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I really want to try and get an interview with the firm. Is it best if I just send in a cover letter mentioning I know her? Should I try and talk to her about it before hand?

She has spoken to my mother and my sister (best friends since preschool with the daughter which is the connection), and she has said she is very impressed with me. I have only spoken to her a few times.

What is the best way to handle this?

Put in your application. Maybe have a one off line when talking about "why x firm" where you mention conversations with her. Don't make it a huge thing.

After you submit your application, call her and tell her that you decided to apply to her firm. If the connection is going to help you, it'll be because she does something, not because you mentioned her in your application.

Anonymous User wrote:Put in your application. Maybe have a one off line when talking about "why x firm" where you mention conversations with her. Don't make it a huge thing.

After you submit your application, call her and tell her that you decided to apply to her firm. If the connection is going to help you, it'll be because she does something, not because you mentioned her in your application.

I wouldn't put it in there, it's weird. Work the connect by talking with her.

Desert Fox wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Put in your application. Maybe have a one off line when talking about "why x firm" where you mention conversations with her. Don't make it a huge thing.

After you submit your application, call her and tell her that you decided to apply to her firm. If the connection is going to help you, it'll be because she does something, not because you mentioned her in your application.

I wouldn't put it in there, it's weird. Work the connect by talking with her.

Ditto. Leave it out of the cover letter and let them help you out in the background.

Email her and ask for an informational interview.

ImNoScar wrote:Email her and ask for an informational interview.

This, or a variation of it.

Personal examples:
Ran into partner at a dinner party. She told me to email her if I didn't get an interview through OCI, and she'd get me one

Emailed partner (department head) saying I intended to apply to his firm, and asked if I could call and ask him questions about the firm. We scheduled a call, he asked me my interests and background (I had prior work experience). Got a callback.

Partner told me before law school to contact him with any questions. I emailed partner over summer to ask advice on which classes to pick. Partner's been giving me the runaround.

Had lunch with partner. Partner told me to send my résumé and he guaranteed me an interview during OCI. No interview.
Friend of mine was also guaranteed an interview by a partner at the same firm. Also no go. Seems partners have no influence on HR. still sucks

That makes no sense. Partners are HR's bosses, so yes they do have influence. Just more likely that they don't care or are busy or have no influence on the hiring committee.

Went through a similar thing when I was looking in 2011. Family friend is a partner at a market paying mid-law firm.. I did not name drop in cover letter. Instead, I did an informational interview with the partner over the phone actually (very interesting 90 min conversation, and always appreciated that he'd take time out of a busy schedule to do that, actually learned a whole lot). The firm was in call-back stages at that point and he used his influence to get me straight on call-back. The firm cut its summer class by two-thirds that year, plus I just had ok grades as I was just outside the top third at a T30 at that point, so I didn't get to summer there. But hopefully you have better stats than I did and you can land a spot.