Major law firms are shifting from the traditional on-campus interviews (OCI) to direct hiring, in an attempt to tap into new talent as early as possible. Instead of depending on law schools and the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) to organize recruitment, these firms are opening up their direct applications, often targeting students before they’ve even finished their first year.
This approach means that coveted summer associate roles, which are often the launchpad for full-time positions after graduation, are being filled via direct hires. “This direct hire process will likely be filling about 50% of our class, at least,” said Nicole Wanzer, director of attorney recruiting at Morrison Foerster. She further explains that waiting for the traditional OCI could potentially mean missing out on talents being snatched up earlier in the recruitment process.
Firms such as Weil Gotshal & Manges, Jones Day, Milbank LLP, Paul Hastings, and Davis Polk & Wardwell are among those making their direct applications available as early as mid-April. Weil Gotshal & Manges has already accepted applications for its 2025 summer program, aiming to attract first-year law students in a strategy referred to as “pre-OCI”.
The transition has a domino effect. The criteria for selection now involve smaller academic records as students now have even less time to make career-defining decisions. There is apprehension that this early recruitment style does not allow law students enough time to understand what law school entails.
A shift was expected after the NALP relaxed its guidelines in 2018, moving away from the December 1 ban on recruitment and a 28-day decision window. The evolution was given a further nudge by the covid-19 pandemic, which necessitated virtual interviews.
The result is an increase in law firms’ dependence on their own online platforms for recruitment. According to NALP, nearly half (47%) of law firms’ summer program hires last year came outside of OCI recruiting. This new process, being more streamlined, is proving beneficial. Morrison Foerster’s Wanzer adds that not only has it reduced expenses, but it has also led to more partners participating in the recruitment process.
These changes, however, have put extra pressure on the students. It is a daunting task considering they have to make life-altering decisions within weeks, often with incomplete school transcripts. Consequently, schools – important sources of resume and interview assistance – are also struggling to align with this new and rather disjointed recruiting timeline.
However, in this highly competitive arena where firms are vying for fresh talents, speed and innovation are proving to be the key determinants of success.
For more details, you can read more about it here.