If you want to break into Big Law after law school, more than just attending an elite law school is required for success. In addition, you’ll need both hard and soft skills.
Big Law firms’ participation in on-campus recruitment varies widely by law school; however, their presence tends to be greatest at those ranked among U.S. News’ top 14 schools.
1. Go to a top law school
An excellent law school will serve as your gateway into legal study and beyond, so choosing one should not be taken lightly. Although GPA should not be an obstacle to applying to great law schools, low GPA shouldn’t stop you from applying either! Set goals for your LSAT score while working toward them throughout your undergraduate studies – take classes like philosophy, history, economics or literature that will prepare you for life after law school!
Take challenging courses that force you to think critically and challenge your GPA, as this will increase your GPA while simultaneously helping prepare you for writing and reading requirements in law school. Also keep professional experience in mind: law schools increasingly prefer applicants who possess post-undergrad work experience which ties in their academic focus with work they will perform as lawyers.
Letters of recommendation are also extremely valuable in admissions decisions. Admissions officers worry about admitting applicants with low GPAs unable to thrive in an intense law school environment; so the more letters you can secure from professors or professionals familiar with your academic abilities and work ethic, the better off you will be.
Before applying, visiting law schools you are interested in will give the admissions staff an understanding of your excitement and commitment towards attending them, which plays a critical role in admission decisions.
2. Get good grades
Many students enter law school thinking they will get into an elite firm and make lots of money, but this approach to law school can be mistaken: attending top law schools with good grades won’t guarantee landing one of these gigs; it is more complex than that!
There are various strategies you can employ after law school to increase your odds of landing a big-firm job, including focusing on specific practice areas. Though lawyers don’t need to know right away what their chosen specialty will be, showing genuine enthusiasm in certain practice areas (bankruptcy, data privacy, healthcare or tech may help set themselves apart from competitors in an interview setting) may help set themselves apart from competition.
Rising 2Ls seeking Big Law summer associate positions will find success through participating in their law school’s on-campus recruiting program. Rising 3Ls may pursue Big Law positions through private-to-public transition; however, this route tends to be more challenging and offers fewer interview opportunities.
To improve your chances of landing a Big Law summer associate position, try finding a law school with an extensive career services office and dedicated law student association, which offers workshops on interviewing and networking skills. Also consider joining student journals or moot court societies which provide valuable opportunities to network within the legal profession and develop your legal abilities. Lastly, use personal connections like professors, local bar association members, family and friends as a source of support to land an internship position at a Big Law.
3. Get involved
People I spoke with all had similar stories: when in 2L year (or during an interview when they are trying to convince an employer just how passionate they are about contracts) they realized Big Law wasn’t their calling – unfortunately by then it’s too late and change their minds.
If you are still undecided as to the kind of practice you want to pursue, use all available opportunities in law school to determine it. Take classes relevant to what interests you, join clubs that relate, take a clerkship placement and attend networking events and public interest conferences until 2L year has come and gone – the aim is for a clear idea of your ideal specialty and to begin building your resume immediately!
As part of becoming involved, taking time to meet as many people in your community as possible – professors, career center staff and alumni included. The legal world can be small; you never know who might have an acquaintance who could help open doors for you!
Make sure that you establish how you will repay your law school debts. While the government doesn’t mandate payments during law school, having some plan in mind to repay loans after graduation is crucial.
4. Get a clerkship
If you want to break into Big Law, clerking for a judge is an invaluable way to hone your research, writing and analytical skills as well as experience the justice system first-hand. A clerkship also allows for you to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an attorney as well as how judges view attorney advocacy.
Judicial clerkships are highly sought after and competition for these clerkships can be fierce. To maximize your chance of being selected as the ideal judge for a clerkship application, take your time choosing judges familiar with your area of practice as well as those known for treating their clerks well. Consider which cases they hear and their level of judicial independence when making this selection decision.
As part of your clerkship interview process, it’s critical that you convey why you would be an asset as the judge’s law clerk. Judges may also ask how this fit into your long-term career goals; to prepare for these questions and other aspects of an interview process for clerkships it would be prudent to speak to your law school career services office prior to interviews for clerkships.
Be sure to include letters of recommendation from law school faculty and legal employers who can assess your research, writing skills and intellectual abilities. Letters should be signed, dated and addressed directly to a judge’s chamber for signature. You should give each reference an envelope stamp or send bulk mailing arrangements so their letters reach their destinations safely. To be on the safe side, follow up after they submit their letters so you know they have been received and sent along as promised.
5. Get a job
Applying for and finding work at a legal firm or another legal field is the next step on your journey to becoming a lawyer, and is no small step either. After investing both time and money to reach this point, now comes an important test.
Your first job may not be at the firm of your dreams, and that’s okay. Many different opportunities await newly qualified lawyers, including government positions and in-house roles. Judicial clerkships may be available, while smaller or midsize law firms might provide opportunities to progress your career further.
As part of your job search process, network with professors, alumni contacts, and friends from law school. Ask them for recommendations of positions at firms they know about or refer you to them themselves. In addition, regularly visit your law school’s career center job board as well as online resources like USAJobs and ABA Legal Career Central as well as attending networking events like job fairs or professional association meetings to expand your search results.
In short, if you want to work at a large law firm, your chances of success depend on which prestigious law school and 1L grades you attend as well as interviewing skills and networking abilities you possess. While breaking into Big Law is not impossible, the journey will certainly require hard work and rejection along the way.
Still, the rewards can be great when working at one of the top firms. Pay is substantial, making this career path worthwhile for anyone willing to put in long hours of hard work – for some though it might become soul-crushing work that they just cannot deal with.