By Kathleen Pearson
OCI is over, callback interviews have happened and offers are out the door. It's official - 2009 fall recruiting is winding down. It was a different (and difficult) year for students, schools and firms across the country. Only time will tell how much the law student recruiting model will change as a result of crazy pipeline issues affecting the legal industry.
All gloom and doom aside, this is also a time for bright-eyed, bushy-tailed 1Ls to learn from the mistakes of their 2L predecessors. Career services at schools definitely prepared all students very well this year. Candidates were poised, prepared and most of all eager. However, a few missteps along the way are worth mentioning:
Top 5 Interview Disasters from 2009:
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Nose picking in the interview . . . Ewww.
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Not knowing anything about our firm, locations or practice groups - Seriously. It's the age of the internet. At least know how to look up a firm before darkening the door.
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Forgetting to cut off the paper bar bracelet from the night before - I'm glad this person had a really good time last night, I just don't want to know about it.
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Coifing hair into a very pronounced fauxhawk - While it might look awesome on campus and heighten street cred, this candidate forgot they were interviewing in one of the most conservative professions in the world . . .
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Exaggerating on a resume - While it is good to be comprehensive about work experience, don't try to tell us you actually helped 1st chair a trial last summer during your 1L clerkship. This candidate was not Reese Witherspoon and we are not Legally Blonde . . .
And, yes, these all really happened . . .