If you have your sights set on landing a summer position in BigLaw, you’re not alone. These positions are coveted yet competitive. Here are our tips to securing a Big Law position in law school.
Focus on grades. This goes without saying, so we’ll get it out of the way first. Grades are a huge factor in landing a position in Big Law. How well you do during 1L year (sometimes even just your first semester) greatly influences how competitive you may be for a Big Law position. Many law firms have grade thresholds they employ in the recruiting process, so you’ll need high marks to ensure you’re competitive and even qualify for an interview.
However, the good news is that grades aren’t everything. Even though you may not set your class curve, there’s still a good chance you can secure a position in Big Law. Keep reading!
Get in on precruiting. “Precruiting” is a term that law firms now use to refer to the concept of recruiting before the traditional and formal on-campus interview (“OCI”) process. They pre-recruit candidates for their summer positions before OCIs start in the summer before 2L year.
Many law students, especially first-generation students and those unfamiliar with Big Law recruiting timelines are surprised to learn that traditional OCIs begin a full year before they even start the position. (OCIs typically begin in the summer right after your 1L year for a position that will start after your 2L year.) This 2L position often leads to an offer to return to the firm after graduation, which leaves the pressure of finding employment mostly on your first year of law school.
The good and bad news is that waiting for summer OCIs to start may now be considered late at most firms. Precruiting happens via networking events, firm events, and interviews in the late winter and throughout the spring of 1L year for that 2L summer position.
What this means is that you must be ready to hit the ground running your 1L year if you want to land a job in Big Law because it is going to be busy!
Network and cultivate relationships. The old phrase “It’s who you know, not what you know” applies here. The connections you make can be key for landing a Big Law job, especially if your grades aren’t perfect (and even if they are!).
Because Big Law firms are recruiting earlier and earlier, they are unable to rely solely on students’ academic performance to determine who to extend an offer to. This can be great news for most students! It allows students to focus on cultivating relationships and connecting with current attorneys to network and land a Big Law position without worrying that this decision will be based entirely on how you performed on your 1L exams.
Students should make connections with lawyers at their target firms. Here are some suggestions on how to do that:
- Attend events hosted through your law school career services offices,
- Look for panel discussions or other on-campus events featuring attorneys doing work you’re interested in; try to ask questions or stay after to chat with them,
- Check out your local bar associations for events that are open to law students,
- Tap into your law school’s alumni services office and ask to be connected to alumni at firms you’re interested in going to.
When you connect with attorneys, don’t just ask for a job. (These initial conversations are not interviews!) Start by seeking career advice and learning about their experiences. If it seems like a good fit after chatting, then ask if they can connect you with their recruiting team.
Research targeted firms. Go directly to the source! Be sure to research the law firms you’re interested in and look for events they might be hosting for law students. Check out their websites, social media pages, and sign up for emails to learn what they’re doing that year. The law school recruiting landscape is changing every year. To best stay on top of things, do your research early and often. At a minimum, firms should have a contact listed on their website that you can reach out to express interest in a position with their firm and learn about their specific recruitment timeline.
Though it can feel like there’s a lot of pressure on your 1L year to earn high grades and secure summer positions, knowing how Big Law recruiting works and what recruiters are looking for can be used to your advantage!
It can be stressful to have to worry about securing 1L and possibly 2L jobs in your first year of school. However, this timeline also allows students to potentially finish out 2L and 3L year without ever having to worry about what they’ll do after graduation. It also somewhat alleviates the pressure of grades alone driving all the firm hiring decisions, which can be wonderful for many students. These early recruiting timelines also allow students to meet and talk with attorneys to learn about their work and determine if it’s a good fit for what they’re looking for before even getting to the formal interview process.
Keep these tips in mind and trust the process. Your dream of landing a Big Law job is within reach!
Rachel Margiewicz also contributed to this column.
