Question About Switching Firms After 2L Summer Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed to a V50 firm this summer in a major market. I realized I'm actually interested in a practice area that my firm doesn't specialize in. What's the best way to go about switching firms? Should I do 3L OCI? Does it make sense to mass-mail during the summer?

Any advice is appreciated. Median grades at T10. Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Mass mail toward the end of the summer AND do 3L OCI. I switched firms and got an offer from my "permanent" firm through mass mailing.

[DeseoQueSea]

Mass mail toward the end of the summer AND do 3L OCI. I switched firms and got an offer from my "permanent" firm through mass mailing.

I did this, plus I cold-emailed some alums from my law school and told them that I got an offer from my SA gig but I want to go to their firm because X. Worked for me.

[Anonymous User]

By end of summer do you mean after the SA?

I may be interested in changing firms because of practice area reasons, and I have some connections who I've kept up with throughout the year since OCI. I assume it's best not to kick the tires on those until I'm sure I want to (or need to) to not burn those bridges for lateral opportunities down the road?

[Anonymous User]

Clerk.

[DeseoQueSea]

By end of summer do you mean after the SA?

I may be interested in changing firms because of practice area reasons, and I have some connections who I've kept up with throughout the year since OCI. I assume it's best not to kick the tires on those until I'm sure I want to (or need to) to not burn those bridges for lateral opportunities down the road?

I think I started applying and networking around June or July and began interviewing in early August.

[Anonymous User]

By end of summer do you mean after the SA?

I may be interested in changing firms because of practice area reasons, and I have some connections who I've kept up with throughout the year since OCI. I assume it's best not to kick the tires on those until I'm sure I want to (or need to) to not burn those bridges for lateral opportunities down the road?

I think I started applying and networking around June or July and began interviewing in early August.

Did you know you were definitely not going back? I'm at a (generally) 100% offer firm, but in a smaller market, and I definitely wouldn't want it getting back to them.

[Anonymous User]

By end of summer do you mean after the SA?

I may be interested in changing firms because of practice area reasons, and I have some connections who I've kept up with throughout the year since OCI. I assume it's best not to kick the tires on those until I'm sure I want to (or need to) to not burn those bridges for lateral opportunities down the road?

Bump?

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed to a V50 firm this summer in a major market. I realized I'm actually interested in a practice area that my firm doesn't specialize in. What's the best way to go about switching firms? Should I do 3L OCI? Does it make sense to mass-mail during the summer?

Any advice is appreciated. Median grades at T10. Thanks.

This is me exactly. I started emailing firms in late July after I received an offer from my summer firm and didn't do 3L OCI.

[Anonymous User]

diffrent ANON, but where did the above anon go to school? I'm in a regional T20-T30 and the school is just not supportive on 3L OCI.summer firm in the same area as school but no vault-ranking- just a mid-law firm with good regional reputation.

[Anonymous User]

diffrent ANON, but where did the above anon go to school? I'm in a regional T20-T30 and the school is just not supportive on 3L OCI.summer firm in the same area as school but no vault-ranking- just a mid-law firm with good regional reputation.

Above anon, at a lower T14. I had no contact with my school's employment office throughout the process. I emailed firms that were strong in the practice area I was interested in and also checked symplicity occasionally to see if any of the same firms were hiring. Ended up accepting an offer at a firm that had posted about an opening on symplicity.

[Anonymous User]

From a timing standpoint it seems like if you reach out during June and July and then interview in August you would eventually have to either reject an offer from your 2L SA or at least postpone giving them a response. Has anyone ever had luck getting an offer elsewhere before getting an offer from your 2L SA?

If you really don't like your 2L SA and know you don't want to work there, I guess it wouldn't be a problem, but what if you like your 2L SA just fine but want to see what else is out there? I'd rather avoid having to postpone accepting an offer if there was still a chance I could ultimately end up at my 2L SA firm...

[DeseoQueSea]

By end of summer do you mean after the SA?

I may be interested in changing firms because of practice area reasons, and I have some connections who I've kept up with throughout the year since OCI. I assume it's best not to kick the tires on those until I'm sure I want to (or need to) to not burn those bridges for lateral opportunities down the road?

I think I started applying and networking around June or July and began interviewing in early August.

Did you know you were definitely not going back? I'm at a (generally) 100% offer firm, but in a smaller market, and I definitely wouldn't want it getting back to them.

I was also at a 100% offer firm but in NYC. I didn't know I'd definitely get other offers when I applied, so no, I wasn't sure I wasn't going back. But I had an objectively defensible reason why I was considering transitioning (mine was that I was interested in doing international work and my summer firm didn't do much). Burning bridges may be a real concern, but ultimately, it's your career and few people are going to be better at advocating for your interests thank you are for yourself. Maybe seek advice from someone you trust in your smaller legal market--they may have a better handle on the danger or likelihood of bridge-burning in your market.

[Anonymous User]

Question regarding on the timeline to mass mail: 2L summer firm has indicated that formal offers will not be sent out until late august(secondary market) should I wait until then to mass mail or try to get an early start in early July without an offer?

[Anonymous User]

Question regarding on the timeline to mass mail: 2L summer firm has indicated that formal offers will not be sent out until late august(secondary market) should I wait until then to mass mail or try to get an early start in early July without an offer?

From a timing standpoint it seems like if you reach out during June and July and then interview in August you would eventually have to either reject an offer from your 2L SA or at least postpone giving them a response. Has anyone ever had luck getting an offer elsewhere before getting an offer from your 2L SA?

If you really don't like your 2L SA and know you don't want to work there, I guess it wouldn't be a problem, but what if you like your 2L SA just fine but want to see what else is out there? I'd rather avoid having to postpone accepting an offer if there was still a chance I could ultimately end up at my 2L SA firm...

Anon from above, I wouldn't wait. Every firm is going to ask about your offer status (and most, if not all, will require you to have an offer before they bring you in for an interview), but the sooner you get started contacting firms the better. I ended up running right up against my offer deadline before I received the offer I ultimately accepted and wish I had gotten started earlier.

[Anonymous User]

Everybody I knew had pretty good luck emailing firms who had given them 2L offers, and sending their inquiry straight to the partner who conducted their screener/gave them their offer phone call.