How to Survive (and Thrive) During the 1L Recruit

AKA our declassified 1L Recruit survival guide, from your call day to interview week needs

To all the 1Ls who applied for the recruit this year, congratulations on completing the first part of the process! It’s an exciting time, but it can also be very nerve-wracking (for us, “nerve-wracking” might’ve been an understatement).

Despite the butterflies, we are both so grateful to have landed positions in the 1L Recruit last year, and we feel just as grateful to be able to share what we learned in the process, so you can sail smoothly through. (As a disclaimer, these are our opinions and experiences alone.)

1. I decided to apply for the 1L Recruit later than some of my peers, so I had a perpetual feeling of being ‘behind’ during the whole process, especially when I overheard what other students were doing—I didn’t get to chat with as many people as I wanted to, I didn’t feel like my materials were as polished as they could’ve been, etc. In reality, I think this mindset only served to stress me out further, when I could’ve been focusing on what I could do considering the amount of time I had left. — Celine
2. In the week or so between the recruit deadline and call day, firms will start to send out ITC (intent to call) and PFO (please f**k off) emails. The suspense of this period can be pretty tense. While there’s nothing you can do about the wait, my best advice for this time is that no news can be good news. While some firms send ITCs and PFOs, others will send nothing at all. In addition, even if you don’t receive an ITC and know that others have, that doesn’t automatically mean your application was rejected. I ended up receiving and accepting an offer from a firm that I had heard absolutely nothing from during the ITC and PFO period. — Rosemary
3. If I had to go through the recruit again (especially ITC week), I would avoid sites like The Canadian Law Forum like the plague. I remember that in the moment, it felt helpful to learn which firms were sending out messages, the timing of those messages, and even the schools of the students who had heard back. But, in hindsight, I think having that knowledge only exacerbated the stress of the process. There’s no way to really rationalize the recruit with the limited information the internet can provide. Instead of obsessing, it could be nice to take a breather and focus on the non-recruit aspects of your life you might’ve put aside while preparing. — Rosemary
4. I am categorically not a morning person. Although I think the advice to schedule your top-choice firm early to indicate interest is generally applicable, I knew I would be rusty and sleepy at 8 am. 8 am might be a better time for a ‘practice’ firm, if you have the luxury to schedule it as such. So when my top-choice firm luckily got through to me first on Call Day, I immediately scheduled them for 10 am. And by the time I got to my first choice firm on Day 1, I had already started to figure out how I could improve, such as how to tighten up answers that were feeling too wordy. It was really helpful to have had the experience of a full interview ahead of interviewing at my top-choice firm. — Celine
5. The day before my interviews, I practiced different walking routes between the firms, including any dinners or receptions, and made notes about the quickest pathways. While the PATH may be quicker and could be advisable if there is inclement weather, I would recommend trekking entirely above ground, especially if you (like me) are not too savvy with navigation. I also wore flats to all my interviews, which made walking even speedier! — Celine
6. Many firms will assign a host or articling buddy to accompany you during your interviews. Your host will generally be the person showing you around the firm, taking you to your interviewers, and joining you on any lunches/dinners you may be invited to. I found it really helpful to reach out and schedule a coffee chat with my host in advance of my actual interviews. Getting to chat with the person who would essentially be chaperoning me around for three days allowed me to (1) see their face and hear their voice so that I could easily recognize them on Day 1 of interviews, (2) start building some familiarity with them, and (3) ask for their tips on the process and any information they might have about my interviewers. However, please note that there is a recruitment suspension period (aka the “blackout period”) that lasts from the deadline for application materials (this year, January 22, 2025) until the beginning of interview week (February 18, 2025). If your host is an articling student (as mine was), they may not be subject to the blackout period. In any event, use your best judgment on whether or not you want to reach out! — Rosemary
7. When researching my interviewers, I created a chart with the lawyers’ headshots next to some notable facts from their biographies, so I could quickly refresh myself on their names and backgrounds before walking into the interview room. If my interview was with 2 people instead of 1, I tried to find areas of overlap (ex. same affinity group, same pro bono project) so when asking questions, I could direct it towards them both. I would also recommend asking about what you’re personally interested in, as that will likely lead to the most natural conversation. For instance, I always enjoy hearing about people’s clerking experiences so I often asked about how someone’s time as a clerk informed their practice, even though I am not applying to clerk. As well, I tried not to place too much emphasis on remembering everything about my interviewers. If you completely blank on someone’s biography and experiences, asking a more general question is totally fine. — Celine
8. I did quite a few mock interviews ahead of time and often got asked similar questions. But in the actual interviews, I found that my interviewers were sometimes interested in very different topics than what I had prepared for. As a result, I learned to not become too attached to certain parts of my story that I thought would really resonate. Instead, I tried to be flexible in expanding on things I hadn’t really practiced, and leaned into stories and topics that I saw the interviewers enjoyed hearing about. — Celine
9. I also did several mock interviews, and while I found that running through questions was very useful, spending some time focusing on my body language also helped me feel more comfortable when actually interviewing. I tend to fiddle with my clothes and jewelry when I’m nervous. Having people point out these habits and other aspects of my body language (e.g., my posture, how I’m sitting in the chair, where I’m placing my hands when I’m speaking, etc.) allowed me to focus on how I physically presented at the interview. Because of this prep, I showed up on Day 1 (completely devoid of any necklaces or rings) ready to appear confident and composed through my words and actions. — Rosemary
10. On Day 1, I had a firm dinner, and while I knew that Day 2 interviews would be scheduled on Day 1, I hadn’t really considered that I would be getting phone calls in the middle of dinner. I got really flustered, especially when the call was not to request another interview, but to let me know they would not be moving forward with me. But in retrospect, the firms understand the hectic nature of the process and politely excusing yourself to take a call is perfectly reasonable—I let one call go to voicemail and had to call them back, by which point my preferred time was already taken. As well, I was really worried when I got a rejection because I immediately assumed that I must’ve done poorly on every interview that day, but I want to emphasize that rejection from one firm is not necessarily indicative of your success at another firm. — Celine
11. I underestimated how tired I would feel waking up on Day 2. Day 1 was long, plus, I was starting to feel a little déjà vu. But try to push through! I found my energy levels rising when I started getting into the interviews again. And on Day 2, I started to get a good sense of which firms were interested in me (which relieved a lot of stress), and I also found myself a lot more comfortable when returning to the same firms, which made the process more enjoyable for me. — Celine
12. Finding people I could debrief with during the recruit process ended up being more helpful than I could have ever imagined. On some interview days, I had a lot of downtime between firm events. Rather than sitting alone and stewing in my own anxiety, being able to talk with friends (some who were also interviewing and others who had already gone through the process) helped me stay as clear-headed as possible. The CDO can also be an amazing resource as they are available to chat with students throughout interview week. — Rosemary
13. I’ve often heard the recruit compared to dating, with all of its unique rules and formalities. In the same vein, I would recommend not reading too much into how the firms express their interest towards you. I had attended panels and spoken to upper-years, so I thought I knew what the “magic words” were. In reality, every firm is different and if you are getting signs that they’re interested, there’s no need to worry about not hearing a specific phrase—especially as firm processes are always evolving. — Celine

In our experience, it was all too easy to fall into the belief that coming out of this recruit with anything less than a job offer was a personal failure. We want to assure you that putting yourself out there to apply and interview is already a significant accomplishment, especially considering how demanding 1L is. If you don’t happen to find something in this recruit, in which so few spots are available, that is not a reflection on yourself but merely the byproduct of a highly limited process. And not landing a position says nothing about your prospects for future recruits you may want to partake in.

Ultimately, there are so many other avenues you can pursue in your 1L summer, especially as so many firms simply don’t participate in the 1L Recruit at all. The 1L Recruit is by no means your defining chapter in law school. It is just one of many opportunities to come, in what is sure to be an illustrious and long career. Wishing you all the best of luck!