2L SA interested in 3L recruiting Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm 2L summer-ing at a firm but I'm interested in 3L recruiting at the end of this summer.

How feasible is this? Would appreciate stories about you or someone you know who went through this - successful or not.
Are 3L interviews different than 2L interviews? Do employers emphasize 2L grades?
Do people ever accept their return offers, then renege later after 3L recruiting?

[Anonymous User]

A few pieces of advice - it was definitely feasible this past year with the crazy NY market, but I can only speak to that year.

-- Target a specific group and explain how your internship/course experience relates to it.
-- Talk to associates/partners at the firm. Not all 3L positions are listed publicly.
-- There's conflicting advice out there about how much recruiters talk, but be careful with untargeted mass mailing if you already have a post-grad offer in the same city you're targeting.

[Anonymous User]

I'm 2L summer-ing at a firm but I'm interested in 3L recruiting at the end of this summer.

How feasible is this? Would appreciate stories about you or someone you know who went through this - successful or not.
Are 3L interviews different than 2L interviews? Do employers emphasize 2L grades?
Do people ever accept their return offers, then renege later after 3L recruiting?

I think you should take the bird in hand and then consider reneging down the road if a better opportunity shows up. Definitely do not turn down the FT offer without another position lined up. Last fall there were very few 3L OCIs, but there were a ton this spring, particularly in corporate. FWIW, I reneged on my summer firm about a month before graduation. Old firm wasn't happy, but ultimately there was no issue. Also, I had the blessing of my career services office b/c I wanted to switch practice groups and/or location.

[Anonymous User]

Similar question to OP - How big of a deal is it to accept the offer and then try to apply at a different firm during 3L? I'm overall not that happy with the firm I'm at now in the summer, and I would like to apply to a couple of other firms that specialize in the work I'm interested in doing.

Obviously, I would be burning my bridge with my current firm, but otherwise are there any consequences?
Also, should I not apply to more than one firm at a time?