Is 3L OCI worth it? Forum

[Anonymous User]

2L with SA in place but definitely looking to move up (firm is not V100).

Career services at my school danced around it, but basically told me that only a small handful of firms actually have 3L interview slots during regular OCI, and they're basically just V10 firms that I'm not interested in anyway. SO actually being physically present for on campus interviews doesn't seem very essential to me.

Meanwhile my Grandma is turning 80 in August (she lives in Asia) and I want to go spend time with her in the few weeks between my SA and school starting (basically the middle 3 weeks of August, This is very important to me because her health is deteriorating and I don't know when/if I will see her again).

I'll be mass mailing while I'm in Asia and hitting up all my connections while I'm in NY in July, but I'm wondering if I should try to stay in the states during that time and go to school sponsored OCI and be available for interviews instead.

Thoughts?

[Rlabo]

Are schedules posted? May be an unnecessary question if there are no firms coming to OCI interviewing 3Ls that you are interested in.

[Anonymous User]

No doubt go to Asia


You have a SA position. 3L OCI is a miss for most people. And at least at my school, it does seem like it's mostly V10 firms (and a handful of other interesting positions).

I did 3L OCI and got nothing. I had a decent summer position too. I don't know anyone who got something out of 3L OCI (at my school, all/most of the strike-outs know who the others are)


Also, some things are more important than law school/career. Go be with your grandma. Don't lose sight of what's important because you're so deep in the "law school game".

Good luck with everything

[trebekismyhero]

Yeah, go be with your family and just start mass mailing early. That is how almost everyone I know got big law offers during 3L

[ManoftheHour]

Yeah, go be with your family and just start mass mailing early. That is how almost everyone I know got big law offers during 3L

When is early? July?

[trebekismyhero]

Yeah, go be with your family and just start mass mailing early. That is how almost everyone I know got big law offers during 3L

When is early? July?

I didn't do any mass mailing, so others that have can probably give better advice, but I would say probably July. Most SAs end in late July.

Accidental anon, trebek

[Anonymous User]

I switched firms as a 3L and I assure you that it's doable. You seem to be conflating "3L OCI" with "switching firms as a 3L" more generally. 3L OCI is not really a thing and very few firms will actually offer official set interview slots for 3Ls. However, many firms will still interview 3Ls - you just can't rely on Career Services or the structured OCI process.

In my experience, a 3L applicant needs to possess the following three traits to have a decent shot:
1. Strong grades from a top school (i.e. Top 25% at a T14)
2. A 2L SA from a big firm that resulted in an offer
3. A compelling reason for why you want to switch firms (i.e. geography or practice area interests)

The best way to land interviews with firms as a 3L is to reach out to your friends/classmates who summered at the firms you're targeting and have them forward your materials to recruiting. This is crucial because it means you skip the bottomless pile of random applicants. I got a bunch of callbacks from doing this (+ an offer from my #1 firm), without having to send out a single cold application.

Firms look to hire 3Ls all the time for a number of reasons. They may have under-hired for the summer class, some of their SAs decided to clerk or accepted anoffer from the other firm they split the summer with, etc. Unfortunately for these firms, the vast majority of 3L applicants are missing one or more of the above traits (usually strikeouts). If you have all three, you'll be a hot commodity for any firm looking for a 3L.

Good luck.

[Anonymous User]

EDIT: double post

[RedGiant]

I switched firms as a 3L and I assure you that it's doable. You seem to be conflating "3L OCI" with "switching firms as a 3L" more generally. 3L OCI is not really a thing and very few firms will actually offer official set interview slots for 3Ls. However, many firms will still interview 3Ls - you just can't rely on Career Services or the structured OCI process.

In my experience, a 3L applicant needs to possess the following three traits to have a decent shot:
1. Strong grades from a top school (i.e. Top 25% at a T14)
2. A 2L SA from a big firm that resulted in an offer
3. A compelling reason for why you want to switch firms (i.e. geography or practice area interests)

The best way to land interviews with firms as a 3L is to reach out to your friends/classmates who summered at the firms you're targeting and have them forward your materials to recruiting. This is crucial because it means you skip the bottomless pile of random applicants. I got a bunch of callbacks from doing this (+ an offer from my #1 firm), without having to send out a single cold application.

Firms look to hire 3Ls all the time for a number of reasons. They may have under-hired for the summer class, some of their SAs decided to clerk or accepted anoffer from the other firm they split the summer with, etc. Unfortunately for these firms, the vast majority of 3L applicants are missing one or more of the above traits (usually strikeouts). If you have all three, you'll be a hot commodity for any firm looking for a 3L.

Good luck.

TCR. Also, my firm said up and down that we'd all get offers. Until they no-offered the other summer with me in a satellite office. And she didn't drop for OCI or do any 3L mass-mailing, because we were assured up and down everything was fine. So...yeah, definitely prioritize family, but even if you have a 2L biglaw SA, for the love, make sure you have a backup plan. GL!

[Anonymous User]

I switched firms as a 3L and I assure you that it's doable. You seem to be conflating "3L OCI" with "switching firms as a 3L" more generally. 3L OCI is not really a thing and very few firms will actually offer official set interview slots for 3Ls. However, many firms will still interview 3Ls - you just can't rely on Career Services or the structured OCI process.

In my experience, a 3L applicant needs to possess the following three traits to have a decent shot:
1. Strong grades from a top school (i.e. Top 25% at a T14)
2. A 2L SA from a big firm that resulted in an offer
3. A compelling reason for why you want to switch firms (i.e. geography or practice area interests)

The best way to land interviews with firms as a 3L is to reach out to your friends/classmates who summered at the firms you're targeting and have them forward your materials to recruiting. This is crucial because it means you skip the bottomless pile of random applicants. I got a bunch of callbacks from doing this (+ an offer from my #1 firm), without having to send out a single cold application.

Firms look to hire 3Ls all the time for a number of reasons. They may have under-hired for the summer class, some of their SAs decided to clerk or accepted anoffer from the other firm they split the summer with, etc. Unfortunately for these firms, the vast majority of 3L applicants are missing one or more of the above traits (usually strikeouts). If you have all three, you'll be a hot commodity for any firm looking for a 3L.

Good luck.

TCR. Also, my firm said up and down that we'd all get offers. Until they no-offered the other summer with me in a satellite office. And she didn't drop for OCI or do any 3L mass-mailing, because we were assured up and down everything was fine. So...yeah, definitely prioritize family, but even if you have a 2L biglaw SA, for the love, make sure you have a backup plan. GL!

Also worth noting that it's the only time for at least a few years that jobs literally come to you. The annoying thing about 3L OCI is unless you dislike your summer firm, you're often bidding because of risk assessment and by the time you learn the risk is gone (you got an offer), it's too late to back out of the interviews.

[Anonymous User]

So don't bother if you're median at T14 looking to grab major market v100?

[Anonymous User]

Can't agree with needing biglaw SA to jump ship. I know at least 7-8 people at my school that didn't have biglaw SAs 2L year, only to end up with a biglaw entry-level position during 3L year. I do agree about massmailing in July- ideally mid-to-late July.

[Anonymous User]

If you're at a firm that is going to be fairly late in giving out offers (IE, past mid-July), is there any real disadvantage to sending out applications literally as soon as grades roll in, given that you won't be able to say you have an offer when sending out apps anyways? Or is it worth waiting to say you have an offer? I'm 100% sure I want to work in a different market than the one I'm in this summer and I'm trying to get any advantage I can.

[trebekismyhero]

Can't agree with needing biglaw SA to jump ship. I know at least 7-8 people at my school that didn't have biglaw SAs 2L year, only to end up with a biglaw entry-level position during 3L year. I do agree about massmailing in July- ideally mid-to-late July.

Same, you definitely don't need a big law SA to land a firm 3L year. You just need to focus on firms and practice areas that are hot and hiring a lot.

[Tiago Splitter]

If you're at a firm that is going to be fairly late in giving out offers (IE, past mid-July), is there any real disadvantage to sending out applications literally as soon as grades roll in, given that you won't be able to say you have an offer when sending out apps anyways? Or is it worth waiting to say you have an offer? I'm 100% sure I want to work in a different market than the one I'm in this summer and I'm trying to get any advantage I can.

Nothing wrong with sending stuff early. Presumably by the time the interview rolls around you can confirm that you actually received an offer.

Can't agree with needing biglaw SA to jump ship. I know at least 7-8 people at my school that didn't have biglaw SAs 2L year, only to end up with a biglaw entry-level position during 3L year. I do agree about massmailing in July- ideally mid-to-late July.

Same, you definitely don't need a big law SA to land a firm 3L year. You just need to focus on firms and practice areas that are hot and hiring a lot.

While this is true, you'll almost certainly be asked about not having worked in a law firm so come up with a good answer for why you'll do well.

[Anonymous User]

Can't agree with needing biglaw SA to jump ship. I know at least 7-8 people at my school that didn't have biglaw SAs 2L year, only to end up with a biglaw entry-level position during 3L year. I do agree about massmailing in July- ideally mid-to-late July.

Same, you definitely don't need a big law SA to land a firm 3L year. You just need to focus on firms and practice areas that are hot and hiring a lot.

I'm the anon from above who switched firms as a 3L. I never said you "need" a 2L SA + offer to have any shot, only that you need one to have a decent shot.

I'm surprised to hear that someone knows of 7-8 strikeouts who landed a big firm as a 3L. Even if this is true, it doesn't necessarily mean they had a "decent" shot going into the process. Rather, it was probably a long shot and they got lucky. I'm betting that those firms couldn't get someone with a 2L SA so they had to dip lower in the pile.

[Anonymous User]

Can't agree with needing biglaw SA to jump ship. I know at least 7-8 people at my school that didn't have biglaw SAs 2L year, only to end up with a biglaw entry-level position during 3L year. I do agree about massmailing in July- ideally mid-to-late July.

Same, you definitely don't need a big law SA to land a firm 3L year. You just need to focus on firms and practice areas that are hot and hiring a lot.

I'm the anon from above who switched firms as a 3L. I never said you "need" a 2L SA + offer to have any shot, only that you need one to have a decent shot.

I'm surprised to hear that someone knows of 7-8 strikeouts who landed a big firm as a 3L. Even if this is true, it doesn't necessarily mean they had a "decent" shot going into the process. Rather, it was probably a long shot and they got lucky. I'm betting that those firms couldn't get someone with a 2L SA so they had to dip lower in the pile.

7-8 strikeouts landing biglaw as a 3L is, of course, just an anecdote at my school (a T-14). But I know for a fact that, for most of them, it wasn't a "long shot." Many were killing it with multiple callbacks and offers - you also have to remember that, for the most part, 3L hiring is most robust among the very top firms (by measure of Vault rankings, however useful it is) with the largest class sizes.

But without a biglaw SA, there are indeed added requirements, one being killer grades above all else (most had sterling 2L grades followed by decent 1L grades). You won't get many looks if your GPA isn't higher than most other students in the pile. Then you probably need a demonstrated interest in some practice area (since firms are mostly looking to hire based on specific needs), and some decent form of employment during 2L summer (e.g. fed gov ex/internships or midlaw, as opposed to RA'ing or summering for a solo practicioner).