Lateral into V100 as 1st year - Courtesy Interviews
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 1:29 am
Here's my situation:
-Tier 2 LS, terrible grades (upward trend since 1L year but i still only ended with a 2.8 -- 1 C 2L and 3L year, the remainder are As and Bs). Ivy undergrad, passed the bar after 1 shot.
-Work background at all the major regulatory agencies of a particular industry (undergrad, post-undergrad, and during LS as a clerk)
-Summer clerked after 2L at a federal regulatory agency, got to know the Head of Legal (HOL) pretty well while I was there. Also turns out HOL's nephew is a friend of mine from LS.
-3L year, HOL switches to a V100 firm and becomes managing partner for the industry practice group.
-Post-3L and after the bar, I'm working as a contract attorney for a boutique firm in the same industry (through the boutique firm directly, not thru a recruiter... i.e. this is not a doc review job) that shares a client with HOL's V100 firm/same practice group. Interact with HOL indirectly because of my work at the boutique. HOL's acknowledged to the partners at the boutique that he knows that I produce good work product and that he likes me.
-Find out that HOL's V100 firm is looking to hire a 1-3yr lateral with exactly my experience and work background.
-I submitted an application including my transcript, got through the recruiters, and secured a call with HOL.
Now, my question is, despite my shaky academics, do I still have a chance at working for HOL at their V100 firm or is this just a courtesy call? I have the requisite experience including in my present role, I'm about 1 year out of LS, and I've got an in with HOL through my previous work. However, I know that my academic profile is not what the firm typically goes for, though from my research, it is not one of the biglaw firms notorious for grade cutoffs.
Just want to be sure that I don't needlessly get my hopes up.
Thanks.
-Tier 2 LS, terrible grades (upward trend since 1L year but i still only ended with a 2.8 -- 1 C 2L and 3L year, the remainder are As and Bs). Ivy undergrad, passed the bar after 1 shot.
-Work background at all the major regulatory agencies of a particular industry (undergrad, post-undergrad, and during LS as a clerk)
-Summer clerked after 2L at a federal regulatory agency, got to know the Head of Legal (HOL) pretty well while I was there. Also turns out HOL's nephew is a friend of mine from LS.
-3L year, HOL switches to a V100 firm and becomes managing partner for the industry practice group.
-Post-3L and after the bar, I'm working as a contract attorney for a boutique firm in the same industry (through the boutique firm directly, not thru a recruiter... i.e. this is not a doc review job) that shares a client with HOL's V100 firm/same practice group. Interact with HOL indirectly because of my work at the boutique. HOL's acknowledged to the partners at the boutique that he knows that I produce good work product and that he likes me.
-Find out that HOL's V100 firm is looking to hire a 1-3yr lateral with exactly my experience and work background.
-I submitted an application including my transcript, got through the recruiters, and secured a call with HOL.
Now, my question is, despite my shaky academics, do I still have a chance at working for HOL at their V100 firm or is this just a courtesy call? I have the requisite experience including in my present role, I'm about 1 year out of LS, and I've got an in with HOL through my previous work. However, I know that my academic profile is not what the firm typically goes for, though from my research, it is not one of the biglaw firms notorious for grade cutoffs.
Just want to be sure that I don't needlessly get my hopes up.
Thanks.