EIP

If you have not already met with an adviser to discuss your Preview and EIP bidding strategy, we recommend you do so after finishing exams. Because you will not know your spring grades until a few days before the Preview bidding deadline, you should develop your strategy in advance and not wait for grades to be released.

If you think that you will be participating in EIP this summer, be sure to complete EIP Registration in CSM so we can best prepare you for this program and also plan for appropriate resources and advising time. Although only a limited number of employers recruit 3Ls at EIP, EIP is often a part of a 3L job search plan. In addition to registering for EIP, we recommend making an appointment with an OCS adviser to discuss your 3L job search plan.

A few plaintiffs’ firms and several litigation boutiques that represent a mix of plaintiffs and defendants participate in EIP. Most plaintiffs’ firms, however, do not participate in EIP or other recruiting programs. To learn more about these firms and their hiring processes, visit OPIA’s Plaintiffs’ Firms and Private Public Interest Law Firms (PPILFs).

Your spring grades’ release will be delayed if you do not complete your spring course evaluations. Given the tight window between the expected grades release sometime in early June and the Preview bid deadline on June 16 at noon, a delay could mean you do not have your full set of grades for Preview bidding. We strongly encourage you to complete your evaluations before the deadline this Sunday, April 24 to ensure you receive those grades ahead of the Preview bid deadline.

In researching firms for EIP, you may be wondering how you can tell which firms are more highly selective than others. Firm selectivity is rarely clear cut and most firms do not have firm grade cutoffs for HLS students. Our Assessing Firm Selectivity page and Assessing Firm Selectivity podcast provide guidance on how to think about selectivity as you begin to consider which firms you will include on your Preview and EIP bid lists.

As you continue working on Leg 3 of the EIP Roadmap (Research), you may be thinking ahead to your Preview bid list and wondering how firms might respond. Take a look at Bidding for Preview and EIP (pdf) for a visual overview of the four possible firm responses and how those responses may impact your EIP bid list. See Leg 5: EIP Preview Bid List & Mechanics for full details on how Preview will work.

Many students feel a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of EIP. Remember, when in doubt, visit the EIP Roadmap which walks you through each step of the process. Now is a good time to focus on Legs 1, 2 and 3. You can also schedule an EIP Planning appointment to develop a plan with an OCS adviser. Rest assured, we will work with you in the coming months to ensure you are ready and well-prepared.

Your spring grades’ release will be delayed if you do not complete your spring course evaluations. Given the tight window between the expected grades release sometime in early June and the Preview bid deadline on June 16 at noon, a delay could mean you do not have your full set of grades for Preview bidding. We strongly encourage you to complete your evaluations before the deadline on Sunday, April 24 to ensure you receive those grades ahead of the Preview bid deadline.

EIP seems a long way off, so you may be wondering why you should sign up for an EIP mock interview now. Interviewing is a key component of EIP, but doing it well requires preparation and practice.

If you are planning on focusing your summer job search on a smaller market you may be wondering about EIP. While many firms from smaller markets do participate, there are still a large number of smaller firms and firms from smaller markets which do not come to EIP.

If you think that you will be participating in EIP this summer, don’t forget to complete EIP Registration in CSM so we can best prepare you for this program and also plan for appropriate resources and advising time.

The EIP process can feel overwhelming, but there are some small things you can do now that are relatively easy. One step you can take now is to get your resume EIP-ready. Your attention will soon turn to your exams, and then to beginning your summer jobs. Updating your resume for EIP and submitting your resume for EIP Resume Review are easy EIP prep to get out of the way before summer.

As you work your way through Leg 3 of the EIP Roadmap (Research), you may be starting to think about which firms you will include for EIP Preview and which you will “save” for EIP Week bidding.

Your Hire Ground Daily Update will be your primary source for accessing all upcoming information on EIP and advice for success in your summer job. Please make sure you are getting and reviewing our emails. This is especially true as we begin to publish time-sensitive EIP information later in the spring and summer.

If you aren’t quite sure how to get started with EIP prep and navigating the new EIP Preview, schedule an EIP Planning Appointment with an OCS adviser. These appointments are a great starting point for thinking through your Preview and EIP strategy and beginning to formulate your plan.

Is there an issue you are wondering about how to address in interviews? Lingering concerns over grades? We encourage you to make an appointment with an OCS adviser to discuss any worries about EIP before summer. We will likely be able to assuage many of your concerns and can certainly help you develop a plan to maximize your EIP success. 

As exams draw near, your time is more limited and you may be wondering if employer chats are worth your time. Employer chats will be ending next week, so take advantage while you can. The chats are a great way to learn more about EIP employers. Before you know it, you will need to put together a list of firms on which to bid for Preview and EIP.

For many of the primary EIP markets, seasoned local legal recruiters have put together a “Market Intelligence Report” giving an overview of the market, highlighting which practice areas are in-demand in the market, and highlighting firms to consider for various practice areas.

New this year, as part of the EIP recruitment process, OCS is piloting EIP Preview. Through Preview, in June students may submit a resume and 1L transcript through OCS to up to five firms participating in EIP. Participating firms will have the option to interview interested students before EIP.

As part of your EIP bidding strategy analysis, you may be interested in more than market and practice area in narrowing down your list. You may want to consider a firm’s commitment to diversity in hiring and retention, part- and flex-time policies, parental leave policies, or the firm’s commitment to pro bono.

If you are participating in EIP and would like to have your resume reviewed by OCS, the time is now. Submit your resume through the OCS EIP Resume Review Program. Get one step of the process out of the way before exams. Add this summer’s job and simply leave space for the job description which you will fill in this summer.