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Hi all,

I've heard differing opinions on this so just wanted to hear what people on the forum have to say. I'm a 1L at a T14 law school and I am planning on applying to 1L Diversity summer programs in December. FWIW, I was an SEO Fellow over the summer at a big firm (not saying firm/city to avoid doxxing) but I plan on applying broadly. My goal is to hopefully secure a summer associate position at a firm with strong litigation/white collar departments. How early should one start reaching out to people at firms to begin learning about the firms/networking? Should I start now or is there no real rush on this?

If you haven’t already started reaching out, I recommend doing so now. SEO program administrators and/or your law school career services office staff should be able to connect you with alums of your law school at target firms, which you can find via Vault, Chambers, or other lists/sources online. Keep in mind that attorneys are typically very busy, particularly toward the end of year, so they may not get back to you right away. Networking often takes multiple “touch points” or interactions before it benefits you. But sometimes you’ll get lucky and make a good impression in one phone call with an attorney at a firm and they will send your resume to the recruiting folks and get you on their radar for the next summer. Big Law firms are generally very interested in diverse law students from T14 law schools, particularly if you’ve done well academically. So you have a lot going for you already. If you’re trying to secure a position for next summer, there is no time like the present to start. Good luck!

D.W.Randolph, author of the book Big Law Confidential (which includes details on Big Law firms’ summer associate/OCI hiring processes and networking tips)