Having had some time to reflect upon the 1L recruitment, here are some thoughts, opinions, and suggestions about how to be successful in the process.
1. Get Good Grades. It is commonly stated that marks are very important for the 1L recruit, probably even more than in the 2L OCI process. There are fewer positions available in first year, and many firms use first semester grades as a significant component in determining the strength of an application. Some firms (from anecdotal evidence) will only interview people with the very top grades in the class, having less regard to the overall strength of an application. So with that in mind, how does an incoming law student get good grades? Some things that I found to be helpful were:
- Go to class (every class). Professors test mainly on what they talk about in class. You need to go to class to learn what the professor is emphasizing in each case and in the course as a whole.
- Do readings before class. This helps you understand what the professor is discussing and allows you to get the most out of class. This is also a really good way of keeping on top of material, and not falling behind, because it keeps you fairly regimented.
- Do 0L prep. What is 0L prep? I had no idea this existed until reading online and speaking with upper years. It is essentially doing work before law school starts. It is definitely not required to be successful at law school, but it might be helpful to you. Some strategies for 0L work include reading books about law school (for example, Getting to Maybe), talking to older students about strategies and even getting notes from upper-years. Once you start in September things move really quickly- so anything you can do before school starts might be helpful in the long-run.
- Start studying and reviewing early. Start reviewing your notes early. Begin making maps early. Everyone is going to be studying hard in December. Less people are studying hard in November or October.
- Be resourceful. Upper-years at school are tremendously helpful and awesome people. Speak to mentors and students who just went through 1L, because they have a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and they are also eager to help. Chances are someone helped them in the past. Ask for help and I bet you will be surprised how willing and generous people can be.
There are a multitude of other tips that you can find about getting good grades. Here are some tips about exam writing from some exam info sessions that I found to be helpful:
- Spot as many issues on exams as you can.
- For difficult issues you should speak a lot about both sides- spend a lot of time on these questions.
- Embrace ambiguity- use policy, momentum of decisions, and what the court is trying to achieve.
- Have good structure. Look to score points. Use powerful headings.
- Try to resonate with the professor. Discuss interesting issues.
Marks are also not everything in the 1L process. These are some other tips I found to be helpful:
2. Meet People: Take advantage of the opportunities you have to meet people. People generally hire people that they like and that they trust. Make an effort to go on firm tours, use networking opportunities, and firm events. Work on establishing relationships and connections. Follow-up with people. This will help in getting interviews and being successful at them. It will also allow you to meet a ton of interesting people.
3. Produce strong application materials. Employers get tons of resumes and cover letters, so make sure that yours are up-to-par. Make sure there are no simple mistakes (grammar, spelling, dates, etc). Regarding cover letters, one of the best pieces of advice I got was that you want employers to read your cover letter and say “That person sounds really interesting and I would love to meet them.” You don’t need to embellish your past, just highlight a few key interesting experiences that will be transferable to a law firm environment (get creative!) and always come across in a mature and professional manner. Having colleagues proofread your materials and give you insight about what they like and don’t like will help improve the quality of your application (I also suggest getting these materials done over the winter break in 1L because the second semester can be quite hectic).
4. Interview well. Many full articles have been written regarding interviews, so I will just outline a few interesting things I found to be helpful:
- Speaking to lawyers at the firm before interviewing
- Speaking to students who have summered at the firm before interviewing
- Asking good questions at appropriate times
- Smiling
- Not being too rehearsed
- Showing interest in the firm
- Following up with emails to people that you meet
- Being yourself
- Meeting as many people at the firms as you can during interviews
- Using the CDO for every step of the application and interviewing processes
