Who Can Apply?
Who Are the Employers?
What Do the Employers Look For?
How Can I Maximize OCI Opportunities?
How Does the Process Work?
Why Would I Participate in OCI?
What If I Want to Work For a Large Firm, But Not In Minnesota?
Final Thoughts
On-Campus Interviewing (OCI) is the method by which a number of (usually but not always) large employers come on campus in the fall to recruit for future attorney positions. Most employers are recruiting 2L students to work the following summer and, if all goes well, to come back as associate attorneys the next fall, following graduation. A minority of employers also participate in OCI, simply looking to fill summer or school-year positions with no intention of post-graduate employment (usually such employers instead simply post in Symplicity). A few others interview 3Ls for post-graduate positions. (Yet other employers may also schedule interviews in the spring. For 1 and 2Ls these are usually just summer positions; for 3Ls it would be for permanent positions.)
Who Can Apply?
When employers list what “year” student they want, they refer to full-time students, and (at least for the employers who are coming on campus with the intention of recruiting future attorneys) are very rigid about whom they will interview. Consequently, part-time students must determine when they are eligible to participate in OCI not based on their technical “year” in school (1L, 2L, 3L), but instead on their anticipated graduation date.
For part-time students:
A &ldquot;2L&rdquot; is a student in his or her second-to-the-last fall in law school, who would be available to work for the firm full-time the following summer (no summer school), would then come back to school in the fall, graduate the spring after that, take the bar that July, and then start working at the end of that summer.
A &ldquot;3L” is a student in his or her last fall of school, who intends to graduate in the spring and sit for the July bar exam.
For example, in the fall of 2006, if an OCI employer is seeking a 2L, the employer means a spring 2008 grad, and if it seeks a 3L, it means a spring 2007 grad.
Students planning to graduate in January who plan to take summer school to graduate early could not work as summer associates because such position would be full-time leaving no time for class. They could instead opt to work in the summer, and then take one more semester of school during the following school year to graduate the following May. That way they would be “in sync” with other new associates who would start at the firm in August (after the summer bar). Firms typically want all new associates to start at the same time. If you plan to graduate early and want to consider OCI, talk to us about your options.
Who are the employers?
Traditionally, OCI has featured primarily large law firms. While many large law firms do participate, to a lesser but increasing degree OCI also attracts small to mid-sized firms, government employers, corporations and nontraditional employers. The key is these are only the employers who can predict their needs far in advance. It wouldn’t make sense for other employers to come on campus to fill positions several months or years in advance; they prefer to post as openings arise. Most employers in the Twin Cities in a position to anticipate their hiring needs recruit Hamline students.
What do the employers look for?
Because these employers recruit at many schools for only a limited number of positions (one to twenty, typically), large firms often have stringent hiring criteria. Grades have typically been very important to large firms. Preferences normally range from the top 5-33% percent of the class. Employers also look for strong research and writing ability as evidenced by participation in a journal or moot court. Increasingly, employers are recognizing the value of intangible factors, including maturity, creativity, initiative, leadership, and others. Employers may also look at prior legal or law-related experience as well as work experience before law school. Other smaller firms, greater-Minnesota firms, or other organizations often place less emphasis on grades.
How can I maximize OCI opportunities?
During your first year it is critical to concentrate on your studies not only for future employment purposes but also to lay a good foundation for the remainder of law school. Take advantage of opportunities to receive feedback on your legal writing and exams. Try to get some legal experience, either paid or as a volunteer, prior to your second year, and work to cultivate strong references. Participation in essay competitions can also offer additional legal writing experience. Take advantage of the Career Services programs and resources to learn if these employers are the type for whom you’d like to work. Come to our “1Ls Prepare for Next Fall” program in the spring. The deadline to apply for OCI will be right after you return to school in the fall of your 2L year, so the more research you’ve done after your first-year summer, and the more your resume and cover letters are in order, the less hassle the process will be!
How does the process work? If you want to participate in OCI, you will have to attend one of the mandatory training sessions. Beginning in the summer, information will be available on-line (in Symplicity) which will include registration instructions, lists of employers and their criteria, national principles and standards, and other information. Don’t worry - we will show you how this works in the spring of your 1L year and then at the mandatory training in August. Career Services will also arrange for numerous panels in the early fall on such topics as interviewing, resume writing, what these employers are looking for, a mock interview program, and an employer reception. (The programs are open to all 2 and 3Ls, not just those going through OCI.) To participate in OCI you must submit registration materials to Career Services by the set deadline - no exceptions. The employers then receive the resumes and select the students they wish to interview. Initial screening interviews are typically twenty or thirty minutes in length and take place during weekdays on campus.
Following an initial interview on campus, some candidates may be selected for callback interviews. These take place at the employer’s offices during the week and will last from several hours to a full day. Those candidates will meet with several attorneys at different levels and may also be taken to lunch. Offers are made following second interviews, although occasionally an employer may make offers after one meeting.
Why would I participate in OCI?
If you think you want to work for the employers who participate in OCI after graduation, virtually the only entry-level option is to receive an offer through OCI. Most such employers don’t routinely hire entry-level attorneys through any other process or at other times. (Common exceptions to this rule may include judges and small employers. Keep in mind that this is just a fraction of the employers out there, however.)
What if I want to work for a Large Firm, but not in Minnesota?
Firms nationwide take part in on-campus interviewing. Not all care to expend great sums of money to send attorneys to every law school in the country, however. Therefore, if you’re interested in working for a large firm out-of-state, you will need to proactively submit your materials (they may not be solicited from out-of-state students). If they’re interested in interviewing you, they will typically fly you to them. You would research the employers in the geographic area of interest to find out if they participate in OCI and when, during the summer, and send in your materials when due (summer). Use www.nalpdirectory.com to locate employers.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts: While OCI is a highly visible process by nature (after all, it’s on campus) it represents a very, very small percentage of the post-graduation jobs received by Hamline students as well as students at most other law schools across the country. Many more students receive jobs by answering notices in the job books or by using networking and search techniques taught by the Career Services office. If you are eligible and interested, give it a try, but if it doesn’t work out don’t beat yourself up - just move on to plan B