Post-Clerkship Job hunting (fall 2015 hiring cycle) Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 11:57 am

I got an offer from a firm that I wouldn't have gotten a screener with during OCI.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:09 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Any of you guys have luck with firms that rejected you at OCI? Hoping my clerkship will put me over the top, but not sure if they really care if your grades were clerkship-level anyway.

I had several callbacks at firms at which I would have had no chance and some offers after those callbacks. It certainly gets you in the door. But there are several factors that are more important now than at OCI (fit and immediate/long-term need being the two that spring immediately to mind).

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 6:34 pm

Thanks guys. Will hold onto hope for my dream firm then.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:19 pm

Apply broadly. Prepare extensively for the dream firm, but realize it's no given. It's still a numbers game for you.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 2:32 pm

The person who posted in here about Gibson having only one offer to give and then followed it up with no other details makes me sad

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 5:51 pm

Just curious, did y'all who have been receiving interviews and offers have a 2L SA? Also, are we talking about COA or dist and, if district, flyover or SDNY type?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 10:36 am

Anonymous User wrote: But there are several factors that are more important now than at OCI (fit and immediate/long-term need being the two that spring immediately to mind).

This. You can have the best credentials in the world but won't get a serious look if they're full up in the area that you want to join. I don't really think post-clerkship hiring is remotely analogous to OCI--at least in my secondary market. At OCI, all the good firms are sorta generally looking to fill their anticipated needs. For post-clerkship hiring, firms in this market tend to have a specific need they're looking to fill and want demonstrated interest in that area.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Wed Apr 29, 2015 11:09 am

I think that's true from my experience doing post-clerkship interviews, but it should go both ways. I worked at a V5 NYC firm before my COA clerkship. I didn't know going in what kind of litigation those top firms do. Now that I know what it's like, I know that I'm looking for something different. Vault rankings don't really matter if you're looking for a specific type of work or environment.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Apr 30, 2015 10:19 am

Does anyone know if S&C does on the spot offers for clerkship candidates like they do for summers?

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat May 02, 2015 7:03 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Does anyone know if S&C does on the spot offers for clerkship candidates like they do for summers?

My experience is that they do.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sun May 03, 2015 10:56 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Does anyone know if S&C does on the spot offers for clerkship candidates like they do for summers?
My experience is that they do.

Thanks!

marycwaytobe · Post by **marycwaytobe** » Fri May 08, 2015 5:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Does anyone know if S&C does on the spot offers for clerkship candidates like they do for summers?
My experience is that they do.

Did the offer come from the hiring partner? Also interviewing there in a few weeks, but the hiring partner isn't on my schedule.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu May 21, 2015 4:58 pm

Got an offer from a regional firm and an Amlaw 100 in the last week. With those two in the books, I stopped applying to new positions and am going to make a decision after my remaining two interviews (one Friday and the other early next week).

I posted in this thread a few times. My thoughts remain the same. I had a pretty easy time getting interviews at midlaw and strong regional firms. Biglaw was a little dicier. I interviewed at three biglaw firms, received and declined an offer at one, waiting to hear back at the second, and have an upcoming interview for the third. It's all about whether the firm has a need. (Other note: I'm in a secondary market and am not particularly keen on working for a biglaw firm, so I didn't pursue the openings to the extent that I did with small/midsize firms.)

I definitely felt like I needed to be more active for post-clerkship hiring than OCI. Things weren't nearly as centralized, and more than a few interviews resulted from contacts where the firm hadn't posted a position but I knew about a need because a friend told me about it.

Only other real difference from OCI is that firms weren't really interested until the tail end of my clerkship. Everyone wants you to start ASAP, so don't freak out if it seems like you're not really getting much interest with a few months left in your clerkship.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Thu Jun 18, 2015 10:54 am

Finally getting around to posting an update on here. I recently accepted an offer at a V20 in DC. My overall stats are as follows: Applied to about 75 firms (mainly in DC), got interviews/callbacks at 10, and received 3 V20 offers. The 3 offers I received were my 3 last interviews, so I was sweating it for a bit. For reference, I attended a T10 and have clerked at the d crt and appellate level.

My advice to future clerkship candidates applying for post-clerkship employment is to start the process early. Have all your apps ready to send out in early January (firms don't really look at clerkship apps before then). I sort of did a waive of applications (for no good reason), and I found that some firms had already filled their post-clerkship spots by the time I applied.

Also, NETWORKING is still important. Your clerkship is going to help a lot, but don't underestimate the power of reaching out to your contacts at firms. I got a few interviews just by reaching out to friends or alums (even ones I didn't know personally) at firms.

Finally, don't forget to practice your interviewing, especially if you're like me and are horrible at it. Probably the best investment I made in my search was doing an interview prep session with Marc Luber at JDCOT: http://jdcareersoutthere.com/work-with-marc/ (no, I don't work for or get paid by the company). After that session, I changed up my interviewing style and was able to finally get some offers.

Overall, I'm happy with how things turned out. I didn't have a big firm offer prior to clerking, and I'm happy with where I ended up. Good luck to all those still looking!

xcountryjunkie · Post by **xcountryjunkie** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 2:39 pm

Given that most clerkships don't end until late in the year (mid-August or later), are people going to market-paying BigLaw firms generally able to negotiate being eligible for a pro-rated end of year bonus (assuming you hit your pro-rated hours requirement) in addition to the typical clerkship bonus?

rbslawgirl · Post by **rbslawgirl** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 3:47 pm

xcountryjunkie wrote:Given that most clerkships don't end until late in the year (mid-August or later), are people going to market-paying BigLaw firms generally able to negotiate being eligible for a pro-rated end of year bonus (assuming you hit your pro-rated hours requirement) in addition to the typical clerkship bonus?

From my experience, that prorated yearly bonus was already included in offer letters without having to negotiate. Seems pretty standard.

xcountryjunkie · Post by **xcountryjunkie** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 5:02 pm

rbslawgirl wrote:
xcountryjunkie wrote:Given that most clerkships don't end until late in the year (mid-August or later), are people going to market-paying BigLaw firms generally able to negotiate being eligible for a pro-rated end of year bonus (assuming you hit your pro-rated hours requirement) in addition to the typical clerkship bonus?
From my experience, that prorated yearly bonus was already included in offer letters without having to negotiate. Seems pretty standard.

Okay, thanks!

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Jun 29, 2015 3:42 pm

Long-time lurker. I went into my clerkship with an offer, but it fell through about mid-way through my term. I did not start looking for anything until late in the game as a result.

I received two offers last week from very different firms for very different practice groups. Neither of these firms participated in my school's OCI program. I networked extensively during law school and picked it up again once I started job hunting. I do not think I would have gotten either position without it -- neither were advertised at the time that I was contacted about the positions.

Honestly, I was pretty depressed this entire time and basically gave up hope because I had very little movement until about a month ago. My best advice is to not fall victim to feeling that way because it did not help move anything along. Put your energy into networking and practicing your interview skills instead.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:00 am

Okay, when it rains, it pours.

A lot of firms out there are looking right now. I was super late to the game and started sending off emails over the Fourth of July. I have just finished the first of four interviews (both in major Eastern cities and the West Coast). I still have emails left to send out, too.

Now is the time to look guys. Even if you struck out earlier, there is movement.

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