Updated as of 2/2/24
Berkeley Law appreciates your continued interest in recruiting our talented students. The below policies were drafted to ensure a professional and fair recruiting process that does not disadvantage qualified candidates who appear less obviously credentialed or are less well-networked as their peers.
Our facilities and support are available only to employers whose practices are consistent with our recruiting policies as well as those promulgated by the National Association of Law Placement.
RECRUITING STUDENTS IN THEIR FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL
EMPLOYER EVENTS
Employers are encouraged to contact the Career Development Office when considering hosting an event or program (including those with student organizations) to help minimize conflicts with, or duplications of, other programs.
For Berkeley Law 1L students to be as successful as possible, the school believes their focus should be on their studies rather than on job search activities. Career-related events, particularly in the first semester, should be focused on the general characteristics of the legal profession. To that end, we discourage employers from requesting resumes and other application materials in connection with receptions and other networking events during the fall semester.
In the spring semester, employers should not ask for transcripts from students as a condition of attending employer receptions in advance of interviews. Recognizing that employers have automated processes requesting transcript information, students are advised to politely decline requests for transcripts, other than when being interviewed.
JOB POSTINGS FOR 1LS
While the legal market is ever-changing, it continues to be the case that the vast majority of 1Ls interview and accept job offers in the spring semester. We believe this is the best practice because it allows 1Ls to focus in their first semester on adjusting to law school and the rigor of the law school curriculum. To the extent possible, we would encourage employers with earlier 1L hiring timelines to delay the beginning of their application review process to the period after final exams so as to allow 1Ls to focus all of their time and energy on reaching their full academic potential on their first set of law school exams. If your summer internship hiring model allows for spring semester interviewing, we would encourage this approach.
INTERVIEWS
Interviews should not be scheduled at times that would conflict with students’ class schedules or any other times that may disrupt students’ studies. In no case, should they occur during the Reading or Exam Period (see our Academic Calendar for details).
OFFERS
All offers to first year students for summer employment should remain open for at least 14 days after the date the offer was made.
RECRUITING STUDENTS FOR 2L/3L SUMMER POSITIONS
PRE-Summer OCI – Preview Program and Direct Applications
Berkeley Law continues to have concerns about pre-Summer OCI interviewing — in particular, the possibility of producing an unfair process that disadvantages qualified candidates who happen to be less obviously credentialed or as well-networked as their peers. However, recognizing current market realities, starting in June 2024, Berkeley Law will offer a Summer Preview Program.
Employers should explore and affirmatively offer interview times and formats to minimize students’ travel time and expense as well as potential disruption to their studies or their first-year summer employment experience. Interviews should not be scheduled at times that would conflict with students’ class schedules or any other times that may disrupt students’ studies. In no case should they occur during the Reading or Exam Period (see our Academic Calendar for details).
Employers should provide students interviewed prior to Summer OCI with regular updates of their status by the Summer OCI bidding deadline so students can make fully informed Summer OCI bidding and interviewing decisions.
Employers should not schedule callbacks with students participating in Summer OCI during the interview week (July 30-August 1, 2024).
OFFER TIMING
Law firm employers should leave offers open based on the following timeline (corresponding with students’ drop/add deadlines for Summer OCI interviews):
Offers should remain open for at least 14 days.
For offers given prior to Summer OCI, a student may extend up to two such offers for 14 days after the last day of Summer OCI. Students should make requests in writing to the employer and affirm that they are extending no more than two such offers.
Offers given through Summer OCI should remain open for at least 14 days following the last day of Berkeley Law’s Summer OCI, or 14 days from the date of the offer letter, whichever is later.
Offers to current 1L summer associates to return for a second summer should also be left open for at least 14 days following the last day of Berkeley Law’s Summer OCI, or 14 days from the date of the offer letter, whichever is later.
Extensions: Before an offer expires, a student may request that an offer be extended for a reasonable period, and such requests will not be unreasonably withheld.
POST-GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT OFFERS
STUDENTS PREVIOUSLY EMPLOYED BY OFFEROR
Employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to candidates previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days following the date of the offer letter or October 1 of the student’s final year of law school, whichever is later.
STUDENTS NOT PREVIOUSLY EMPLOYED BY OFFEROR
Employers offering full-time positions to commence following graduation to students not previously employed by them should leave those offers open for at least 14 days following the date of the offer letter.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR PUBLIC INTEREST OR GOVERNMENT JOB SEEKERS
Berkeley Law students may request that one employer (from whom they have an offer) extend the deadline to accept that offer until as late as April 1, provided that the student is actively pursuing alternative positions exclusively with public interest or government organizations. Employers are generally expected to grant such requests.
EXPLODING OFFERS AND SIGNING BONUSES PROHIBITED
Berkeley Law expects that employers participating in our recruitment activities will not apply undue pressure on our students to accept their offers. They are also expected not to offer special inducements to accept offers earlier than is customary or prescribed under the circumstances.
OTHER EMPLOYER GUIDELINES
Offers of employment to students should be written.
Any offer that does not fall within the above policy proscriptions should, nevertheless, remain open for at least 14 days after the date of the written offer.
Government, non-profit, and public interest organizations as well as firms having a total of 40 attorneys or fewer in all offices are exempt from the above Policies. Instead, offers should remain open for at least 14 days following the date of the offer letter.
OTHER STUDENT GUIDELINES
Students are expected to accept or release offers or request an extension by the applicable deadline. Offers that are not accepted by the offer deadline may expire.
A student should not hold open more than three offers of employment at any one time. For each offer received that places a student over the offer limit, the student should, within one week of receipt of the excess offer, release an offer. Students should consult with a Berkeley Law career counselor upon receiving more than one offer to assist them in effectively navigating the offer/acceptance process.
Please report conflicting offer practices to the Career Development Office at career@law.berkeley.edu.