Interview Tips

Here are some interview tips for law students attempting to get a biglaw job in this economy.

Relax re grades and law review. If you don't have amazing grades and you didn't make law review, then there's really nothing you can do about it. Would it have helped to have good grades and law review on your resume? Yes! Will it preclude you from getting a job to have neither on your records? No, of course not.

If you have mediocre grades and nothing to set you apart from the crowd, then you need to really make the most of the 20-30 minutes interview slot during On-Campus Interview. How do you shine? Here are some tips:

• Smile. None of that fake stuff; only the real deal. People know when you're faking your smile.
• Do your research and find out not only about the firm (this is easy), but also about the attorney (or recruiter) sent to interview you. How do you do this research? If you have the name of your interviewer in advance, then just go to the the firm's website and search for the person - read up on them and take note of their interests. For example, if you find out that your interviewer is an IP lawyer with a computer science background from UC Berkeley, but now works in NY, then take note of this and prepare to use it as a discussion point. During the interview ask him some questions based on that information (i.e., Why'd you move to NY after studying in CA?). If you don't know who your inteviewer will be, NO PROBLEM! Just do your research during the interview, spend 5-10 minutes of your interview time taking a genuine interest in the person interviewing you.
• Think: this isn't about me, it's about the person sitting in front of me. These on-campus interviews are NOT about you. Thinking that the interview is an opportunity for you to show off and sell yourself is the biggest misconception EVER. The interview is SO MUCH more about engaging the interviewer. Instead of focusing on selling yourself, focus on "entertaining" your interviewer. See what about your resume interests them and talk about that, BUT ask many more questions to figure out why they are so intrigued by that particular point. This requires you to be a good reader of body gestures and facial expressions. If you can't grasp their attention, then you've lost the game.

But all of the above is sort of a moot point if you have good grades, law review, and a decent personality - you'll get a job somewhere, somehow, no matter what.

NY is dying

Cravath is laying off attorneys. I have three friends at Cravath this summer. But I have yet to speak with them about the current buzz surrounding Cravath's response to the economic downturn (see here and here).

What is the world coming to when one of the NY's top 3 firm is going down the drain? There has been much banter about paradigm shift (i.e., NY is no longer the center of the world...ahhhhhh!). Assuming, for the moment, that there indeed is a paradigm shift, where is the shift moving to? China? I speak Chinese, so this would be a good thing. However, a paradigm shift to China seems unlikely in the short term.

Perhaps the paradigm is shifting coasts? Again, I don't think this is true either. The west coast is as much, if not more, dependant on the NY market as the rest of the world. The dearth of IPOs have caused many Silicon Valley firms, for example, to fire folks and restructure their practice groups.

So, once again, I ask: where is the paradigm shift moving to?

To be honest, I don't know. Love to hear people's thought on this. But my gut tells me that NY still has some fight in it before it throws in the white towel.

Interesting Summer

This summer is turning out to be a very "interesting" summer for my classmates and me. The fortunate few all across the country that were able to obtain a summer job are bringing back interesting news to my ears. I don't have a wide spread network of friends in every law firm (in the States), but I have a large number of friends in every major legal market.

Few of my friends from Skadden, NY have reported that they've been doing data entries (didn't know that was legal work).

My buddy at Wachtell is busy - the last time I checked, she was on gchat and it was 5:00 a.m. in the morning...I dare say that she was at work.

Friend at Sherman Sterling claims that he's busy - but he's in the tax department. He confessed that corporate was kind of quiet.

Buddies at A&O, NY and Hong Kong say their having a blast, but the vast majority (if not all) of their work is non-billable.

I confess this is just a list of some of the top New York law firms. I'll write about the other happenings in other parts of the country....when I have more time (hopefully tonight).

Let's keep our heads up, folks.

Law School Blues

It's everywhere. Talks of impending doom and no more jobs for law school grads. It is kind of sad. Today's law students got into this rat-race thinking they'd make a lot of money after graduation (not as much as their Ibanker friends, but still a lot). In a good economy the corporate lawyers were to bring in the dough. In a bad economy the bankruptcy lawyers were to keep the firm alive. Theoretically this industry is well hedged - lawyers won't be spectacularly rich during a boom (remember when we used to joke about Ibankers kicking lawyers around?), but they won't go hungry during economic downturns either. Thus, the risk-adverse and wide-eyed 1L happily enrolls and shoulders the $200,000 loan.

Today, people (= lawyers and legal staff) are losing jobs at some our nation's top law firms. See here and here for two of the latest specific examples. See here to see a complete list. The law doesn't seem so risk adverse anymore.

Today's 1Ls are afraid because they don't know whether the firms that come on campus (will they come?) will have summer jobs to give out. The 2Ls are trying to keep their heads low this summer (gone are the days when you just party your way through the summer). 3Ls are nervously checking AbovetheLaw everyday, wondering if their jobs will still exist when they graduate.

Bankruptcy

I'm taking a lot of bankruptcy and bailout courses this quarter. Surprisingly, they're actually quite interesting.

I know it's a geeky thing to say, but the law is most fascinating when you begin to see the deeper connections between one field (i.e., corporate law) and another field (i.e., bankruptcy).

Now I'm actually beginning to think about bankruptcy as a practice.

Interviews

This interview season has been hectic. The current job market has so many people worried and frantic. I've been talking to many of my friends at other law schools. The general consensus is that we're all just very happy to land a job (better if it's a biglaw-Vault ranked job). A bad economy really puts things into perspective.

Last night, while having dinner with a friend, I got a call from the Silicon Valley law firm I interviewed with last week (OFFER!). The night before I got a call from the only Chicago law firm I had applied to (OFFER!). I'm extremely thankful that I am getting job offers. I suppose it goes to show that a law degree does mean something afterall.

Law school doesn't teach the "law," it teaches you how to read and write critically. What's amusing to me is that we're taught to "read, write, and think critically" from day one (in high school). Somehow 8 years of reading, writing and thinking critically (high school + college) was not enough. I'm not be sarcastic here. I really think it's a shame.

But get this, a few months ago, I met with a bunch of Alumni from UChicago's class of 1998. A singular advice that I received from EVERYONE is: become a GREAT writer. I got the impression that NOT all LAWYERS are good writers. It's really really a shame.

So I suppose law school doesn't really teach one how to write - it simply teaches one how to think and read. 3 more years of schooling to become a better reader and writer. And somehow 3 years of reading and writing more justifies us being paid a six digit salary?

Just thinking about this humbles me - I'm so not worthy.

Silicon Valley

I heard so much about Silicon Valley (SV). I feel the impacts of that illusive place everyday as I use the internet. Today (technically last night), for the first time, I actually stepped foot onto that sacred ground.

There's definitely something different and unique about SV. It's buzzing with tech start-ups and venture capital firms. Yet at the same time, geographically, it's just like any other suburban city in CA - quaint, safe, peaceful, and perfect for family raising.

I was born and raised in CA. While I like CA, I can't help but fight the feeling that returning to CA is like taking a step back (for me). I've always cherished the biblical image of a bird leaving its nest once fully grown and matured. Thus, I left CA for college and never really returned.

SV is sort of a compromise (I suppose). It's not exactly home (home is near Los Angeles). But it's familiar enough to invoke that warm homey sentiment.

Even so, with my passion for Asia, I can definitely see myself in Hong Kong, Tokyo, or even Seoul.

David Lat, from Above the Law, was here!

It's been FOREVER since I last wrote on my blog. I hate it how plans don't sometimes fall into place. I promised myself that I would post regularly . . . I let law school get the better of me. =(

So what's the occasion for my sudden posting (you might ask)? Well . . . the title of this post should speak for itself. DAVID LAT was here!!!

Though I highly doubt that anyone who managed to find this post will have trouble comprehending why I just used three exclamation marks, allow me to briefly explain why this man is such an inspiration for me to have returned from my long slumber.

Not only is he brilliant (did you click on the above link yet?), he's absolutely hilarious and charming. It sucks how some guys just have it all. But David Lat is just impossible to not love. Here's a guy who literally achieved ultimate prestige and glory in the field of law; he could have been a rainmaker at any top law firm (from Wachtell he could have gone anywhere), a professor at an ivory tower, perhaps a judge . . . maybe even a supreme court justice (I know I'm pushing it a little, but believe you in me that he has all the right credentials). Instead of continuing on that path, he decides to jump boats and pursue his passion to become Gossip King of Blogs!

After one of the most entertaining debates ever (more like stand-up comedy between Judge Richard Posner and David Lat - moderated by the venerable Prof. Lior Strahilevitz) I got to see David Lat again at the law school musical and then at a post party (at the Pub). David was constantly surrounded by my classmates. Quite frankly, I was impressed at David's ability to address any and every subject-matter thrown at him. He's very well versed in quite literally everything - I'll bet he knows more about pop culture, politics, legal gossip, law (in general), movies, songs, and fashion than any teenager and law professor duo. Ugh . . . that's not the best description of this man. I'm clearly not doing justice here.

In any case, I went out on a limb and asked David if he'd be willing to return to U of C if we invite him to be a guest speaker for one of our student organizations. He immediately said, "Yes." This guy is totally awesome.

In case you haven't check out his blog @ Above the Law.