http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2011/04/bruce-macewen.html
This could be good. I wonder if it will actually help law students get more offers.
And here I was thinking it was a law school dating site. Silly me, that would be http://www.boringdate.com
$100 just to register? Gotta be kidding me.
Think it will be ready for this years OCI?
For $100, you get a grand total of NO MORE THAN ONE MATCH (“Students get matched with one and only one firm on the theory that they can only take one job. Firms will get as many students as they said they have slots or maybe fewer if not that many students like them.”) You could also get ZERO matches.
Additionally, “the only input to the algorithm is preferences for firms for students and preferences for students for firms. That’s it. No qualitative or quantitative information whatsoever.” Seriously, I’m really at a loss to understand why anyone would pay $100 to get a chance at a single firm, and only then if they like the firm and the “firm likes them”. Hell, if they like each other, then a simple direct mailing ought to get the job done, since that’s basically what this ends up being.
Quotes from: http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2011/04/bruce-macewen.html
I’d definitely do it if it was ready.
Agreed. The idea of firms showing initial interest in specific applicants sounds pretty great when set against the hybrid crapshoot/bootlicking contest that’s currently in place.
Same, and I can certainly understand those who shell out $100 when pressure starts to build with OCI/summer jobs.
I agree that it seems ridiculous. I would probably not do it.
Then again, I can understand why someone would do it. With the pressures of this job market and economy? That $100 might just be worth it if you’re desperate.
If it is ready before my 2L summer, I’ll give it a try. The key will be to try to figure out which firms to put first so that according to the algorithm you are the perfect match.
One match every time the system is run and the system runs three times. This means three matches. Also, we don’t know exactly how the system works. If match = callback than I would say $99 is worth three callbacks, but that is just me.
You are NOT guaranteed 3 matches, you are not even guaranteed a single match. Also, even if it’s a callback, why would a firm prefer someone from a website over someone they noticed out of hundreds of OCI interviews as a good enough fit to bring them in to the firm, unless the website person has great grades (and thus wouldn’t really need the site to begin with). Plus, most firms will have plenty of candidates by September, and thus will no longer have any spots left to fill.
Regardless, if you don’t have the grades/background to get an interview with a firm through OCI or direct mailing your information in June/July, what makes you think the firm will want you enough to “match” with you? I honestly think this is a complete waste of money, with the company taking advantage of a tough legal market by offering “hope” to students for “only” $100.
Nobody ever said you were guaranteed a match. Why would anyone think that?
honestly, I don’t think you could be more wrong.
Firms want people that are committed. That is impossible to know under the current system because people spread applications out everywhere.
Ask yourself, why do undergraduate schools give preference to early decision candidates. It is cause they like to feel all warm and fuzzy inside? No, it’s because accepting lower ranked candidates who are more dedicated will lead to higher result. It is easy to say “oh yes xzy you are my number one firm.” But words are cheap. If the firm can say “ahh, this kid says we are his number two choice. He may have a slightly lower GPA, but we know he will not jump-ship after two years.” It is all about ROI. A poor highering choice can be very costly. Getting candidates who the firm can work to the bone for ~10 years is the optimal result for any law firm.
IMO, the only people this stands to benefit are those who shouldn’t have much trouble in the job hunt anyway; the people at the best schools with the best grades.
While I disagree with you that a firm cares about what a student who just finished 1 year of law school thinks about them enough to make that count for something, I’ll concede that for the purpose of this discussion. However, the key to what you just said is “slightly lower GPA”. This website is not helping a student below median at a T-14 or a student in the top-1/3 at a T-50 get a job, because there will be too many students higher than them also in the system. What do you think the criteria is that the firms are going to give to JDMatch for the algorithm? Grades, School, Work Experience. If you already have that stuff, you’ll get interviews through OCI and direct mailing. Now, you can argue that this will help get you a job at your top choice firm, but for the vast majority of students, the firms outside the V10 or so all seem the same – all they want is a market job, with the luxury of picking a firm being a far lower priority.
My problem with this site is that, as others have mentioned, the number of quality students always are more than the number of openings, especially ITE, and as a result the people who need help the most and therefore are willing to pony up $100 won’t receive any matches. The students who will ultimately get matched are those with the higher credentials, and didn’t need the website to begin with. In the end, the game is simple – high grades + good school = job (with grade cutoffs dependent on quality, or at least ranking, of school). If you don’t have that, no website is going to be able to help you, and if you do have that, you don’t need the website.
If you guys are willing to pay $100 for whatever chance he’s offering, I’ll offer you the same deal for $50. PM me for info about where to paypal the money to and I’ll get back to you and let you know whether you got the job.
Basically. And they don’t stand to benefit because they probably had jobs anyway.
P.T. Barnum was right.
That’s true, and this works to the firm’s advantage in this case. The difference is that schools can’t see who your preferences are. It seems like this could backfire on the applicant if firm 5 sees that it’s the fifth choice for student A, and student A gets no preference from firms 1-4. Student A would kill for a job from firm 5 at that point, but firm 5 would just tell him to fuck off.