Let me know below about big law...YES, NO, MAYBE! 👉 TAKE THE FREE "WHAT TYPE OF LAWYER SHOULD I BE?" QUIZ and figure out what would be the best fit type of law for YOU. launch.angelavorpahl.com/what-type-of-lawyer-quiz-visit
This seems like every law firm I’ve worked for, as a paralegal.. and I’ve worked at boutiques and mid-sized law firms. I don’t see the distinction. I was working thanksgiving eve for a trail for a firm that only had like 3 partners.
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! But thank you for sharing this valuable insight, it's so helpful for people considering a career in law to hear what the work expectations truly are inside private practice.
@@AngelaVorpahl totally! In my experience, mid sized law firms can be just as intensive bc they often do not have the same staff as big law firms, so often a paralegal or LA is wearing multiple different hats or covering the the work of more than one paralegal. Smaller firms or sole practitioners often are unstable, and so you can be let go or part of a mass staff lay off at a moment’s notice if the atty didn’t budget properly (happened to me twice)
What do big law firms look for in law students? Are they just looking at ranking? Or are they looking at what the student "specialized" in during law school? Is there a certain filed of law a student should try and excel at while in school?
Great questions! Big law recruiting for the most part has a very set structure. Big law firms choose the law schools where they want to recruit, they come to campus in a process called OCI (on-campus interviewing), they interview law students for 20 minutes at a time, they choose the law students they want to invite back to the office for "call back" interviews, and then they make summer associate offers to the law students they would like to come work for them during the summer (which is designed to lead to a full-time job offer after you graduate law school). :: In terms of deciding which law students will get OCI interviews (also known as 20-minute "screener" interviews), for the most part they make their cuts based on grades (i.e. your 1L class ranking) and (to a lesser extent) whether you're on law review (or moot court). Check out this video for a general sense of where you'd need to fall in your 1L class ranking to be competitive for OCI: ua-cam.com/video/EurwlmjKsms/v-deo.htmlsi=LjREgPQ_j3tEswkM :: Big law firms generally don't care what your background is or what type of experience you have - the only area I've ever seen it make a difference is in patent law (where they love to see you have a background in electrical engineering or computer science). That's not to say that if you have a background in construction law (for example) that that won't help you with a law firm that does a lot of construction law work - it definitely will help - but, again, as a general rule, big law firms mostly look at grades when they're making their decisions about who to accept for an OCI interview. :: The major caveat to this is, of course, if you're going to a T10 to T20 law school - a lot of those schools allow students to apply for OCI interviews without identifying their law school GPA or class ranking (under the rationale that all of their students are so capable that any law firm would be lucky to have them). :: Let me know if that answers your questions!
@@AngelaVorpahl wow what a response! Thank you so much! It’s given me a lot to think about. I just started my 1L year so I’m still a ways off from everything, but I’ve just been really curious about “big law” so perfect timing for your video. I’m not in a t-20 school so I knew I’d have to work a little harder in some areas to try and stand out and you’ve really helped point me in the right direction. Thanks for taking the time to write such a great response!
@@weekdayvacation5137 You're so welcome! I also run a free FB group for law students who are looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
Mrs. Vorpahl, what exactly did you mean by “exit opportunities?” Were you referring to the relatively cushy “in house” jobs that lawyers are offered after a few years of working in Big Law?
Going in-house is one example, yes - and a popular one for transactional attorneys. "Exit opportunities" generally refers to anywhere you go after that job. That could be to a government position, another law firm (including a midsized or boutique firm where it may be easier to make partner), legal tech, legal recruiting, legal education (admissions, career services, professorships), etc. If you have big law firm experience on your resume, it tends to give you more (and more high quality) opportunities for job moves after that big law job.
@@AngelaVorpahlThank you! Would you one day consider making a video that delves into all of the different “exit opportunity” careers that seasoned big law attorneys generally have available to them?
@@andrewhunter742 I like the idea! It's a bit out of my wheelhouse, but I may be able to find someone to speak more to it than I could. If you're looking for a deeper dive right now, definitely check out the "how to lateral" UA-cam video that I did with Abby Gordon. Are you working in a law firm right now, or thinking about it for the future?
@@AngelaVorpahlThank you so much! No, I’m actually a nurse who wants to go to Law School. Your channel has been instrumental in my motivation to go back!
@@andrewhunter742 That's so cool! I actually run a free FB group for law students and aspiring law students looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
Sure! When we talk about "exit opportunities," that means the job opportunities that tend to be available to you based on the experience you've had in your previous job. Because everyone in the legal industry is familiar with the names of the biglaw firms (and the prestige and hours that come with those jobs), jobs with other legal employers are more available when/if you're ready to leave your biglaw firm. Specifically, it's easier to leave biglaw to then transition into a midsized/smaller law firm (and, at times, transition straight into a partner role); go in-house in a corporation (particularly a corporation that has been one of the clients you worked for at the biglaw firm); or get a job in the federal government (a possible transition for litigators can be from biglaw into the federal Assistant U.S. Attorney's Office). Are you thinking about biglaw as a possible first job out of law school?
@@uchenduhomes Very cool! I host a free FB group for law students and aspiring law students looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
Here is the truth I’ve lived - the large majority of attorneys will moan and groan and tell you not to go to law school. It’s the nature of the profession and you’ll hear it over and over and over. It’s not true and I’d know. Almost 22 years of experience now. You do not have to be a trial lawyer or even a lawyer at all with a law degree. In my opinion, it’s far more valuable than an MBA or most master’s degrees (absent specialties like engineering, medicine). I know plenty of people who never practiced law a day in their lives and have incredibly successful careers. I’d suggest you ignore the naysayers if it’s something you’re interested in pursuing. Be very careful about your debt though. It’s worse than ever and something not talked about enough.
Let me know below about big law...YES, NO, MAYBE! 👉 TAKE THE FREE "WHAT TYPE OF LAWYER SHOULD I BE?" QUIZ and figure out what would be the best fit type of law for YOU. launch.angelavorpahl.com/what-type-of-lawyer-quiz-visit
You should do a video about the stigma and work market for foreign trained lawyers
Hi Tyler! To be completely honest, I don't know much about it. What has been your experience?
@@arrowfaster2068 I have one! Search on UA-cam "studying law in the united states angela vorpahl" and it will come up.
This seems like every law firm I’ve worked for, as a paralegal.. and I’ve worked at boutiques and mid-sized law firms. I don’t see the distinction. I was working thanksgiving eve for a trail for a firm that only had like 3 partners.
Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! But thank you for sharing this valuable insight, it's so helpful for people considering a career in law to hear what the work expectations truly are inside private practice.
@@AngelaVorpahl totally! In my experience, mid sized law firms can be just as intensive bc they often do not have the same staff as big law firms, so often a paralegal or LA is wearing multiple different hats or covering the the work of more than one paralegal. Smaller firms or sole practitioners often are unstable, and so you can be let go or part of a mass staff lay off at a moment’s notice if the atty didn’t budget properly (happened to me twice)
@@laela6289 😥
What do big law firms look for in law students? Are they just looking at ranking? Or are they looking at what the student "specialized" in during law school? Is there a certain filed of law a student should try and excel at while in school?
Great questions! Big law recruiting for the most part has a very set structure. Big law firms choose the law schools where they want to recruit, they come to campus in a process called OCI (on-campus interviewing), they interview law students for 20 minutes at a time, they choose the law students they want to invite back to the office for "call back" interviews, and then they make summer associate offers to the law students they would like to come work for them during the summer (which is designed to lead to a full-time job offer after you graduate law school).
::
In terms of deciding which law students will get OCI interviews (also known as 20-minute "screener" interviews), for the most part they make their cuts based on grades (i.e. your 1L class ranking) and (to a lesser extent) whether you're on law review (or moot court). Check out this video for a general sense of where you'd need to fall in your 1L class ranking to be competitive for OCI: ua-cam.com/video/EurwlmjKsms/v-deo.htmlsi=LjREgPQ_j3tEswkM
::
Big law firms generally don't care what your background is or what type of experience you have - the only area I've ever seen it make a difference is in patent law (where they love to see you have a background in electrical engineering or computer science). That's not to say that if you have a background in construction law (for example) that that won't help you with a law firm that does a lot of construction law work - it definitely will help - but, again, as a general rule, big law firms mostly look at grades when they're making their decisions about who to accept for an OCI interview.
::
The major caveat to this is, of course, if you're going to a T10 to T20 law school - a lot of those schools allow students to apply for OCI interviews without identifying their law school GPA or class ranking (under the rationale that all of their students are so capable that any law firm would be lucky to have them).
::
Let me know if that answers your questions!
@@AngelaVorpahl wow what a response! Thank you so much! It’s given me a lot to think about. I just started my 1L year so I’m still a ways off from everything, but I’ve just been really curious about “big law” so perfect timing for your video. I’m not in a t-20 school so I knew I’d have to work a little harder in some areas to try and stand out and you’ve really helped point me in the right direction. Thanks for taking the time to write such a great response!
@@weekdayvacation5137 You're so welcome! I also run a free FB group for law students who are looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
@@AngelaVorpahl absolutely. That'd be great.
@@weekdayvacation5137 Great! Here's the link to join: facebook.com/groups/lawtribenetwork See you inside!
Mrs. Vorpahl, what exactly did you mean by “exit opportunities?” Were you referring to the relatively cushy “in house” jobs that lawyers are offered after a few years of working in Big Law?
Going in-house is one example, yes - and a popular one for transactional attorneys. "Exit opportunities" generally refers to anywhere you go after that job. That could be to a government position, another law firm (including a midsized or boutique firm where it may be easier to make partner), legal tech, legal recruiting, legal education (admissions, career services, professorships), etc. If you have big law firm experience on your resume, it tends to give you more (and more high quality) opportunities for job moves after that big law job.
@@AngelaVorpahlThank you! Would you one day consider making a video that delves into all of the different “exit opportunity” careers that seasoned big law attorneys generally have available to them?
@@andrewhunter742 I like the idea! It's a bit out of my wheelhouse, but I may be able to find someone to speak more to it than I could. If you're looking for a deeper dive right now, definitely check out the "how to lateral" UA-cam video that I did with Abby Gordon. Are you working in a law firm right now, or thinking about it for the future?
@@AngelaVorpahlThank you so much! No, I’m actually a nurse who wants to go to Law School. Your channel has been instrumental in my motivation to go back!
@@andrewhunter742 That's so cool! I actually run a free FB group for law students and aspiring law students looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
Angela, you mentioned “the promise of exit opportunities” that biglaw offers. Can you please explain what you mean by this?
Sure! When we talk about "exit opportunities," that means the job opportunities that tend to be available to you based on the experience you've had in your previous job. Because everyone in the legal industry is familiar with the names of the biglaw firms (and the prestige and hours that come with those jobs), jobs with other legal employers are more available when/if you're ready to leave your biglaw firm.
Specifically, it's easier to leave biglaw to then transition into a midsized/smaller law firm (and, at times, transition straight into a partner role); go in-house in a corporation (particularly a corporation that has been one of the clients you worked for at the biglaw firm); or get a job in the federal government (a possible transition for litigators can be from biglaw into the federal Assistant U.S. Attorney's Office).
Are you thinking about biglaw as a possible first job out of law school?
@@AngelaVorpahl This is very helpful. Yes, I’m hoping to enter biglaw after law school
@@uchenduhomes Very cool! I host a free FB group for law students and aspiring law students looking for clarity and support in their law school journey, would you like the link to join?
@@AngelaVorpahl yes please
@@uchenduhomes Great! Here's the link to join: facebook.com/groups/lawtribenetwork See you inside!
Here is the truth I’ve lived - the large majority of attorneys will moan and groan and tell you not to go to law school. It’s the nature of the profession and you’ll hear it over and over and over. It’s not true and I’d know. Almost 22 years of experience now. You do not have to be a trial lawyer or even a lawyer at all with a law degree. In my opinion, it’s far more valuable than an MBA or most master’s degrees (absent specialties like engineering, medicine). I know plenty of people who never practiced law a day in their lives and have incredibly successful careers. I’d suggest you ignore the naysayers if it’s something you’re interested in pursuing. Be very careful about your debt though. It’s worse than ever and something not talked about enough.
🤭 'PromoSM'