By Nina Pelc-Faszcza
Every fall, law schools across the country participate in
the fall recruiting season, often called On Campus Interviewing, or “OCI.”
During OCI, select employers (mostly larger law firms, but some small law
firms, governmental agencies, and in-house departments participate as well)
come to the Law School campus, or hold an off-campus event, to interview
students for 2L summer associate positions, and sometimes even full-time
after-graduation employment. Most summer associate positions at law firms come
with the possibility of receiving an offer for after-graduation employment as
an associate at that firm, so the positions are highly coveted and quite competitive.
Many law firms use the OCI process as the sole method of hiring for their
associate attorneys, so it is therefore crucial to take advantage of this
opportunity if you are interested and able.
UConn often has employer participation from most of Connecticut’s
largest and most well-known firms, as well as several top firms in Boston and a
few firms in New York City. Mid-sized and smaller Connecticut firms often
participate in OCI at UConn as well, in addition to a few other firms around
the country (typically limited to the east coast).
The application process has a few different steps. First,
in mid-July, students will submit an application package electronically to all
employers participating in the OCI program that they are interested in working
for through a centralized database managed by UConn Law’s Career Planning
Center. Each employer requests its own set of materials, but the typical
documents include a resume, cover letter, and academic transcript. After the
application deadline closes, each employer will review its received applications,
and grant interviews to students who it thinks are qualified for the open
position(s). Next, those students will have a 20-30 minute interview with a
representative of that employer on campus (or off-campus - for example, the
interviews for Boston law firms take place at a central location in Boston). If
the initial screening interview goes well, the employer will then invite
students to their office for a “call-back” interview, which typically consists
of several separate interviews with attorneys, and maybe even an informal
lunch. Lastly, the employer will extend offers to select students who it wishes
to hire. The process takes place over a period of months, and students who
receive offers will usually have them by November.
The most important thing to remember about the OCI
process is that very few students find employment through this process. Each
year, only an average of 10-15% of students will receive offers to work at OCI
firms. Therefore, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, and plan on applying
for jobs on your own through direct application methods. Nevertheless,
participating in OCI is a great way to practice your interview skills and make
connections with employers that may end up helping you later.
