Job search answers from NYU 3L

[sternerstuff]

Im a 1L, ive got lots of questions.... heres 3
1) Im looking to work in NYC, What is a good resource besides Vault for firms that pay market, or close to it.
2) Before I knew the score, I applied to 20-30 v100 firms as a 1Lback in january,  though in hindsight I had no chance for an SA position, any chance I can parlay this into being especially 'interested' in a particular firm, ie slipping it into a cover letter. Obviously it 'couldnt hurt', but any real benefit.
3) Plenty of Big firms dont do OCI @ my school and I plan on mailing in my resume, transcript, and very well tailored cover letter, how big of a disadvantage will I have going the mail route vs OCI?
---- Since you offered to take Q's.....thanks

[themanwithnoname]

1) There is, in addition to the normal vault guide, the vault guide to NY schools, which has some smaller firms listed. Ask professors about good boutiques they know of, focus on those professors who do more commercial areas of law.

2) I probably wouldn't mention it since they figure you mass mailed.

3) It is a disadvantage, since firms get a lot of unsolicited letters, but it is definitely worth doing.

[sternerstuff]

Thank you,
But you've made a huge mistake...... heres 3 more


1) Specializing, or the appearance of having a particular interest in a practice area/s, how important?

2) Is it too forward to email someone from my small undergrad (900/graduating class) who works at a firm I'm considering to tell them I'm applying and ask them to pass my resume on to HR.

3)Is it  too forward to email a partner in a practice area at a firm I would like to work at and tell them Im applying, asking them to pass on my resume, cover letter etc...?

[Astro]

I would listen to this guy re: BigLaw.  So far he's been dead-on in this sphere.

[themanwithnoname]

Thank you,
But you've made a huge mistake...... heres 3 more


1) Specializing, or the appearance of having a particular interest in a practice area/s, how important?

2) Is it too forward to email someone from my small undergrad (900/graduating class) who works at a firm I'm considering to tell them I'm applying and ask them to pass my resume on to HR.

3)Is it  too forward to email a partner in a practice area at a firm I would like to work at and tell them Im applying, asking them to pass on my resume, cover letter etc...?

1) this is one of these things that is tricky because some firms love to think of themselves as generalists, whereas other firms want you to specialize. If you know a firm has a practice area you are interested in, it is useful to talk about it not so much because they want you to know what you want to do but because it shows you have a real enthusiasm for the firm and are doing more than mailing your way down the vault guide. Incidentally if you want third party info on practice areas that seems to be really good, check out www.chambersandpartners.com. It's not self-serving BS like vault descriptions.

2) No, not too forward. Might not work but could not hurt

3) In my judgment that's too forward if you have no other connection, but apparently I hav a way less aggressive conception of networking than some people on this board (not knocking them, just saying)

Thanks for the hat-tip Hairless.

[Astro]

I thought I owed you.  Our collective douchebaggery is limited to very specific issues.


::douchebags away::

[sternerstuff]

Very good thank you,

1) Do most clerks at the fed level, district, magistrate, int. trade, bankruptcy get BigLaw offers after they finish?

2)  applying to Big firms out of your current geographic area.  IE,  im in NYC and would prefer to work here but would chases the SA position to  DC, IL, CA,  possibly others, OR if youre not getting interviews in nyc youre not getting them from in other markets coming from a 'non-national' law school. ---

3) Are in-house positions for people coming out of Law school w/out relevant WE going to earn anywhere near a big law salary.

4) Any things you 'must mention' in your cover letter, IE addressing stuff right of their website/vault profiles


....thanks

[themanwithnoname]

1) Definitely yes to district, definitely yes to Magistrate in NY, I'm pretty sure about bankruptcy and I do not know about int'l trade or other magistrate.

2) DC is a harder market than NY, chances are your best bet is within your region, but it might be worth trying.

3) no, but better hours

4) mentioning something specific is helpful because it makes it look not like a form letter. Cover letter shoudl be positive and say why you would be good for them.

[thorc954]

you really think DC is a harder market then NY?  can ya back that up with something?  and, I am not suggesting you are wrong, cause you very well may be right, but I have always thought of NY as the elite market and the place to go.

[themanwithnoname]

I don't have hard numbers on this but that is the conventional wisdom, and has been my experience and that of people at my school. DC is a much smaller market but is very highly in demand, hence the difficulty. Also, DC is less profitable for partners than NY, so they hire fewer associates, who get paid as much or almost as their NY counterparts. NY just has a huge amount of work and needs a lot of associates, DC not quite as much.