3L Mass Mailing Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

FWIW, started mass mailing last week and I've heard back from two firms with interviews scheduled for the first week of August. These two interviews plus some job fairs gives me 7 interviews in the next 3 weeks.

Let's do this c/o 2013!

Impressive! School/grades?

Top 15% at a T2 that places well in the region.

Considering these are my exact stats, I'm suddenly pretty hopeful. If you wouldn't mind PMing me, I'd love to chat about this (also at a T2 in the mid atlantic).

On my front, I've compiled a list of high school and college alumni to send out feelers to. Any suggestions on how to go about this? Just ask to meet up and talk about their practice area and firm? I'm mainly looking at boutiques as of now (10-20 person firms with very specific practices, i.e 7/11 bankruptcy, comm lit, etc.), should I look at larger firms too?

That seems like good way to get your resume closer to the top of the pile. I took a more reckless approach and simply sent out a copy of my resume, transcript and a cover letter to several mid-sized firms that I found on Martindale-Hubbell. Most of my interviews are with firms of that size. I am, however, interviewing with two larger firms (one with 150+ and the other 300+, listed on NLJ250), so there seems to be some life there too.

[beach_terror]

That seems like good way to get your resume closer to the top of the pile. I took a more reckless approach and simply sent out a copy my resume, transcript and a cover letter to several mid-sized firms that I found on Martindale-Hubbell. Most of my interviews are with firms of that size. I am interviewing with two larger firms (one with 150+ and the other 300+, listed on NLJ250), so there seems to be some life there too.

Good to hear. Both my college and high school are small schools located in the mid-Atlantic, so I'm hoping that the "in" boutiques that are doing well may have some room for me. I'm going to do the reckless approach with the bigger firms because the weight of an alumni connection from a small school is much stronger when they're at a boutique than one of many associates/partners at big firm. Guess I should start sending out feelers this week though since you've already seen some movement - don't want to get lost in the shuffle already!

[Anonymous User]

That seems like good way to get your resume closer to the top of the pile. I took a more reckless approach and simply sent out a copy my resume, transcript and a cover letter to several mid-sized firms that I found on Martindale-Hubbell. Most of my interviews are with firms of that size. I am interviewing with two larger firms (one with 150+ and the other 300+, listed on NLJ250), so there seems to be some life there too.

Good to hear. Both my college and high school are small schools located in the mid-Atlantic, so I'm hoping that the "in" boutiques that are doing well may have some room for me. I'm going to do the reckless approach with the bigger firms because the weight of an alumni connection from a small school is much stronger when they're at a boutique than one of many associates/partners at big firm. Guess I should start sending out feelers this week though since you've already seen some movement - don't want to get lost in the shuffle already!

Absolutely. This is exactly why I'd rather start early. Sooner or later, loads of resumes are going to drown these firms, and I'm not so sure mine would stand out enough to get the movement I am getting right now. Why chance it? By the way, you might be glad to know that *I think* you and I go to the same school.

[Anonymous User]

Looks like I need to get on this. What are the stats of people already getting interviews - SA's trying to trade up? I was under the impression that I was pretty boned for big firms at top 30% and law review at a T20, but it might be time to kick it into overdrive.

[Anonymous User]

How specific are people being about practice areas of interest for 3L mass mailing if you have no idea for what practice areas a firm might have a need? Are you expressing a general interest in lit vs. transactional, specifically targeting a practice area, or what? I am 90% interested in commercial lit but there are a few transactional areas I would enjoy. More to the point, as someone who wants a job and can't afford to be picky, I don't want to self-select myself out of a firm because the practice I'm interested in isn't hiring. I DO want to seem like I have a clue what I want to do with my legal career though (and I do). How are people approaching this?

[Anonymous User]

OCS told me to be specific about practice areas i was interested/had experience in. firms hiring a 3L are probably placing them into a practice group, unless the firm has some rotation or general program for new associates.

[Anonymous User]

How specific are people being about practice areas of interest for 3L mass mailing if you have no idea for what practice areas a firm might have a need? Are you expressing a general interest in lit vs. transactional, specifically targeting a practice area, or what? I am 90% interested in commercial lit but there are a few transactional areas I would enjoy. More to the point, as someone who wants a job and can't afford to be picky, I don't want to self-select myself out of a firm because the practice I'm interested in isn't hiring. I DO want to seem like I have a clue what I want to do with my legal career though (and I do). How are people approaching this?

This is me. In an effort to contribute, not just ask, my approach thus far has been to express an interest in and write about my experience with litigation if a firm has a lit department roughly equal in size to corp/transactional. I've heard that Corp hires more 3Ls, but also know the economy sucks right now. Given that I'm genuinely more interested in and qualified for litigation, I'm willing to take the small risk of targeting their lit departments. For a few satellite offices of larger firms I've found that they do virtually no litigation and very large Real Estate practices (an area of law I've worked with some), so I express an interest in (but not die hard commitment to) Real Estate. This is all just a sentence or two in a cover letter that mostly focuses on strengths/experiences (writing, leadership, etc.) that are pertinent to law in general.

I have an additional interest in employment law (specifically employment litigation) and am approaching that by getting in touch with alums of my schools or department heads for informational interviews and applying to firms that do solely employment law.

[Anonymous User]

How specific are people being about practice areas of interest for 3L mass mailing if you have no idea for what practice areas a firm might have a need? Are you expressing a general interest in lit vs. transactional, specifically targeting a practice area, or what? I am 90% interested in commercial lit but there are a few transactional areas I would enjoy. More to the point, as someone who wants a job and can't afford to be picky, I don't want to self-select myself out of a firm because the practice I'm interested in isn't hiring. I DO want to seem like I have a clue what I want to do with my legal career though (and I do). How are people approaching this?

I'm going to be a 3L that wants do to tax and have A's in all my tax courses, RA'd for tax professor, and will be externing full time with IRS during the upcoming fall semester. I've got a list of firms that have big tax departments and am going to try that route. My career office has told me to specify a practice area, but I'm not sure how accurate that is. I feel like applying for multiple practice groups is fine as long as you have experience in both groups. I'm like you, but switched in terms of practices - want to do tax, but would also do securities lit (doing that this summer) and bankruptcy (no law experience, but finance experience)
My dilemma is that our school has a jd/tax llm degree now that is 3.5 years. I'm debating applying as a 3L vs applying for a 2013 SA position as joint degree candidate (school told me I can do the LLM if I want to). I'm just not sure firms would be receptive to that idea.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a 3L doing a regional minority job fair but only got like 2 interviews out of the 10 or so firms that are coming - any advice on whether I should mass mail the firms that did not bid on me??

[Anonymous User]

How small is too small for a firm to know this far in advance what their needs will be next fall? Non-NALP? NLJ 250/350? Under 100 lawyers? Under 50? I know I need to mail even though I think I have a better than even chance of being offered at my SA, but I don't want to totally waste the effort on tiny firms that would never hire this far out.

[Anonymous User]

Been sending out some resumes to firms via their online self-application program. I've noticed a number of firms says they are not accepting "search firm candidates". What is this?

[LawIdiot86]

Been sending out some resumes to firms via their online self-application program. I've noticed a number of firms says they are not accepting "search firm candidates". What is this?

That's if you hired a headhunter to find you a job. One risk I've heard of is hiring a poor headhunter who spams your name to every firm without having a pre-existing contact or contract at the firms. The firms won't take it or will ignore your credentials and will put you on the blacklist of "search firm candidates" who get auto-rejected if you apply on your own in the future. Don't think of using a headhunter until you're a few years out and make sure your contract specifically defines who and how he will do contacts.

[Anonymous User]

My current manager (IP in-house internship) sent out 3 unsolicited recommendations to firms, which resulted in 1 interview this morning and 1 informational interview this afternoon along with a screener at PLIP I had prior to his recommendations.

I also just finished sending out 24 additional mass mails to firms in my TT's secondary market and my home market.

[SMU2013]

Just sent out 30ish applications to DFW firms. Hope to hear back from some of them at least, but with mass mailing, who the hell knows.

[Anonymous User]

If you've sent out 30, I really need to get on the ball. I'll start this week.

[Anonymous User]

T20, bottom 25%. Had interviews (informational/courtesy & regular type) today and on Friday...both these firms said they want me to stay in touch with them in the spring because they think I would be a good fit for the firm. They said they just need to see what their needs are as they get closer to graduation. Have 7 screening interviews lined up for PLIP (patent interview program) next week.

[Anonymous User]

Dinged from Parker Poe (Charlotte). E-mail said, among other things, they have "no entry level positions available."

[Anonymous User]

My favorite part of sending out emails asking about first year associate positions is when they respond with we're not hiring but will keep your resume on file. I didn't send them a resume. Cool.

[Anonymous User]

Morris James (DE) isn't hiring 3Ls.

[Anonymous User]

For those of you sending out e-mail feelers first, are you including your cover letter in the body and attaching resume/transcript? Does it look better to actually send out physical inquiries, even if the firms are not hiring right now, or don't know their needs?

[emciosn]

Great thread. People getting interviews has given me a little hope - but I am a little worried that I haven't sent anything out yet. Better get on it...

Other people just starting 3L mass mailing too?

[Anonymous User]

I sent out about 25 last week and this week. Got 5 dings today. I'm loosing motivation, 3L mass mailing is such a crapshoot.

[Anonymous User]

Started about two weeks ago and over 40 sent so far. Going to send out 10 a day now that it's August until I have over 100 out there and then five a day thereafter. It's brutal. Three rejects so far, but also a handful of "Please check in later" which is nice (as opposed to being rejected outright...). Trying to network a bit as well. The "please apply later" responses indicate to me that 1) no harm applying early 2) it's definitely still early so people worried they're starting late shouldn't be.

[Anonymous User]

I'm applying heavily through mass mailing to NYC (without an SA). I could arrange a Thursday/Friday/weekend trip to New York sometime in the fall with the pretext of visiting family (whom I would be happy to see, of course) but primarily to try and drum up some interviews with firms I've applied to. I will be done applying to NYC firms by mid-August so would be checking back in saying "I recently submitted an application and will be in the city on x dates.." What would be the best time to make such a trip?

[Anonymous User]

That's good news. I hadn't even started yet and wasn't going to for a while, but this thread got me worried.

Also, I have a question about informational interviews if anyone can help me out. I am genuinely interested to know more about the practice area that I plan to pursue and I was going to e-mail alumni from my school who did that kind of work. How do these types of conversations lead to jobs? I guess what I'm saying is, I have tons of questions I want to ask about the practice group, because I'm genuinely curious, but I'm skeptical that on the spot they'll be like "hey, you seem competent - come interview." Thoughts?

Thanks