The Vale of Tears (3L Job Hunting) (No advice for 0/1/2Ls) Forum

[2LsAPlenty]

Congrats. I keep hearing it is pretty much a waste of time for a 3L to find a decent private practice job at this point until passing the bar. What do you think? Seems like most all the big firms are set and the mids are waiting til spring or summer to determine needs.

[Anonymous User]

Just out of curiousity... what market and what size firm? I am just wondering if is the same firm I recently interviewed with over the phone.

Definitely not, because I'm doing gov't/PI, not firm stuff.

Oh ok. Well congrats and good luck!

Thanks and good luck hearing back from your phone interview!

[quakpond]

Congrats. I keep hearing it is pretty much a waste of time for a 3L to find a decent private practice job at this point until passing the bar. What do you think? Seems like most all the big firms are set and the mids are waiting til spring or summer to determine needs.

Yea, I wonder if this is true too. Has anyone had any luck with law firms recently?

[dudders]

I'm too forlorn too even read this thread.

[Anonymous User]

During 2L OCI I was top 15% at a T1 school with LR. (now top 10%) During 2L I won several national moot court competitions and got on LR e board. After striking out at 2L OCI and subsequent mass mail I ended up working shitlaw during the summer.

I've been massmailing like crazy for for the past three months. 150 mass mails resulted in 4 interviews. Waiting to hear back on one of them, dinged at the others.

At this point, I'm just going to ride out the rest of this loan money. I'm going to party balls. If I still don't have anything lined up when I graduate I'm going to move away from this crappy city and move to Colorado. I swear to god, I'll ski bum the rest of my life and never pay a penny back. On the bright side, even though I'll be poor I'll probably enjoy my life more than many of my friends who landed biglaw.

The unfortunate part is realizing that I have failed. I already knew this after 2L summer, but now it's getting real. So much for a family, decent car, and home. Cheers bros, and good luck to all of you.

Back again. Scored a job with a small office of a midsize regional firm. Looks like I get (have?) to foregoe the ski bum life for a while. All I can say is keep up the mass mail and tailor cover letters as much as possible, especially when contacting small firms. And then most importantly, follow up. The only reason I got the job is because I followed up with another email a week after first mailing them, and then a week later called. That's what got me the interview, and ultimately the job. Good luck!

[de5igual]

During 2L OCI I was top 15% at a T1 school with LR. (now top 10%) During 2L I won several national moot court competitions and got on LR e board. After striking out at 2L OCI and subsequent mass mail I ended up working shitlaw during the summer.

I've been massmailing like crazy for for the past three months. 150 mass mails resulted in 4 interviews. Waiting to hear back on one of them, dinged at the others.

At this point, I'm just going to ride out the rest of this loan money. I'm going to party balls. If I still don't have anything lined up when I graduate I'm going to move away from this crappy city and move to Colorado. I swear to god, I'll ski bum the rest of my life and never pay a penny back. On the bright side, even though I'll be poor I'll probably enjoy my life more than many of my friends who landed biglaw.

The unfortunate part is realizing that I have failed. I already knew this after 2L summer, but now it's getting real. So much for a family, decent car, and home. Cheers bros, and good luck to all of you.

Back again. Scored a job with a small office of a midsize regional firm. Looks like I get (have?) to foregoe the ski bum life for a while. All I can say is keep up the mass mail and tailor cover letters as much as possible, especially when contacting small firms. And then most importantly, follow up. The only reason I got the job is because I followed up with another email a week after first mailing them, and then a week later called. That's what got me the interview, and ultimately the job. Good luck!

Congrats!!!

[rad lulz]

During 2L OCI I was top 15% at a T1 school with LR. (now top 10%) During 2L I won several national moot court competitions and got on LR e board. After striking out at 2L OCI and subsequent mass mail I ended up working shitlaw during the summer.

I've been massmailing like crazy for for the past three months. 150 mass mails resulted in 4 interviews. Waiting to hear back on one of them, dinged at the others.

At this point, I'm just going to ride out the rest of this loan money. I'm going to party balls. If I still don't have anything lined up when I graduate I'm going to move away from this crappy city and move to Colorado. I swear to god, I'll ski bum the rest of my life and never pay a penny back. On the bright side, even though I'll be poor I'll probably enjoy my life more than many of my friends who landed biglaw.

The unfortunate part is realizing that I have failed. I already knew this after 2L summer, but now it's getting real. So much for a family, decent car, and home. Cheers bros, and good luck to all of you.

Back again. Scored a job with a small office of a midsize regional firm. Looks like I get (have?) to foregoe the ski bum life for a while. All I can say is keep up the mass mail and tailor cover letters as much as possible, especially when contacting small firms. And then most importantly, follow up. The only reason I got the job is because I followed up with another email a week after first mailing them, and then a week later called. That's what got me the interview, and ultimately the job. Good luck!

Glad you've left the vale bro. Hope all of us can be so lucky.

[kalvano]

I'm getting a large amount of "check back in January / February" responses.

[Anonymous User]

Whelp just got no-offered from my 2L SA today. Not even sure where to begin right now. Is it too late in the game?? Stats: Median at T10.

[rad lulz]

Whelp just got no-offered from my 2L SA today. Not even sure where to begin right now. Is it too late in the game?? Stats: Median at T10.

What kind of firm let's you know in October? That's fucked up.

It's not too late in the game. There is no 3L hiring season, so it's not really a "game."

[quakpond]

I'm getting a large amount of "check back in January / February" responses.

I just get a lot of rejections.. you mind me asking what market you've been trying? I'm wondering if it's my stats that cause the rejections, or if it's because of the different markets.

I'm focusing mainly on California.

[2LsAPlenty]

While there are conflicting views and occasional luck, for the most part, big law is done and mids and smaller firms mostly will not make any further hiring decisions until February or so. The one exception I have seen is some smaller and mid sized firms are hiring for winter break contract work and school year project work. The assumption is that they have some need and if you do a good job and a position opens up, you should be first in line.

[TTH]

I'm buying into this whole firms-not-going-to-pay-attention until the spring thing so that I can stop thinking about it so damn much and work on improving my grades. Hate to be doing that as a 3L.

I'm working a lot at the firm that no-offered me this summer and hoping they wind up having a spot for me, but I glanced at our timekeeping software last week and none of the associates are on pace to be over the hours goal for the year. Bad news bears.

Sigh. I mean, I guess I could always go back to being a union rep.

Sigh.

[rad lulz]

I'm buying into this whole firms-not-going-to-pay-attention until the spring thing so that I can stop thinking about it so damn much and work on improving my grades. Hate to be doing that as a 3L.

I'm working a lot at the firm that no-offered me this summer and hoping they wind up having a spot for me, but I glanced at our timekeeping software last week and none of the associates are on pace to be over the hours goal for the year. Bad news bears.

Sigh. I mean, I guess I could always go back to being a union rep.

Sigh.

I wish I had done something before law school so I could have something to fall back on.

[Anonymous User]

These firms can suck my nuts. I had a V50 that gave me a callback 2L year call me up (which I thought was me getting an offer from another big law firm I had a CB with) and say we are going to be interviewing people and your resume was forwarded by X partner. My resume had my gpa on it and the partner said that my grades were much better in the email to HR (bottom 15% 1L, got it up to about median 2L). Send my transcript, and exactly two days later I have a rejection in the mail...i didn't even fucking apply in the first place.

[TTH]

Also, does anyone else think networking for legal employment is an elaborate flame?

For two years, I went out of my way to cultivate relationships around town, and it's resulted in precisely dick. Mileage may vary for family connections and what not, but as someone who didn't have lawyers in the family or grow up around lawyers, my vaunted network hasn't accomplished shit.

[Anonymous User]

You cannot force networking. Networking played a huge part in getting my 3L offer from a firm I did not summer at. My guess is you still need a little tweeking. And networking does not always present you with an opportunity right now. You should never expect immediate results from networking. You will reap the benefits of it as you move along in your practice (i.e., lateralling, referals, etc.)

[2LsAPlenty]

There is certainly a luck component. My friend kept in touch with a hiring partner who ended up sending her an overflow assignment or two and it end up not only in a 2L SA but a permanent offer after the summer. Have another friend on journal that just got a part time gig with firm with at least some prospect of an offer if the work is good. Is that luck or not.

[rad lulz]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

[Omerta]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

Good luck man. I wouldn't be too worried. Shit, I had a clerkship interview over a month ago and the judge hasn't made a decision. I know he hasn't picked someone because I called and asked on Monday.

I have an interview with a Vault firm Friday, so we'll see how that goes.

[rad lulz]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

Good luck man. I wouldn't be too worried. Shit, I had a clerkship interview over a month ago and the judge hasn't made a decision. I know he hasn't picked someone because I called and asked on Monday.

I have an interview with a Vault firm Friday, so we'll see how that goes.

Ya I just gotta remember theses deadlines mean nothing.

Solid mang, good luck. You get that interview from that round of mass mails earlier this year?

[TTH]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

Chin up bro. I bet you're going to get good news.

[rad lulz]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

Chin up bro. I bet you're going to get good news.

If I get the offer I'll mail you a 5th of whiskey in celebration.

[TTH]

Had a CB Friday which I partly got through some family connects. Said they'd let me know early this week. No calls M or T. Got a bad feeling about this.

Chin up bro. I bet you're going to get good news.

If I get the offer I'll mail you a 5th of whiskey in celebration.

Well shit, now I really want you to get it.

[kalvano]

I'm getting a large amount of "check back in January / February" responses.

I just get a lot of rejections.. you mind me asking what market you've been trying? I'm wondering if it's my stats that cause the rejections, or if it's because of the different markets.

I'm focusing mainly on California.

Texas / P-NW / New England.

No idea about California, but I'm running about 50 / 50 on straight-up "no's" versus "check back with us later."