Slightly Above-Median at Lower T14 3L: Just got no-offered, now what? Forum

[Anonymous User]

What am I even supposed to do now? I just got no-offered from a mid-sized firm I was certain I would get a full-time offer in, and now I don't even know how I would go about finding a job. What are my options? Where do I start? Is it even worth going to the CSO? Will I ever work in Biglaw? Should I just do an LLM?

[grixxlybear99]

Apply to DOJ Honors Program by September 5. Maybe grab one of the lower-hanging fruits (EOIR, Asset Forfeiture)?

[IThinkIGoofed]

Apply to DOJ Honors Program by September 5. Maybe grab one of the lower-hanging fruits (EOIR, Asset Forfeiture)?

Why? What is the DOJ Honors Program?

[Anonymous User]

This happened to me, and a couple classmates of mine. It sucked ass, but we all ended up in big law after some detours (I did a one-year school funded fellowship, my friend clerked, and my other friend went to a small, boutique firm and used that experience to lateral into a big law firm). If you want to do big law, it's possible but you will need to hustle and potentially get creative. If you're interested in litigation, definitely consider a clerkship. Bankruptcy clerkships could also set you up for a bankruptcy practice, or a bankruptcy-adjacent practice (like finance). You should also mass mail every firm that is hiring for entry level associates.

It's a shitty experience, but you can get through it. Also, your CSO is there to help you. Unless they have a rep for being incompetent or bad (and some of my counselors did), you should use them.

[Anonymous User]

This happened to me, and a couple classmates of mine. It sucked ass, but we all ended up in big law after some detours (I did a one-year school funded fellowship, my friend clerked, and my other friend went to a small, boutique firm and used that experience to lateral into a big law firm). If you want to do big law, it's possible but you will need to hustle and potentially get creative. If you're interested in litigation, definitely consider a clerkship. Bankruptcy clerkships could also set you up for a bankruptcy practice, or a bankruptcy-adjacent practice (like finance). You should also mass mail every firm that is hiring for entry level associates.

It's a shitty experience, but you can get through it. Also, your CSO is there to help you. Unless they have a rep for being incompetent or bad (and some of my counselors did), you should use them.

Thank you this is helpful / somewhat encouraging. Is it true that clerkships are only for really academically high performing students, or would it be possible to get one with like a 3.4?

[Anonymous User]

This happened to me, and a couple classmates of mine. It sucked ass, but we all ended up in big law after some detours (I did a one-year school funded fellowship, my friend clerked, and my other friend went to a small, boutique firm and used that experience to lateral into a big law firm). If you want to do big law, it's possible but you will need to hustle and potentially get creative. If you're interested in litigation, definitely consider a clerkship. Bankruptcy clerkships could also set you up for a bankruptcy practice, or a bankruptcy-adjacent practice (like finance). You should also mass mail every firm that is hiring for entry level associates.

It's a shitty experience, but you can get through it. Also, your CSO is there to help you. Unless they have a rep for being incompetent or bad (and some of my counselors did), you should use them.

Thank you this is helpful / somewhat encouraging. Is it true that clerkships are only for really academically high performing students, or would it be possible to get one with like a 3.4?

I don't really have great insight into what's possible as far as clerkships go, as it's been years since I looked at the info. From my recollection, anyone in the top 1/3 had something of a shot at the federal level if they were willing to consider clerkships in undesirable places. It's a lot easier to get state-level clerkships, and those can still open doors to big law, but in those instances you should really be taking a clerkship in the state you want to practice in.

[rpupkin]

Thank you this is helpful / somewhat encouraging. Is it true that clerkships are only for really academically high performing students, or would it be possible to get one with like a 3.4?

It's not true that clerkships are only for students with top grades. You should pursue clerkships if you're interested, but it will be a challenge to land one, particularly for the 2018-19 term. Your main focus should be on finding post-grad employment at a firm. As far as your CSO goes, they might be useless, but it certainly can't hurt to talk to them.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry to hear the sad news, OP. I understand how frustrated it could be because the exact same thing happened to me a while back (no-offered by a biglaw satellite office post-SA). I ended up landing a Big4 gig after my tax llm from NYU/GULC. So think about the llm if you don't mind tax.

[smokeylarue]

OP so sorry to hear., really shitty of your firm to do that Just keep hustling, apply to any and every opening you encounter. BigLaw firms will have 3L openings throughout the year, you just never know when, they are rare but they do come up every year.

Makeur career services is in the loop. If they have any competence at all, they can keep their ear to the ground just in case they hear of any unpublished openings from time to times. I have a friend who was no-offered after 2L summer just like you. She got hired by a V50 firm in APRIL, right before graduating. It can happen, don't give up.

[BullShitWithBravado]

I have a friend who did not get anything from OCI and interned for a semester with the IRS and ended up getting a full time offer from them that way. The important thing is to explore all of your options -- mass mail, apply for fellowships, apply for clerkships, apply for government honors programs, and intern. As long as you hustle, you should be fine.