By Andrew Cohen
At the first faculty meeting of the school year in August, Assistant Dean for Career Development Eric Stern announced that law firms would be interviewing students for summer jobs even earlier than they had in the past.
“Absurdly early,” Professor Frank Partnoy says.
The law school responded immediately in various ways. The Career Development Office (CDO) moved many of its flagship student and employer networking programs from spring to fall. It also added a new Coffee Chat Series where on 11 consecutive Thursdays, representatives from a few employers met informally with anywhere from 60 to 100 first-year students.
Another quick response: creating a dedicated course for students who wanted help understanding the economics and structure of large law firms, the substance of their different practice areas, and the elements of a successful big law career. Developed by Partnoy, Stern, and CDO Deputy Director Elizabeth Klein, the recently completed course — Introduction to Big Law Practice for 1Ls — offered an array of pointed and practical insights.
For Partnoy, fast-tracking the course reflected the entrepreneurial spirit of Berkeley Law and the university as a whole.
“We respond quickly and directly, and I think our ability to address changes in the market immediately is a major reason why law firms want to hire our students and why students want to be here,” he says. “I don’t know of any other law school offering the combination of substance about economics and finance, process related to law firm partnerships and hiring, and practical advice for careers that we are.”
Filling a need
1L Dylan Maloney says his interest in the course mirrored why he came to law school in the first place: to close a knowledge gap.
“It seemed like a great opportunity to understand how to navigate the system and advocate for yourself as a candidate,” he says. “What I gained from the course is an understanding of the structures of law firms and how they, like any other business, ultimately must meet their bottom lines. Learning how to make myself valuable to the solvency needs of law firms was very helpful in the recruitment process, and I expect it to be invaluable as I navigate the rest of my legal career.”
Taught by Partnoy, the classes were usually split into two parts: a lecture with some Q&A and a smaller discussion group format focusing on individual needs in the application process. He illuminated law firm operations useful for students to understand, such as different aspects of a transaction and firms’ equity structures.
The course highlighted the evolving needs of individual and institutional clients, skills and interests that fit given big law practice areas, the importance of interfacing with regulators and judges, the role of experts and other third-party service providers, and how technology and AI are disrupting big law.
Each student wrote a business plan for their professional path as the main final class assignment.
“The idea is for students to think through and write down a potential roadmap for their career,” Partnoy says. “This includes possible contingencies, mentors, areas of specialization, and long-term goals — as well as what they should do during the rest of their 1L and 2L years to prepare themselves for their summer jobs.”
Team effort
Partnoy developed the idea for the course, and met with Klein regularly during the fall semester to define its goals, shape its structure, and crystallize how best to help the students pursue their goals and support them during the big law recruitment process.
A former big law attorney, Klein co-taught two of the classes with Partnoy, and CDO Associate Director of Private Sector Programs Jonathan Mireles also guest lectured on big law recruitment.
“First, and most important, I hope students find a good match for their 2L summer job and that they’re well prepared for both the interview process and for the choice of firm and practice area,” Partnoy says. “Liz played a crucial role, both in the planning and as an instructor. There is no one more tapped into big law hiring than Liz, and she is an expert communicator and a passionate advocate.”
Klein says she wanted to give first-year students “a real-world understanding of the business of a private law practice” and the ability to “analyze themselves and prospective employers, and prepare them to succeed as a summer associate at a big law firm.” She also provided context about recruitment and legal practice, preparing students to engage effectively with big law firms and ultimately thrive in them.
Maloney appreciated that Partnoy would often organize the class by desired location and practice group, and says hearing questions other students received in the big law interview process was a huge benefit in preparing for his own interviews.
“It helped me articulate why I am a good fit during interviews and indicate to my interviewers that I understand what they need out of their associate — and that I’m capable of adding value to their firm,” Maloney says. “I certainly would suggest the class to other 1Ls. What I learned about law firm business operations as a whole is undoubtedly useful for everyone.”