Law firms and other legal employers visit law schools nationwide during the fall to interview applicants for employment starting the following summer or fall. Some large law firms do most of their hiring of new law graduates this way. Generally, the firms hire students the summer between their second and third year and if the students perform well, the firms often make offers to them for full-time employment upon graduation.

REGISTRATION & BIDDING FOR FALL 2011 OCI & RESUME COLLECTS
Click here to access instructions on registration and bidding for Fall 2011 OCI & Resume Collects.

GENERAL INFORMATION
FAQ about Fall OCI
2011 Student Agreement Form
Important OCI Dates
Fall 2011 OCI Nuts & Bolts Powerpoint
Preparing for Interviews
Symplicity

PRINCIPLES & STANDARDS FOR RECRUITMENT & HIRING
The National Association for Law Placement (NALP), of which Loyola is a member, has established principles and standards for recruitment that legal employers, law schools, and law students must abide by. These principles were created to ensure fair and ethical hiring practices; they explain the behavior expected of both employers and students during the fall recruitment process and provide "Standards for the Timing of Offers and Decisions." Please review these standards and pay particular attention to the 28 day rule. You may also go to http://www.nalp.org/provisionaltimingguidelines2010 to learn more about NALP's standards.

WAIVERS OF HIRING CRITERIA
You may wish to request a waiver from a specific employer for whom you do not meet the required hiring criteria. A waiver is likely to be considered by an employer only if you are very close to the hiring criteria (missed it by 5% or less), have a special background that makes you a particularly good match for the employer, and/or have a personal connection with an employer. Please use good judgement when requesting waivers. Below is a sample letter you may want to use to request a waiver of an employer's bidding criteria in order to bid on that employer.

Sample letter requesting a waiver of an employer's hiring criteria
This letter should be used only when you are very close to meeting a firm's hiring criteria. You may begin requesting waivers on July 5, 2011, and if the employer chooses to waive their criteria, they must contact our office on or before July 15, 2011.

Sample letter requesting an interview when you placed a bid on the employer but did not receive an interview through the lottery
This letter may be used if you met a firm's hiring criteria, placed a bid on that firm, but did not receive an interview through the lottery process.

COOK COUNTY STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE APPLICATION FOR 3Ls

THANK YOU NOTES
Although it is always appropriate to thank interviewers, thank you notes for OCI interviews are not necessary or expected. You can save your thank you notes for after call-back interviews. If you do choose to send thank you notes, handwritten notes, typewritten letters, and emails are all appropriate. Be certain not to use an inappropriately casual tone in an email. Proofread your thank you notes carefully, no less than you would before handing in a legal document.

JOINT INTERVIEWS WITH OTHER CHICAGO-AREA LAW SCHOOLS
A handful of employers conduct "joint interviews," meeting students from multiple Chicago schools at one Chicago law school location. Our office will coordinate with the other law schools to create the schedule. Please follow any specific instructions listed for the employer.

EMAILS FROM LAW-OCI@LUC.EDU
Always be sure to keep a close eye out for emails from law-oci@luc.edu. They will contain OCI updates and information regarding additional employers.

LINKS TO IMPORTANT NALP INTERVIEWING INFORMATION
NALP Open Letter to Law Students
NALP Travel Reimbursement Form