Andrew Allard
Staff Editor
After successfully completing their first semester of law school, 1Ls were welcomed back last week with a mandatory reorientation and a quasi-mandatory stress-out session with the Office of Private Practice. OPP wrote in an email to 1Ls that its exclusive event would not be recorded and would contain information not duplicated in email or online. “Wrong!” said one writer for the Law Weekly, who wondered why busy students were being needlessly inconvenienced. So, said writer—despite being more than a little partial to public service—attended the event to provide a summary for our dear readers. No need to thank me.
Tl;dr:
The job market for law firms is better than you might think.
Start networking. But not so much that you get burnt out. Be selective.
Your GPA matters but is by no means outcome determinative.
OPP strongly recommends getting your application documents ready before spring exams start.
Confusingly, much of this information was in fact duplicated in email. I can only conclude that OPP’s red-print admonition to attend the event in person was intended to alert 1Ls seeking firm jobs to the seriousness of the next nine months. In fairness to OPP, that warning is probably well-placed. 1Ls might be eager to let loose now that they have a full semester under their belts, but winter is coming, and with it an avalanche of firms. So, with that in mind, if you want more detail than what is provided above, refer to the OPP Kickoff email sent on January 20. Or, if you want that information filtered through the Law School’s most clueless 1L, read on.
The Firm Job Market
If you’re a consumer of doomsday news, you may be concerned that the imminent and inevitable recession is going to crush your dreams of yachting, caviar, and the like. Fortunately, according to OPP, your concerns may be overblown. Layoffs are not yet widespread and have instead been concentrated in tech-heavy firms. Plus, there’s still a possibility of a soft landing. So just trust the process, take good advice, and you’ll have a good shot at landing a job at a major firm. And, if worse comes to worst, OPP has a game plan. So don’t panic (yet).
Firm Networking
The big message here is quality over quantity. It’s better for you to focus your energy on preparing to network with the firms that you’re really interested in. Nobody should do everything, but everyone should do something. City days or practice-specific events are especially helpful for students with specific interests. There are also some single-firm events if that’s your thing. Look out for emails from OPP or check Symplicity if you’re looking for networking opportunities.
Grades! What Even Are They?
The gist is that your GPA does (not) matter. Some firms care more about GPA than others. But a firm’s GPA preferences do not determine a firm’s quality. Mostly, your GPA helps you develop your networking strategy and prioritize firms. OPP kindly provides firm grade data to interested students. Keep in mind that you are by no means strictly limited to firms within your GPA range, particularly if you have other desirable characteristics (work experience, people skills, connection to the practice area or firm, underrepresented status, etc.), which I’m sure you do! So don’t assume you can’t apply somewhere because of your grades, and if you have questions about what your GPA means for firm jobs, talk to OPP.
Application Timeline
The timeline for interviewing and job offers is not one-size-fits-all. Some firms, particularly in the New York market, will probably open up for early interviews after spring exams. Others may wait for the traditional Summer OGI. To err on the side of caution, OPP strongly recommends having your résumé and cover letters ready to go before exams start. In recent years, some students received job offers as early as June or July. But, as with the answer to all legal questions, it depends. In any event, do not ask for an early interview. That’s weird and a total NYU move. Lastly, be on the lookout for summer job fairs as well. Organic opportunities outside of OGI are a major source of job offers.
Winter OGI
If you are participating in Winter OGI this semester, OPP has a lot of thoughts about how you should do this, including the precise number of times you should knock on the door for your interview. (Yes, seriously.) If you are in this boat (and are anxious enough to be concerned about these kinds of things), then I assume you are already in touch with OPP about interviewing best practices. But in short: Be on time, knock three times before entering, take up no more space than your chair, and don’t wear perfume or cologne. This could mean the difference between landing at Sullivan & Cromwell or the poorhouse.
Honorable Mention
“Please don’t take advice on Reddit.” ’Nuff said.
In closing, if you have any questions, reach out to OPP at privatepractice@lawschool.virginia.edu. 1Ls, they are your office for the next nine months. And if anyone at OPP feels that I have miscommunicated any of the kickoff information, please accept my sincere apologies and understand that I would warmly welcome a corrected event summary from OPP.
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tya2us@virginia.edu