Given the current economic climate and
uncertainty in the legal job market, we want to take this opportunity to
provide some information as you prepare your resume and rank your employers on
Symplicity. We’ve met with or spoken
with many of you about your particular searches, and we encourage you to
address any individual questions or requests to lawcareer@virginia.edu.
What
are we hearing from employers and what do we expect for the fall?
We have been in close contact with our
employers and alumni regarding their anticipated hiring needs. Many large firms are reducing the number of
anticipated summer associates, so the number of offers, callbacks, and initial
interviews will be fewer. Along these lines, we have seen a decrease in
the number of OGI schedules for August.
How
many interviews should I to get through the OGI process?
Because large firms are hiring fewer summer associates,
the consequence is that fewer callbacks will be given and fewer offers made. Historically our students have averaged over
20 interviews each during OGI, but this year we expect that number to be
smaller.
How
does the OGI bidding process work?
You rank firms, 1-50, with 1 being your top
preference. Firms then see the resume and
transcript of every student who has ranked that firm in his/her top 50, but do
not know how that individual ranked the firm.
The firms will then send us a list of the ten students they want to see,
and we will fill in the remaining 10 based on which students have ranked the
firms highest. (Firms will typically see
20 students per interview schedule.) If
you are not assigned an interview, you will have the option to “opt-in” to a
waitlist on August 5-6, meaning that the employers will see your resume and
transcript when they arrive the morning of the interview. Employers have often shortened their lunch
breaks or lengthened their day to interview additional students.
How
should I rank the firms?
From a strategic perspective, you should try
to rank most highly those firms with which you believe you have a strong chance
of success. Along these lines, you
should consider your grades, your past work experiences and your connections to
the city in which the firm is located.
You should also be aware that past guidance on what grade ranges are
likely to appeal to particular firms needs to be adjusted due to the economic
realities. We are happy to discuss this
with you in the context of your personal situation.
Do research now. Think not just about the firms, but about
practice areas that you believe would be a good fit for your unique skills,
aptitudes, and experiences. For
substantive information on practice areas, look at Chambers and Partners,
linked on our website and available here. For
an overview of different practice areas, check out this resource on our website (LawWeb login is
required). [Please note that although
these resources are helpful in describing the nature of the practices, the
information on which practices are “busy” is now quite dated. We will be providing updated information on
this topic in the future.] Talk also to
your peer advisors, friends, and colleagues about their work and their
experiences.
What
should I be doing now and what should I do in the fall?
In prior years many students could rely solely
on the OGI process to obtain offers for the summer. This year, we strongly advise you to consider
OGI as just one of the tools that you will employ in your job search.
You will need to be very well prepared for
interviews in August. We encourage you
to review resources available on the Career Services website and elsewhere
about the interview process. You will
also want to research carefully the firms with which you will be meeting. To assist you, we are planning a series of
programs on August 10 and 11 that will focus on successful interviewing in a challenging
market.
Think about what skills you can bring to
prospective employers. Legal employers
will be taking intelligence, drive and work ethic as a given this year. Successful candidates will need to highlight
other important competencies – entrepreneurial skills, management ability,
interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, leadership potential, etc. You should be prepared to answer likely questions
in a way that focuses on these themes.
Try to come up with objective measures that show that you have
successfully demonstrated these competencies in other settings. Review resources on common interview
questions and prepare written answers – these are not to be scripts, but to
help organize your thoughts so that you are able to provide useful information
in clear 1-2 minute responses.
Use this summer to develop your research and writing skills, to explore substantive legal areas in which you are interested,
and to learn more about the legal industry, the types of jobs available in the
industry and the characteristics that successful people in those jobs
possess. You will be best able to make a compelling case for why you belong in a job if you have done the work to confirm that you do belong in the job.
Do a critical self-assessment of the job skills that you possess and
that you enjoy using. Ask friends and
colleagues to similarly assess you. Then
think about jobs and practice areas that best fit that collection of talents. It is important for firms to know that you
have skills that will allow you to contribute to the work of the firm and the
service of its clients very early in your career. The Law School’s excellent Law and Business Program is a perfect example of a program that gives
prospective corporate attorneys a leg-up on practical skills. The Law School's many clinical opportunities and the moot court competition provide similar
opportunities for students interested in other substantive areas. As will be described in an accompanying
memorandum, a clerkship is also an attractive professional experience that can
help you to develop key legal skills.
You should emphasize to potential employers your commitment to skill
development as part of the legal education process.
You should also think about going beyond the OGI process to reach out to employers.
In your cities of interest (defined broadly), you should consider
mid-sized and smaller employers who may not be coming on Grounds. In many instances, these are the firms with
the best growth potential over the coming years. We are available to discuss strategies with
you for carrying out this process and will be providing further information in
the near future.
A
couple of other important programs to note if you’re interested in Los Angeles or Richmond:
We will be hosting an Interview Program with Duke Law School on Friday, September 11 in Los Angeles. Students are responsible for their travel and accommodations, and we are
finalizing the employer list, but you should take advantage of this opportunity
if you’re interested in practicing in southern
The Virginia Bar Association sponsors an annual interview program in Richmond,Virginia, and this year it will be held on Saturday, August 15. Registration for this program, which is open now, is free, but due by July 8. More information is available here. If you are interested in practicing in Richmond, we encourage you to apply.
