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I'm a 2L at a top 20, top 25% of the class, Editor-in-Chief of secondary journal & on moot court. I have a solid SA position in "regional big law" where I am likely to get a full-time offer. Although I'd be excited to end up there, I'd like to try my luck at snagging a Big Law associate job during 3L . I know odds aren't great since I didn't do a big law SA, but I'm wondering what the best approach to doing that is. I have a few connections at one big firm, but otherwise I'd just be mass mailing. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

How are your grades? First off, try to kill it this semester and drag your GPA up as much as possible. And of course, an offer in hand will help greatly. I'd tell you to apply early- around mid-to-early July- but you likely won't find out whether you have an offer by then, so this means there are pros/cons to applying that early. Try honing your interviewing skills based on the positions available - i.e. be able to explain why you are interested in joining firm X for practice area Y in a persuasive and intelligent manner.

For firms that hire 3L at my school (UCLA/TX/Vandy) top 25% is the medium GPA. Not sure how 2L GPA interacts with 3L GPA but I would assume 25% would be the minimum to land a 3L biglaw gig.

You're competitive but not guaranteed anything. Try to network with alums at firms you would be interested in going to. That's going to be your ticket in my opinioon. I was in a similar position and was successful that way. T20, regional SA, top 1/3, EIC of secondary. Current big law associate.

If I was you, I'd gun for clerkship as a fall back, and also try out for 3L OCI.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a 2L at a top 20, top 25% of the class, Editor-in-Chief of secondary journal & on moot court. I have a solid SA position in "regional big law" where I am likely to get a full-time offer. Although I'd be excited to end up there, I'd like to try my luck at snagging a Big Law associate job during 3L . I know odds aren't great since I didn't do a big law SA, but I'm wondering what the best approach to doing that is. I have a few connections at one big firm, but otherwise I'd just be mass mailing. Any suggestions or words of wisdom?

It's always possible. I made big law at a T50; LR; 33% as a 3L. I think you may have luck targeting small satellite offices in your market as they usually do not have a formal summer program and they have more leeway on their hiring (i.e., its not as centralized). Also the fact that I clerked at firm from 2L-3L doing a similar type of work definitely helped.

in the exact same position, difference is that I cannot do a federal clerkship cuz I'm Canadian.