Kourtney James
Kourtney James The BigLaw Blueprint
The BigLaw Blueprint How to Break Into Elite Law Firms Before You Graduate
Recording Available Soon
The BigLaw Blueprint: How to Break Into Elite Law Firms Before You Graduate

This session pulls back the curtain on BigLaw's accelerated and largely misunderstood recruiting process — giving law students the insider roadmap that career services offices don't always have the capacity to provide. Key takeaways include how firms actually evaluate candidates beyond GPA, how to navigate application season and callbacks strategically, and the most common mistakes that cost students offers.

Topics covered include:
Law Students Law Practice Legal Jobs Professional Development
Agenda:
  • Welcome & Introduction
    • Brief overview of the session, presenter background, and why most law students are already behind before 1L orientation begins.

  • Understanding the BigLaw Landscape
    • What BigLaw actually is, how firms are structured, and why the recruiting process moves faster — and earlier — than most students expect.

  • How Firms Actually Evaluate Candidates
    • Beyond GPA and class rank: what recruiters and hiring partners are really looking for, and the criteria that separate callbacks from rejections.

  • Building a Competitive Application
    • Résumés, cover letters, and personal narratives that get attention — and the most common mistakes that cost candidates before anyone picks up the phone.

  • Navigating Interviews, Callbacks & Offers
    • A step-by-step breakdown of the interview process, what to expect at callbacks, and how to handle offers strategically.

  • Your Pre-Application Season Action Plan
    • Concrete steps students can take right now — regardless of year — to position themselves for a competitive BigLaw application.

  • Q&A
Read More ›
Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes
Originally broadcast: May 22, 2026 12:00 PM PT
Recording Available Soon
Speaker
Kourtney James
Kourtney James Founder & CEO
The BigLaw Blueprint

Kourtney James is the founder of The BigLaw Blueprint, a specialized legal career coaching and professional development business dedicated to helping aspiring attorneys break into elite law firms and junior associates thrive once they arrive. With over 20 years of legal industry experience, Kourtney brings a rare 360-degree perspective to legal talent development: she practiced for six years as an associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP, a top-tier international law firm; spent a decade in progressive leadership roles at the University of Houston Law Center's Career Development Office; and most recently managed firmwide diversity recruiting at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, a global AmLaw 50 firm. Read More ›

Watch Related Videos
Leonard Adler
Leonard Adler Green Jobs Network
Accelerate Your Legal Job Search With LinkedIn
Watch Now
CLE
Keisha Stokes-Hough
Keisha Stokes-Hough Southern Poverty Law Center
Skill-Building Strategies for Early Career Attorneys
Watch Now