Garrett Coleman '25
Executive Editor
With 1L Re-Orientation in the books, the world of Big Law is on the minds of many of our 1Ls. And while 1L second semester is significant for many reasons, it marks the dawn of the law firm recruiting season. In search of a paycheck large enough to cover your extortionate loans, you will have to speed date in virtual calls, make small talk during long dinners, and send painfully awkward emails to attorneys that have virtually no control over the hiring process. But most bizarre of all, your Tuesday and Wednesday nights will be commandeered by the dreaded firm happy hour. This is my recollection of those nights I should have used to study Property.
The average experience begins in a local bar. The benefit is that the firms cover drinks, but that comes with a catch. Get drunk, and your name may be written down in a bad place. So, like the Greek myth about a thirsty man forced to stand in ever-receding water, you must linger in an open bar while sticking to one beer. But that message is lost on the attorneys, some of whom use the night in Charlottesville as an excuse to get smashed. Perhaps that is why they struggled to remember our generic small talk.
As everyone gets checked in, the circles start forming. This is where you will remain for the next fifteen or so minutes, rotating among yourselves so that everyone gets a question in. Once you have made enough eye contact with the attorney and he begins repeating his spiel, you must wait for a gap in the conversation, throw in a “It was nice meeting you,” and flee to the next person. Be sure to remember his name so that you can reference the interaction in a callback.
Source: Jeff Daly
While the Office of Private Practice may disagree, I do not think that these events are helpful in landing a job. Personally, there was no correlation between where I got screeners and callbacks and which firm happy hours I attended. I heard similar complaints from peers. And most of what you learn from the attorneys is universally applicable among Big Law firms. While it is nice to hear that a firm does not require you to formally join a practice group for a few years, that is not so unique a selling point as you may think. The best argument against this is that you get practice in speaking with attorneys so that you are better prepared for callbacks. While that is certainly a benefit, I would hope that most of our students do not need ample practice in speaking with fellow humans. And the actual interviews will be focused on you, whereas most of the happy hour consists of asking the attorneys questions about their lives.
My issue with the firm happy hour is that it obscures what the firms are really looking for. Law has been and remains a snobby field. And those with the traditional bells and whistles—high GPA, law review, federal clerkship offers—get the best private sector jobs. There is no talking your way into firms during their happy hours. And these events take place in what I think is the hardest semester of law school. Many students still have to find jobs for the upcoming summer. Everyone must sacrifice a weekend to the journal gods. And this is a time to get more involved with the extracurricular activities that you actually enjoy. So, I would suggest going to these happy hours only when you have genuine free time and are interested in the firm. Otherwise, prioritize the cornerstones of your law school success and personal fulfillment.
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jku6ad@virginia.edu