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OCI Prep Checklist — 20 Points
The checklist I wish someone had handed me before my first round of on-campus interviews. Print it out, work through it, and walk in knowing you’ve done the preparation most candidates skip.
- Research each firm: one recent deal, one specific practice group development, one interesting partner profile
- Prepare a specific “why this firm” answer for every firm on your list
- Prepare your “why biglaw” answer — honest, not generic
- Prepare your GPA/class rank answer with a confident, brief response ready
- Write out your three strongest stories: a challenge you navigated, a team situation, something you’re proud of
- Practice answer length — aim for 90 seconds maximum per answer
- Prepare five questions for each firm that are specific, not generic
- Confirm your interview schedule and the names of your interviewers
- Get your suit pressed and shoes polished — the day before, not the morning of
- Identify the one personality piece you are wearing and make it intentional
- Print a physical copy of your resume — bring extras
- Confirm the interview location and allow for transit delays
- Draft your thank you email templates in advance for each firm
- Get eight hours of sleep the night before
- Eat a real meal before — do not interview hungry
- Review your resume out loud — speak to every line without hesitating
- Identify your most memorable story and practice delivering it in under two minutes
- Know the name and practice group of every attorney you are meeting
- Turn your phone off before entering the building — not on silent, off
- After each interview: write down one thing that went well and one thing to adjust
Networking Outreach Spreadsheet — Column Template
Copy this into a spreadsheet for every firm you’re targeting. Works for 1L outreach, 2L pre-OCI prep, and lateral targeting. The last column is the whole game.
- Column A: Attorney full name
- Column B: Firm name
- Column C: Work email (usually firstname.lastname@firm.com)
- Column D: Practice group
- Column E: Law school (your shared connection)
- Column F: Undergrad (if applicable)
- Column G: Graduation year
- Column H: One specific interesting detail from their bio or recent work
- Column I: Date outreach sent
- Column J: Response received (Y/N)
- Column K: Call scheduled date
- Column L: Notes from call / follow-up action
Thank You Email — 4-Sentence Formula
The structure that works for OCI, callbacks, and lateral interviews. Fill in the bracketed sections after every interview.
- Subject: [Your Name] — [Firm Name] — [Date of Interview]
- Sentence 1: Thank them and reference when you met. “Thank you for the conversation [this morning / this afternoon].”
- Sentence 2: Reference one specific thing from the conversation. “[Topic you discussed] was something I hadn’t thought about in that way before.”
- Sentence 3: Confirm genuine interest. “I came away more interested in [Firm] than I was going in.”
- Sentence 4: Close cleanly. “I hope to stay in touch.”
- Send within 24 hours — from a laptop, read it out loud first
Go deeper — the Biglaw Interview Advice ebook
For a complete walkthrough of biglaw interviews — from OCI through lateral — my book Biglaw Interview Advice: A Complete Guide to Interviews is available on Amazon. It expands on everything in these checklists with detailed examples, full email templates, and the strategic framework I use with coaching clients.
Want to talk one-on-one?
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Questions first? Email Pat@biglawadvice.com