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I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

sparty99 wrote:

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

It's overrated based on your personal experience? What market(s) are you talking about?

I actually think its underrated based on my very limited experience.

It depends on the market, but yes, pitch whatever you have in the CL.

Its very important in most markets. Pitch whatever you've got.

Marry someone from there. That really proves you are committed.

BigZuck wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

It's overrated based on your personal experience? What market(s) are you talking about?

I actually think its underrated based on my very limited experience.

I've received interviews (and jobs) in states that I have no connection. The markets are irrevalent. I mean, at the end of the day, you apply to any job opening.

Work there during your 1L summer.

sparty99 wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

It's overrated based on your personal experience? What market(s) are you talking about?

I actually think its underrated based on my very limited experience.

I've received interviews (and jobs) in states that I have no connection. The markets are irrevalent. I mean, at the end of the day, you apply to any job opening.

I think the specific markets might matter here dawg. Unless all markets treat the issue of ties in the same way.

sparty99 wrote:I've received interviews (and jobs) in states that I have no connection. The markets are irrevalent. I mean, at the end of the day, you apply to any job opening.

I have, too, but I've also been grilled about ties at all those interviews, and I know plenty of people who've been grilled about ties, and have not got jobs because they didn't have ties. (These are in smaller markets.) I think you can absolutely get a job somewhere you don't have any ties, but they're not irrelevant - you have to have a really good answer for why you want to be in that particular place. Of course apply everywhere, but think about how you'd explain to an employer why you want to be there (besides you want a job).

ph14 wrote:Work there during your 1L summer.

This is highly, highly credited.

If you have distant relatives there, say "with family in the [city] area."

Having no ties won't normally completely foreclose you from getting an offer. Ties are really a proxy that firms use to assess your interest in the city. You can have no ties and still have cognizable reasons for wanting to be in a city. Just be prepared for relentless questions about why you want to be there. Look up some information about the city and the legal market. Find out what industries are big in the area and say that you're interested in working with those kinds of companies. If you've lived in one region all your life and this is a completely different area, say something like "I've lived in [north, south, etc.] all my life and I'm ready for a change." Be creative. Depending on the market, ties can be very important and you really have nothing to lose by coming up with a creative way to demonstrate your interest in the area.

Oh, and work there your 1L summer.

BigZuck wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

It's overrated based on your personal experience? What market(s) are you talking about?

I actually think its underrated based on my very limited experience.

Care to out the market(s) that gave you a hard time for ties? My understanding is that Texas cities are fairly forgiving for ties, at least relative to the rest of the South.

If you are a man - Fake Fiance

My experience, in order of cares least to cares most, was: NYC < DC and Philadelphia < Texas <<< Minnesota. So of maybe 30 NYC interviewers, only one guy asked "why NYC"? I got that question at every DC firm, and spoke at length about my ties to Texas and Minnesota in every interview I had.

In terms of what demonstrates ties, it's maybe something like: I grew up here > my spouse/fiancee grew up here or her family/career is here (e.g. "my wife is a med student and she got matched in San Diego") > I worked here my 1L summer > I went to college here > the work I want to do is here (NYC finance, TX oil, etc.) > I have family/close friends/girlfriend or boyfriend here > I went to law school here > I really like the city/I've vacationed here/etc.

NYC cares if your resume reeks on something not NYC. At least non elite NYC firms. Skadden and DPW didn't ask. But Cadwalader and Fried Frank sure did.

n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

sparty99 wrote:

erythromycin wrote:I keep reading on here how important "ties to the area" are when applying for legal jobs, especially in smaller legal markets. How do you establish ties to the area? Say your spouse got a job in that city or you have family in the area, would you mention it in your cover letter? It seems weird to me to go into my personal life in a cover letter--but is that just how it is done?

I think having "ties to the area" is some what overrated. However, if you do have ties, definitely mention it. I usually say, "I'm a Missouri native" or "I'm from New York and looking to return to the city upon graduation from Harvard Law School." "I'm a second year at Columbia University and am planning to take the Utah Bar examination."

It's overrated based on your personal experience? What market(s) are you talking about?

I actually think its underrated based on my very limited experience.

Care to out the market(s) that gave you a hard time for ties? My understanding is that Texas cities are fairly forgiving for ties, at least relative to the rest of the South.

I'm not technically a Texan but lived in Houston for years and Houston employers have given me a hard time when applying for 1L SAs. It's possible that it's all my fault though for not selling Houston ties harder (I guess maybe I assumed that since I lived in Houston before law school and went to UT that my interest in moving back would be evident). I'll approach things differently at OCI.

And again though, very limited experience.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:I have, too, but I've also been grilled about ties at all those interviews, and I know plenty of people who've been grilled about ties, and have not got jobs because they didn't have ties.

Yeah, I've even been grilled about my ties to this city and I grew up here (granted I left for 4 years for undergrad, but I came right back after and worked).