It is difficult to imagine a more stressful time on law school campuses than the on-campus interviewing season. Wearing one’s freshly pressed suit day after day, interviewing with multiple employers and being “on” all day is exhausting. Once OCIs conclude, students hear about classmates’ callbacks and offers while anxiously waiting to hear news themselves. It is no wonder that Career Development offices across the country get the same question at this time of year: “When should I panic?”

Students who go through the OCI have easy access to job applications: the application process is streamlined, they can apply to many jobs at the same time — and getting interviews is fairly easy. To engage with 2Ls after OCIs, (especially with those students who have the least success in the OCI process), career counselors need to engage individual students and help them focus on self-assessments and other types of job applications.

The post-OCI period offers a great opportunity to reenergize students who, if they come up empty from OCI, need help planning their next steps. It is an ideal time to focus on what the student looking for in her/his career and to delve into a deeper assessment of career fit.

Counseling 2Ls Post-OCI

Whether successful or not in securing a job through OCI, 2Ls are bound to wonder about next steps in their career searches. Students who have accepted a job with an employer for the following summer may wonder which practice areas to explore at their summer employer, whereas students who were unsuccessful after OCI will wonder what other options they should consider as they continue their job searches.

Both types of students should evaluate their personalities and interests to analyze their fit with employment options. Ideally, career counselors will have focused conversations with 2Ls, pinpointing what exactly they are trying to get out of their summer work experience and career. Does the student like researching and writing, contact with other people, exposure to criminal issues? Now is the time to ask these focused questions.
Reminding 2Ls There is Life Outside of Big Law

Reminding 2Ls There is Life Outside of Big Law

The OCI process tends to make students think that Big Law is the be all and end all of legal jobs. Reminding students who will not work for larger law firms of the many great job opportunities that exist in smaller employment settings or government or public interest save them stress and worry. As you acquaint students with a wider variety of appealing job opportunities, it helps to get the student thinking about what they want their daily lives in the law to look like. Through these discussions, students may come to see that Big Law may not even be consistent with their life vision, so they can start exploring options that are.