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I know that every year X% of the total number of law students of a class end up getting legal jobs through their connections (for example, a best friend in a small law firm, niece of a biglaw partner, an uncle who may be a local judge, etc.).

I'm just curious if there's any data on these figures - even anecdotal would be interesting if unscientific? Do you guys happen to know how many in your class wound up getting jobs through this method?

I'm also just guessing that this happens more in small law than biglaw right (where grades and pedigree are often a min. criteria)?

Alright, thanks eeryone.

pissed about not getting a job?

I know more people who tried to leverage connections and faceplanted than people who succeeded.

mephistopheles wrote:pissed about not getting a job?

No. I'm curious. It sort of takes X% of jobs off the table for those who have to compete for them the old-fashioned way.

IAFG wrote:I know more people who tried to leverage connections and faceplanted than people who succeeded.

Why was that? Not strong enough a connectoin? Bad job market in general? Curious to know.

jtabustos wrote:

IAFG wrote:I know more people who tried to leverage connections and faceplanted than people who succeeded.

Why was that? Not strong enough a connectoin? Bad job market in general? Curious to know.

Connections couldn't have been much stronger, but most (as far as I know, all) big firms hire via committee, and a lot of midsize ones do too. The person advocating for you needs to have the juice. Just being "a partner" isn't good enough.

jtabustos wrote:

IAFG wrote:I know more people who tried to leverage connections and faceplanted than people who succeeded.

Why was that? Not strong enough a connectoin? Bad job market in general? Curious to know.

I don't want to out someone I know, but the gist of his experience was even with connections you need to be in the ballpark already. Bad grades at a T1 is a hard sell to the partnership committee even if your dad is a client.

Also +1 to what IAFG said. "I know a guy," MIGHT get you a screener interview.

Came here for stories about anonymous airport bathroom sex. Leaving EXCEPTIONALLY disappointed

,

Things I have seen not work:

Daddy is a client
Daddy is a partner at the firm
Daddy is major player on hiring committee of firm but limited by a nepotism rule
Daddy is a partner at peer firm trying to work connections for kid
Personal (social) relationship with partners
Personal (social) relationship with a client's GC
Work experience for client

Things I have heard of working:

One of the above PLUS grades PLUS school the firm would otherwise consider hiring from
One of the above PLUS prestigious school but without grades

polkij333 wrote:Came here for stories about anonymous airport bathroom sex. Leaving EXCEPTIONALLY disappointed

I too was hoping this was about blowing your way to an SA.

IAFG wrote:

polkij333 wrote:Came here for stories about anonymous airport bathroom sex. Leaving EXCEPTIONALLY disappointed

I too was hoping this was about blowing your way to an SA.

Well, a lot of women get SA's in part because of their good looks. This probably applies to men on a certain level as well. That is just the way our society works.

bizzybone1313 wrote:

IAFG wrote:

polkij333 wrote:Came here for stories about anonymous airport bathroom sex. Leaving EXCEPTIONALLY disappointed

I too was hoping this was about blowing your way to an SA.

Well, a lot of women get SA's in part because of their good looks. This probably applies to men on a certain level as well. That is just the way our society works.

The hot girls I know didn't seem to outperform their numbers.

This probably doesn’t quite meet the criteria here but making friends with an alumnus worked for me. Gave me the ins and outs of what they were looking for, plus tips on their likes and dislikes.

IAFG wrote:

bizzybone1313 wrote:

IAFG wrote:

polkij333 wrote:Came here for stories about anonymous airport bathroom sex. Leaving EXCEPTIONALLY disappointed

I too was hoping this was about blowing your way to an SA.

Well, a lot of women get SA's in part because of their good looks. This probably applies to men on a certain level as well. That is just the way our society works.

The hot girls I know didn't seem to outperform their numbers.

Good looks, especially when it comes to being a girl, cuts both ways. It can help and hurt women. Attractive women can be underestimated and be perceived as not being as intelligent as their less attractive peers. Some attractive women do use their looks to manipulate people and try to get their way in many areas of life.

Throughout my dating experiences, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

bizzybone1313 wrote:

IAFG wrote:

bizzybone1313 wrote:

IAFG wrote: I too was hoping this was about blowing your way to an SA.

Well, a lot of women get SA's in part because of their good looks. This probably applies to men on a certain level as well. That is just the way our society works.

The hot girls I know didn't seem to outperform their numbers.

Good looks, especially when it comes to being a girl, cuts both ways. It can help and hurt women. Attractive women can be underestimated and be perceived as not being as intelligent as their less attractive peers. Some attractive women do use their looks to manipulate people and try to get their way in many areas of life.

Throughout my dating experiences, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

qfp

bizzybone1313 wrote: Throughout my dating experience, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

There's literally no way to tell man, but I'd say I've experienced the opposite. Prettier girls tend to be richer which I think generally engenders class and awareness. They're also generally more self-confident and thus better conversationalists/interesting. Certainly come across my fair share of brain dead, entitled, classless hot chicks too though.

bizzybone1313 wrote: Throughout my dating experiences, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

wtf happened here?

rad lulz wrote:I know people who got hooked up with interviews due to having a dad or whatever but they didn't get the job unless they had the experience/grades

Being top of the pile of resumes is a dece advantage but you gotta have the other stuff to back you up.

TCR. It gets you an at bat, but without more you will just strike out. That is, unless your connection is Managing Partner or the head of a practice group etc.

Skye wrote:This probably doesn’t quite meet the criteria here but making friends with an alumnus worked for me. Gave me the ins and outs of what they were looking for, plus tips on their likes and dislikes.

Working on the other side of deals in-house worked for me. Never thought an externship would actually mean something.

Shammis wrote:

Skye wrote:This probably doesn’t quite meet the criteria here but making friends with an alumnus worked for me. Gave me the ins and outs of what they were looking for, plus tips on their likes and dislikes.

Working on the other side of deals in-house worked for me. Never thought an externship would actually mean something.

It sounds like that's at least partially your WE and not just getting hooked up with the job, though.

IAFG wrote:Things I have seen not work:

Daddy is a client
Daddy is a partner at the firm
Daddy is major player on hiring committee of firm but limited by a nepotism rule
Daddy is a partner at peer firm trying to work connections for kid
Personal (social) relationship with partners
Personal (social) relationship with a client's GC
Work experience for client

Things I have heard of working:

One of the above PLUS grades PLUS school the firm would otherwise consider hiring from
One of the above PLUS prestigious school but without grades

Yes, the bolded combo is what I've seen work (in a market without a local prestigious school).

Also, WTF with the pretty girl generalizations??

mephistopheles wrote:

bizzybone1313 wrote: Throughout my dating experiences, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

wtf happened here?

I sidetracked OP's thread a little bit, for which I apologize. I think what I said is generally true though. The absolute prettiest girls (8's and above) are usually very difficult to get along with.

bizzybone1313 wrote:

mephistopheles wrote:

bizzybone1313 wrote: Throughout my dating experiences, I have noticed that prettier girls generally have less class, are more flaky and not as considerate as their less attractive peers. Attractive girls are always seeking the next, biggest and best thing to do for a night. As a guy, when I have a told a girl that I will pick her up at 8:00 on a Friday night, I have always kept my word.

wtf happened here?

I sidetracked OP's thread a little bit, for which I apologize. I think what I said is generally true though. The absolute prettiest girls (8's and above) are usually very difficult to get along with.

Please DESCRIBE how these pretty girls are (categorically) more difficult to get along with.

I've seen a phone call from an influential person get someone a callback with a big firm despite the student having grades that were below the firm's threshold for that school. After that it's all up to you, though. And this is the only similar situation I've heard of. I'd say it's a negligible percentage of available jobs that get filled this way.