2025 1L Class: Student Awareness and Impact of Accelerated Big Law Recruitment
Most large private U.S. law firms, commonly referred to as Big Law, hire almost all of their entry-level lawyers through second year (2L) summer associate programs.[1] These programs place law students at firms during the summer between their second and third years. At the end of the summer, roughly 96-98% of participants receive return offers after graduation, making these programs the primary pathway to Big Law employment.
For decades, much of the Big Law recruiting process occurred just before the start of the second year of law school, usually in late July and August. Law schools organized on-campus interview (OCI) programs, during which firms conducted in-person screening interviews on campus and then invited selected students for longer callback interviews. This timing allowed students to acclimate to law school, receive two semesters of grades, and begin meaningful career planning. In recent years, however, law firm recruiting has undergone a significant shift. With the rise of virtual interviewing during the COVID-19 pandemic, firms increasingly moved away from a traditional OCI-driven recruitment model and now rely more heavily on earlier, direct engagement with law students.
As some firms now recruit as early as the first semester of law school, stress and pressure have intensified for many students, while others may be entirely excluded — either because they are not informed in time to participate or because they lack access to the resources needed to compete for often-lucrative 2L summer associate positions and postgraduation opportunities.
In collaboration with NALP, the 2025 LSAC Matriculants Survey, administered in October 2025, included a dedicated module examining accelerated law firm recruitment timelines and their effect on the first year law school experience.[2] This joint report is the first of its kind to center the student perspective in the broader conversation about accelerated recruiting, disruptions to the 1L curriculum, and the inequities such practices may perpetuate regarding access to Big Law careers. To examine how accelerated Big Law recruiting timelines are affecting the first-year law school experience, this report focuses on:
- Which employment sectors 1Ls considered before and after starting law school
- Whether and when 1Ls were aware of Big Law recruiting timelines
- How 1Ls learned about Big Law recruitment timelines
- How Big Law recruitment timelines affected 1Ls’ enrollment decisions
- How accelerated Big Law recruiting timelines affected 1Ls’ first-year experience
- How 1Ls are engaging with law school career services offices
Overall, the shift toward earlier law firm recruiting timelines is negatively affecting first year law students and disproportionately benefiting those with greater access to resources, opportunities, and information through their law schools or personal networks. The key insights that follow underscore the need to reevaluate the purpose and effectiveness of early law firm recruiting timelines for employers. They also raise important questions about how these timelines affect first-year law student development and how aspiring law students are guided throughout the application process to pursue opportunities aligned with their professional, academic, and personal goals.
For a summary of key highlights, download our summary sheet, “Accelerated Law Firm Recruiting Timelines: Highlights of What 1L Students Told Us” (PDF, 201 KB).
To learn how you can use these insights, check out our series of audience briefs:
- Law Schools: Supporting 1Ls Amid Accelerated Law Firm Recruiting (PDF, 131 KB)
- Legal Employers: Reflecting on Recruiting Timelines (PDF, 132 KB)
- Supporting Aspiring Law Students Interested in Big Law (PDF, 247 KB)
During a time of uncertainty compounded by these accelerated recruiting timelines, LSAC and NALP will continue to provide data on these trends and collaborate with law schools and other stakeholders to support all aspiring lawyers as they navigate their individual journeys to and into the profession.
To learn more, download the report. If you have any questions related to this project or future work informed by the results, please contact LSAC Applied Research at StrategicResearch@LSAC.org. and NALP’s Research team at research@NALP.org.
[1] In this report, large private firms (i.e., Big Law) are defined as having more than 500 attorneys.
[2] For most 1L respondents, they had just started law school only a few months before receiving the survey.
