Customer Reviews

The Insider's Guide to Getting a Big Firm Job: What Every Law Student Should Know About Interviewing

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a partner with a large law firm, and I have been interviewing prospective associates for years.

Let me be clear: This is an excellent book. When reading it, I groan inside at the recollection of interviewees over the years, many of whom would have benefited tremendously from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is even remotely considering a BigLaw job. And, frankly, most people interviewing for just about any job would stand to benefit. The specifics will vary, of course, but the underlying principles will apply to almost any job seeker.

These days, that is nothing to scoff at.

Keep in mind, then, that this book was written during the "good times," when BigLaw jobs were easy to get (relatively speaking). That means that the advice in the book is drastically more important now than it was just a few years ago - and it was pretty darn essential even then. So when reading, remember that the steps recommended by the authors were what they thought appropriate when firms were aggressively hiring. In the current down market, I would suggest taking all the recommendations and ratcheting them up a notch or two.

Take this book, and the authors' advice, very seriously.

Finn and Olmon cover every aspect of interviewing you can imagine, but before you get to that, there's an excellent chapter about whether big law firm life is for you. The book then goes through the entire interview process, including what the firm expects in interviewees, your job search, on-campus interviewing (OCI), beyond OCI, networking, re-applying as a 3L, how to decide which offer to accept, and much more. There are even style tips for both your personal appearance and your resume and cover letter (including samples).

Chapter titles include the following:

* How Are You Evaluated?
* Research Outside of OCI
* Bidding for Interviews
* How to Get that Call-Back
* What to Avoid at the On-Campus Interview
* Etiquette for the Meal
* Recruiting Events
* Handling Inappropriate Questions
* Choosing Among Offers


Finn and Olmon's book gives an excellent overview of the law firm interviewing process, which can be invaluable information particularly for law students who don't have a parent, relative, or close friend who is an attorney, but also for those would could simply use more tips and pointers.

I give this book five stars and highly recommend it to anyone embarking on the search for a big law firm job. Even if you understand the basic workings of the OCI system, The Insider's Guide to Getting a Big Firm Job offers a valuable peek into the minds of recruiters and interviewers and tells you exactly what you need to do to make yourself stand out and snag that job.

I picked up this book right in the middle of my search for a summer
internship during my second year of law school. Because I'd already
found firms and landed a few interviews, I focused mostly on the
sections about interviewing. I found the book to be very valuable
with tips and insights on how to approach the whole interview process.
I really think most law students don't reach their full potential
because they don't prepare for their interviews. This book will help.
It helped me--I landed a very good job using the advice from the
book. I also loved the section that contained sample cover letters
and resumes--you think those are easy to write but they're not, and
this book has some great tips and samples to help in that process.
I would have liked to have seen more about networking and alternative
methods for getting jobs. Much of the book is focused on on-campus
interviews, and those are hard to come by for most law students. I
also didn't care for the chapter about applying for jobs as a 3L: I
know that you can get a good job this way, but I felt a sense of
hopelessness in this chapter, that if I didn't get a job as a 2L it
was pretty much over. Other than that, the book was great. I've read
a lot of law school prep books and books on interviewing at law firms
and this is one of the best.

Every law student looking for a job should read this book! It is specifically geared towards big firm interviews, but the authors give great tips for anyone who wants to improve their overall legal interviewing skills. More importantly, this book really tells students why the interview process is so important to firms. It reveals what the firms are looking for in candidates and how they try to get that information out during an interview. I especially liked the chapters on interviews from the firm's perspective, what to avoid at the on-campus interview, behind the scenes at the call-back interview, and reapplying as a 3L. It is all there! I would also recommend this book to anyone who is applying to law school. There is really helpful information regarding things to look for when choosing a law school. I can't say it enough....it is a MUST read!

this book is a comprehensive source of information about the intricacies of the law firm interview & what it takes to get a big law firm job -- a must read for any law student wanting to get a foot up on the competition!

Steffen Roy Leguisamo: This book is very entertainment both student and law firm owner, two thumbs ups, I am attorney at law 10 year ago, and I discover a lot of new things. Thanks for writting this book