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Rejected from OCIs


justouthere

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justouthere
  • Law Student

Just got rejected from all firms for OCIs, so kind of bummed out and not sure why. Does anyone know if they provide feedback? 

Grades 

Crim: B

Torts: B

Contracts: B 

LP1: B

Seminar: B

ELGC: B 

Property: B+ 

PubCon: A

LP2: A

Does anyone have any insights or contacts for how to apply outside of the recruit, any help would be appreciated ! Thank You 

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HarveyRoss
  • Articling Student

If you don't mind me asking, what school do you go to?

Beyond that, people seem to neglect the importance of their cover letter and resume in comparison to grades. Did you have your other materials read by other people?

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Pendragon
  • Lawyer

You only just started 2L. Many employers wait until closer to 3L and graduation to hire articling students. Most employers hiring after OCIs practice in a few select areas of law. Unlike the full-service firms, you are going to need to show a demonstrated interest in these practice areas. If your course selection is wide and varied this year, I would try to switch that up to reflect an interest in two different areas. For example, lots of employers moving forward will be in personal injury, insurance defence, and labour and employment. So I may think about taking more courses in these areas of law if you have any interest in them.

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BlockedQuebecois
  • Lawyer
2 hours ago, HarveyRoss said:

If you don't mind me asking, what school do you go to?

Beyond that, people seem to neglect the importance of their cover letter and resume in comparison to grades. Did you have your other materials read by other people?

In OP’s case, it likely is the grades that held them back. For OCIs at Osgoode, you generally want a B+ average for interviews and a high B+ to feel confident that you’ll get a position. 

OP’s grades are a B average and would make them a below median law student at a school where only a third of the class will receive a job in the 2L recruit. 

Edited by BlockedQuebecois
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Hey
  • Law Student

I got this exact breakdown of marks at Osgoode but in different classes and have 11 OCIs… networking, a solid resume, reference letters and having people look over your application are crucial

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justouthere
  • Law Student

Thank you for all the replies, I did talk network by talking to recruiters as well as past summer students and mentioned this in my application as well. Additionally, I had my application looked over by multiple people, career office, law students etc. Perhaps it was the grades, but when I convert my avg it becomes a B+ and I thought that would be good enough. I’ve also talked to students with lowers grades who also did get OCIs, so I’m surprised grades held me back. Perhaps I just lacked experience or couldn’t strongly convey interest. If anyone is open to reviewing my application materials (if that’s possible), I’d appreciate it! 

The job hunt continues for me, hoping for the best, and if anyone has any tips or contacts, please let me know! 

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JustinCredible
  • Law Student
22 hours ago, justouthere said:

Just got rejected from all firms for OCIs, so kind of bummed out and not sure why. Does anyone know if they provide feedback? 

Grades 

Crim: B

Torts: B

Contracts: B 

LP1: B

Seminar: B

ELGC: B 

Property: B+ 

PubCon: A

LP2: A

Does anyone have any insights or contacts for how to apply outside of the recruit, any help would be appreciated ! Thank You 

There is a post-OCI recruit. The positing usually go up right after the official recruit ends. Do not feel discouraged! Try to get someone from the profession/CDO to edit/review your materials and apply in the post-OCI. 

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cherrytree
  • Lawyer

Chin up, OP. The cards fell where they did, but now you have a head start prepping for the non-OCI jobs that will start hiring soon. Different types of summer jobs will also continue to become available throughout the school year. I remember in the Winter 2021 term I spoke to a 2L who was still job searching by the Winter reading week and I made a passing comment about in-house summer jobs with the legal departments of large corporations, and he was like "wow I had no idea those were a thing". Fast forward a few months and I saw his LinkedIn update about starting a summer law student position at a large company.

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