1L Summer Job Search C/O 2018 Forum

[Anonymous User]

When updating with grades is it OK to say "based on previous years grade distributions I anticipate myself to be top 1/3rd" or something along those lines

Do not put anything that isn't official on your resume (except interest skills and shit). Your GPA is enough if the firm regularly gets applicants from your school. Otherwise, update when you get cutoffs.

Do schools do cutoffs for the semester?

[PeanutsNJam]

When updating with grades is it OK to say "based on previous years grade distributions I anticipate myself to be top 1/3rd" or something along those lines

Do not put anything that isn't official on your resume (except interest skills and shit). Your GPA is enough if the firm regularly gets applicants from your school. Otherwise, update when you get cutoffs.

Do schools do cutoffs for the semester?

Depends on the school

[Anonymous User]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

[buckiguy_sucks]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

Seems like an easy answer "just really interested in your firm" but may be wrong

[BigZuck]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

I personally think you should just give it your "one best shot" and apply to the one office that makes the most sense because so many places seem to be conscious about ties, etc. At the firm I worked at this summer it would have been a mistake to pitch an interest in multiple offices, even those in the same state, based on what recruiting told me. But some firms supposedly don't care at all and people disagree with me and so someone will probably come along and tell me I'm wrong and why I'm wrong and our anecdata will do battle and in the end no one will know the right answer.

IMO

Best I can say is come up with compelling reasons for wanting to work in each individual office. You probably can't go with "I am from here and plan to live her forever" but maybe pitch something revolving around practice area interests for each office?

[Anonymous User]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

I personally think you should just give it your "one best shot" and apply to the one office that makes the most sense because so many places seem to be conscious about ties, etc. At the firm I worked at this summer it would have been a mistake to pitch an interest in multiple offices, even those in the same state, based on what recruiting told me. But some firms supposedly don't care at all and people disagree with me and so someone will probably come along and tell me I'm wrong and why I'm wrong and our anecdata will do battle and in the end no one will know the right answer.

IMO

Best I can say is come up with compelling reasons for wanting to work in each individual office. You probably can't go with "I am from here and plan to live her forever" but maybe pitch something revolving around practice area interests for each office?

I'll second this. Was told directly by a hiring partner that when it comes to making a choice between two great and equal candidates, they will pretty much always go with the one they know will (most probably) accept their offer for that particular office. If they research your application and see you applied to NY, Houston, Chicago, and SV, but someone else applied just to Houston, and the hiring partner works at Houston, you'll probably not get the offer there.

I also remember reading somewhere about a recruiting head or hiring partner of a firm very candidly saying he doesnt like it when candidates say "X city is the best place for me and is where I want to live" in X amount of cover letters to different offices of the same firm. Just isn't true, and they know it. Can't remember where it was unfortunately (I think V&E?), but I will say I think there's a lot of value to what BigZuck said.

[Poldy]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

I personally think you should just give it your "one best shot" and apply to the one office that makes the most sense because so many places seem to be conscious about ties, etc. At the firm I worked at this summer it would have been a mistake to pitch an interest in multiple offices, even those in the same state, based on what recruiting told me. But some firms supposedly don't care at all and people disagree with me and so someone will probably come along and tell me I'm wrong and why I'm wrong and our anecdata will do battle and in the end no one will know the right answer.

IMO

Best I can say is come up with compelling reasons for wanting to work in each individual office. You probably can't go with "I am from here and plan to live her forever" but maybe pitch something revolving around practice area interests for each office?

I'll second this. Was told directly by a hiring partner that when it comes to making a choice between two great and equal candidates, they will pretty much always go with the one they know will (most probably) accept their offer for that particular office. If they research your application and see you applied to NY, Houston, Chicago, and SV, but someone else applied just to Houston, and the hiring partner works at Houston, you'll probably not get the offer there.

I also remember reading somewhere about a recruiting head or hiring partner of a firm very candidly saying he doesnt like it when candidates say "X city is the best place for me and is where I want to live" in X amount of cover letters to different offices of the same firm. Just isn't true, and they know it. Can't remember where it was unfortunately (I think V&E?), but I will say I think there's a lot of value to what BigZuck said.

How does all this advice apply to two cities in the same state doing similar work? IP in both for example. There wouldn't seem to be a real reason to pick one over the other unless you have lived in the city before or something.

[Anonymous User]

I'm sure this is floating around here somewhere but what is the advice on applying to/interviewing with multiple offices of the same firm? It is a little late for this question this summer (I already applied to all offices of all firms) but now I'm worried it will be awkward interviewing with all the different offices. Some days I interview with the different offices nearly back to back. Any tips on how to handle this?

I personally think you should just give it your "one best shot" and apply to the one office that makes the most sense because so many places seem to be conscious about ties, etc. At the firm I worked at this summer it would have been a mistake to pitch an interest in multiple offices, even those in the same state, based on what recruiting told me. But some firms supposedly don't care at all and people disagree with me and so someone will probably come along and tell me I'm wrong and why I'm wrong and our anecdata will do battle and in the end no one will know the right answer.

IMO

Best I can say is come up with compelling reasons for wanting to work in each individual office. You probably can't go with "I am from here and plan to live her forever" but maybe pitch something revolving around practice area interests for each office?

I'll second this. Was told directly by a hiring partner that when it comes to making a choice between two great and equal candidates, they will pretty much always go with the one they know will (most probably) accept their offer for that particular office. If they research your application and see you applied to NY, Houston, Chicago, and SV, but someone else applied just to Houston, and the hiring partner works at Houston, you'll probably not get the offer there.

I also remember reading somewhere about a recruiting head or hiring partner of a firm very candidly saying he doesnt like it when candidates say "X city is the best place for me and is where I want to live" in X amount of cover letters to different offices of the same firm. Just isn't true, and they know it. Can't remember where it was unfortunately (I think V&E?), but I will say I think there's a lot of value to what BigZuck said.

How does all this advice apply to two cities in the same state doing similar work? IP in both for example. There wouldn't seem to be a real reason to pick one over the other unless you have lived in the city before or something.

That should be fine, but ties would likely still play a factor to an extent. Sticking with TX, say you have X firm that does similar IP work in Dallas and Houston. You lived in Dallas all your life, but went to Houston for law school. You can spin it as "Dallas = most ties, but Houston is also somewhere I am familiar with and committed to through school and would like to live in longterm."

It'd probably be harder to compete with a Houston native if you have zero ties to Houston.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody been invited to a callback-type interview at a firm for a 1L SA without having done a screener? I was asked to go in for an interview for 3 hours (not for 20-30 mins within a 3 hour block, but for the whole 3 hours).

[BrazilBandit]

Anybody been invited to a callback-type interview at a firm for a 1L SA without having done a screener? I was asked to go in for an interview for 3 hours (not for 20-30 mins within a 3 hour block, but for the whole 3 hours).

Yes, I am guessing this is in your home town/market? this is how all of mine were...

[ellewoods817]

It will always depend on the firm, but 1L screeners (including BB, though I only did Houston and Dallas, not Austin, interviews) are pretty informal, and definitely nothing to stress out about. Prepare to answer questions about your resume, but the rest are basically softball questions like "what was your favorite class?" and "how do you like law school so far?" Have an answer to "why law school" ready, since you'll get that in every interview.

If you've done a callback, then a screener won't be too terribly different. Probably more emphasis in a screener on your resume and experiences than your personality and just having a casual conversation about non-law things.

Of course, this is all my own experience, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

That's a relief! I watched a few CSO videos that firms sent of mock screener interviews, and they all had behavioral type questions, so I was a bit nervous that most 30 minute interviews would be like that! Thank you!

[cannibal ox]

I've only had one or two screeners be more than a couple easy behavioral questions. But the ones where it was 100% behavioral were brutal and awkward. It'd be helpful to look through google and find some common behavioral questions and make sure you've got a story to tell as your answer for each common question, but otherwise don't stress out too much over screeners.

[BigZuck]

I probably did at least 50 screeners and a handful of callbacks and I can't remember ever having even one behavioral question asked of me

[Anonymous User]

Is it normal to take a while to get a callback scheduled? Having pretty sporadic contact with the recruiter and thinking the worst.

[cannibal ox]

I probably did at least 50 screeners and a handful of callbacks and I can't remember ever having even one behavioral question asked of me

I think Boyar & Miller was an especially bad offender during my 1L interview process.

[BigZuck]

I probably did at least 50 screeners and a handful of callbacks and I can't remember ever having even one behavioral question asked of me

I think Boyar & Miller was an especially bad offender during my 1L interview process.

I don't know what a Boyar is, let alone a Miller

Actually I think I did have an in-house interview 1L year that was all behavioral and all disaster

[Anonymous User]

I have six screeners and one callback so far. I'm pretty worried that is going to translate into 0 offers.

[BigZuck]

I have six screeners and one callback so far. I'm pretty worried that is going to translate into 0 offers.

Not sure if serious or humble brag or what this is really

Just do your best

[Anonymous User]

is it normal for firms to give callbacks (w/ airfare and accommodations) to candidates they're not really interested in hiring this year? Had a screener today and got a callback, but my interviewer stressed several times that they were only gonna hire one 1L and that they had already interviewed several candidates they really liked. at first it seemed kind of pointless and a potential waste of money for the firm, unless they wanted to use it as some sort of pitch for me to consider reapplying next year

[Anonymous User]

I have six screeners and one callback so far. I'm pretty worried that is going to translate into 0 offers.

Not sure if serious or humble brag or what this is really

Just do your best

They are just weird and a lot different than anything I've done before. Absolutely no indication of how things have gone/what they are thinking. The callback didn't come from a screener so that doesn't help anything at all. I know they don't hire many 1Ls and they interviewed like 30 people that I know of so I doubt screeners mean anything.

[BigZuck]

I have six screeners and one callback so far. I'm pretty worried that is going to translate into 0 offers.

Not sure if serious or humble brag or what this is really

Just do your best

They are just weird and a lot different than anything I've done before. Absolutely no indication of how things have gone/what they are thinking. The callback didn't come from a screener so that doesn't help anything at all. I know they don't hire many 1Ls and they interviewed like 30 people that I know of so I doubt screeners mean anything.

Great prep for OCI

Keep interviewing. And smile!

[Anonymous User]

What's the typical window for a response after an offer -- as in how long can you wait to reply without annoying anyone? No timeframe was given when I received the offer.

[Poldy]

What's the typical window for a response after an offer -- as in how long can you wait to reply without annoying anyone? No timeframe was given when I received the offer.

I think they are held open for two weeks unless you request longer.

[cannibal ox]

If they're going by NALP rules, then it's 14 days before you need to respond that you're still deciding, then you have another 14 days. I would email the recruiter and make sure you're on the same timeline that they are, so you don't lose a chance at an offer.

[Anonymous User]

Is it normal to take a while to get a callback scheduled? Having pretty sporadic contact with the recruiter and thinking the worst.

Anyone? Bumping this in case it got buried, unless the answer is "it depends." So much radio silence since the callback invite.