Stay with 1L firm or change firms at OCI? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hello I'm a 2L, top 10% and law review at a T50 law school. I did a 1L Big Law SA for a V100 firm(70-100).

Based of my stats assuming I keep it up this semester, alumni and 3Ls have gone on to much higher V100 firm from being hired at OCI. I was wondering if I stay at my firm will I be making a mistake?

I liked my firm, I didn't see any red flags with personality, culture, or partners in the pratice group. I did not like the significant pay cut and trouble finding work from associates and partners but I realize I'm not the best at soliciting work and making connections.

Honestly I grew up poor my whole life so if someone wants to pay me 190k I'll be happy regardless but the competitive nature of law school definitely can get in your head which I don't like and try to avoid when I can but this has been on my mind.

I am thinking of doing corporate or tax if that helps.

[Anonymous User]

I was in a similar predicament as you. 1L SA with a V100 but finished 1L ~top 10% and had screeners and callbacks at other firms. I entertained some screeners but canceled the callbacks because I liked my 1L summer firm for similar reasons as you. I also did not want to keep interviewing after an exhausting year when I already had an offer in hand from a market paying firm.

Now I kind of regret it. My firm deferred their start date for associates and they are not giving deferred associates a stipend. I watched people with worse stats than me get offers to top firms who did not defer associates or deferred associates with a stipend. Generally speaking, the higher vault firms did not defer their associates though there are some exceptions.

Generally, big law is big law. You should be working many hours regardless of the firm. I think it's worth it to at least do some screeners and call backs for some top corporate transactional firms if you get the chance. Issues can come up with accepting your 1L offer but then ultimately reneging. There are some threads on this site about reneging and people are sometimes split about it but I think it's a personal decision if it comes to that.

[namefromplace]

I think this depends on how long your firm lets you keep your return offer open for. Assuming they won't let you keep it open until after OCI is over and you don't think you could convince them to let you split the summer, I personally would just be cautious and accept the return offer. Top 10% at a T50 law school has a good chance at BigLaw, but it's not a guarantee, especially in a COVID market.

[Anonymous User]

I think this depends on how long your firm lets you keep your return offer open for. Assuming they won't let you keep it open until after OCI is over and you don't think you could convince them to let you split the summer, I personally would just be cautious and accept the return offer. Top 10% at a T50 law school has a good chance at BigLaw, but it's not a guarantee, especially in a COVID market.

My letter says it's open till start of my school's OCI next year + two weeks or my school's guidelines which I think is the same.

I definitely think they will be in touch before then (their own words too) but I don't think they will be too upset if I don't have an answer.

[Anonymous User]

Also trying to figure this out. I was lucky to get a 1L SA from a V20 and have an offer to return. Currently just above median at a T-20. I'm nervous about grades for this semester, though I had the flu during finals first semester of 1L. I think I could see a gpa increase, but nervous about potentially doing worse at OCI. A V20 doesn't seem like a bad place to be at all, but just can't shake a feeling that I might miss out on something at OCI. I know some 1Ls at another firm were offered a scholarship if they accepted their offers, has anyone ever heard of someone getting their firm to offer a scholarship if it wasn't previously offered?

[Anonymous User]

I have a similar question. My school is around 40-60 and I'm top 3-5% of the class. We're doing an earlier interview program and there are firms that pay market starting salary but have salary compression. The later usual OCI has all the normal big law firms but is in the spring. At this point, I'm considering seeing if there are any offers from earlier interviews that will stay open until spring, but that seems unlikely, and if not, declining any offer and going after spring oci. Obviously that could easily backfire but I feel like at my rank, it's worth betting on myself. Anyone have thoughts?

[malibustacy]

Also trying to figure this out. I was lucky to get a 1L SA from a V20 and have an offer to return. Currently just above median at a T-20. I'm nervous about grades for this semester, though I had the flu during finals first semester of 1L. I think I could see a gpa increase, but nervous about potentially doing worse at OCI. A V20 doesn't seem like a bad place to be at all, but just can't shake a feeling that I might miss out on something at OCI. I know some 1Ls at another firm were offered a scholarship if they accepted their offers, has anyone ever heard of someone getting their firm to offer a scholarship if it wasn't previously offered?

Feel free to try OCI, but feel like you're pushing your luck trying to wrangle a scholly with median grades at a T20.

[notinbiglaw]

I took days off during 1L SA to prep and do OCI and did my 2L summer at a different firm. The partners were understanding and actually quite supportive. I ended up doing my 2L SA at a different firm in a different practice area and my 1L summer firm nonetheless let me work part time during school year and gave me full time return offer.

Your mileage may vary but I think mostly people understand, especially since OCI happens while 1L SA is in progress and you can’t be sure you were going to get a return offer. You might run into an ass from time to time but I really think people generally understand.

[L'orDuCommun]

You should absolutely do OCI and split your 2L summer, even if you intend to work at your 1L firm after graduation. This is common and won’t come as a surprise to your 1L firm.

Having worked at two firms will give you a useful perspective and you should normally be able to work longer (and make more money) during your 2L summer by splitting it. It’s common to do up to 10 weeks at the firm you got through OCI and then a 4-week touchback at your 1L firm.

[Anonymous User]

Also trying to figure this out. I was lucky to get a 1L SA from a V20 and have an offer to return. Currently just above median at a T-20. I'm nervous about grades for this semester, though I had the flu during finals first semester of 1L. I think I could see a gpa increase, but nervous about potentially doing worse at OCI. A V20 doesn't seem like a bad place to be at all, but just can't shake a feeling that I might miss out on something at OCI. I know some 1Ls at another firm were offered a scholarship if they accepted their offers, has anyone ever heard of someone getting their firm to offer a scholarship if it wasn't previously offered?

Feel free to try OCI, but feel like you're pushing your luck trying to wrangle a scholly with median grades at a T20.

I'm above the median, but below the top third, but that's only with one semester of grades. If my grades go up this semester, my offer is open until OCI begins, so do you think that would change my chances?

[Anonymous User]

You should absolutely do OCI and split your 2L summer, even if you intend to work at your 1L firm after graduation. This is common and won’t come as a surprise to your 1L firm.

Having worked at two firms will give you a useful perspective and you should normally be able to work longer (and make more money) during your 2L summer by splitting it. It’s common to do up to 10 weeks at the firm you got through OCI and then a 4-week touchback at your 1L firm.

Some firms give out scholarships though that would give them more money than working 4 extra weeks, so that's something to consider as well.