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When is the best time for a 3L to apply to large and mid-sized firms for a position in their first year associate class? Late July like with OCI? Or later? I know chances are much slimmer if you weren't part of their summer class, but I feel like I have to try! Thanks.

If you are seeking to trade up, I think there are a few threads on that throughout the forums here. Because a lot of firms will get their 3L hiring needs because of rejected offers, I would imagine the NALP guidelines will give you a good idea (look to when 2L offers expire).

If you are seeking an entry level position without a summer associate spot, check the Vale of Tears. No I am not being sarcastic. There is a ton of great information there (and heartbreak) on timelines for the 3L job hunt, including for Big-Mid Law.

According to the NALP guidelines, normally offers expire 28 days after the written offer is given. However, one of their guidelines says that "offers made to candidates previously employed by [the firm] should be held open until at least November 1 of the candidate's final year of law school."

So, does this basically mean that the beginning of November is the best time to start applying to 1st year associate positions at Big-Mid firms?

There's no "good" time because it's not like 2L with massmailing. Based on my cursory research there are a couple scenarios where firms hire 3Ls:

1.) Firms that almost always hire 3Ls, like Cravath, Cleary DC, etc. These are the firms that show up to 3LOLCI but, at least according to my CSO and basically everyone on this board, they want people who are trading-up. Not saying it's impossible just that it's unlikely without at 2L SA.

2.) Firms where summers turned down their offers or they messed up yield projections and got a smaller summer class than they wanted (I read K&E Chicago did this this year.) These firms will often post on Symplicity or you'll hear about stuff through the grapevine, especially if it's a smaller firm.

3.) Firms who need more bodies because of a growing practice area or not enough summers signed up for that practice area. See above.

At least from what I've been seeing on my Symplicity so far most of the hiring is practice-area specific or at least corporate/transactional specific. So, sending out a bunch of resumes to every firm on NALP is not going to be a good strategy. Your best bet is to cultivate a network and rely on that.

To your timeline question, there is no timeline. Vault firms will post jobs in July and they'll post jobs in April.

Anonymous User wrote:There's no "good" time because it's not like 2L with massmailing. Based on my cursory research there are a couple scenarios where firms hire 3Ls:

1.) Firms that almost always hire 3Ls, like Cravath, Cleary DC, etc. These are the firms that show up to 3LOLCI but, at least according to my CSO and basically everyone on this board, they want people who are trading-up. Not saying it's impossible just that it's unlikely without at 2L SA.

2.) Firms where summers turned down their offers or they messed up yield projections and got a smaller summer class than they wanted (I read K&E Chicago did this this year.) These firms will often post on Symplicity or you'll hear about stuff through the grapevine, especially if it's a smaller firm.

3.) Firms who need more bodies because of a growing practice area or not enough summers signed up for that practice area. See above.

At least from what I've been seeing on my Symplicity so far most of the hiring is practice-area specific or at least corporate/transactional specific. So, sending out a bunch of resumes to every firm on NALP is not going to be a good strategy. Your best bet is to cultivate a network and rely on that.

To your timeline question, there is no timeline. Vault firms will post jobs in July and they'll post jobs in April.

Pretty much dead on

A Big Law firm posted a first year associate position open to current 3Ls on my school's Simplicity page and the posting says applications will be accepted until October 29 and that applicants will be contacted directly for an interview.

In light of the above posters thoughts and that offers have to be accepted by November 1, is around now (when this firm is posting) or around the end of October the best time to submit resumes to firms for theses positions. (Not just this firm, but all firms).

Anonymous User wrote:A Big Law firm posted a first year associate position open to current 3Ls on my school's Simplicity page and the posting says applications will be accepted until October 29 and that applicants will be contacted directly for an interview.

In light of the above posters thoughts and that offers have to be accepted by November 1, is around now (when this firm is posting) or around the end of October the best time to submit resumes to firms for theses positions. (Not just this firm, but all firms).

There's no "good" time because it's not like 2L with massmailing. Based on my cursory research there are a couple scenarios where firms hire 3Ls:

1.) Firms that almost always hire 3Ls, like Cravath, Cleary DC, etc. These are the firms that show up to 3LOLCI but, at least according to my CSO and basically everyone on this board, they want people who are trading-up. Not saying it's impossible just that it's unlikely without at 2L SA.

2.) Firms where summers turned down their offers or they messed up yield projections and got a smaller summer class than they wanted (I read K&E Chicago did this this year.) These firms will often post on Symplicity or you'll hear about stuff through the grapevine, especially if it's a smaller firm.

3.) Firms who need more bodies because of a growing practice area or not enough summers signed up for that practice area. See above.

At least from what I've been seeing on my Symplicity so far most of the hiring is practice-area specific or at least corporate/transactional specific. So, sending out a bunch of resumes to every firm on NALP is not going to be a good strategy. Your best bet is to cultivate a network and rely on that.

To your timeline question, there is no timeline. Vault firms will post jobs in July and they'll post jobs in April.

Anonymous User wrote:A Big Law firm posted a first year associate position open to current 3Ls on my school's Simplicity page and the posting says applications will be accepted until October 29 and that applicants will be contacted directly for an interview.

In light of the above posters thoughts and that offers have to be accepted by November 1, is around now (when this firm is posting) or around the end of October the best time to submit resumes to firms for theses positions. (Not just this firm, but all firms).

Ask the recruiting coordinator/hiring partner. They will generally be forthcoming with this info.