Can I use being well-connected as an interview strategy? Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:06 am

Top school. Garbage GPA. Very powerful daddy and a well connected family (mostly in international markets that American firms are highly interested in). My poorly thought out strategy for out performing my grades is to basically posit myself as someone who knows important corporate people on a first name basis, with the implication that I can help bring business. Is this a terrible strategy?

Lawdood · Post by **Lawdood** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:11 am

Anonymous User wrote:Top school. Garbage GPA. Very powerful daddy and a well connected family (mostly in international markets that American firms are highly interested in). My poorly thought out strategy for out performing my grades is to basically posit myself as someone who knows important corporate people on a first name basis, with the implication that I can help bring business. Is this a terrible strategy?

If your dad is really powerful, then he should have to problem contacting the dean. However, I wouldn't mention it during the interview.

chuckbass · Post by **chuckbass** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:16 am

Lawdood wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Top school. Garbage GPA. Very powerful daddy and a well connected family (mostly in international markets that American firms are highly interested in). My poorly thought out strategy for out performing my grades is to basically posit myself as someone who knows important corporate people on a first name basis, with the implication that I can help bring business. Is this a terrible strategy?
If your dad is really powerful, then he should have to problem contacting the dean. However, I wouldn't mention it during the interview.

The dean?

jhett · Post by **jhett** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:30 am

You'd have to research each firm in depth to actually carry this out this plan. You have to cite specific clients/GCs that are looking for legal services that the firm can provide, guarantee that the legal work is sizable (enough to at least pay for your salary), know that the firm is interested in having those clients or has tried pursuing them in the past, and that there are no conflicts of interest in adding those clients to the roster. Otherwise you'll come off as entitled but clueless.

So... good luck with this...

UnicornHunter · Post by **UnicornHunter** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:49 am

If your connections are that good, you won't have to bring them up in an interview. Talking about them will make you sound like a spoiled ass- if you have a network, you should be able to tap into it with a lot more grace.

chuckbass · Post by **chuckbass** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:49 am

TheUnicornHunter wrote:If your connections are that good, you won't have to bring them up in an interview. Talking about them will make you sound like a spoiled ass- if you have a network, you should be able to tap into it with a lot more grace.

This. Plus the connections should be getting you the interviews or past them in the first place.

swampman · Post by **swampman** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:53 am

TheUnicornHunter wrote:If your connections are that good, you won't have to bring them up in an interview. Talking about them will make you sound like a spoiled ass- if you have a network, you should be able to tap into it with a lot more grace.

Exactly. In fact, I kinda doubt that your connections are actually that good if you still have no idea how connections are used. Maybe it's an international thing.

pancakes3 · Post by **pancakes3** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 8:53 am

Or just fuck law school all together and live off your powerful daddy.

grand inquisitor · Post by **grand inquisitor** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:03 am

you can. the crucial question is: should you?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:11 am

swampman wrote:
TheUnicornHunter wrote:If your connections are that good, you won't have to bring them up in an interview. Talking about them will make you sound like a spoiled ass- if you have a network, you should be able to tap into it with a lot more grace.
Exactly. In fact, I kinda doubt that your connections are actually that good if you still have no idea how connections are used. Maybe it's an international thing.

I think you people are misunderstanding my strategy, I'm not just going to say "oh look at me and all my contactz" it's going to be apparent through my resume that I'm well connected and that tends to lead interviewers to ask more about my background.

The problem is that my dad isn't very well connected in the American legal field, other than a smattering of partners at top firms in regions I'm not really interested in. Unfortunately I can't use my contacts to get my foot in the door in many places except for the various offices of these firms.

I'm working on my international legal contacts right now to see who knows who.

UnicornHunter · Post by **UnicornHunter** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:37 am

Subtle ways to suggest that you're well connected:

A) list prestigious internships/jobs you've had in the past due to your dad's connections
B) list interests (golf, scuba, polo) that can lead to a conversation about spending time with your dad's contacts
C) have your dad's connections call partners at your target law firms, let partners do the leg work on your behalf

Anything else will probably backfire.

DELG · Post by **DELG** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 10:20 am

You contact the people you know, ask them which firms they've worked with and who they respect, then tell them you're applying there. If the relationship is important enough for them to route work through you even in the near term, they'll call. If it's not, this doesn't help that much.

smallfirmassociate · Post by **smallfirmassociate** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 11:00 am

Anonymous User wrote:other than a smattering of partners at top firms in regions I'm not really interested in. Unfortunately I can't use my contacts to get my foot in the door in many places except for the various offices of these firms.

If your grades suck, perhaps you should be interested in them.

Then again, daddy backup.

Lawdood · Post by **Lawdood** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 4:34 pm

scottidsntknow wrote:
Lawdood wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Top school. Garbage GPA. Very powerful daddy and a well connected family (mostly in international markets that American firms are highly interested in). My poorly thought out strategy for out performing my grades is to basically posit myself as someone who knows important corporate people on a first name basis, with the implication that I can help bring business. Is this a terrible strategy?
If your dad is really powerful, then he should have to problem contacting the dean. However, I wouldn't mention it during the interview.
The dean?

oops my bad

Actually, in this scenario, it could work.

J9ofDiamonds · Post by **J9ofDiamonds** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:15 am

If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:07 am

J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?

$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.

UnicornHunter · Post by **UnicornHunter** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:12 am

Anonymous User wrote:
J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?
$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.

That wasn't the point. If your connections are that good, you should be able to get a job in business with better pay/hours than law.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:34 am

TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?
$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.
That wasn't the point. If your connections are that good, you should be able to get a job in business with better pay/hours than law.

Yeah those don't actually exist if you have no particular skills. You can make 75k being a consultant and working almost as many hours, or make about the same as an investment banker for just as many hours, if not more.

The first few years are a grind no matter what you do. Might as well be a lawyer coz I'm in law school. I can always get an MBA do something else in a few years.

071816 · Post by **071816** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 11:37 am

[redacted from these fora]

UnicornHunter · Post by **UnicornHunter** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:24 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?
$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.
That wasn't the point. If your connections are that good, you should be able to get a job in business with better pay/hours than law.
Yeah those don't actually exist if you have no particular skills. You can make 75k being a consultant and working almost as many hours, or make about the same as an investment banker for just as many hours, if not more.

The first few years are a grind no matter what you do. Might as well be a lawyer coz I'm in law school. I can always get an MBA do something else in a few years.

They do exist if your connections are good enough for a big law firm to care about. I think this thread has established pretty clearly that yours aren't.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:33 pm

TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?
$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.
That wasn't the point. If your connections are that good, you should be able to get a job in business with better pay/hours than law.
Yeah those don't actually exist if you have no particular skills. You can make 75k being a consultant and working almost as many hours, or make about the same as an investment banker for just as many hours, if not more.

The first few years are a grind no matter what you do. Might as well be a lawyer coz I'm in law school. I can always get an MBA do something else in a few years.
They do exist if your connections are good enough for a big law firm to care about. I think this thread has established pretty clearly that yours aren't.

You're living in a fantasy if you truly believe that.

This is the corporate world. In the corporate world no one is going to make up a job for you or put you in one that you're not minimally qualified for or pay you more for no reason.

KMart · Post by **KMart** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:35 pm

Anonymous User wrote:You're living in a fantasy if you truly believe that.

This is the corporate world. In the corporate world no one is going to make up a job for you or put you in one that you're not minimally qualified for or pay you more for no reason.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:43 pm

KMart wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:You're living in a fantasy if you truly believe that.

This is the corporate world. In the corporate world no one is going to make up a job for you or put you in one that you're not minimally qualified for or pay you more for no reason.

You're welcome to continue dreaming

A. Nony Mouse · Post by **A. Nony Mouse** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 12:49 pm

To the extent that's true for business, I don't see why it would be different for law.

UnicornHunter · Post by **UnicornHunter** » Fri Jun 26, 2015 1:36 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
TheUnicornHunter wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
J9ofDiamonds wrote:If your connections are that good, why are you trying to do big law?
$$$

golden handcuffs yo. Daddy isn't gonna bankroll me indefinitely.
That wasn't the point. If your connections are that good, you should be able to get a job in business with better pay/hours than law.
Yeah those don't actually exist if you have no particular skills. You can make 75k being a consultant and working almost as many hours, or make about the same as an investment banker for just as many hours, if not more.

The first few years are a grind no matter what you do. Might as well be a lawyer coz I'm in law school. I can always get an MBA do something else in a few years.
They do exist if your connections are good enough for a big law firm to care about. I think this thread has established pretty clearly that yours aren't.
You're living in a fantasy if you truly believe that.

This is the corporate world. In the corporate world no one is going to make up a job for you or put you in one that you're not minimally qualified for or pay you more for no reason.

Right, and nobody is going to funnel big money legal work to you because they know your daddy.

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