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have outstanding callbacks, and am wondering if mass mailing works. i read somewhere on tls that someone mass mailed 1500 firms and got no offer.

Anonymous User wrote:have outstanding callbacks, and am wondering if mass mailing works. i read somewhere on tls that someone mass mailed 1500 firms and got no offer.

it works... but not well...

i "mass mailed" 25-30 firms and was offered 3 interviews. I would hope you have better results than I did, but I wouldn't count on it.

It all depends on the quality of the applicant.

Welp2277 wrote:It all depends on the quality of the applicant.

Also depends on when you mail. I mailed last week and have received one callback so far. Know some folks who mass mailed in August and did extremely well with similar numbers/background.

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Anonymous User wrote:

Welp2277 wrote:It all depends on the quality of the applicant.

Also depends on when you mail. I mailed last week and have received one callback so far. Know some folks who mass mailed in August and did extremely well with similar numbers/background.

Wow that's impressive. I've sent about 200 so far starting last Monday and have not yet had a single callback. I'm losing hope and hardly have the motivation to do anything. I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Do you mind sharing what range of school you attend and what market you're targeting? Do you attach your transcript?

bwv812 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:have outstanding callbacks, and am wondering if mass mailing works. i read somewhere on tls that someone mass mailed 1500 firms and got no offer.

it works... but not well...

i "mass mailed" 25-30 firms and was offered 3 interviews. I would hope you have better results than I did, but I wouldn't count on it.

This counts as bad???

No. That is very good.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Welp2277 wrote:It all depends on the quality of the applicant.

Also depends on when you mail. I mailed last week and have received one callback so far. Know some folks who mass mailed in August and did extremely well with similar numbers/background.

Wow that's impressive. I've sent about 200 so far starting last Monday and have not yet had a single callback. I'm losing hope and hardly have the motivation to do anything. I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Do you mind sharing what range of school you attend and what market you're targeting? Do you attach your transcript?

I should note that the one callback I got from massmailing is with a mid-sized firm in my home market (New Jersey), so its not like I hit primary market big law. Sent out a ton of emails to DC firms, haven't heard a peep. That being said, school range is MVP. And yeah, I attach a transcript, as well as a cover letter, writing sample and resume. I figure that if I give them everything up front, they'll only contact me if they're seriously interested. If my grades are a problem for them, they won't bother. If my grades are good enough, they might.

I doubt you're doing anything wrong. Depends a lot on the market you're applying for.

I've had some luck from "mass mailing", but i do have good grades, LR, and WE from a T30. OCI didn't have many firms from NY which is the market i targeted. Mailed about 8 firms. Got hits from half, but all V10. Got an offer from one. another firm i was still under consideration following screening interview, meaning firms are still looking to do CB's. I also know from other students around my school that plenty of firms are still considering candidates and offering CB's. It also helps if you can tell them you are going to be in their city on some particular date. If you have good stats, firms will pay attention. Target firms that you have the best shot at given your profile, and follow up with them.

Forgive my ignorance, I'm a n00b.

But, how do these mass mailings work? Are you emailing or physically mailing? Are you sending them to the recruiting director? IF it's an email, is the text of the email basically a cover letter? And what are you attaching, a resume and a transcript?

(Such a rook)

Anonymous User wrote:Forgive my ignorance, I'm a n00b.

But, how do these mass mailings work? Are you emailing or physically mailing? Are you sending them to the recruiting director? IF it's an email, is the text of the email basically a cover letter? And what are you attaching, a resume and a transcript?

(Such a rook)

Emailing vs. Mailing -- I think personal preference. I emailed -- its cheaper, quicker, more efficient. You hear about some firms who don't like it, but I think thats pretty uncommon.

Send to -- Whoever the website says to. It'll typically be the recruiting director or a coordinator.

Text -- The text should probably just be (paraphrased): "Hey, I'm a student at school X. I want a job for the summer. Here's my papers. Call me." Attach a cover letter separately (in my opinion).

Attach -- I attached a cover letter, resume, transcript and writing sample. Basically, anything they're likely to ask for.

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I emailed only. Find the proper person from the firm's website.

Quick message in the body of the email.

I am a 2L from X law school interested in your SA program. Please find attached my....

I've included a cover letter (include something about visiting their city on a date, or phone interview etc., something that show's initiative on your part to make it work)

resume

unofficial transcript

references.

I did not include a writing sample. most firms don't require them and they may hurt you.

Do you think it's worth it to mail firms that came to your school's oci that you did not bid on?

Anonymous User wrote:Do you think it's worth it to mail firms that came to your school's oci that you did not bid on?

I'd guess probably not, unless its for an office that didn't interview at OCI. I mean, it can't hurt. But I wouldn't expect much. I received swift dings from the couple firms I tried this with.

Sent out about 150 apps before OCI began (starting in May and ending the last week of July). Got 9 interviews from non-OCI firms. 3 offers and then canceled the rest of the interviews. All interviews were treated as callbacks. Mass mailing was treated as the screening interview.

Edit: because I know the question is coming -

1 firm was V15 (offer)
1 firm was V30
3 firms were V100 (an offer from here)
3 firms were midsize NALP firms (an offer from here)
1 firm was a boutique shop

Did not take the V15. Took the V100.

Anonymous User wrote:Sent out about 150 apps before OCI began (starting in May and ending the last week of July). Got 9 interviews from non-OCI firms. 3 offers and then canceled the rest of the interviews. All interviews were treated as callbacks. Mass mailing was treated as the screening interview.

Edit: because I know the question is coming -

1 firm was V15 (offer)
1 firm was V30
3 firms were V100 (an offer from here)
3 firms were midsize NALP firms (an offer from here)
1 firm was a boutique shop

Did not take the V15. Took the V100.

Well just to put things in perspective, do you mind sharing your school range and 1L performance (very good, good, okay, not so good, etc)?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Sent out about 150 apps before OCI began (starting in May and ending the last week of July). Got 9 interviews from non-OCI firms. 3 offers and then canceled the rest of the interviews. All interviews were treated as callbacks. Mass mailing was treated as the screening interview.

Edit: because I know the question is coming -

1 firm was V15 (offer)
1 firm was V30
3 firms were V100 (an offer from here)
3 firms were midsize NALP firms (an offer from here)
1 firm was a boutique shop

Did not take the V15. Took the V100.

Well just to put things in perspective, do you mind sharing your school range and 1L performance (very good, good, okay, not so good, etc)?

T10 school. Medianish - somewhere between "low" good and "high" okay (definitely not a star).

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Sent out about 150 apps before OCI began (starting in May and ending the last week of July). Got 9 interviews from non-OCI firms. 3 offers and then canceled the rest of the interviews. All interviews were treated as callbacks. Mass mailing was treated as the screening interview.

Edit: because I know the question is coming -

1 firm was V15 (offer)
1 firm was V30
3 firms were V100 (an offer from here)
3 firms were midsize NALP firms (an offer from here)
1 firm was a boutique shop

Did not take the V15. Took the V100.

Well just to put things in perspective, do you mind sharing your school range and 1L performance (very good, good, okay, not so good, etc)?

T10 school. Medianish - somewhere between "low" good and "high" okay (definitely not a star).

I see. Congratulations, you did good. I guess the key was mass mailing EARLY.

mass mailed 50-70 firms in august...2 CBs...still waiting to hear about offers...T1 T10% LR

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Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Sent out about 150 apps before OCI began (starting in May and ending the last week of July). Got 9 interviews from non-OCI firms. 3 offers and then canceled the rest of the interviews. All interviews were treated as callbacks. Mass mailing was treated as the screening interview.

Edit: because I know the question is coming -

1 firm was V15 (offer)
1 firm was V30
3 firms were V100 (an offer from here)
3 firms were midsize NALP firms (an offer from here)
1 firm was a boutique shop

Did not take the V15. Took the V100.

Well just to put things in perspective, do you mind sharing your school range and 1L performance (very good, good, okay, not so good, etc)?

T10 school. Medianish - somewhere between "low" good and "high" okay (definitely not a star).

I see. Congratulations, you did good. I guess the key was mass mailing EARLY.

I started going to my career office back in March with questions of "what do I do if my grades don't improve." My school told me to wait until end of July b/c "recruiters weren't even thinking about summer programs yet." I totally ignored them b/c as usual, they sucked and were wrong.

underachiever wrote:I did a mass mail in 3 local markets and was successful. The letters were targeted in some way (a sentence or 2 about why I liked the firm). I did about 30 of these and got 22 positive responses. Im median at Penn. I took an offer that I got in this fashion.

When did you mass mail?

I emailed about 40-50 small to mid-size firms back in mid-August, before OCI. I got 3 responses, and 2 firms told me to apply to them later in the year.

Unless your grades are really good, I wouldn't expect v100s, especially at this point, to respond. However, some small to mid-size firms have not finishing recruiting yet. One mid-size firm, where I still have to conduct a callback, doesn't finish the recruiting process until December.

Also, I emailed my resume, transcript, and writing sample.

Furthermore, another tip with smaller firms in secondary markets, is that you should succinctly express your interest in working in the market. I felt that half of the time spent at interviews with smaller firms were focused on gauging my interest in working in the city. Even when I did a callback at a v50 in a secondary market, the interviewers spent about half the time trying to sell me on the city (which is a big city, but not NYC/DC/Chicago).

I have a connection to a smaller market. Got CBs from 5/5 firms I contacted in that market. Similarly, targeted 4 or so non-OCI firms in larger market got 1 CB. All firms that called me back paid in the $75K-$120K range. Did not end up taking any of the offers that came from those CBs, but I certainly had some luck and would have been happy to work for any of the firms I got offers from out of that process (3 offers, 1 rejection, 2 withdrawn before I heard).