Big Law 3L Hiring Forum

[Murphy1022]

Is it common for Big Law to hire 3Ls? If so, what kind of skills and experience are they usually looking for? Are they normally just poaching summer associates from other firms that did not get offers? And what kind of work/time commitment are they looking for?

[thesealocust]

Is it common for Big Law to hire 3Ls? If so, what kind of skills and experience are they usually looking for? Are they normally just poaching summer associates from other firms that did not get offers? And what kind of work/time commitment are they looking for?

They poach summer associates from other firms that got offers and want to work someplace different.

On rare ocassions - like a handful of people per year - students work 3L year or over the summer for a major firm. Otherwise 3L hiring is for post-graduation employment.

The data suggests something laughable like 80 offers for 3Ls were made across the entire country last year (vs. roughly 5,000 summer positions available for 2Ls at major firms).

[Anonymous User]

Is it common for Big Law to hire 3Ls? If so, what kind of skills and experience are they usually looking for? Are they normally just poaching summer associates from other firms that did not get offers? And what kind of work/time commitment are they looking for?

They poach summer associates from other firms that got offers and want to work someplace different.

On rare ocassions - like a handful of people per year - students work 3L year or over the summer for a major firm. Otherwise 3L hiring is for post-graduation employment.

The data suggests something laughable like 80 offers for 3Ls were made across the entire country last year (vs. roughly 5,000 summer positions available for 2Ls at major firms).

Sealocust, or anyone else, do you know much about this kind of activity in the NYC V20-ish range? Is it very difficult to move up firms, if it is based on wanting to be in a more established/bigger practice group?

[thesealocust]

Is it common for Big Law to hire 3Ls? If so, what kind of skills and experience are they usually looking for? Are they normally just poaching summer associates from other firms that did not get offers? And what kind of work/time commitment are they looking for?

They poach summer associates from other firms that got offers and want to work someplace different.

On rare ocassions - like a handful of people per year - students work 3L year or over the summer for a major firm. Otherwise 3L hiring is for post-graduation employment.

The data suggests something laughable like 80 offers for 3Ls were made across the entire country last year (vs. roughly 5,000 summer positions available for 2Ls at major firms).

Sealocust, or anyone else, do you know much about this kind of activity in the NYC V20-ish range? Is it very difficult to move up firms, if it is based on wanting to be in a more established/bigger practice group?

I don't know much about it directly, but it's not a big universe - not many jobs, but also not many people trying. Typically it's some of the biggest/best NYC firms that have openings (due to people in their large summer class going to clerk/pursuing other opportunities) so it might actually be more plausible that way than in the general sense.

[Anonymous User]

Anecdotal evidence from HLS 2011 3L EIP (NYC): 91 interviews, 7 offers, 2 accepted.

[Kurst]

Is it common for Big Law to hire 3Ls?

82 offers nationwide last year.

Hardly unexpected, third-year hiring remained severely constricted, with just 19% of offices reporting any activity at all, or in a few cases planned activity. Offices recruiting third-years (Class of 2013 graduates not previously working for the employer) typically made 1 or 2 offers. Because a number of the offices which did interview 3Ls ultimately made no offers, the 280 accepted callback invitations resulted in only 82 offers. Over three-quarters of these offers were accepted.

[Anonymous User]

Do you guys think it's worth it to apply to positions that require 1-2 yrs experience?