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On-Campus Interviews Overview
On-Campus Interviewing (OCI) takes place nationally at the undergraduate, graduate and professional school level. Employers from all industries, including law, interview students for summer and full-time positions. OCI is a high profile program within the law school and is a great opportunity for participating students; however, it is only one of many ways to meet with potential employers.
We solicit potential employers through contacts with alumni, referrals from faculty, targeted mailings and various other marketing strategies. Typically, we maintain a repeat customer base of about fifty organizations which regularly come to campus during fall semester. Approximately twenty employers recruit in the winter semester.
OCI mainly attracts large employers (51+ attorneys) and is highly visible. As a result, many students mistakenly assume that most law school graduates obtain their jobs through OCI. This is not the case.
- For the Classes of 2002, 2001, and 2000, OCI employers hired 24.4 percent; 25.8 percent; and 25.5 percent respectively of MU Law graduates.
- By comparison, 10 percent; 24.3 percent; and 22.3 percent of those same graduating classes found employment through self-initiated contact, and 16.3 percent; 17.1 percent; and 12.7 percent obtained jobs through Office of Career Development listings.
- Another 21.5 percent; 20.7 percent; and 24.8 percent found jobs through referrals. OCI is only one of many ways in which graduates become employed.
Smaller employers (50 or fewer attorneys) hire 85 percent of all lawyers, yet rarely use OCI as a hiring vehicle, with few exceptions. They prefer networking or referrals, because they cannot afford to involve attorneys in the time-consuming and costly process of interviewing on campus. In addition, most small employers are unable to predict their hiring needs far in advance. They hire law students when there is an existing opening and when the student either is available or will soon be. Smaller employers tend to hire mostly in the spring and continue to hire new graduates during the six to nine months following graduation.
We urge you to consider the on-campus interview process as part of your overall job search strategy. Sign up for interviews with as many firms as your time and interests allow. You will not have a chance to receive an offer if you do not interview.
Some of you may believe your chances of being hired are low because your class rank may put you on the periphery or just outside the range listed as "preferred" by a particular firm. Do not allow that factor to prevent you from participating. You could be making a mistake, because:
- Each interview gives you an opportunity to sell your particular strengths and abilities, even if you are outside the "preferred" range.
- Each interview improves your interviewing skills. You can learn how to interview more effectively, which will serve you well later - even if OCI does not result in a job offer for you.
This section of the site will answer many of your questions. Please be sure to speak with us to clarify any other points. Keep in mind that OCI is just one component of an overall job search strategy. Feel free to speak with Assistant Dean Tamra Wilson Setser or Coordinator of Career Development Andrea Mazza Follet for other suggestions regarding job searches. Remember, everyone you meet could potentially be a lead to a job opportunity. Try to stay upbeat and positive during the rather trying "job" of finding a job. You will find an opportunity that is right for you!
Check out NALP's "Open Letter to Law Students" regarding interviewing insights from employers' perspectives.
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