What is The Best Way to Get a Biglaw Summer Associate Offer?

What is The Best Way to Get a Biglaw Summer Associate Offer?

Below we tell you the five best ways to maximize your chances of getting a coveted biglaw summer associate offer!

What is The Best Way to Get a Biglaw Summer Associate Offer?

1. Get good grades.

What grades do you need to get a biglaw summer associate offer?

Whether we like it or not, grades matter (but they are not the only  thing that matters!). If you want to maximize your chance of getting a biglaw summer associate offer, focus on getting stellar grades (especially during your 1L year). There is not a specific GPA “cutoff” at most firms.

But if you are wondering if you are in the ballpark, here is a ballpark to consider:

• Aim for High Passes if you are at a school with a pass/fail system (like Harvard Law School)
• Aim to be in the top half of your class if you are at a T-14 law school
• Aim to be in the top 20-30% of your class if you are in a T-15-T50 school
• Aim to be in the top 10% of your class if you are outside of T-50 law schools.

Note that even if you are outside of these exact parameters it is still worth it to apply. These are just ballpark figures and will vary by firm and by recruiting season!

Some firms are very flexible in the GPAs they require. Most consider the “whole candidate” and will look at your other professional experiences and any unique viewpoints you can add to the firm. Further, some firms are striving to not rely on GPAs too much and are quite flexible. So do not let your GPA discourage you from applying to a biglaw summer associate position.

2. Network!

Most law firms have numerous law student receptions, events (such as diversity conferences or events at law schools), online panels, and numerous opportunities to get to know the firm.

Please make an effort to attend these events!

When you are at the event, introduce yourself. While you are there, aim to network with attorneys or recruiters from the firm. If you meet an attorney from a biglaw firm that is not in the exact location or practice group you are interested in, ask them if they can introduce you to someone who is. Make a note to maximize your network.

Some firms keep track of all of a law student’s interactions with the firm. They want to know who is truly interested in their firm!

However, do not spam email numerous attorneys from the firm. This is a bad look. Attorney’s talk. Be intentional and strategic about the attorneys that you network with and reach out to.

Note that when an attorney you are networking with agrees to a meeting such as a zoom call, be proactive. Tell them when you are available (and make this time as open as possible to accommodate the attorney!), schedule the meeting, and make sure you are on time and end the meeting on time!

3. Sign up to be notified when your law firm starts accepting applications.

If you are looking for a 1L summer associate position, many firms start accepting applications in early December (give or take—some start much earlier!). You will not have your grades by the times most firms open their 1L applications.

Don’t stress out about applying immediately when summer associate applications open. For example, if the firm you are interested in opens applications on December 1, many firms will tell you that you do not have to apply on that day and that it is probably more important to focus on final exams. (In fact, many firms don’t even seriously review applications until grades are in!).

However, make it a point to apply early (some time before you get your grades), and update your application with your grades as soon as you get them.

If you are looking for a 2L summer associate position, many law firms start accepting summer associate applications in the spring of your 1L year. Some start as early as March. Others open their applications in the beginning of June. You will spend a lot of time applying to summer associate positions during your 1L year!

The best way to stay on track of these deadlines is to sign up to be notified when a law firm starts accepting applications.

4. Direct apply.

On Campus Interviews (OCIs) are not the primary way that many biglaw firms are filling up their classes. (And even if it is the primary way a firm is filling up its class right now, the tide is shifting!) Many of the nation’s largest law firms will use pre-OCI recruiting methods to recruit over 80% of their class. That is huge. So do not rely on OCI. Instead, directly apply to the firms you are interested in. Apply as soon as applications open (even if you do not have all of your grades in) and once you have your grades available, update your application.

If you are a 1L looking for a 2L position, be aware of accepting an early interview. Some law firms will interview you early (say, in March), and then offer you an “exploding” offer (e.g. “you have two weeks to decide and then the offer goes away.”). If a firm does offer to interview you early, talk to your office of career services about the next steps. One option you may want to pursue is to schedule the interview for the week or so after your final exams (so you are still interviewing early) but you have more time to interview with other firms.

If a law firm wants to interview you early, that is a sign that you are a competitive candidate.

5. Be professional in all aspects of your interaction with the firm.

This sounds obvious but students make these mistakes all the time when looking to get a summer associate position.

• Make sure your resume is updated and does not have grammatical errors.
• Make sure your resume is in the proper format.
• Dress appropriately and conservatively for interviews and events.
• Do not be late to interviews (or if you must be, give notice to the firm).
• Do not ask questions you can easily find the answer to online (e.g. pay, billable hours).

If you keep these tips in mind, you will maximize your chances of getting a biglaw summer associate offer! Good luck!