OCI, classes, etc.

[Marysa Lin]

hello no-longer-babies!! hope you're having a fantastic summer. i know you guys are gearing up for OCI, so if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me and i can try my best to help. i put some general tips below, be prepared for a lot of awkwardness!

 

second, registration is soon. would anyone be interested in getting 3L feedback about classes they've taken? ie a description of the course, professor, etc. i know it can be kind of bizarre to pick classes without knowing anyhting (but you can access course evaluations on the portal for many classes)

 

hope everyone's doing well!

 

OCI tips:

1. if you didn't get a bid, it doesn't mean there's no hope to interview. go to the interview room, figure out who the next interviewee is, and ask them if it's ok for you to ask the interviewer a quick question before they begin. then, be fast and courteous -- tell the interviewer that you weren't able to get an interview and you know they're very busy, but if it's possible, you'd still like to interview. have a copy of your resume and rap sheet ready. many interviewers will extend their schedules or see you during lunch. no guarantee, but worth a shot.

 

2. BE NORMAL. seriously. i cannot stress this enough. by OCI, you can't do anything about your grades or resume, but you CAN be normal. i've talked to many, many attorneys who do OCI interviews and they're trying not to blow their brains out from boredom. make the interview easy and enjoyable for them.

 

3. subject matter: generally speaking, you'll just be talking about random shit. this goes back to being normal. KNOW YOUR RESUME AND WRITING SAMPLE. if you have a weird grade somewhere, be prepared to explain it. i have personally never been asked about the law at an OCI interview but it apparently happens once in awhile. keep a supreme court case in mind...

 

4. have questions for the interviewer. this is the hardest part of OCI but it is key. especially later in the day when interviewers are tired and they just want you to take over. ask questions that the interviewers can answer positively -- don't set them up to provide a negative answer. but don't just ask questions where the answer is on the website. consider: how the summer program is set up, how attorneys get work, how cases are staffed, how each individual attorney ended up in the practice group they're currently in, etc.

 

5. do your research on the interviewer but don't be surprised if it's someone entirely different. they switch out all the time.

 

6. don't be a dick. i see lots of people trolling oci peeking at rap sheets or boasting or bragging or being a general asshole. it's stressful and exhausting -- don't make it worse for you or your classmates.

 

ok hope this isn't too much! let me know if you have any questions. i'm still working and my knowledge is limited (and shrinking due to memory loss) but i will try to be prompt and helpful.

 

marysa

[Zachary Hoffman]

Hey Marysa- thanks for offering to help us out. I have a few quick questions that I can't find answers to on the Career Services website, so hopefully they'll help anyone else who's as clueless as I am.

1. Should I bring a list of references?

2. Writing sample. Am I supposed to get this to my interviewers beforehand? Symplicity seemed to indicate that I was just supposed to upload a resume.

3. Networking basics- should I have business/networking cards? Should I add my interviewers on LinkedIn? Should I mail them handwritten thank you notes?

Thanks. I appreciate any guidance you can offer.

-Zach

[Marysa Lin]

hey i addressed these below. word of warning: this is all purely based on my personal experience. if you're really nervous about something, getting a second opinion might be a good idea just because people approach this in all different ways.

 

1. i printed out a couple copies of references and kept them in my folder, but generally they don't ask for references. even if they do and you say "oh i don't have any on me," you can email it to them later.

 

2. only send a writing sample if symplicity says they want one. i'd keep one or two copies on me because i did have one interviewer who asked for a copy even though symplicity didn't. this is because the interviewers usually are not involved in the logistics, so often, they don't actually know what the recruiting department asked for. again, i didn't have one on me, and i just emailed it to them afterwards. it wasn't a big deal.

 

3. i didn't do business cards or linked in. i would probably avoid linked in because they interview so many people a day, but that's really up to you. i do'nt use it very much to begin with. usually they just want your resume, and i wouldn't go get business cards just for oci, but i guses if you already have them it wouldn't hurt.

 

i did not send handwritten notes for everything. i think they're worthless because by the time they get to someone in the mail, its been days and their secretary might not even give it to them. i did send quick followup emails to interviewers at firms i really liked. an example would be "thanks so much for taking the time to interview me on Monday at USC. It was really useful/interesting to hear your perspective on ____ or it was really helpful hearing associates talk about ___. If you need anything else, please feel free to contact me at ____. Thanks again, name." just keep it short.

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Marysa Lin
J.D. Candidate, 2013
Executive Senior Editor, Southern California Law Review
University of Southern California
Gould School of Law
marysa....@lawmail.usc.edu