Legal recruiting has changed dramatically in the past few years, with accelerated and early recruiting timelines becoming the new norm for summer associate hiring. OCI programs are happening earlier. Summer programs overlap with full-scale interview schedules. Students are interviewing while juggling finals. And firms are hiring earlier with less visibility into long-term needs. It’s a high-pressure environment for everyone.
As much as we'd all like clarity about whether these early timelines will continue shifting, the truth is: we don’t know. What we do know is that this is the system we’re all operating within right now. And navigating it successfully requires closer, more transparent collaboration between law firms and law schools than ever before.
Why Stronger Collaboration Matters
Accelerated recruiting creates challenges for students, firms, and schools alike:
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Students must balance academic demands with the intensity of job searching, often under compressed timeframes.
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Firms are simultaneously trying to run summer programs, assess candidates, and plan future hiring—sometimes with limited insight into their long-term needs.
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Law schools must support students through preparation and advising while adjusting OCI timelines, scheduling conflicts, and career services resources.
It’s a lot. And the pace doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In this climate, strong communication and alignment between firms and schools is essential to making the system work.
What Collaboration Looks Like in Practice
While every school and firm will have different needs and approaches, here are some tangible ways partnerships can strengthen the recruiting process:
1. Sync Up on Calendars
One of the biggest sources of conflict during recruiting season is simply calendar chaos. Interviews are scheduled during exams. Summer events clash with firm visits. Deadlines sneak up on students who are already stretched thin.
Firms that proactively check school calendars can avoid scheduling interviews or deadlines during high-stress academic periods. Tools like Flo Recruit’s 1L Tracker and Exam Tracker help firms stay aligned with academic schedules across multiple schools.
On the school side, the more lead time they can provide on key dates—like OCI programs, bid deadlines, and on-campus events—the easier it is for firms to plan in a way that minimizes disruption for students.
2. Make Job Opportunities Clear and Accessible
Students can only apply to what they know about. When firms clearly list open positions—especially early in the cycle—and distribute them through school job boards and platforms like Flo Forward, they make it easier for students to plan, prioritize, and apply confidently. That level of clarity helps ensure students have equitable access to opportunities and reduces last-minute stress.
This is especially important for 1Ls navigating their first experience with legal recruiting. A clearly communicated job posting goes a long way in demystifying the process and giving all students a fair chance.
3. Invest in Early Student Engagement
Relationships don’t start with a callback interview—they start long before. Firms that engage students early build familiarity and trust, especially with 1Ls who may be intimidated by the process.
Offering 1L-friendly events, mock interviews, or informal meetups gives students a chance to practice networking and learn about firms in a low-pressure setting. These efforts not only help students feel more confident but also allow firms to identify promising candidates early and build a pipeline of informed applicants.
Pro tip: 90+ law firms streamline and track student engagement with Flo Recruit Outreach Events, so they can identify top candidates early.
4. Offer Transparent Information
Students today want to make informed decisions about where to apply—and where they’ll thrive. Firms that invest in clear, transparent, and robust online profiles, like those on Flo Forward, help students understand their culture, practice strengths, and values before they hit “submit” on an application.
In a competitive market, that transparency builds trust and helps students find the best fit, which, in turn, benefits firms through stronger matches and longer-term retention.
5. Stay Flexible and Communicative
Early recruiting doesn’t always align with real-time hiring needs. Sometimes a firm finds itself with additional openings for 3Ls or unexpected demand in a particular practice area. Clear communication with schools about these shifts ensures that students and CSOs aren’t left in the dark.
Whether it’s sharing updates about extended deadlines, reopened positions, or alternate timelines, firms that keep schools in the loop can access a broader, more prepared pool of candidates.
Preparing for What’s Next—Together
There’s no magic answer for early recruiting, and it’s unlikely to ever feel entirely seamless, but stronger school-firm collaboration is one area that’s squarely within our control, and the benefits are real. It means less disruption, better access for students, and a smoother, more efficient process for everyone involved.
Law firms and schools are not on opposite sides of the recruiting equation—they’re partners in guiding the next generation of legal talent. By planning early, sharing information clearly, and aligning around the needs of students, we can create a system that works better for all. If you want to learn more about how Flo Forward can help you as a law school or law firm, reach out.
