Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed Forum

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Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:55 pm

I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..

ilikebaseball

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by ilikebaseball » Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
HOLY

ymmv

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by ymmv » Mon Aug 25, 2014 11:58 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
I would become a PI/gov gunner stat.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:00 am

ymmv wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
I would become a PI/gov gunner stat.
How do i do this?
Most of my classes are transactional in nature...

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A. Nony Mouse

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:03 am

ilikebaseball wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
HOLY
Dude, please keep in mind that 0Ls are not allowed to post in the legal employment forum (because that comment isn't helping anyone).

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ymmv

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by ymmv » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:03 am

Anonymous User wrote:
ymmv wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
I would become a PI/gov gunner stat.
How do i do this?
Most of my classes are transactional in nature...
Start with the PI Gunner thread. And isn't it still drop-add at your school? Could just switch classes to whatever you want to take. But while I don't know anything about PI gunning, I don't imagine classes have much to do with it compared to internships, clinics, networking, and pro bono connections.

mcs268

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by mcs268 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:07 am

dude, you can work at a small firm and have a lower amount of loans to pay per month. its commensurate with pay. if you dont want to do PI, don't gun for it. if you really want to work at a small firm, then try. also, you can work for a certain amount of time, clerk, and then go into big law. the world is not over.

KM2016

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by KM2016 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:08 am

Anonymous User wrote:dude, you can work at a small firm and have a lower amount of loans to pay per month. its commensurate with pay. if you dont want to do PI, don't gun for it. if you really want to work at a small firm, then try. also, you can work for a certain amount of time, clerk, and then go into big law. the world is not over.
TCR

hoos89

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by hoos89 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:14 am

Also, presumably at a T6 you have an extensive alumni network. If you made any contacts last year (or have any preexisting contacts), then now would be a could time to tap them. If not, then you might want to try e-mailing alumni saying that you're interested in their firm, and would they mind talking to you for a few minutes about it (resume attached "for their convenience"). Follow up with firms you've mass-mailed previously. Expand your selection of firms to include geographic markets that are less desirable to you.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by mvp99 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:21 am

Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
Anything you think might be affecting your job searchz? pretty sure you will get something if you're slightly above median at a t6

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FuturePanhandler

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by FuturePanhandler » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:26 am

Turn back time and don't go to law school

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:28 am

Don't lose hope for 3L OCI. I struck out in 2L (T6, even better grades than yours), was super depressed for a while. Go see a counselor/therapist, go get interview training (knock down your career office's door until they send you somewhere on their dime), go into 3L OCI as a better interviewer, knowing exactly what area you want to work in.


I think this advice is more suitable for corporate than for litigation from what I've seen at 3L OCI. A lot more firms were looking to hire 3Ls into their corporate groups at OCI.

I ended up working in-house in financial services for 2L summer and landed plenty of callbacks and a V10 NYC offer through 3L OCI (though it is in a niche practice area).

Don't just start gunning for PI if that's not something you're interested in.

EDIT: Also, form as many close connections with professors in your 2L classes as possible. Explain your situation to them. Ask them to reach out to people they might know at firms. I have landed at least a couple of callbacks this way.
Last edited by Anonymous User on Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

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grimfan

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by grimfan » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:30 am

Anonymous User wrote:I already mass mailed the NLJ250 (all the relevant offices that I would work for). About 200+ total (i'm continuing to mass mail right now). Got no CBs from these.

I just received my last rejection letter from OCI.
I'm slightly above median at T6.

What the f*** do I do? I'm here at sticker and I'm frustrated and terrified.

Career services is telling me to mass mail smaller firms. HOWEVER, the fact that upon graduation I'll be 300k in debt, small firm seems like it's NOT an option. Even at a 90k salary, if it's not lockstep, I would barely be able to pay my loans (living in NYC). I figure PI would be a better bet with LRAP...

Any tips? I know it's still relatively early but I already feel hopeless..
How many CBs did you get, if you don't mind my asking?

Anonymous User
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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:37 am

Anonymous User wrote:Don't lose hope for 3L OCI. I struck out in 2L (T6, even better grades than yours), was super depressed for a while. Go see a counselor/therapist, go get interview training (knock down your career office's door until they send you somewhere on their dime), go into 3L OCI as a better interviewer, knowing exactly what area you want to work in.


I think this advice is more suitable for corporate than for litigation from what I've seen at 3L OCI. A lot more firms were looking to hire 3Ls into their corporate groups at OCI.

I ended up working in-house in financial services for 2L summer and landed plenty of callbacks and a V10 NYC offer through 3L OCI (though it is in a niche practice area).

Don't just start gunning for PI if that's not something you're interested in.

EDIT: Also, form as many close connections with professors in your 2L classes as possible. Explain your situation to them. Ask them to reach out to people they might know at firms. I have landed at least a couple of callbacks this way.
OP here.
Thanks this was very helpful.
BTW how did you work inhouse for financial services? I wouldn't mind doing that..

grimfan wrote: How many CBs did you get, if you don't mind my asking?
3 callbacks, 3 rejections..

I think something was wrong with my interviewing. I did a follow up with career services. Funny thing is, they said I was okay BEFORE OCI but after, pointed out some issues. However, they said it wasn't anything huge but definitely hurt me to a certain extent.

I think I'm a better interviewer now but it might be too late
FuturePanhandler wrote:Retake
I'm sorry but can you get out of this thread? Both your replies are unhelpful

hoos89

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by hoos89 » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:41 am

Another thing I forgot to mention: schedule classes strategically. If you can feast on 2L classes that play to whatever your strengths might be and get your GPA up, you might stand a decent chance at landing an A3 clerkship (obviously this would tend to push you down the litigation path, though).

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:42 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Don't lose hope for 3L OCI. I struck out in 2L (T6, even better grades than yours), was super depressed for a while. Go see a counselor/therapist, go get interview training (knock down your career office's door until they send you somewhere on their dime), go into 3L OCI as a better interviewer, knowing exactly what area you want to work in.


I think this advice is more suitable for corporate than for litigation from what I've seen at 3L OCI. A lot more firms were looking to hire 3Ls into their corporate groups at OCI.

I ended up working in-house in financial services for 2L summer and landed plenty of callbacks and a V10 NYC offer through 3L OCI (though it is in a niche practice area).

Don't just start gunning for PI if that's not something you're interested in.

EDIT: Also, form as many close connections with professors in your 2L classes as possible. Explain your situation to them. Ask them to reach out to people they might know at firms. I have landed at least a couple of callbacks this way.
OP here.
Thanks this was very helpful.
BTW how did you work inhouse for financial services? I wouldn't mind doing that..

A big bank was advertising for in house jobs on school's careers site very late in the recruiting season (like late April), so I got really lucky with that.

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A. Nony Mouse

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:47 am

FuturePanhandler wrote:Turn back time and don't go to law school
FuturePanhandler wrote:Retake
FuturePanhandler has been banned for 1) trolling the legal employment forum and 2) posting in legal employment as a 0L (about 3 posts after I told 0Ls not to post here).

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:50 am

OP does your school post in-house stuff on symplicity? I know those kinds of things typically hire later on in the semseter/year, but I would guess that is something to look out for. I have seen law clerk positions for Alcoa (posting up now and still appears to be soliciting apps), HP and other companies that hire directly out of law school out there. My similarly ranked school had more stuff like that for 1/2L's in the spring of this past school year.

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banjo

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by banjo » Tue Aug 26, 2014 1:34 am

Are you mass-mailing firms in and near your hometown? If your hometown is even slightly ties conscious, that puts you at a huge advantage. Also, search Martindale by city for firms that might have fallen below your radar.

If you're in NYC, look to NJ, Westchester County, CT, and Long Island. You should have already applied to firms like Day Pitney at this point. Look upstate to Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, etc. These cities are definitely more ties-conscious, but I can think of a few firms up there, like Hodgson Russ, that have called back people without ties. Look at Delaware--MNAT, Skadden, YCST, etc. YCST, for example, has definitely called back people without ties, and you might be able to sell your interest in corporate work to DE firms. Finally, think about where you have extended family and apply to midsize/regional firms there. I know someone who got a callback at a regional firm in Ohio with pretty tenuous family ties. In short, expand your mass mailing strategy.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by wiseowl » Tue Aug 26, 2014 9:43 am

What does "(all the relevant offices that I would work for)" mean? The "relevant" and "would work for" qualifiers should be out the window at this point.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Tiago Splitter » Tue Aug 26, 2014 11:06 am

wiseowl wrote:What does "(all the relevant offices that I would work for)" mean? The "relevant" and "would work for" qualifiers should be out the window at this point.
This. Also, go see your CSO on a regular basis from here on out. I'm also at a T6 and there were people who looked to be in bad shape at this point last year who ended up just fine. And whether you get something you want or not, take advantage of the fact that competition for grades goes way down 2L year. You should get killer grades this year, because 3L OCI isn't a total joke at this level of school.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 11:38 am

First of all, you are going to be fine. It's going to be frustrating as hell because all of your classmates will seem to have it so easy, but you are now on the difficult path forward. The first thing you need to do is get an idea as to why you struck out. Above median at a CCN and only 3 callbacks if you bid on big NYC firms means that you underperformed your numbers. In fact not getting an offer from 3 callbacks, if these were firms with good class sizes, means that you underperformed. If you bid on smaller firms or a non-NYC (or Chicago if you are at C) market, there's your answer. But if you bid on big NYC firms, its probably an interviewing problem that you need to correct. Next, apply to every government internship at a financial services related agency. These look decent for firms at 3L OCI and on rare occasions might lead to full time jobs at the agencies. At the same time, keep searching simplicty throughout the year for any in-house openings, especially at a banks. These will pop up eventually. Also, there will be biglaw and midlaw openings that come up on simplicity or that your OCS will know about. Make sure you apply to those. At the same time, do the usual thing OCS tells you and network with alums and build close relationships with your professors. Once you've built a close relationship, tell the prof about your problem.

When 3L rolls around, hopefully you have raised your grades so you are at least top third. If so, and if you interned at a financial services agency or bank, you have a real shot at 3L OCI. The shot is still small, but very much real. There will also be other 3L biglaw and midlaw openings throughout 3L year; apply to all of those. Apply to every single federal government honors program and search USAJOBS for other entry-level openings. Apply for clerkships if you have the grades. Apply for compliance positions at banks and regulatory consulting Big 4 positions that will appear on your simplicity. Chances are with you that at least one of these things will come through and you will be fine. If you still don't find anything, all the CCN schools have school funded grants for public interest fellowships. Get one of these and try to work in a field like employment or labor that have a decent amount of jobs. Almost certainly, you will find a full time legal or JD-preferred job eventually. I graduated from a CCN in 2012 and was very close with several people in your position. One is working in compliance at a major bank, another one got biglaw as a 3L, another is doing labor law at a solid midlaw firm after a school funded fellowship, and one got a dream job at a federal financial services regulator and is now lateraling into a biglaw firm with a higher class standing than if he had started there to begin with. Not one ended up unemployed. You will be fine, but it's a tough road ahead.

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Re: Just struck out (last rejection letter). Already mass mailed

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Aug 26, 2014 12:56 pm

I agree with what many people here have said. There were still biglaw job openings posted throughout the year. Also, people don't try as hard in school in 2L as they did in 1L, so it is easier to get better grades; I'd continue working hard in school. There are still some big law firms interviewing 3Ls and a lot of government agency honor programs job that pay surprisingly well (100k+) do in OCI as well. If you want to go the big law route, I'd try to continue that path. A lot of the law firms that are interviewing want to look for good grades and demonstrated interest via coursework or jobs.

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