Getting Hired

The Hiring Process Generally

Larger law firms in major metropolitan areas hire students into summer associate programs which serve as the firms’ primary avenues to entry-level associate positions. Predominantly, students participate in these programs during the summer after their second year of law school. Firms that hire students for the 2L summer typically make permanent job offers at the end of that summer in the hopes of having students return upon graduation or upon completion of a judicial clerkship.

Few larger firms hire students for positions during their 1L summer. To the extent that they do, they may favor applicants with prior work experience relevant to their clients’ needs and/or students who apply in regional locations to which they have a connection. Firms that hire students for the 1L summer typically want those students to return to the firm for all or part of the following summer.

Typically, larger firms do not hire 3L students into entry-level positions via interview programs or job postings because they fill their new associate classes via their summer associate programs. Accordingly, 3L students network with YLS alumni and other attorneys to find open post-graduate positions.

Hiring by smaller or specialized firms varies. Some of these firms host summer associate programs and hire students through interview programs or job postings, while others hire students for summer positions through informal networking and response to direct outreach by applicants. Some of these firms will make post-graduate offers to students at the end of the summer, some will extend such offers closer to (or after graduation), and others only hire summer associates into entry-level positions if their workload demands it.

Timing

Larger law firms hire students on predictable timelines. Such firms recruit students for 1L and 2L summer associate positions during the late fall and early winter of students’ first year of law school. Many larger firms will participate in the YLS January On-Camera Interview (OCI) program which will take place in the first week of January. In addition, through online portals, many larger firms will accept direct applications beginning in November. Most firms extend summer associate offers in later January and February. Separately, firms seeking to hire entry-level attorneys from the third-year class are likely to conduct that hiring in August-October of the 3L year via job postings and informal networks. 

Smaller or specialized law firms vary in their hiring timeframes and often hire only when they have a particular need. First-year students interested in smaller or specialized firms should begin the application process in November or December and may need to continue applying and/or following up with firms well into the spring. Some of these firms may participate in January OCI. Similarly, upperclass students interested in these types of firms should begin applying and networking in the late summer or early fall, paying attention to the firms participating in September OCI program and to job postings. 

Consult CDO’s Recruiting Policies for information about the timing of offers and when students must make decisions. 

Credentials

Law firms generally seek students who are intelligent, motivated, mature, articulate, confident, and enthusiastic about the firm and the practice of law. Firms generally do not hire students, especially first-year students, based on their legal acumen. Instead, they seek candidates who have the basic skills necessary to succeed, with the expectation that those students will develop into good lawyers. Some firms with specialized practices seek students with particular academic/professional backgrounds (e.g., engineering or biochemistry for intellectual property), but these firms are the exception, not the rule. Law firms are also keen on hiring students who are likely to return to the firm after the summer. As a result, demonstrating a sincere interest in the location of the firm and the firm’s practice are keys to success.

To the extent grades are available at the time of hiring, for many large firms, law school grades are a factor in assessing a candidate’s qualifications. When interviewing Yale students, a firm may want to see one or more honor on a student’s transcript. For smaller firms, the candidate’s fit with the firm, good judgment, and ability to hit the ground running are often primary considerations. Public interest law firms seek a demonstrated commitment to the work of the firm. Law firms hiring students for a foreign office seek relevant language skills.

Application Materials

All law firms expect to see the résumés of students applying for summer or permanent positions. Law firm résumés should be tailored, when possible, to demonstrate an interest in the substantive work of the firm, experience with the types of clients served, and the ability to research and write effectively. Refer to the Credentials section above and gear the content and descriptions on your résumé toward demonstrating those qualities.

Cover letters are not typically an important component of large law firm applications. For firms that require one, provide a brief, persuasive, well-reasoned, and grammatically perfect letter. If the firm has a recruiting department (as most larger firms do), direct the cover letter to the recruiting director. For firms without recruiting departments, use the firm’s website or call the office to find out to whom you should direct your letter. When applying to smaller or specialized firms, a cover letter is more important since in it you should demonstrate that you are aligned with the firm’s work, clients, and goals. At some point in the interview process, firms may also request a writing sample, a transcript, and/or a list of references. The smaller or specialized the firm, the more likely it is that they will want to see these materials. Consult the CDO Toolkit for Student Job Seekers for advice on these documents. 

Interviews

Law firm interviews are typically a conversation, with the interviewer using your résumé to ask questions to see if you have a sincere interest in their practice and if you would be a good fit with their firm. Substantive legal questions are rarely asked. Some law firms include situational-based “behavioral interviewing” questions which focus on your past performance and achievements. If available, firms may refer to your transcript during the interview as well. By reviewing the list of courses you have taken, the interviewer can assess the sincerity of your interest in the firm’s practice areas. Because some firms are grade conscious, an interviewer may also use your transcript to evaluate your academic success. 

A typical interview process consists of an initial “screening” interview of 30-minutes or so, followed by a lengthier round of “callback” interviews which may be in-person or virtual. Callbacks typically consist of a series of interviews with associates and partners and may include a meal. To conduct screening interviews, many firms participate in structured interview programs, and others hire through direct application. Firms will cover travel costs for in-person interviews.

Visit the Interviewing section of CDO’s Toolkit for Student Job Seekers for interviewing advice. Nuanced information about larger law firm callbacks is available here. 

Splitting the Summer

[For an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of splitting the summer generally, consult the Responding to Offers section of the Toolkit for Student Job Seekers.] 

Some firms allow students to “split” their summer: the student works for the firm for part of summer and for another employer for the rest of the summer. However, firms may place limitations on that split. For example, a firm could require that the other employer not be a firm; that the student spend the first half of the summer with their firm; and/or that the student spend a certain number of weeks with their firm (typically 6–8). The possibility of splitting your summer between two different law firms is remote since most firms require you to work for them for the first 6–8 weeks of the summer, and most firms end their summer programs at the end of July. 

In addition, some firms allow students to split the summer between two different offices of their firm. This happens most typically when the firm has U.S. and international offices.  

Consult these resources to learn about firms’ splitting practices and policies:

• CDO’s list of 2L Summer Splits with a Law Firm 
• YLS Student Employment Lists  
• The NALP Directory: firms’ splitting policies are often listed under the “Recruitment & Hiring” tab.  

Hiring Stipends 

Several very large law firms pay students stipends when hiring them as summer associates. Some stipends are paid to students who will serve as 2L summer associates for public-sector work completed during the 1L summer. Other stipends are more straightforward, akin to hiring bonuses, and have no conditions. These payments may be made during your 1L summer, 2L summer, or after graduation.  

During the recruitment process, it is important that you understand the implications of these payments in two notable ways: 

• If you are receiving financial aid, the amounts and payment timing of hiring stipends may have a substantial impact on your financial aid award in future years as well as your eligibility for SPIF funding for your 1L summer. It is essential that you understand these impacts before you accept a hiring stipend. Contact the Financial Aid Office with questions.  

• The federal courts have issued Advisory Opinion No.119 which indicates that judges should not hire interns who accept a hiring stipend conditioned on 1L summer work with a federal judge. “If the [law firm hiring] payment is tied in any way to the intern’s or extern’s service with the court, then the judge is advised against proceeding with the appointment.  For example, if a law firm intends to pay a summer stipend to a first-year law student on the condition that the student intern or extern for a judge, then the payment would violate Canon 4E of the Employees’ Code and raise an appearance of impropriety.”