when and how should i decline informational interviews from law students?
I should have this figured out by now but would love to have your thoughts on how to handle cold requests for informational interviews from law students. As a young(ish) female BigLaw partner, I get more of these than I have time to handle. My current approach feels a bit capricious: I will usually give whatever time I can to anyone who identifies as a first-generation law student or BIPOC, or sends a thoughtful note that signals to me I have something specific to offer them. I'm curious whether you have other criteria to consider, and/or any suggestions on how to gracefully decline other requests and not simply ignore them (I'm not high-profile enough to have a FAQ elsewhere to direct them to).
- Anonymous
First of all--congratulations on your promotion to partner (whenever that occurred)!! That is an incredible accomplishment, and I am always so overjoyed to see representation at the partnership ranks be more reflective of broader society. But with greater power comes greater responsibility, and I don't think it's at all a "should" for you to have figured out when and how to allocate your precious time. It is extremely hard to figure out how to navigate all of this, and the fact that you even care to think about it says a lot about you--many partners (mostly male, ahem) would ignore all such emails and have no qualms about doing so. So kudos to you for being thoughtful about your role within the legal industry!
Frankly, I love your current approach, even though you describe it as capricious--I think it tackles the underlying systemic inequalities of law quite well, by focusing on (a) those who likely do not have existing connections to lawyers and who can only gather non-public information through cold emailing and (b) those who have specific things they wish to learn from you that they have been particular about seeking out and likely would be more difficult to learn from a more generic "lawyer" at large (e.g., particular interest in environmental law at biglaw firms versus questions about biglaw more generally). To bolster (a), you could also consider a quick Google of law students who reach out to you and make a point to say "yes" to students from lower-ranked law schools who might not have as many biglaw resources as students at higher-ranked schools have. (Sometimes, students don't even know that they should signal to you that they have limited resources, information-wise.) This helps combat the numerous attorneys whose rule of responding to cold outreach is to only meet with law students from their alma mater, thereby perpetuating the existing inequalities in the profession. All in all, I find your criteria quite fair and sensible.
With respect to how to gracefully decline requests, have you thought about creating an email FAQ that you can send back in response? If you're receiving more requests than you can handle, then I think you're already high-profile enough to have FAQs that you can send back to people. It would be even better, I think, to have your assistant respond to the declines, including the FAQs at the bottom or in attachment--that way, it buffers you against some of the inevitable vitriol that comes with responding to decline. (Just be sure to run this by your assistant first, though, and explain why you're asking them to do this non-work work--making the law more accessible, wanting to give back, etc.--so that they are on board, as well.) You're truly a gem for making yourself available in this way--good luck, and remember to protect time for yourself!
is it difficult to enter biglaw without having started in biglaw?
Hi Cece! I love your videos! I have a question regarding entering big law as a recent law grad. I’m currently not working at a big law firm but I wanted to find out how difficult it is to enter the area without having worked as a first year associate at one of the big firms? Thank you so much!
- Anonymous
Entering biglaw without having started in biglaw can be tricky and largely dependent on the market. During the hiring craze of 2021, biglaw firms became less picky about where lateral associates came from, and it was an excellent opportunity for midsize associates and boutique associates to lateral to biglaw firms (although sometimes with a few step backs in seniority). During market downturns, however, it can be next to impossible to break into biglaw when not already in biglaw, as hiring slows down and laid-off biglaw associates apply to other biglaw firms.
Another path that you might consider is working in government or in-house and then applying to biglaw from there. Biglaw firms value government experience and in-house experience, as such experience often gives associates a sense of what the "other side" is looking for--like time spent doing opposition research. Biglaw firms often work with in-house lawyers, making the in-house perspective valuable, or government attorneys in investigations or enforcement, making government contacts valuable. Going in-house or into government can, therefore, make your resume more appealing to a biglaw firm than with firm experience alone. And don't forget about networking--while all of the foregoing are definitely ways into biglaw, nothing really beats charming a biglaw partner somewhere and having that immediate "in" with the firm. Best of luck!
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