3L OCI 2020/21

[Anonymous User]

Will this be a thing this year? T14 rising 3L with a NY biglaw SA. Was hoping to trade up before COVID happened. Big grade improvement first semester 2L. Anon for obvious reasons (still need to cop the offer from 2L SA firm).

[BrainsyK]

I think that it'll still be a thing but with less slots and the concentration of jobs in hotly sought areas will be even higher and even less generalist positions open. Unless you have a summer experience to make you stand out and a firm is looking to fill a specific position, it's even more unlikely than usual to get an offer.

That's not to say that it's a death sentence though. In my experience, T14 3Ls interviewing for specific practice areas with relevant experience during the summer and a full-time offer in hand is basically shooting fish in a barrel. You could have median grades and come from anywhere in the V100 and still land a V5. Last year, I remember that Cravath was looking to fill very few--maybe 2-3--executive compensation spots well into December.

[Anonymous User]

I think that it'll still be a thing but with less slots and the concentration of jobs in hotly sought areas will be even higher and even less generalist positions open. Unless you have a summer experience to make you stand out and a firm is looking to fill a specific position, it's even more unlikely than usual to get an offer.

That's not to say that it's a death sentence though. In my experience, T14 3Ls interviewing for specific practice areas with relevant experience during the summer and a full-time offer in hand is basically shooting fish in a barrel. You could have median grades and come from anywhere in the V100 and still land a V5. Last year, I remember that Cravath was looking to fill very few--maybe 2-3--executive compensation spots well into December.

If I apply to firms as a 3L, I will have presumably already have accepted my 2L summer firm's return offer.

Won't firms be suspicious that you are looking to renege on your offer?

Or do people who want to do 3L applications ask for extensions on their 2L firm offers? (And wouldn't the 2L firm get impatient with that?)

[BrainsyK]

If I apply to firms as a 3L, I will have presumably already have accepted my 2L summer firm's return offer.

Won't firms be suspicious that you are looking to renege on your offer?

Or do people who want to do 3L applications ask for extensions on their 2L firm offers? (And wouldn't the 2L firm get impatient with that?)

You get until Oct. 1ish to accept your return offer. In good times, people asked for and firms were pretty generous with extensions (as in multiple extensions; not just one). Firms will not like it if you renege on your offer, but that's kind of the balance of risk v. reward. Firms do get impatient with that, but there's not a whole lot that they can do (in a tight labor market). I wouldn't pull that extension stuff in this economy, or least make sure you're well-liked before you do. Then again, how valuable can a summer--even if well-liked--really be?

[nls336]

If I apply to firms as a 3L, I will have presumably already have accepted my 2L summer firm's return offer.

Won't firms be suspicious that you are looking to renege on your offer?

Or do people who want to do 3L applications ask for extensions on their 2L firm offers? (And wouldn't the 2L firm get impatient with that?)

You get until Oct. 1ish to accept your return offer. In good times, people asked for and firms were pretty generous with extensions (as in multiple extensions; not just one). Firms will not like it if you renege on your offer, but that's kind of the balance of risk v. reward. Firms do get impatient with that, but there's not a whole lot that they can do (in a tight labor market). I wouldn't pull that extension stuff in this economy, or least make sure you're well-liked before you do. Then again, how valuable can a summer--even if well-liked--really be?

I may be off base here, but I'm not sure this is true anymore after the relegation of the NALP rules. If it's still the case, that's great, but if you're doing OCI please check w/ your OCS for info on what your timelines will look like w/r/t offers and your OCI process!

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Got the offer and it expires on Oct. 1. Reviving this thread in case other rising 3Ls are in the same boat. Has anyone mass-mailed yet?

[nayaab05]

Hearing that NY firms are not considering 3L hiring until January at the earliest...

Interested if anyone is hearing anything different.

[Anonymous User]

Hearing that NY firms are not considering 3L hiring until January at the earliest...

Interested if anyone is hearing anything different.

OP here. I got the same from a mass mail. Wondering how this works with offer deadlines from our summer firms. Someone please explain/advise....

[becodalapa]

Hearing that NY firms are not considering 3L hiring until January at the earliest...

Interested if anyone is hearing anything different.

OP here. I got the same from a mass mail. Wondering how this works with offer deadlines from our summer firms. Someone please explain/advise....

Accept and then renege if necessary. You burn that bridge but it's better than not accepting the offer, not receiving a job offer through 3L OCI, and being unemployed after graduation.

[Anonymous User]

Hearing that NY firms are not considering 3L hiring until January at the earliest...

Interested if anyone is hearing anything different.

OP here. I got the same from a mass mail. Wondering how this works with offer deadlines from our summer firms. Someone please explain/advise....

Accept and then renege if necessary. You burn that bridge but it's better than not accepting the offer, not receiving a job offer through 3L OCI, and being unemployed after graduation.

[OP] Thanks, this seems to be the best option given the circumstances. Would you suggest accepting right away or giving it a couple weeks? I don't really see the harm in waiting until, say, mid-September, in case a mass-mail firm comes through with a screener before then. But if that scenario is going to be impossible, maybe I should just accept now so as not to offend my current firm by shopping around.

[nayaab05]

Update:

Cold emailed an alumni at a v50 NY firm. They responded with a zoom call set up for early September. Alumni happens to also be the corporate dept head at the firm and based on this forum it sounds like the firm is busy.

Should I be preparing as if it is a screener?

[nealric]

Update:

Cold emailed an alumni at a v50 NY firm. They responded with a zoom call set up for early September. Alumni happens to also be the corporate dept head at the firm and based on this forum it sounds like the firm is busy.

Should I be preparing as if it is a screener?

It may just be an informational interview, but be prepared if it starts feeing more like a screener.

[nayaab05]

Update:

Cold emailed an alumni at a v50 NY firm. They responded with a zoom call set up for early September. Alumni happens to also be the corporate dept head at the firm and based on this forum it sounds like the firm is busy.

Should I be preparing as if it is a screener?

It may just be an informational interview, but be prepared if it starts feeing more like a screener.

Gotcha! Thank you.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from NY v10s? Need to accept my summer firm's offer by Oct.1st...

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any updates? My TTT's symplicity had a few V100 postings for specific practice groups, but I have not heard of anyone actually getting an interview yet.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any updates? My TTT's symplicity had a few V100 postings for specific practice groups, but I have not heard of anyone actually getting an interview yet.

Same. My CCN has had a few postings (primarily corporate/corporate-adjacent postings in NYC), but I haven't heard about much/any movement or interviews.