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A V100 firm posts on my school's job board that it is considering hiring additional associates. They're looking for "3Ls" for a specific department, only keeping the post open for a couple days. I applied, obviously.

Just a question: is this a "real" posting, or is it more likely that it's just poaching 2L SAs with offers? If it's the latter would it be phrased the same way?

It probably is real and they are not poaching. I had a handful of law school friends who did not summer and got a entry-level position as a 3L. A lot of firms are starting to hire 3Ls for various different reasons (especially in Corp b/c business has picked up).

Not poaching. Firms do hire 3ls if need arises.

who cares? you should apply either way. jesus.

All 3L hiring is "real" from the firm's perspective. It's not like there is some sort of game of "ha ha, I poached some of your largely fungible SAs" going on between firms. If they have a need to round a class (either because they underhired, had a lower yield, or an uptick in work), they will go back to the well. However, firms are still weeding out resumes. 3L resumes can generally only be distinguished on three things: school, grades, 2L job. It's not that firms stop looking for someone who checks all three boxes, it's just that later in the hiring cycle they are forced to look beyond them because the applicant pool changes.

Definitely a fake job. likely a conversation similar to the one below occurred:

Partner 1: Hey Joe
Partner 2: Hi Bob, how are things going?
Partner 1: Gosh, my life sucks. I was able to leave the office by 7:30 twice last week. It is terrible. My kids have already learned my name and my wife is starting to get used to me getting home while she is still awake which means I had to have sex on a week night. It's terrible, but what can I do?
Partner 2: Have you thought about interviewing people? I know we don't need anyone but a few hours of interviewing means you can stay at the office later.
Partner 1: That is a great idea, I will call HR and get a job posting up.

mrjohnsterman wrote:Definitely a fake job. likely a conversation similar to the one below occurred:

Partner 1: Hey Joe
Partner 2: Hi Bob, how are things going?
Partner 1: Gosh, my life sucks. I was able to leave the office by 7:30 twice last week. It is terrible. My kids have already learned my name and my wife is starting to get used to me getting home while she is still awake which means I had to have sex on a week night. It's terrible, but what can I do?
Partner 2: Have you thought about interviewing people? I know we don't need anyone but a few hours of interviewing means you can stay at the office later.
Partner 1: That is a great idea, I will call HR and get a job posting up.

This happens all the time. Big firm partners have to be very creative about how not to see their kids. Its proven, been studied, and a law professor wrote a law review article on it.