Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing Forum

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Nov 05, 2016 3:55 pm

In regards to mass mailing, what kind of format is used for emails? What's worked best? I think i'm going to do my first foray into mm and don't want to come off as a creep...thanks!


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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Nybar2015 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:50 am

Anonymous User wrote:In regards to mass mailing, what kind of format is used for emails? What's worked best? I think i'm going to do my first foray into mm and don't want to come off as a creep...thanks!

I am looking for some help on this too!!!! Do you just send emails to the Partner(s) of the firm or info@/contact@ emails. My question is who do you send these mass emails too?? If its a small firm, I understand you would send it to the Attorney directly. Whom do you mail when its a big firm??

Please give us some guidelines or if there is one, kindly share the link. Many thanks...

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Nybar2015 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 12:11 pm

Anonymous User wrote:In regards to mass mailing, what kind of format is used for emails? What's worked best? I think i'm going to do my first foray into mm and don't want to come off as a creep...thanks!

just found a past reply....thank you TLS

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Guide - Mass Mailing
Postby Anonymous User » Thu Oct 11, 2012 2:04 pm

Mass Mailing Guide

A crucial element of finding a job is your own geographical flexibility. Refusing to work anywhere but DC is a great way to get burned, even with amazing ties. Of course, it doesn't make much sense to massmail to Denver, Colorado if you've only ever lived and worked on the east coast, but when you're deciding where to apply, keep and open mind. When it comes to the actual mass mailing process, definitely mail in order of your geographical preference, but deciding you ding yourself for a lack of ties or lack of interest is a losing strategy. It really is only a summer, and having an SA somewhere is going to serve you better than being an RA in the city you love. Apply to cities in the regions where you grew up, went to school or worked (even short-term). Also apply to cities that are a plausible hotbed for the practice areas you have an interest in. For example, just because you have never lived in Texas doesn't mean you shouldn't apply if you have something reasonably energy-oriented on your resume. Apply to Delaware if you have an interest in bankruptcy. For each city you would consider massmailing to, give them a tab in your massmail excel spreadsheet.

Now you need assemble a list of firms for each tab (again, I would go all the way through your favorite cities and send out the mass mails before moving on to second and third choices). To find firms, start with NALP, because it's easy, and because they actually hire people. I would add all the NLJ250s in cities you're applying to, and then, after doing all that, come back to any smaller firms you plan to apply to. You need to collect all the relevant information, including the firm's practice area strengths, into your spreadsheet. The info you need to collect is represented in the model spreadsheet linked below. The most important element of this is the practice areas, which are essentially the "why" of your application, and what you'll need for your "tailored" cover letters.

So then, you need to inventory what you could conceivably pitch yourself as in terms of practice area, and write an independent cover letter paragraph explaining your pitch. This will probably be informed by the information-gathering you did for firms, so you'll already have some idea what ways in which your cover letters will be tailored. You'll find my model cover letters at the bottom of my model spreadsheet. Of course, cover letters are designed to show where your background and strengths meets theirs, so I focused on my practice area interests.

Next, in the last row, you assemble RAPID FIRE a series of cover letters. You bring up your "model" cover letter that best suits the firm you're writing your cover letter for, tweak it a bit based on what notes there are in your spreadsheet, then move onto the next one. You shouldn't be doing much new writing at this stage because you should be pretty content with your model cover letters. Double check for spelling and that you haven't referenced the wro

Now you're ready to mail. You copy the cover letter and paste it into the body of an email, and do one last proof for your cover letter. Attach your transcripts and resume. Hit send. Repeat hundreds of times.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Mar 21, 2017 11:28 pm

Keep MMing everyone. Struck out at OCI earlier this year and just started getting offers a couple weeks ago after MMing upwards of 400 offices over the course of this year (just the count I have records of, I would estimate the actual figure much higher if pressed). No job is too small and nothing is beneath you. Sometimes the offers that you do not have any interest in are actually pretty influential in netting you better offers. I accepted a great offer today that I do not think would have come had I been turning my nose up at opportunities along the way, regardless of size, market, practice area, or salary potential.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:07 pm

What market were you mass mailing in?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:07 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Keep MMing everyone. Struck out at OCI earlier this year and just started getting offers a couple weeks ago after MMing upwards of 400 offices over the course of this year (just the count I have records of, I would estimate the actual figure much higher if pressed). No job is too small and nothing is beneath you. Sometimes the offers that you do not have any interest in are actually pretty influential in netting you better offers. I accepted a great offer today that I do not think would have come had I been turning my nose up at opportunities along the way, regardless of size, market, practice area, or salary potential.

What market were you mass mailing in?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by irishwavend » Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:39 pm

I have to make a modification to this thread. Don't send letters. Go to FedEx and print 100 resumes. Get a directory of lawyers, get in your car/walk, and go beat down doors dropping your resume everywhere saying your seeking employment so if the attorney is hiring or knows anybody who is hiring, you'd be grateful for the opportunity to speak further.

This is how I scored my first job in the market right after the crash. I put on my suit and walked thru the summer heat for two days and had multiple call backs. My future ex-employer actually sold the business and went into adult movies. You'd never know it from Facebook or general life though... Anyway, knock on doors and you, too, can have a story like that.

In all seriousness, your success rate is much higher doing that. 7 years later, I'm actually a technical expert in my field and lucky enough to have multiple people calling after me each week, but I wasn't that lucky early on. Even at 5 years... But if you swallow your pride and make the right strategic moves and pay your dues, it should work out.

Just my 2 cents...

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by A. Nony Mouse » Tue Apr 18, 2017 6:41 am

irishwavend wrote:I have to make a modification to this thread. Don't send letters. Go to FedEx and print 100 resumes. Get a directory of lawyers, get in your car/walk, and go beat down doors dropping your resume everywhere saying your seeking employment so if the attorney is hiring or knows anybody who is hiring, you'd be grateful for the opportunity to speak further.

This is how I scored my first job in the market right after the crash. I put on my suit and walked thru the summer heat for two days and had multiple call backs. My future ex-employer actually sold the business and went into adult movies. You'd never know it from Facebook or general life though... Anyway, knock on doors and you, too, can have a story like that.

In all seriousness, your success rate is much higher doing that. 7 years later, I'm actually a technical expert in my field and lucky enough to have multiple people calling after me each week, but I wasn't that lucky early on. Even at 5 years... But if you swallow your pride and make the right strategic moves and pay your dues, it should work out.

Just my 2 cents...
Are you talking about biglaw firms when you recommend this? Or solos/small firms?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by jchiles » Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:50 am

irishwavend wrote:I have to make a modification to this thread. Don't send letters. Go to FedEx and print 100 resumes. Get a directory of lawyers, get in your car/walk, and go beat down doors dropping your resume everywhere saying your seeking employment so if the attorney is hiring or knows anybody who is hiring, you'd be grateful for the opportunity to speak further.

This is how I scored my first job in the market right after the crash. I put on my suit and walked thru the summer heat for two days and had multiple call backs. My future ex-employer actually sold the business and went into adult movies. You'd never know it from Facebook or general life though... Anyway, knock on doors and you, too, can have a story like that.

In all seriousness, your success rate is much higher doing that. 7 years later, I'm actually a technical expert in my field and lucky enough to have multiple people calling after me each week, but I wasn't that lucky early on. Even at 5 years... But if you swallow your pride and make the right strategic moves and pay your dues, it should work out.


Just my 2 cents...
Sorry but it's not clear to me - did you do this to get a job as a lawyer?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Mickfromgm » Sun May 07, 2017 6:29 pm

irishwavend wrote:I have to make a modification to this thread. Don't send letters. Go to FedEx and print 100 resumes. Get a directory of lawyers, get in your car/walk, and go beat down doors dropping your resume everywhere saying your seeking employment so if the attorney is hiring or knows anybody who is hiring, you'd be grateful for the opportunity to speak further.

This is how I scored my first job in the market right after the crash. I put on my suit and walked thru the summer heat for two days and had multiple call backs. My future ex-employer actually sold the business and went into adult movies. You'd never know it from Facebook or general life though... Anyway, knock on doors and you, too, can have a story like that.

In all seriousness, your success rate is much higher doing that. 7 years later, I'm actually a technical expert in my field and lucky enough to have multiple people calling after me each week, but I wasn't that lucky early on. Even at 5 years... But if you swallow your pride and make the right strategic moves and pay your dues, it should work out.

Just my 2 cents...
How do you even get past the receptionist? "Sir, so you have a letter for Mr. Paul Clement? You can just give it to me, sir. What, you want to hand it to him personally? Do you have an appointment? No? [presses the red panic button under the counter]." Seven security guards swarm, recreating the Rodney King incident. The end.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by splitterfromhell » Sat Jun 03, 2017 11:27 am

Post removed.
Last edited by splitterfromhell on Sat Aug 12, 2017 2:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by RaceJudicata » Sat Jun 03, 2017 10:49 pm

splitterfromhell wrote:Does it make sense to mass mail before spring grades come out?
No.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:17 am

When should we start mass mailing? I'm assuming after spring grades & ranking comes out, but otherwise? Mid June? July? After OCI interviews are handed out?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Slytherpuff » Sun Jun 11, 2017 11:44 am

Anonymous User wrote:When should we start mass mailing? I'm assuming after spring grades & ranking comes out, but otherwise? Mid June? July? After OCI interviews are handed out?
Right away. If you have spring grades, then start this week. Some classes will fill up in June - you don't want to wait on this.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:43 pm

Assuming you haven't heard back from your initial mass mail to a particular firm and you decide to follow-up (let's say two-three weeks later), what is appropriate to say in the follow-up email?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by zoelee0827 » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:10 pm

I just asked career services at my law school and they said they do not recommend mass mailing...what? They said that I should wait until after OCI to see what happens and then meet with them to discuss options later this fall. I thought it was a good idea to mass mail since my 1L GPA is less than ideal, but now i'm confused on whether I should or not.

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Gymnastics » Wed Aug 09, 2017 8:46 pm

Is it legit to mass mail without including a transcript until asked? Cover letter+resume suffice?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:29 pm

zoelee0827 wrote:I just asked career services at my law school and they said they do not recommend mass mailing...what? They said that I should wait until after OCI to see what happens and then meet with them to discuss options later this fall. I thought it was a good idea to mass mail since my 1L GPA is less than ideal, but now i'm confused on whether I should or not.
The career services office at my school told me the same thing when I brought up mass mailing. I'm not sure why

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Aug 12, 2017 2:15 pm

Mass-mailed about 4 weeks ago now. Should I follow up, if i haven't heard anything? If so, should I just reiterate my interest?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 13, 2017 2:07 am

Anonymous User wrote:Mass-mailed about 4 weeks ago now. Should I follow up, if i haven't heard anything? If so, should I just reiterate my interest?
Great question. Anyone willing to trade/edit/share mass mailing sample materials?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 13, 2017 2:08 am

zoelee0827 wrote:I just asked career services at my law school and they said they do not recommend mass mailing...what? They said that I should wait until after OCI to see what happens and then meet with them to discuss options later this fall. I thought it was a good idea to mass mail since my 1L GPA is less than ideal, but now i'm confused on whether I should or not.
what school?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Aug 13, 2017 11:36 pm

Mass mailed 4-5 weeks ago. Not much traction so far. Is it too late to send out apps to more firms at this point?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by Porkypots » Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:24 pm

I go to a shitty school. I have read all the advice from TLS re: the possibility of getting a big law or mid law SA. is it even worth mass mailing or applying to the law firms that post on my schools symplicity?

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Re: Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

Post by BigZuck » Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:11 pm

Porkypots wrote:I go to a shitty school. I have read all the advice from TLS re: the possibility of getting a big law or mid law SA. is it even worth mass mailing or applying to the law firms that post on my schools symplicity?
Not sure what you mean by "worth"

If someone walked up to you and gave you a free lottery ticket that had a billion dollar prize but low odds of winning would you just throw it in the trash? Or would you keep it long enough to at least check the numbers to see if you might have won?

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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