Heard Back for 1L SA Position

[fingerscrossedxx]

2L here.

Just want to recommend that all you 1Ls contact general counsels and in-house attorneys at Fortune-500 companies. Also, remember that each subsidiary probably has its own general counsel & attorneys. There is a book called "the directory of corporate counsel" that can help, plus your career services should have a database.

Working in house you'll get to meet many different attorneys at many different firms, which is great come 2L OCI. I choose an in-house over a firm offer 1L summer and have never regretted it.

This actually sounds like a great idea! Will do! Do you think they look for anything in particular though? mostly re:grades?

[dingbat]

So if a firm dings but says that they like your resume/background, should I take that as encouraging, or just typical fluff? (in case anyone wonders, I do have an impressive resume)

[Anonymous User]

2L here.

Just want to recommend that all you 1Ls contact general counsels and in-house attorneys at Fortune-500 companies. Also, remember that each subsidiary probably has its own general counsel & attorneys. There is a book called "the directory of corporate counsel" that can help, plus your career services should have a database.

Working in house you'll get to meet many different attorneys at many different firms, which is great come 2L OCI. I choose an in-house over a firm offer 1L summer and have never regretted it.

This actually sounds like a great idea! Will do! Do you think they look for anything in particular though? mostly re:grades?

OP here. Actually most, including the F-100 that hired me, never asked for my grades. Most in house places don't have a formal review process. Just set up a phone appointment with whoever you want to talk to and get them to give you a job.

I guess my advice is this for the next seven days spend one hour/ night on a making your resume & cover letter look really really really good (formatting, etc.). Find a really good template and work from that. Be sure to order really nice cloth paper (crane.com) and matching envelopes. Have them professionally printed and make sure the water mark is facing the correct way. Hand address the envelopes w/ the right kind of pen (a "le pen" or a fine point sharpie). After your 7 hours, you should have a resume should be better than everyone else's.

For the next 14 days, apply to 10 places per day every day. Start a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. After 14 days, apply to 3 places per day and spend the rest of the time following up with 10 places per day. Keep doing that until you have a job. Don't stop until you have a job.

When you get interviews make sure your shoes and tie are subtle and very expensive, too expensive. You can have an inexpensive suit if it has been tailored for you by an actual tailor (not the brooks brothers guy or the guy at nordstroms, an actual tailor with his own shop). You wear very nice black, cap toe oxford (not blucher) shoes (black, not patent, no perforations of quarter brogue, bar lacing, polished, no plastic or rubber soles . . . all leather). Order a tie from Drakes, but in a pinch brooks brothers or a nice Ralph Lauren will do. Do not wear a button down collar. Use a little V5 to keep your hair in place. For the interview, carry a leather folio and a nice pen. Basically, you want to look really really good without looking at all flashy . . . flashiness raises resentment. (I checked out some alan flusser books on suits and menswear from the city library that before interviews and I think they helped me present a put-together image.)

Here's my philosophy. A quality tie, quality shoes, and a well-fitted suit (even if it's cheap), and a nice folio and pen show taste. A really well put-together resume show that you can put something together that looks good. The general counsel will think, "i can definitely bring this guy into a board room and have him interact w/ clients without being embarrassed."

People don't get jobs because 1) their resumes, when quickly glanced at, don't look good, 2) they don't send out a steady stream of resumes, 2) they don't follow up, 3) they look sloppy in an interview, or 4) they don't act confidently. Avoid these 4 pitfalls and you will get a 1L job.

[Anonymous User]

So if a firm dings but says that they like your resume/background, should I take that as encouraging, or just typical fluff? (in case anyone wonders, I do have an impressive resume)

fluff. it's just a form letter.

You should be encouraged if you are getting 5 or 6 rejections per day every day, because that means you are sending out enough resumes.

[Anonymous User]

What is enough applications? I'm top five people in my class at a T1 in VA/SC/NC/TN. I have eight major firm interviews at OCI, applied to 12 others major firms through alumni, and then like 20-30 federal judge/court of appeal judge/nonprofit/public defender/DA/in house intern positions. It seems like 40-50 apps should yield at least two offers? These are all in state and I have strong ties.

[Anonymous User]

What is enough applications? I'm top five people in my class at a T1 in VA/SC/NC/TN. I have eight major firm interviews at OCI, applied to 12 others major firms through alumni, and then like 20-30 federal judge/court of appeal judge/nonprofit/public defender/DA/in house intern positions. It seems like 40-50 apps should yield at least two offers? These are all in state and I have strong ties.

Don't count your chickens before they are hatched. Send out at least two or three new applications each day. If you feel like you've exhausted one market start branching out into a new one. Even if you're #1 in your class at a t-14, you should keep sending out applications until you have an offer. This year people in top-10% at MVP w/ law review struck out at 2L OCI. . . I bet they wished they'd done more.

Don't think about it as a quota you must hit, think about it as an hour/ day you are going to spend looking for a job until you have one in your hand.

[Anonymous User]

have you guys gotten any emails from firms that say, in spite of no 1L sa positions available, would like to invite you to lunch?

[dingbat]

have you guys gotten any emails from firms that say, in spite of no 1L sa positions available, would like to invite you to lunch?

yup

[fingerscrossedxx]

2L here.

Just want to recommend that all you 1Ls contact general counsels and in-house attorneys at Fortune-500 companies. Also, remember that each subsidiary probably has its own general counsel & attorneys. There is a book called "the directory of corporate counsel" that can help, plus your career services should have a database.

Working in house you'll get to meet many different attorneys at many different firms, which is great come 2L OCI. I choose an in-house over a firm offer 1L summer and have never regretted it.

This actually sounds like a great idea! Will do! Do you think they look for anything in particular though? mostly re:grades?

OP here. Actually most, including the F-100 that hired me, never asked for my grades. Most in house places don't have a formal review process. Just set up a phone appointment with whoever you want to talk to and get them to give you a job.

I guess my advice is this for the next seven days spend one hour/ night on a making your resume & cover letter look really really really good (formatting, etc.). Find a really good template and work from that. Be sure to order really nice cloth paper (crane.com) and matching envelopes. Have them professionally printed and make sure the water mark is facing the correct way. Hand address the envelopes w/ the right kind of pen (a "le pen" or a fine point sharpie). After your 7 hours, you should have a resume should be better than everyone else's.

For the next 14 days, apply to 10 places per day every day. Start a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. After 14 days, apply to 3 places per day and spend the rest of the time following up with 10 places per day. Keep doing that until you have a job. Don't stop until you have a job.

When you get interviews make sure your shoes and tie are subtle and very expensive, too expensive. You can have an inexpensive suit if it has been tailored for you by an actual tailor (not the brooks brothers guy or the guy at nordstroms, an actual tailor with his own shop). You wear very nice black, cap toe oxford (not blucher) shoes (black, not patent, no perforations of quarter brogue, bar lacing, polished, no plastic or rubber soles . . . all leather). Order a tie from Drakes, but in a pinch brooks brothers or a nice Ralph Lauren will do. Do not wear a button down collar. Use a little V5 to keep your hair in place. For the interview, carry a leather folio and a nice pen. Basically, you want to look really really good without looking at all flashy . . . flashiness raises resentment. (I checked out some alan flusser books on suits and menswear from the city library that before interviews and I think they helped me present a put-together image.)

Here's my philosophy. A quality tie, quality shoes, and a well-fitted suit (even if it's cheap), and a nice folio and pen show taste. A really well put-together resume show that you can put something together that looks good. The general counsel will think, "i can definitely bring this guy into a board room and have him interact w/ clients without being embarrassed."

People don't get jobs because 1) their resumes, when quickly glanced at, don't look good, 2) they don't send out a steady stream of resumes, 2) they don't follow up, 3) they look sloppy in an interview, or 4) they don't act confidently. Avoid these 4 pitfalls and you will get a 1L job.

This is incredibly detailed! Thanks haha, except for all the seemingly well thought out advice about suits as I'm female, but I hear you anyhu! haha.

[emkay625]

Got offer from the firm I wanted. Over the moon. Now to find something for the first half of summer.

[Anonymous User]

2L here.

Just want to recommend that all you 1Ls contact general counsels and in-house attorneys at Fortune-500 companies. Also, remember that each subsidiary probably has its own general counsel & attorneys. There is a book called "the directory of corporate counsel" that can help, plus your career services should have a database.

Working in house you'll get to meet many different attorneys at many different firms, which is great come 2L OCI. I choose an in-house over a firm offer 1L summer and have never regretted it.

I agree with this. You can also split your summer working at a firm and working in-house.

[Anonymous User]

Got offer from the firm I wanted. Over the moon. Now to find something for the first half of summer.

OCI or other means? I posted above (top 5 in class at T1) about trying to figure out how many in state firms to contact. Everywhere I've talked heard from so far says they aren't hiring 1Ls, but I have a bunch of interviews coming up.

[hephaestus]

Any Midwest news?

[Anonymous User]

Any Midwest news?

Not sure which market you are interested in specifically, but some of the Minneapolis firms have offers out.

[Anonymous User]

Any Midwest news?

Reinhart Milwaukee snail-mailed me saying there aren't any 1L spots, but they sounded interested for 2L summer. Just submitted grades to all other Milwaukee firms this week and haven't heard much, other than "We'll talk soon." Haven't heard anything from PH Chi or DLA Chi yet. Top 20% ish at MVP, no real WE -- so nothing special which might be why I'm not getting a ton of responses?

[Anonymous User]

I have a callback interview with a SF big law. But my school is on the east coast. The firm said they don fly out 1L for callback but if I'm going to be in town they can meet me in the office? Should I do video conference or fly ther out of my pocket? I think I perform much better in face to face interview.

I don't know if it would make me look too desperate (well, I'm pretty desperate..)

Any advice would help! Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

I have a callback interview with a SF big law. But my school is on the east coast. The firm said they don fly out 1L for callback but if I'm going to be in town they can meet me in the office? Should I do video conference or fly ther out of my pocket? I think I perform much better in face to face interview.

I don't know if it would make me look too desperate (well, I'm pretty desperate..)

Any advice would help! Thanks!

This was my situation but with TX. I do much better in person as well, so I paid for the plane and hotel and just took the hit. Paid off since I got the spot. If nothing else I think you should do it for the experience.

Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

I have a callback interview with a SF big law. But my school is on the east coast. The firm said they don fly out 1L for callback but if I'm going to be in town they can meet me in the office? Should I do video conference or fly ther out of my pocket? I think I perform much better in face to face interview.

I don't know if it would make me look too desperate (well, I'm pretty desperate..)

Any advice would help! Thanks!

This was my situation but with TX. I do much better in person as well, so I paid for the plane and hotel and just took the hit. Paid off since I got the spot. If nothing else I think you should do it for the experience.

Good luck!

Thank you! Will definitely fly out!

[Anonymous User]

Any Dechert CBs? Also, some Jones Day post CB rejections are out.

[Anonymous User]

Which city for Jones Day? Had a CB a couple weeks ago.

[Anonymous User]

Which city for Jones Day? Had a CB a couple weeks ago.

Pittsburgh.

[emkay625]

Texas folks - anyone heard back from F&J?

[emkay625]

Also, I thought OCI bidding ended today. Spent weekend writing all of my cover letters, was going to bid and upload them all today. Log-in this morning, turns out it ended last night. Any suggestions as to what to do?

[Anonymous User]

Texas folks - anyone heard back from F&J?

At least one F&J offer went out last week.

[emkay625]

Got offer from the firm I wanted. Over the moon. Now to find something for the first half of summer.

OCI or other means? I posted above (top 5 in class at T1) about trying to figure out how many in state firms to contact. Everywhere I've talked heard from so far says they aren't hiring 1Ls, but I have a bunch of interviews coming up.

Other means.