some have conveyed their interest in an OCI post; as a 3L i don't have a bunch to say on the topic.
however, with the general obligation to send thank-you notes, I wonder if they actually make a difference other than to differentiate between those who send them and those who don't send them. I have always taken great care when writing thank you notes to make them seem more than just a generic 'thank you for the interview'. I hope people actually read them! too bad i can't just send cash. (kidding)
Also, I am very interested in hearing how the job hunt is going for the grads. If I need to expand into another post I will do so.
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Thank you notes are an absolute must. If you don't send them, you all but guarantee you will not receive a callback/offer.
Related to jobs/networking, I'd recommend that 3Ls (1Ls and 2Ls are generally ineligible) apply to be members of the Inns of Court. The Inns meet monthly and are comprised of judges and lawyers. The networking is fantastic, and membership helped land several members of the class of '08 clerkships. You'll meet lawyers who practice a variety of specialties. As an added bonus, the food is really good. If career services hasn't sent anything out about them, bug their office.
I wish I had done a clerkship internship my 3L year ... it would have made my current post-grad clerk position that much easier. So - if you are thinking clerkship after you graduate take the time to do an internship/volunteer for a judge
A couple of things...I think there is no correlation between thank you notes and call backs. I got call backs, and even an offer, from a firm to which I never once sent a thank you note. I just wasn't that interested in the firm.
The deciding factor is not the thank you note, but rather, whether you can talk to someone for a half-an-hour without it being painful, whether you smell bad in your interview, or having spinach in your teeth or something. Having really good grades doesn't hurt either, but effective communication skills are probably number one.
I sent thank you notes to firms I actually was interested in, including the one I ultimately worked for last summer. It seemed like the thing to do, but I don't really think it matters. My assessment, from observing people this summer at the office, is that they are too busy to give a crap about thank you notes.
Which brings me to my general point...I took very little advice from the career services office. I think they mean well, but are often very unconnected and unaware of the realities of the real legal world. This was basically a direct quote from one of the attorneys I worked for this summer.
Instead, I followed the advice of "real" lawyers when it came to interviewing, cover letters, etc. It seemed to work out, and was actually much less time consuming for me. (ie. a 4 sentence cover letter, as opposed to the multi-paragraph letter praising yourself and the firm and how it's always been your life-long dream to work for giant corporations doing commercial litigation...everyone knows it is BS.---a simple "You have a job. I want a job. I'm sure we can find some common ground here." works much better.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck everyone!
I have gotten call backs before I have sent Thank you notes. But I still send them. They always look good, regardless. The attorneys at my firm told me they barely glance at them, and that the interview is much more important. I received my job this summer, after graduation. It is possible to get hired without using ED, KT, and the new Career Dean. They are kind of annoying anyway. I did not get my job at the Rocky Mountain Career Fair, and I know of no one that ever has.
Hey, check out this account of police actions at the DNC:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_10308661.
Ah, life in the time of the Patriot Act.
Only apply for Inns of Court if you aspire to be or work for the rich, snobby, country club type lawyers.
Actually, there are a lot of government lawyers who are members of the Inns of Court, particularly from the A.G.'s Office.
This blog is boring. You should delete these comments for sucking.
Rather than criticize, perhaps you should suggest a more interesting topic.
Is it worth it to re-take a law school class? Has anyone done it? Will it show future employers that I made an effort, and improved, or will it highlight the original poor grade? Just wondering.
It could be viewed in one of two ways: either you're trying to improve upon the grade, or you simply did better because you took the class twice.
This is the most boring this blog has ever been! Who's to blame??? Admins???
Dear Anon 4:48:
I don't walk around the school looking for gossip or exciting news to post. Admins are admins, not content writers.
If you want to complain, I suggest an accompanying content suggestion. (analogy- complaining about the state of our country but not voting)
Or better yet- rather than trying to incite a blog-riot, you should have contacted me to discuss the possibility of posting privileges.
THIS BLOG IS DEAD!
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