Reminder: Stop Reading Tea Leaves; Start Mass Mailing

[09042014]

Will mass mailing help at all if my GPA is below median (unlisted in resume) at a T50?

What were you going to do instead?

Drop out is probably tcr

[Anonymous User]

Will mass mailing help at all if my GPA is below median (unlisted in resume) at a T50?

What were you going to do instead?

Good point. I'm thinking of volunteering or clerking for a few months and then apply to job postings or mass mail if I passed the CA bar. Worst case scenario, being a (volunteer) attorney still counts as getting experience and in a year or two maybe I can lateral to a small/mid firm.

I just don't feel like no bar license + no grades will help. Just want to confirm that so I don't waste time contacting firms until I have a bar license at least. I had one interview from a firm I applied to during bar study, but I fucked that up, so now I'm stuck.

[swimmer11]

Two questions:

Dropped off my resume and transcript at hospitality suites during OCI. Should I also mass mail these firms or does the drop suffice?


The NLJ 350 is locked content, how do I get access to this list? are there similar lists elsewhere?
edit: wikipedia has it -_-

I actually found the largest 350 law firms on a wiki page. I just googled nlj 350. I think it was the third or fourth result.

[IAFG]

Will mass mailing help at all if my GPA is below median (unlisted in resume) at a T50?

What were you going to do instead?

Good point. I'm thinking of volunteering or clerking for a few months and then apply to job postings or mass mail if I passed the CA bar. Worst case scenario, being a (volunteer) attorney still counts as getting experience and in a year or two maybe I can lateral to a small/mid firm.

I just don't feel like no bar license + no grades will help. Just want to confirm that so I don't waste time contacting firms until I have a bar license at least. I had one interview from a firm I applied to during bar study, but I fucked that up, so now I'm stuck.

It's not a waste of time. You need to make time for everything related to your job search and put other things (like showering or going to class) behind it. This means: reaching out to alums, applying to firms and finding new firms to apply to (even smaller firms take summers sometimes), lining up externships that pad your résumé. Sitting around waiting for the bar is literally the worst thing you can do for your career.

[gnuwheels]

Am I doing something wrong? I've been mass mailing since late July, over 100 mails so far and still going, but have received no responses. I'm not saying i'm expecting a screener or a CB (I know the yield is low) but I guess I at least expected a "we are reviewing your application" or a request for more information. All I have received is about 12 or 13 form-response dings.

Something wrong or totally normal?

ETA: above median at a T10 so I don't think i'm an auto-ding.

[Anonymous User]

Am I doing something wrong? I've been mass mailing since late July, over 100 mails so far and still going, but have received no responses. I'm not saying i'm expecting a screener or a CB (I know the yield is low) but I guess I at least expected a "we are reviewing your application" or a request for more information. All I have received is about 12 or 13 form-response dings.

Something wrong or totally normal?

ETA: above median at a T10 so I don't think i'm an auto-ding.

Well, if you've been mass-mailing for a month and have only reached out to ~100 firms, you're going about this the wrong way. The yield from mass-mailing sucks, so you should be getting out ~100 mails per week (IMHO).

[bk1]

Am I doing something wrong? I've been mass mailing since late July, over 100 mails so far and still going, but have received no responses. I'm not saying i'm expecting a screener or a CB (I know the yield is low) but I guess I at least expected a "we are reviewing your application" or a request for more information. All I have received is about 12 or 13 form-response dings.

Something wrong or totally normal?

ETA: above median at a T10 so I don't think i'm an auto-ding.

Most will never respond. That's just the way it is. You should mass mail way more firms.

[Anonymous User]

Am I doing something wrong? I've been mass mailing since late July, over 100 mails so far and still going, but have received no responses. I'm not saying i'm expecting a screener or a CB (I know the yield is low) but I guess I at least expected a "we are reviewing your application" or a request for more information. All I have received is about 12 or 13 form-response dings.

Something wrong or totally normal?

ETA: above median at a T10 so I don't think i'm an auto-ding.

Median at a T10, mass mailed ~150 firms over the last 3 weeks. Gotten maybe 25 responses. So I think you've received a pretty normal amount.

[Anonymous User]

Another mass-mail turned into a CB today. Firm called and did a phone interview for 30 minutes and ended by asking me back to the office for a CB and a cocktail party this week. I've sent out about 300 emails and received 3 callbacks from them. The yield sucks, but we can do this!

Same anon as quoted. Another interview request after mass-mailing. It's DLA Piper, but something is better than nothing...

[20160810]

I got my job from mass mailing.

Doo eeet people. Quit asking questions and just do it.

[Danger Zone]

Another mass-mail turned into a CB today. Firm called and did a phone interview for 30 minutes and ended by asking me back to the office for a CB and a cocktail party this week. I've sent out about 300 emails and received 3 callbacks from them. The yield sucks, but we can do this!

Same anon as quoted. Another interview request after mass-mailing. It's DLA Piper, but something is better than nothing...

Wait, is "enjoy DLA Piper" still a thing?

[Anonymous User]

Another mass-mail turned into a CB today. Firm called and did a phone interview for 30 minutes and ended by asking me back to the office for a CB and a cocktail party this week. I've sent out about 300 emails and received 3 callbacks from them. The yield sucks, but we can do this!

Same anon as quoted. Another interview request after mass-mailing. It's DLA Piper, but something is better than nothing...

Wait, is "enjoy DLA Piper" still a thing?

While it is the McDonalds of law firms, still pays market.

[Anonymous User]

Another mass-mail turned into a CB today. Firm called and did a phone interview for 30 minutes and ended by asking me back to the office for a CB and a cocktail party this week. I've sent out about 300 emails and received 3 callbacks from them. The yield sucks, but we can do this!

Same anon as quoted. Another interview request after mass-mailing. It's DLA Piper, but something is better than nothing...

Wait, is "enjoy DLA Piper" still a thing?

While it is the McDonalds of law firms, still pays market.

My parents asked my opinion of them compared to the other firms. I analogized them to Wal-Mart...

Either way, I'll enjoy employment, whether it be at DLA Piper or anywhere else.

[20160810]

Another mass-mail turned into a CB today. Firm called and did a phone interview for 30 minutes and ended by asking me back to the office for a CB and a cocktail party this week. I've sent out about 300 emails and received 3 callbacks from them. The yield sucks, but we can do this!

Same anon as quoted. Another interview request after mass-mailing. It's DLA Piper, but something is better than nothing...

Wait, is "enjoy DLA Piper" still a thing?

While it is the McDonalds of law firms, still pays market.

Pretty sure most bros in the Vale would suck cock for an interview there. It's not that bad of a firm.

[Anonymous User]

I would love an interview with DLA Piper. In fact, I just applied. It is hard out here for a University of Texas transfer student.

[Anonymous User]

I e-mailed 15 alums in my target market (DC) with my resume just asking to "talk about their firm" and already have 2 phone screeners at Vault firms, and have a phone call (informational / pre-screener? not sure) with a senior partner at another lined up. So pretty decent rate of return. Note that my school is nowhere near DC.

I'll be e-mailing some more alums after Labor Day and see what happens. I very much recommend this strategy to supplement your mass mail. Alums can help bring your resume to the top of the stack.

[Anonymous User]

I e-mailed 15 alums in my target market (DC) with my resume just asking to "talk about their firm" and already have 2 phone screeners at Vault firms, and have a phone call (informational / pre-screener? not sure) with a senior partner at another lined up. So pretty decent rate of return. Note that my school is nowhere near DC.

I'll be e-mailing some more alums after Labor Day and see what happens. I very much recommend this strategy to supplement your mass mail. Alums can help bring your resume to the top of the stack.

Did you also mail the recruiting office for all of these?

I thought about doing one or the other but ended up just going with mass mailing the person in charge of recruiting.

[oblig.lawl.ref]

So I posted this elsewhere but didn't get a response. Should I mass mail NYC offices of firms that dinged me during OCI for other offices? Or once I'm dinged for one office is that pretty much it?

You should mail other offices. Different offices have different hiring concerns. They will likely know you got dinged by another office and that may make it harder, but it is certainly not impossible and it is certainly worth doing.

Should we mail different offices of the same firms we already mailed (e.g. Kirkland NYC and Chicago)? I feel like the answer to this is a yes. Just checking.

[Anonymous User]

If emailing alums with resumes, should we just go to partners or stick with associates?

Also, re: the dropping off at hospitality suites/with the interviewer during OCI: Follow-up via email? If I dropped off with the interviewer, should I contact him/her or recruiting?

[Anonymous User]

Did you also mail the recruiting office for all of these?

I thought about doing one or the other but ended up just going with mass mailing the person in charge of recruiting.

I did, but I don't know that this is necessary. Essentially, I mass-mailed in early - mid July and then e-mailed alums at the firms who hadn't yet rejected me saying essentially "I'm a [Your Law School] student, and I applied to your firm but have not heard back yet. I would appreciate it if you would take a few minutes to talk to me about your firm. I've attached my resume for your convenience." I don't think it's a good idea to outright ask them to forward your resume or schedule you an interview because it's just a bit rude. They'll know what you want if you send this e-mail and most won't be put off by it.

If emailing alums with resumes, should we just go to partners or stick with associates?

Also, re: the dropping off at hospitality suites/with the interviewer during OCI: Follow-up via email? If I dropped off with the interviewer, should I contact him/her or recruiting?

In my experience, you should e-mail the most senior alum in the office. Where an associate can pop in to the recuiter's office and put your resume and ask them to take a serious look at your resume, a partner can just schedule you an interview. Also, I think it's fair to e-mail a 2nd alum if you don't get a response after about a week from the 1st.

[Anonymous User]

Just got my 2nd screener from mass mailing. Feels good man. Can't stop until I get an offer though!

[bk1]

So I posted this elsewhere but didn't get a response. Should I mass mail NYC offices of firms that dinged me during OCI for other offices? Or once I'm dinged for one office is that pretty much it?

You should mail other offices. Different offices have different hiring concerns. They will likely know you got dinged by another office and that may make it harder, but it is certainly not impossible and it is certainly worth doing.

Should we mail different offices of the same firms we already mailed (e.g. Kirkland NYC and Chicago)? I feel like the answer to this is a yes. Just checking.

Generally yes. But know that each office will likely be able to see the cover letter you sent to other offices. I probably wouldn't do more than 2 offices since it could backfire. This is assuming you haven't already been dinged since if you've been dinged you have nothing to lose.

[Druid]

I got my job from mass mailing.

Doo eeet people. Quit asking questions and just do it.

Was it just straight up mass mailing or was it mail + contact alum or something?

[applepiecrust]

Am I doing something wrong? I've been mass mailing since late July, over 100 mails so far and still going, but have received no responses. I'm not saying i'm expecting a screener or a CB (I know the yield is low) but I guess I at least expected a "we are reviewing your application" or a request for more information. All I have received is about 12 or 13 form-response dings.

Something wrong or totally normal?

ETA: above median at a T10 so I don't think i'm an auto-ding.

PM me

[Anonymous User]

Crushed my interview at DLA Piper this morning and received a callback before I made it home. The people I met seemed great and the office was pretty swanky. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to enjoy it one day.