A wave of changes is sweeping across U.S. law schools as top institutions push up their summer associate interview timelines to May and June, signaling a shift in how law firms recruit future associates. This move, a departure from the traditional July-August window, comes as firms increasingly look to secure summer associates earlier in the year, outside the established recruiting schedule.
This new timeline means that law students, especially those entering their second year, will face critical job interviews without the benefit of a full academic year’s grades to offer insight into their performance. Traditionally, law firms recruit second-year students for summer associate roles, which often lead to full-time positions after graduation.
Leading the charge, Stanford Law School will begin its on-campus recruiting (OCI) season on May 5. Other elite schools like Duke, the University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown will follow suit with interviews later in the month. Schools like Yale, Harvard, and Columbia are slated for June OCI dates. While a few top law schools still hold to the July tradition, many have introduced early “preview” interview programs in May and June, allowing firms earlier access to their students.
Erika Gardiner, talent acquisition expert at McDermott Will & Emery, suggests this earlier recruiting timeline could entice more firms to participate compared to last year. Historically, law schools such as Stanford and Yale were ahead of the curve, shifting OCI dates to June years ago, but now it’s becoming a more widespread practice.
The trend of advancing recruitment schedules began a decade ago when law firms started pre-recruiting top talent in the fall of students’ second year. As firms moved interviews into late July and August to avoid academic conflicts, they simultaneously began hiring candidates earlier through unofficial channels, bypassing the formal OCI process.
A shift that began with a small number of firms has grown significantly. In 2022, 23% of summer associate offers came from outside formal OCI programs. By 2024, that figure had jumped to 56%. Gardiner notes that pre-recruiting has become essential for securing the best candidates before other firms swoop in.
Stanford’s career services office recently explained the shift, noting that firms are now initiating recruitment as early as April and May, often before first-year grades are available. In a letter to employers, the school emphasized that the change was made strategically to help students navigate the rapidly evolving recruiting landscape.
Similarly, Georgetown Law, which has moved its OCI to May, called the shift “necessary” in response to the increasing pressures on first-year law students. The school acknowledged the chaos surrounding the recruiting process and expressed hope that these adjustments would restore some balance.
While these changes aim to streamline the process, they also highlight the ongoing challenges in law school recruiting—forcing schools and students to adapt quickly to an ever-evolving job market.
