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I am a current 1L. My family called me today and wants to take a vacation to Hawaii the first week of August next summer (think like August 1-8). This is a big deal because our entire family rarely travels together. Would I miss any portion of OCI interviews by going on the trip or does OCI generally start later?

Edit: I have no intentions of missing OCI under any circumstances.

Talk to career services. Do not, under any circumstances, miss OCI because of a vacation.

There was a thread about a guy/girl getting married during OCI and missed it. That OP wanted biglaw. A couple of posters were calling troll because "no one could possibly do this."

OCI dates depend on the school, so ask your school

For as much as this sucks, I honestly wouldn't schedule any big vacations past the middle of july. A lot of schools OCI start right in the beginning of August (mine was literally the first week). Even if yours is later, you should be mass mailing and trying to schedule interviews pre-OCI if possible. This depends on your market, but while NY has the biggest classes, they start hiring earlier and earlier every year. I did a couple of pre OCI callbacks in late July and there was a thread on TLS with ppl that had offers for NYC firms at that point.

Miss one vacation and next year you can go anywhere you want after your (hopefully) SA is done.

Also, even if you confirm the OCI dates, the OCI dates could change (my school moved up OCI by a week in like, February).

Agreed with all the above comments. Vacation once you locked up your job.

Would I miss any portion of OCI interviews by going on the trip or does OCI generally start later?

1) Ask career services.
2) Ask career services 2 questions: First, when is OCI next fall? Second, what chances are there that OCI changes dates between now and next fall?
3) If the answers you receive are: "Some time other than the first week in August" and "Approximately zero," still respond with a third question: My family is planning an out of town vacation during the first week of August. Good idea or bad idea for me to go with respect to OCI?
4) If there is any hint of equivocation on career services' side, don't do the vacation.


Generally, law school has been a time of no vacations. I got to visit my family for Christmas two years ago in the middle of 1L, I'm going back to visit my family this Christmas, and I'm going on a small trip during spring break this year. That's it. Literally the only reasons that my wife and I are travelling during law school are to see my family and to scout a city that we may want to move to once I graduate.

And on the flip side, tell your family that August is going to be a busy time for you and if they would reconsider planning a christmas vacation instead. I mean, it's like 10 months out.

totesTheGoat wrote:

Would I miss any portion of OCI interviews by going on the trip or does OCI generally start later?

Generally, law school has been a time of no vacations. I got to visit my family for Christmas two years ago in the middle of 1L, I'm going back to visit my family this Christmas, and I'm going on a small trip during spring break this year. That's it. Literally the only reasons that my wife and I are travelling during law school are to see my family and to scout a city that we may want to move to once I graduate.

Not to be a jerk if this is a resource/money issue, but I've taken the complete opposite approach. Trying to travel as much as possible during 2L/3L because I'm assuming it will be much more difficult to take off during real work than it is to go on a trip for 10 of my 40 days of winter break.

Winter is Coming wrote: Not to be a jerk if this is a resource/money issue, but I've taken the complete opposite approach. Trying to travel as much as possible during 2L/3L because I'm assuming it will be much more difficult to take off during real work than it is to go on a trip for 10 of my 40 days of winter break.

I'm going for just the opposite approach. If all goes to plan, I'll be in a job that is much better about vacation than my current situation. It bears mentioning that I'm in a relatively unique situation in that I work full-time and go to school part-time, so breaks tend to be time to catch up on work that was neglected due to school.

i spent the week or so before oci mass mailing, researching firms, networking, and practicing interviewing

i'm sure some people don't do that stuff but if you're like me and like to be prepared it'll b difficult to vacation (and enjoy it) right before oci

totesTheGoat wrote:

Winter is Coming wrote: Not to be a jerk if this is a resource/money issue, but I've taken the complete opposite approach. Trying to travel as much as possible during 2L/3L because I'm assuming it will be much more difficult to take off during real work than it is to go on a trip for 10 of my 40 days of winter break.

I'm going for just the opposite approach. If all goes to plan, I'll be in a job that is much better about vacation than my current situation. It bears mentioning that I'm in a relatively unique situation in that I work full-time and go to school part-time, so breaks tend to be time to catch up on work that was neglected due to school.

Ah yeah that makes more sense then. Good luck, hope that works out.

totesTheGoat wrote:

Would I miss any portion of OCI interviews by going on the trip or does OCI generally start later?

1) Ask career services.
2) Ask career services 2 questions: First, when is OCI next fall? Second, what chances are there that OCI changes dates between now and next fall?
3) If the answers you receive are: "Some time other than the first week in August" and "Approximately zero," still respond with a third question: My family is planning an out of town vacation during the first week of August. Good idea or bad idea for me to go with respect to OCI?
4) If there is any hint of equivocation on career services' side, don't do the vacation.

seems credited

Obviously, don't miss OCI for vacation under pretty much any circumstances. However, even if your OCI isn't that week, that is going to be right around the time where you really are putting in your OCI leg work. See if the family can change the week, or unfortunately, sit this one out.

As for what someone mentioned about not taking vacations during law school... i'm in totally opposite camp. Take long weekends, hell, even take a week off during 2L if you can swing it. Of course financially this isn't always feasible, but law school for me has been a great time to take impromptu trips (nothing extravagant, i.e. New Orleans, Chicago, beach, etc).

vacation in july. i honestly would keep august and september completely clear. if oci goes poorly, youre gonna need september for late screeners and callbacks.

Jim Jones wrote:vacation in july. i honestly would keep august and september completely clear. if oci goes poorly, youre gonna need september for late screeners and callbacks.

def better to take a week off your 1L internship for a vacation than fuck up OCI

pancakes3 wrote:

Jim Jones wrote:vacation in july. i honestly would keep august and september completely clear. if oci goes poorly, youre gonna need september for late screeners and callbacks.

def better to take a week off your 1L internship for a vacation than fuck up OCI

yea, i shoulda also say, maybe july is kinda bad too if youre gonna try and do pre oci job shit (which you absolutely should). go during your 1L gig or wait until xmas, or spring break, or afte ryour SA or literlaly any time other than summer after 1L

pancakes3 wrote: def better to take a week off your 1L internship for a vacation than fuck up OCI

This.