First Year Interviewing, Job Search, and Career Advice for Law Students

First-year interviewing can be a terrifying experience. You always hear the folktales about the student who interviewed all morning with his fly open her slip hanging out from underneath her dress or about the person who referred to a firm by the wrong name. One student at the University of Pennsylvania had over twenty-five initial interviews in a two-week period. He was so exhausted and tired by the end of the second week that he couldn’t remember firms’ names any longer.

During an on-campus interview, he told the partner he was interviewing with that he couldn’t recall his firm’s name, but he knew it was unusual. The attorney quickly replied, “Can you say Latham & Watkins?” Needless to say, he didn’t receive a callback.


Nervousness is expected of first-years. But be careful not to come across as too slick or too rehearsed. Learn to be natural during the process—be yourself. And since the majority of first-year interviewing is now performed in-house from the start, you have the luxury of meeting attorneys in their environment for the first interview instead of having to interview in a dark, windowless basement room in an obscure law school building. So breathe deeply and learn from the experience.

HOW TO DRESS FOR INTERVIEWS

When dressing for interviews, be extremely neat and tidy in appearance, and always err on the conservative side. Shoes should be shined, your shirt pressed, collar stiffened, socks matched, pantyhose clean and smooth, purse: businesslike, and hair neatly combed and cut. Don’t forget to check your breath! Briefcases are optional for both men and women, and you should always appear organized. Surprisingly, interviewers pick up on every little de tail, and details do make a difference.

For Women

Women should wear suits or simple dresses with jackets. I’m not an advocate of the navy blue suit syndrome—the belief that only navy suits are appropriate for interviews—but suits should be simple in nature and conservative in style, avoiding bright colors, such as bright blue, red, lime green, or yellow. Blouses should never be low-cut. Pantyhose should be nude, beige, or matched to the suit (i.e., black hose with a black suit). Wear minimal jewelry such as simple pearl or diamond earrings and a watch. Save your perfume for other occasions. Keep your hair off your face completely. Keep makeup to a minimum, and always avoid bright-colored nail polish. II ever in doubt, opt for the conservative.

For Men

Men’s suits should be made of lightweight wool (not polyester) and preferably single-breasted, although there is nothing wrong with a fashionable European double-breasted suit for interviews in the larger metropolitan areas, such as New York and Los Angeles. I’d advise wearing dark colors, preferably gray. Stay away from brown. Shirts should be all cotton, ties silk, and shoes should be leather wing tips or loafers, with socks to match. Earrings should be left at home. During inclement weather, wear a neatly tailored raincoat. Borrow one if you have to.

Remember that many law firms, large and small, often give the appearance that they are bastions of right-wing, conservative views, which is often reflected in an unspoken dress code. Whether you agree with the practice or not, it’s always better to err on the side of the conservative when you are trying to make a positive first impression. Remember, this is not the time or place to make an outspoken fashion statement.

HOW THE IN-HOUSE INTERVIEW WORKS

The first-year in-house interview is akin to a five-year-old’s first day of school. It’s natural to be apprehensive, eager, and terrified all at the same time. You won’t know what to expect, no matter how prepared you may be. At the other end of the spectrum, experienced lawyers don’t always know what to expect or ask of first-year students when interviewing them, either. Most cannot remember (or don’t want to remember) what it was like to be a first-year student interviewing in a law firm for the first time. For these reasons, most first-year in-house interviews are awkward at best. I always reminded the lawyers I worked with not to be amazed at a first-year’s awkwardness or lack of questions. It isn’t a reflection of their intelligence or potential. Law schools simply don’t teach students what to expect during the first round of first-year interviews. And like most activities, you get better with practice. Interviewing is an art that must be mastered.

Preparing for the Interview

Here are the steps you should take to prepare for interviews:

1. Plan your day in advance. This includes knowing where your interview will take place, how long it will take you to get there, knowing what you’re going to wear, having your briefcase packed, and making sure that you get to bed early the night before.
2. Always arrive fifteen minutes early for the interview. Find the building before the day of the interview, and know where readily available parking exists. If, for any reason, you are running more than fifteen minutes late, stop and call the recruiting coordinator or the office administrator, if possible. It’s far better to take the time to call rather than to give a negative first impression by being late. And a “no-show” is an unforgivable sin. There is simply no reason why someone should fail to appear for an interview without calling the firm.
3. Always bring extra copies of your resume, transcripts, and writing samples to the interview. Sometimes resumes are lost or misplaced, and this will make you appear one step ahead of everyone else. Also bring a writing tablet (preferably with a leather or vinyl cover) to take down names and brief notes, if necessary. Even if you do not need these items, you will appear prepared and eager to learn about the firm.
4. Read the local and national newspaper the night before your interview and again the next morning. This supplies you with current topics for conversation should the interview get slow, and it demonstrates that you are well-read and informed. If you have the time, scan a few well- respected magazines for additional conversation topics.
5. Review any materials you may have on the firm. This might include marketing materials from your placement office, articles from legal publications such as The National Law Journal or The American Lawyer, or information from the legal directory Martindale-Hubbell.

Who'll Be There

Typically, in a medium-sized or large firm, you’ll interview with four to eight attorneys. In small firms, you might talk only with one or two attorneys. Firms handle in-house interviews in various ways and select interviewers using different criteria. Partners and associates usually interview at this level, and frequently the hiring partner will be involved. Nevertheless, firms roll out a portion of the red carpet for first-year students. Interviews last anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes each, and often students are treated to lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant. The entire process should take anywhere from one hour to half a day, depending on the firm.

You’ll be escorted around the firm, sometimes by the attorneys themselves or by a staff member. At many firms, the interviewing attorney will escort you to the next interview. If you are not given a tour of the firm, ask to see the offices, the library, and the rest of the facilities. Learning about what the various firms offer in terms of facilities and staff will help make your selection process easier as a second-year student. Use this time to help prepare for next year.

Often, first-year interviewing is not given the same level of attention as second-year recruiting. Firms have less information to go on (i.e., often no grades). Moreover, it is proven that retention rates with first-year students are lower than with second-years. Also, by December or January, after the second-years have come through, attorneys are very tired of interviewing law students. So do not take what may appear as a blas6 attitude from the attorneys personally.

HOW FIRMS EVALUATE FIRST-YEAR CANDIDATES IN-HOUSE

There’s no magic to evaluating candidates for law firm positions, especially at the first-year level. In fact, the process is so unscientific that it would baffle management consultants unfamiliar with law firm terrain. In large firms, often the hiring committee, seated around a large conference room table, reviews evaluations and comments, and decides which candidates to hire. In some firms, especially the smaller ones, the decision is made by one or two people. In one large, well-known boutique firm, the recruiting coordinator and hiring partner make all first-year hiring decisions. Never take for granted whom you’re dealing with during the interview process, as you never know who’s calling the shots when it comes to hiring.

Candidates are evaluated by the interviewers, and evaluation forms are completed and turned over to the recruiting coordinator or personnel director for permanent possession. Firms often have their own evaluation forms. The National Association for Law Placement also has a generic form that many firms utilize. Remember that lawyers are not known for putting intangible “gut” feelings about other people down on paper. My experience has shown that the real feedback is garnered during meetings, when these topics are discussed “off the record.”

Some firms require a partnership vote on all hiring matters, while others leave the decision up to the hiring committee based on the planning needs of the firm. And there are many “undocumented” cases of rogue partners making the sole decision to hire a candidate (usually a distant relative or the son or daughter of a client). This is a recruiting coordinator’s nightmare, and it happens more frequently than not. (This is when networking works for the law student but backfires on the recruiting coordinator.) The “insider trading” method is a frequent unwanted vehicle for first-year hiring but is a way in the door for those students with strong law firm connections or superb networking skills.

Firms evaluate first-year candidates mostly on the three Cs: connections, congeniality, and craving (i.e., they like you). If you’re hired by a law firm as a first-year, chances are you meet at least one of these criteria. Second-year hiring gets a bit more scientific and sophisticated.

FOLLOWING UP WITH FIRMS AFTER INTERVIEWS

Politeness is still valued by law firms, and I encourage you to send thank-you notes to the firms with which you interview, either to the recruiting coordinator or to one of the attorneys with whom you interviewed. It’s not necessary to send a letter to everyone with whom you interviewed, especially if you spoke with several people. A good rule of thumb is if you interviewed with five people or less, send a note to everyone. Otherwise, send a thank-you note to one attorney, asking him or her to forward a copy to the others, or address your letter to the recruiting coordinator, asking him or her to do the same. These letters are often circulated around the firm, so again, make sure you use paper that is easily read when photocopied.

Proofread your letter for errors before you mail it! You can interview all Jay long, but sending out letters with typos or misspelled words can end your chances faster than a speeding bullet. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to pay attention to the details. There is also the dilemma of whether to send a personal, handwritten note or a typed, business-style letter. A handwritten note is certainly more informal and personal, while a typed letter is more generic and formal. Personally, I prefer a handwritten note simply because it’s more interesting, revealing, and more personalized. Use your best judgment, and choose whichever you feel more comfortable with based on your preference and the impression you have of the people to whom you’re sending the note. Probably, the larger the firm, the more formal your approach should be. No matter which method you use, if handled correctly, sending a thank-you note can only help you.

Don’t wait too long to send the thank-you note, especially if hiring decisions are being made quickly. The note should arrive within a week of your visit to the firm. This is also an ideal time to include any promised information such as transcripts or references. Your letter should be brief, one page in length. See the sample letter on page 34 for a model.

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT FOR INTERVIEWS

Most firms do not reimburse first-year students for travel expenses. Never assume that you are being reimbursed. Ask the recruiting coordinator or office administrator if you need clarification. If you’re fortunate enough to be reimbursed for your travel expenses, send your expense form in promptly. Usually the recruiting coordinator or office administrator will give you a reimbursement form at the interview. Make sure you sign the form and date it, and always include receipts (for accounting purposes).

If you have any questions about what is reimbursable and what is not, call the recruiting coordinator for clarification before the expense is incurred or, at the very latest, before you mail in your form. See 1he sample reimbursement form on page 36. Remember that each firm has a different policy and approach regarding travel expenses. Follow these policies to the letter.

Job Offers

If you’re fortunate enough to receive job offers from law firms as a first-year student, count your blessings. You’re definitely in the minority these days. But no matter who you are and how many job offers you may receive, there’s a right and a wrong way to handle the process. Even if you don’t have multiple offers waiting in the wings, let this exercise be a warm-up for your second-year interview season. Learn early in your career the right and wrong way to make these decisions. Too many students bum their bridges very early on, simply because they didn’t take the time to turn down or accept job offers in a polite and timely manner.

Before You Accept

If you receive a summer job offer from a law firm, there are several points you should consider when making your decision. If dealing with large firms, make sure the firm gives you at least two weeks to make a decision, in accordance with NALP guidelines. Firms sometimes take liberties with first- years and cajole them into making quick decisions, since it’s in the firm’s best interest to know immediately if you are coming on board or not. With the tight job market for first-year students, some firms think they can get away with this practice. It’s not unreasonable to ask for additional time if you are dealing with a large firm, so do so if you need to.

Occasionally, firms try to manipulate students on salary issues. It is common for firms to pay first-years less than second-year students, but the gap shouldn’t be significant. One large East Coast firm wanted to hire a few first-years but decided to pay them one-half of the second-year rate. It is acceptable to ask firms what the second-year salary is when they quote you the first-year rate. Your placement office may also possess this salary information. While you may not be in a position to demand higher wages, you don’t want to enter a situation in which you feel slighted, which might cause negative feelings the entire summer. Fortunately, this isn’t a common practice.

Make sure you find out what your job responsibilities will be. Don’t assume that you’ll be given legal research to perform or that you’ll be doing the same work as the second-year students. Ask what your responsibilities will be if this hasn’t been made clear to you.

Get It in Writing

Always request that your job offer be sent to you in writing. While a summer associate offer will not be as complex as that of a regular associate receiving benefits and vacation pay, you should have some things spelled out on paper. This will eliminate any uncertainties and will back up what you have been told in the interview process, should there be any problems or miscommunications later on.

One such horror story involves a student who received an offer from a small New York firm over lunch in January. When he reported to work in June, to his dismay, he discovered that his salary was $250 a week, not the $1,000 he was originally quoted. He also spent his first week at the firm photocopying files instead of doing legal research, as he was told. He was informed that he could take the job or leave it, and the firm denied ever promising to pay him $1,000 a week or promising him that he would perform legal research.

To eliminate potential problems, the letter should state your job title and briefly define your responsibilities, job function, and salary. If the firm has a policy on summer start and end dates, those dates should also be included in the letter. Keep a copy of the letter for future reference. Again, shafting first- years is not a common practice in law firms, so don’t be alarmed. But it’s always a good idea to have a paper trail. It’s also a good practice to begin your career by developing a professional eye for proper business procedures.

THE WAY TO A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER—SOME BASIC HELPFUL HINTS

There are lots of things you can do to assist your transition to law firm life, even if only for a summer. You should be prepared to make some mistakes as you adjust to law firm life, but you can make that adjustment run smoothly if you follow some of my advice. Law school doesn’t do the best job of preparing you for this transition, so don’t be intimidated when you first encounter law firm culture. You’ll have a more successful experience if you remain adaptable, flexible, and optimistic.

Top Ten Survival Tips for First-Year Students Working in Law Firms

Here are some of the little things that can make your summer experience run smoother:

1. Always ask questions. Even the most trivial things are difficult when you don’t know the proper procedure to get something done. NEVER assume you know the right way to do things. Asking questions, even about the most trivial things, is viewed favorably.
2. Make friends with the support staff. Some support staff members know more about the practice of law than some associates. Figure out who the savvy ones are and become their friends, especially those who have been around forever. They can help you out (and usually want to) more than you realize.
3. Get along with your peers. Summer programs have little room for prima donnas. Get to know your fellow law students, and learn to get along with them. No one has a need for a back-stabber or a one-upper.
4. Quality over quantity every time. It is better to produce a few good assignments rather than many mediocre ones. And no one is counting.
5. Remind attorneys that you are a first-year when necessary. Sometimes assigning attorneys forget that you are a first-year and have taken only the basic law school courses. This makes tackling some complex assignments almost impossible. If necessary, remind them that you are a first- year rather than get in over your head. It is much easier to stay out of a tough assignment than to get out of something that you had no place in to begin with.
6. Work hard but take the time to have fun. Summer programs are meant to be two-dimensional. You must prove that you can do the work, but you also must prove that you can fit in. No one will ever know if you fit in if you are working 100 percent of the time. And life is too short not to have fun at least part of the time. Take the time to get to know the people you are working with, for your benefit as well as theirs. Firms won’t hire or invite back students they don’t know very well.
7. Don't bum your bridges. The law firm community is small, and you can’t always predict where you will ultimately end up. If you discover that you don’t like the firm where you’re working, learn to make the best of it, and if you must leave, always depart on good terms, no matter what your circumstances.
8. Learn how the politics work in your firm sooner rather than later. In law firms, like the rest of the corporate world, politics play a leading role. Learn the ropes quickly, as well as how not to become entangled in them. Be aware, but don’t get involved.
9. Be savvy. If this is your first law firm experience, educate yourself on law firm economics and culture as quickly as possible. Remember that you are not in academia anymore. Listen to the war stories. They can be quite revealing if you are able to separate fact from fiction. At the very least, they can serve as cautionary tales of what not to do.
10. Be yourself Don’t try to be someone you are not. This is only a summer job—you don’t have to sell your soul.

Some additional is to think of what you’re doing as a job ... and it’s okay for jobs to be boring every now and then. Take the initiative, and learn to expect the unexpected. While your first summer may be just a dress rehearsal, remember, even seasoned actors take dress rehearsals seriously.

WHAT IF YOU DON'T LAND A LAW FIRM JOB FOR THE SUMMER?

What happens if you aren’t able to find a law firm job for the summer? Don’t worry too much if you find yourself in this same boat as most of your classmates. Although with the continual belt tightening that many firms are still undergoing, this scenario is unlikely to change anytime soon, you still have many options. You’ll discover next year that law firms don’t turn their noses up at second-year students who have not yet worked in firms.

Some of Your Options

The most important factor from the perspective of law firms is that you did something constructive and creative during your summer. Red flags are raised when employers see students who did nothing educational or productive during the summer. And the universe of “productive” and “educational” jobs is quite large. In other words, loafing around for the summer is out, but law school study in Florence is in.

Here are some of your options at this point:

1. Tie your summer work experience to your previous background or to an area you may have an interest in as a practicing attorney. For example, one first-year with a strong undergraduate accounting background worked during his first summer as a legal intern at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. He worked for free, but the experience set him apart from other candidates as he interviewed during his second year, especially since he was interested in international tax work when he got out of law school. He still views his experience at the Treasury Department as an invaluable component of his legal career.
2. Go to summer school. Lighten your workload for your second year when you’ll be busy interviewing by taking two or three classes during the summer. Throw yourself into your studies, and improve a disappointing grade point average. Or if you can manage to get the money together, go to Italy or England for the summer—to study, of course.
3. Work in politics, especially if it's an election year. While this experience may not be directly transferable to your law school studies, find out early if you have politics in your blood. This can also improve your networking opportunities in the future.
4. Improve your language skills. Having multiple language skills is becoming more important in our global economy. Being fluent in another language won’t look bad on your resume, either.
5. Work as an intern in a corporate legal department. Finding these jobs is difficult, but students manage to find them all of the time. This is another example of when your networking skills come in handy.
6. Volunteer. There are so many agencies that could use the assistance, even part-time, of a bright law student. Work for the Legal Aid Society, the United Way, a hospice, or a soup kitchen. The possibilities are endless. This always looks good on a resume.

One very creative student wrote a screenplay over a summer. He decided that this would be his last chance for a while to devote a large chunk of time to his project. Money was in short supply, too. So he put an ad in a New York newspaper, seeking to house-sit a nice home so he wouldn’t have to pay rent. He found an executive who owned a home on Long Island who was going to Europe for the summer and needed a responsible person to take care of things while he was gone. The student jumped at the opportunity. He sat in this gorgeous home for almost three months, paying no rent, and wrote his screenplay. You can bet that his story played very well in the fall when he started interviewing with firms.

There are so many things you can do over a summer. And I assure you that law firms are open-minded enough to look at these experiences as useful to a future legal career. Some other first-year summer jobs I’ve seen over the years include the following: clerking for judges, working for a local government agency, working for a relative’s business, real estate development, government agency work, working for an international development organization, and even writing a book or screenplay.

The first-year job market is a tough place to be. Use your golden first- year summer, without the “2L pressure to perform,” to your advantage, regardless of whether you end up in a Wall Street firm or on the streets of Venice for the summer. Take a few risks and grasp opportunities that you cannot afford to take during that all-important second-year summer. It’s not imperative that you work in a law firm, nor is it expected from the law firm community. Be realistic and creative at the same time. And don’t worry if you fail in your attempt to land a coveted big-bucks, big-firm summer position. There will be plenty of time for that, if you decide that is the best path for you to take. Your first-year summer should be an education in itself.

See the following articles for more information:

• Top 7 Tips for Succeeding as a First Year Associate
• 5 Tips for First Year Law Firm Associates