Pre-Law Advising Services Blog – Pre-law news, events, & opportunities every week!

OCI: On-Campus Interviews – Earlier than Ever

What is OCI?

On-Campus Interviews or OCI is a long-established term used to describe the structured process for hiring law students into primarily Big Law firms each year. OCI is a very competitive process, as law firms aim to recruit the highest-achieving students from law schools across the country. Law students who interview through the OCI process hope to secure positions as summer associates at law firms for the summer following their second (2L) year of study. Firms utilize OCI and resulting summer programs to determine which students will receive full-time offers of employment following graduation. Students interested in post-graduation Big Law positions will find those positions largely through the OCI process, which begins well before their final year (3L) of law school.

Alumni Attorney Talk | Jennifer Kuo

Alumni Attorney Talks is a virtual series that aims to provide prospective law students with helpful insights about attending law school and pursuing a legal career. This series features interviews with University of Illinois alumni working in a variety of diverse settings within the legal profession.

Alumni Attorney Talk | Jeff Gaster

Alumni Attorney Talks is a virtual series that aims to provide prospective law students with helpful insights about attending law school and pursuing a legal career. This series features interviews with University of Illinois alumni working in a variety of diverse settings within the legal profession.

Legal Traditions: Part II

As we discussed in Legal Traditions: Part I, many legal traditions can be mysteries to those outside of the legal profession. The American legal system is rooted in common law, which thrives on tradition, utilizing concepts created hundreds of years ago that continue to serve as foundations for the modern system today. While many of these legal traditions are long-standing, they are also often unfamiliar, and there is only so much that courtroom dramas can teach about the actual law! In two parts, we have chosen four legal “traditions” to highlight because of their frequent use in courtrooms and common reference in our news and media. Continue reading below to learn more about the final two in this series: habeas corpus and stare decisis.

Alumni Attorney Talk | Kurt Reitz

Alumni Attorney Talks is a virtual series that aims to provide prospective law students with helpful insights about attending law school and pursuing a legal career. This series features interviews with University of Illinois alumni working in a variety of diverse settings within the legal profession.

Legal Traditions: Part I

Introduction

The legal field can be confusing for many people, and understandably so, it is full of unfamiliar terminology, rules, and traditions. Future lawyers attend law school to study the law, learning about how the legal system operates, developing skills necessary to be successful advocates for their clients, and developing the ability to “think like a lawyer”. The American legal system is rooted in common law, which thrives on tradition, utilizing concepts created hundreds of years ago that continue to serve as foundations for the modern system today. Through our two-part series, we have chosen to briefly explore four legal “traditions” commonly referenced in the news, literature, media, undergraduate classroom, and beyond.

Continue reading below to learn more about the first two in this series: jury trials and due process. We encourage you to start here and explore more about these important tenets of U.S. law!

2025 Pre-Law Wellness Week

Welcome to the second annual Pre-Law Wellness Week! The Pre-Law Advising Services Office is excited to continue the important conversation on Wellness in the Legal Profession. This week, we are going deeper into the importance of sleep and movement as cornerstones for your health and wellness. We will also be sharing helpful tips to help you learn how to build habits to support you as a student and future attorney.

Senior Pre-Law Student Perspectives

Senior pre-law students have experienced so much in their time at the University of Illinois and love to share their perspectives with students in their first semesters of study. There is so much to learn from those who are currently where you see yourself in a few years. Senior students can provide guidance, wisdom, and also caution to avoid the mistakes that they made in the past. Continue reading to gain knowledge from student members of the Pre-Law Advisory Council who graciously shared their experiences as pre-law students.

Fall 2025 – Exploring Gap Year Opportunities

Taking time to explore opportunities before law school can make a meaningful difference in your journey—personally, academically, and professionally. Whether you choose to go “straight through” or take one or more “gap years,” it’s worth considering how extra time and experience might strengthen your application and set you up for long-term success in law school and beyond.

Explore the resources below to help you decide which path is right for you!

Alumni Attorney Talk | Angela Comstock

Alumni Attorney Talks is a virtual series that aims to provide prospective law students with helpful insights about attending law school and pursuing a legal career. This series features interviews with University of Illinois alumni working in a variety of diverse settings within the legal profession.