I was only top 10% at a T22 school, but I would say that most of the v50 firms who participate in OCIs across the country have more than enough people that they have already called back.