What employers will you apply to and interview with? How will you prepare for those interviews? How will you decide which job offer to accept?
- The NALP Directory – you can search this site for employers who interview at Berkeley Law and compare employers in terms of selected criteria (including, for instance, demographics, diversity, attorneys in each practice group per office, and salary).
- Firm Prospects – a subscription-based database that allows you to search individual Big Law attorneys, practice areas, and offices, and filter by Berkeley Law alumni. Access is free to Berkeley Law students through this link. Additional videos with advice on how to maximize your searches can be found here.
- Chambers and Partners – an international survey of major law firms, divided into guides to different regions, including the US. Ranks the firms by “tier” in various practice areas within various geographic regions.
- Chambers Associate – a website that includes profiles of over 100 law firm profiles, including aspects of associate life, based on telephone interviews with junior attorneys from across the country.
- Vault Guides (accessible through “Firsthand”) – a subscription-based service that provides “insider” comments and details about different employers. The law school pays the subscription fee; in order for students to access it free of charge, use this link set up a free account.
- Law.com – contains The American Lawyer’s recent law firm rankings. You can also search the news content for stories about different firms, which may be especially important before you accept an offer. The Law Library has an electronic subscription to all American Lawyer Media’s legal newspapers, including the American Lawyer, the National Law Journal and the Recorder. They are available on the Law.com website when you register with your .edu student email address.
- Yale Law Women+ Top Firms Report for Gender Equity & Family Friendliness is based on a survey given to the Vault Top 100 law firms by Yale Law Women.
- CDO provides overviews of resources regarding Pro Bono and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives at BigLaw Firms.
- Martindale Hubbell is a searchable directory of lawyers and law firms that contains, among other things, information about firm practice area specializations, their key clients, and background information about their attorneys. There are many search filtering options — even more if you access martindale via your Lexis student account. For example, you can use martindale to search for BerkeleyLaw alumni practicing a certain type of law in a particular geographic area.
- Lexis and Westlaw – can provide you with specific, current information about cases in which the firm has been involved. Knowing this type of detail and conveying it to a potential employer is an excellent way to stand out as a top candidate. Employer research training sessions are available with the on-campus Lexis and Westlaw representatives.
- Student Evaluations – can be found online on our in-house database, the b-Line (click on the “Summer Evaluations” quick link on the b-Line homepage).
- Alumni – Employer information cannot be really useful to you until you clarify your priorities. It can be helpful to speak to practitioners in different settings. Our alums have been particularly willing to assist students with information and advice. CDO attorney-counselors can help you locate and contact with practitioners who will be able to address your questions and concerns.
FOR A MORE DETAILED RESEARCH GUIDE, CLICK HERE.