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Many say if you strike out of 2L OCI you can lateral into big law? What do they mean by this? I'm guessing you would need to work somewhere before you can even lateral after you graduate. Can anyone explain what this process is? Does one work somewhere after graduating and then apply as an associate? Does he or she have to work at big law l after graduatiing in order to lateral?

Lateraling usually refers to moving between one biglaw firm to another. For example, you start as a first year at Latham and then you lateral in your second year to Cooley. It is incredibly difficult to break into biglaw if you are not already in via law school hiring (2L and 3L OCI, mass mailing, hustling, some limited hiring of fresh JDs post bar). The exception would be doing some sort of government work like DOJ - can easily go into biglaw then. If you start at a small or mid firm it would be very tough to break into biglaw. Some exceptions I know are, for example, starting at a Plaintiff's side employment firm, earning the respect of opposing counsel (biglaw firm) and then hustling to jump ship to them.

Rule of thumb for those starting out … unless you have no problem with wasting time, stay at your first firm for [at least] a year before attempting to lateral. If you started out at a boutique and hope to lateral to a V, it could take a good long while, unless you graduated from a T14. That is one of true benefits of a T14, it’s a job magnet that stays with you for your entire legal career.