Top Law Schools

How important is OCI at places like Harvard Law relative to "networking" (contacting alumni) for the average student vis-a-vis getting job offers?

Not one reply?

SuperFreak wrote:Not one reply?

OCI = jobs, even more so at top ranked schools. Networking is "in addition" to OCI (and should be done more as grades get lower). So, if you go to a T14, OCI is very important, but if your median or lower, get networking as well.

SuperFreak wrote:Not one reply?

In 8 minutes? You've got to be kidding me.

Here's your reply. Happy?

Edit: Sup Kid beat me.

LOL @ 9 8min threadbump. You're an 0L, I presume.

To answer your question: it depends. 1L grades roughly follow a positive correlation with your ability to rely on OCI. 1L grades roughly follow a negative correlation with your need to rely on networking. Although ITE, you'll need to do both. Before worrying too much about whether OCI or networking will land you a jerb, however, you'll need to focus on doing well during 1L. HTH.

Here's how much it can really matter:

For employers that come to OCI: 0%.

For employers that don't come to OCI: 100%.

you can shoot cover letters out before OCI begins, during your 1L summer and have jobs lined up going into OCI. This can help you perform better during OCI b/c you might be less nervous.

legends159 wrote:you can shoot cover letters out before OCI begins, during your 1L summer and have jobs lined up going into OCI. This can help you perform better during OCI b/c you might be less nervous.

I'm wondering about this process.
1) Do you only want to do this with firms not coming to your OCI? Are OCI employer rosters even going to be available from career services by then?
2) How does this actually work? Are you just cold-submitting applications to many places, or are you attempting to contact alumni and have them pass your application along? I assume the answer is "do both"
3) Does this really work? Presumably these firms will be attending the OCIs of other schools if they're not going to yours. Why would they waste time with a candidate who is trying to be hired outside of the formalized, more efficient process?

TigerBeer wrote:

legends159 wrote:you can shoot cover letters out before OCI begins, during your 1L summer and have jobs lined up going into OCI. This can help you perform better during OCI b/c you might be less nervous.

I'm wondering about this process.
1) Do you only want to do this with firms not coming to your OCI? Are OCI employer rosters even going to be available from career services by then?
2) How does this actually work? Are you just cold-submitting applications to many places, or are you attempting to contact alumni and have them pass your application along? I assume the answer is "do both"
3) Does this really work? Presumably these firms will be attending the OCIs of other schools if they're not going to yours. Why would they waste time with a candidate who is trying to be hired outside of the formalized, more efficient process?

1. Yes and yes.
2. You can either mass mail as many firms as possible or try to work connections if you wish.
3. Firms choose their OCI locations for a variety of reasons. For example, maybe a regional firm, or a national firm's regional office, only recruits in the area around its office because that is most cost-effective and convenient, but would be willing to consider a candidate from elsewhere who has sufficient ties. Maybe a firm only goes to OCI in the T14, but would be willing to consider an exceptional candidate from a lower-rated school. If a firm doesn't recruit at your school, that means the firm doesn't see it as worth its time to interview a whole day's full of candidates at your school. That doesn't necessarily mean that they will not consider you if you are qualified and seek them out.

TigerBeer wrote:

legends159 wrote:you can shoot cover letters out before OCI begins, during your 1L summer and have jobs lined up going into OCI. This can help you perform better during OCI b/c you might be less nervous.

I'm wondering about this process.
1) Do you only want to do this with firms not coming to your OCI? Are OCI employer rosters even going to be available from career services by then?
2) How does this actually work? Are you just cold-submitting applications to many places, or are you attempting to contact alumni and have them pass your application along? I assume the answer is "do both"
3) Does this really work? Presumably these firms will be attending the OCIs of other schools if they're not going to yours. Why would they waste time with a candidate who is trying to be hired outside of the formalized, more efficient process?

1) Yes - if you email firms coming to OCI, they will just tell you to wait until they are on campus.
2) Yes for both. Email everyone up and down the Vault list (with the exception of firms coming to OCI - see # 1). Talking to alums is important for two reasons - 1) sometimes they will pass your resume along for you and 2) it gives you something to talk about during the interview/shows your dedicated.
3) Yes it does. Some firms don't go to certain schools because there isn't a strong alumni connection there. I was able to schedule 9 interviews pre-OCI last year this way, and I know of others who did the same. I found a firm I loved, and was able to skip out on the entire OCI process.

is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

choice c: grades?

.

Definitely apply to every firm in the summer, even those you expect to come to OCI. I know so many people who got interviews that way and then didn't have to use a bid to get an interview with the firm when they came on campus. It seems like a stupid way to cheat the system, but it works.

erico wrote:is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

Once spring semester grades are posted.

vamedic03 wrote:

erico wrote:is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

Once spring semester grades are posted.

Cool thx.

I cannot stress how important it is to mail every single firm, whether they go to OCI or not, if you think you might strike out at OCI. Then you should follow up with a call a week later to make sure they've received your materials. I know at my school some firms actually went back to the school's OCS to ask for resumes because the didn't hit their targets at OCI. It helps if you actually have some WE on your resume to cut through the pile.

vamedic03 wrote:

erico wrote:is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

Once spring semester grades are posted.

I didn't send transcripts with my apps - just cover letters and resumes. My career office told me to wait until July, but I didn't listen to them and I started Memorial Day Weekend instead. I had interviews before my spring grades were even posted. In fact, I wasn't even asked for a transcript until right before I came in for the callback.

IzziesGal wrote:

vamedic03 wrote:

erico wrote:is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

Once spring semester grades are posted.

I didn't send transcripts with my apps - just cover letters and resumes. My career office told me to wait until July, but I didn't listen to them and I started Memorial Day Weekend instead. I had interviews before my spring grades were even posted. In fact, I wasn't even asked for a transcript until right before I came in for the callback.

Hmm, so just first semester 1L grades?

G. T. L. Rev. wrote:

OldManHunger wrote:The fuck does "networking" mean on TLS? Sending resumes to firms that don't come to OCI isn't "networking." It's called "job hunting." As far as I can tell, "networking" is the fairy dust that, when combined with "hustle," is supposed to raise the dead and let T4 grads and sub-median T14 students salvage the wreckage of their DOA careers.

You cannot be serious. At least as to sub-median T14 students (I make no claim as to T4 grads), "networking" is both very real and, potentially, very effective. "Networking" in this sense does not mean sending out resumes. Instead, it means cold e-mailing/meeting with alumni in the market(s) one is targeting; making the most of any events offered by firms or the school's career office; and preparing thoroughly for each of these interactions by (a) getting a good sense of the firms/practices/markets involved and (b) having thoughtful questions to ask. Not terribly hard to do, frankly. Plenty of sub-median people at my T14 landed solid jobs, so I think it is just silly to say that those peoples' careers were "DOA," or that "networking" played no role in their success.

+1. Even at HYS you can't just walk up and go "yo I go to HYS dawg" and get the job you want. Going to those schools often means you can find a job but it doesn't mean you'll get the job you actually want to get. I'm more familiar with PI but networking matters a lot in PI. I met with alumni who worked in the place I most want to work and then stayed in touch with them. That led to an interview for an internship. I did great during the interview but I never would've gotten to interview without networking.

erico wrote:

IzziesGal wrote:

vamedic03 wrote:

erico wrote:is there a hard date for when to contact these firms? i heard something about 7/1 but i haven't been able to corroborate that.

Once spring semester grades are posted.

I didn't send transcripts with my apps - just cover letters and resumes. My career office told me to wait until July, but I didn't listen to them and I started Memorial Day Weekend instead. I had interviews before my spring grades were even posted. In fact, I wasn't even asked for a transcript until right before I came in for the callback.

Hmm, so just first semester 1L grades?

Oops - sorry - I was unclear. I had interviews scheduled before spring grades were posted. I updated my materials with my grades when they came out, but by then, I already had the interviews booked and the firms already had ideas about me.