This is our third OCIP related announcement. The other two are directly below this Announcement
Please read this entire email. It contains info about some additional mock interviews prior to OCIP, OCIP transcripts, and a key employer networking event.
Before we get to all that, we wanted to give you a quick report on where things currently stand. As of now, the number of employers who are planning to come to campus remains about the same as it was last year. While there are significant variations from firm to firm and region to region, generally speaking, business at large law firms (the vast majority of the participants in OCIP) has not yet picked up in the way some hoped. Though law firms seem to be busier, this has not yet translated in to significant additional hiring. As a result, we expect there to be about the same amount of hiring through OCIP (though there are some indications that the numbers may go up slightly). It’s impossible to know with certainty at this point. Firms do not ultimately have to make this decision until they begin making any offers. The takeaway from all this is not to rely solely on OCIP. We encourage you to take full advantage of the program, but we also encourage you to do some thinking about all of your options for next summer (and beyond). As you have heard us say before, flexibility (in terms of geography and practice areas) and networking are going to be absolutely key to your ultimate success. All of us in the CDO stand ready to help you.
At this point, it is past the official deadline for guaranteeing that we would be able to review your resume and get it back to you in time for OCIP, but if you haven’t had the chance to send it to the career email box yet (career@law.berkeley.edu), feel free to go ahead and do so. We will do our best to review it and get it back to you in time. Same is true for any cover letters you intend to use outside the OCIP process (NOTE: you will generally NOT be preparing or submitting cover letters to OCIP employers; only a very small number of employers — generally government or public interest employers — request them; such a request would appear on the employer details page in the b-Line). Because of the volume of requests, we can’t honor requests to review your resume a second time. We hope you will understand that, if a counselor has already reviewed your resume and gotten back to you, you should not resubmit it.
The OCI section of the b-Line contains the most up-to-date information on the employers coming to OCIP (remember you will only see those employers interviewing for your class year). It is the place where you will be conducting your employer research (some of it, at least), submitting your bids, viewing/modifying interview schedules and carrying out all other online OCIP activities. If you are unsure about an employer’s status, feel free to contact Marty Grenhart at mgrenhart@law.berkeley.edu. Marty is the CDO’s Recruitment Program Manager and handles all of the logistics relating to OCIP.
We strongly encourage employers who are interested in Berkeley Law students, but for whatever reason are not coming to OCIP, to post a job announcement in the jobs section of the b-Line, so be sure to check that regularly. NOTE: The job posting mechanism is functionally equivalent to the “resume drop” option that some Schools offer employers.
Research
All of the information you need about OCIP can be found on the Fall OCIP homepage and the OCIP Mechanics page.
Summer Employment Survey
Once bidding goes “live” (which will be August 12th), you are going to need to complete a brief online summer employer evaluation before you will be able to access the OCI section of b-Line. (As of August 12th, if you try to access the OCI section before filling out the evaluation, you will be automatically redirected to the Evaluations section of b-Line until you fill in at least the few required fields). Filling out the evaluation will only take a few minutes and will be of enormous assistance to current and future Boalt students.
Note: b-Line permits you to respond anonymously (by selecting “no” in response to the required question “May students contact you for further information about your summer experience?” towards the bottom of the evaluation form).
The evaluations are for the exclusive use of Berkeley Law students; employers do not have access to them. You will be able to view other students’ evaluations from this past summer and from the previous four summers by clicking on the “Search” Tab in the “Evaluations” section of b-Line (to access the “Evaluations” section, click on the “Summer Evaluations” quicklink from the b-Line homepage).
Further Note: you can help your fellow students (and future students) most by taking just a little extra time to thoughtfully complete the questions at the end of the survey that call for a “narrative” type response (as opposed to just a 1 through 5 rating).
Mock Interviews
We are proceeding with our plan to offer one last opportunity for you to do a mock interview prior to OCIP interviews. Several practicing attorneys who are alumni and friends of Berkeley Law have committed to participate between 6PM and 8PM on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 10th and 11th. If you are interested, contact CDO Associate Director Sarah Cunniff at scunniff@law.berkeley.edu before the end of the day Monday, August 2nd. Space is limited. Interviews will be assigned on a first-com, first-served basis.
Transcripts
You do not need to order transcripts. The registrar will print out one official transcript for each 2L and 3L and deliver them to the CDO (you will need to give photocopies of your official transcript to OCIP employers at the time of your interviews). They will be available for pickup beginning Monday, August 9th in Boalt Room 355 (where we will be processing judicial clerkship applications). You will need to show your student i.d., so please be sure to bring it with you. There is no charge for the transcript. The last day for pick-up is Tuesday August 17th, but we do not recommend you wait until the deadline because it will leave you very little time to request changes/corrections (and very little time for the main campus registrar — which has to make those changes — to process them.)
Keep in mind that OCIP employers are interested in reviewing your transcript essentially for the purpose of determining how well you did in the courses that you have completed. By and large, they are not interested in the classes in which you are enrolling (or have enrolled) for the coming semester. Accordingly, you should not be concerned about going into an OCIP interview with a transcript that may not reflect last-minute changes/additions/deletions in your course enrollment. The key data that must be accurate for them are your grades.
You should take full advantage of Phase II of the TeleBEARS process to complete your enrollment and insure the accuracy of all your information (e.g., that your name and grades are correct) well before classes begin.
Save the Date
The Berkeley Law Alumni office is once again holding its “Spotlight on Leadership” Employer Reception and is inviting all students to attend. It will be held on August 26th from 6:00-7:30pm. This event seeks to provide networking opportunities for students and representatives of law firms whose Boalt alums have demonstrated strong support for the School — and an equally strong interest in recruiting Boalt students. Making a connection at this event can really distinguish you from the pack.