The Law Firm Interview: A Guide for Law Students [Paperback]

Katy Schubert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

The Law Firm Interview A Guide for Law Students is a non-fiction, how-to guide for students interviewing with law firms across the country. Ms. Schubert gained her perspective from five years (from - ) recruiting law students and practicing attorneys for two New York firms, Willkie Farr Gallagher and Proskauer Rose LLP. There is no book available to law students as rich in insider information and hard facts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Katy Schubert spent five years (from 1995 – 2000) recruiting law students and practicing attorneys for two New York firms, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Proskauer Rose LLP. She will be on a speaking tour of law schools this fall.

Katy graduated from New York University in 1995. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Product Details

• Paperback: 105 pages
• Publisher: Steinberger Editions (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972269703
• ISBN-13: 978-0972269704
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,283,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be retitled "Jobs at Huge Law Firms for Top 5%", March 1, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Law Firm Interview: A Guide for Law Students (Paperback)

If you're not interested in a job with one of the big law firms, and/or aren't in the top of your law school class, skip this book. Though you wouldn't guess it from the book description or the other reviews, the book gives advice that just isn't appropriate in small or mid-sized firm applications; some of the advice, such as sending out transcripts with every resume, is just plain hurtful to most candidates. For a much more helpful book on the subject, read Kimm Walton's helpful 'Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams'.

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It's all about school name, grades and ethnic background people, September 14, 2005

By 

Dissident Aggressor (Hot Air Balloon, Circling Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Law Firm Interview: A Guide for Law Students (Paperback)

I think books like this one are deceitful. They make it seem like interviewing is actually an important component of the law firm recruitment process. Nothing could be further from the truth. When it comes to law firm recruiting, you could have Tom Cruise's looks (or Jennifer Aniston's looks, if you are female), James Earl Jones' voice, David Letterman's wit, Bill Clinton's charm, Richard Feynman's intelligence and Cicero's speaking ability. You still will not get the time of day from a large law firm during your on-campus interview if you are not a student at a top 14 U.S. News school and/or your GPA does not put you in the top 35% of students in your class and/or you are not a member of a favored ethnic group.

The author of this book, a former associate at Wilkie Farr, should know this. If she wanted to be helpful, she could have provided us with her former firm's GPA cut-offs, and she could have told us what GPA cut-offs other big firms use for students from various law schools. Instead, she feigns ignorance of how law firms actually hire and makes it seem like anyone has a chance if they just send a copy of their transcript, a nice cover letter and a typo-free resume to law firms and then interview well. Bosh!

Do you not believe me? Do you think I seem cynical? Do a little research for yourself. Pick out a big law firm you are interested in working for. Read the attorney biographies. Try to discern where the attorneys went to law school, what their grades were (cum laude? law review?) and what their ethnic background is (based on their surname and photo). I can guarantee that you will not find many attorneys with average grades from average law schools at the big firm in question. What does this mean for you? Well, you are probably out of luck at that firm if you have average grades from an average school--unless, of course, the firm has an aggressive affirmative action program and you qualify for it, or you go to the same temple as some of the attorneys from the firm and they can speak on your behalf.

Now that that is squared away, where does that leave us? Well, you are not getting an offer from a law firm if you are not a top student, are not from a top school or do not have favored ethnic status. If you have one of those things going in your favor, your life is made much easier. All you have to do is not blow it during your interviews. This is actually easy. Just don't sneeze on one of the attorneys, pick your nose during your interviews or state that one of your hobbies is watching soft-core porn videos. You should get the job if you have the right grades and school name. You may get a break even if you don't have those things going for you provided you have the right ethnic status.

Some may object to the frank nature of this review. I understand that. However, I believe that law firm applicants should have a realistic view of how the application process works. Ms. Schubert's book does not provide such a realistic view. Instead, it operates under the delusion that anyone has a chance provided that they interview well. It also operates under the delusion that school name, grades and ethnic background are not (in descending order) the three most important components of the law firm application process. Ms. Schubert is kidding herself. As an applicant, don't you also make the mistake of kidding yourself.

9 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a helpful guide for navigating the system, August 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Law Firm Interview: A Guide for Law Students (Paperback)

This book gave me an insider's perspective into the ways that law firms recruit, something I had no idea how to approach. It gave me extra confidence going into my interview, that made me feel articulate and comfortable. I aced all three of my interviews, and I am starting my new job on Monday!

This book is a must for any law student's book shelf.