For the third and final installment of the OCI hiring partner series, we’re focusing on two things we do best here at Bitter Lawyer: manners and looks. Call it our version of casual Friday. For today, we ask one of our favorite questions: do looks matter? And for a dose of hard-hitting journalism, we also ask about thank-you notes. While a small formality, they are a hotly contested subject in the legal landscape. Ask two law students about thank-you notes, and you’ll likely get three opinions, so we made our sources ‘fess up.
Remember, the BigLaw hiring partners we spoke with are so big and phat that not all of them could go on the record. Even though we do not disclose all names, the responses are genuine. Enjoy.
Does a good-looking, well-put-together applicant stand a better chance of acing an interview, or is personal appearance largely irrelevant?
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 150 (New York):
There is a line below which you don’t want to go. But above the line, all things are equal. That said, if you try to make a statement with your wardrobe (like not wearing a suit), that is a mistake. But assuming that you’re dressed well, it doesn’t really matter.
Alex Fugazzi, Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP (Las Vegas):
In the late 1990s, when many firms first started going business casual, many students felt they should only be measured by their intellect, not professional appearance. Today firms can afford to be extremely selective. In fact, with increasing client demands and clients’ general reluctance to pay for ‘immature’ associates working on their cases, firms need to consider whether candidates are immediately presentable to clients. Therefore, yes, well put together applicants stand a better chance of acing an interview.
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 75 (Los Angeles):
If someone looks like a slob, I’ll definitely form a negative impression. But if they’re dressed appropriately, I don’t think it matters much. However, there are always subtle advantages, even if they are unconscious. To some extent that’s human nature—people with a well-put-together appearance tend to be more impressive. But it can also backfire if you take it too far. If someone has obviously worked so hard on their appearance that it’s a focal point of the interview, that’s not a good thing, and their appearance will not be an attribute.
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 125 (Washington, D.C.):
Wear clean, non-flashy business attire, and you’ll be fine. As long as you’re dressed appropriately, I don’t really care.
Andrew Struve, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (Los Angeles):
Personality and presentation matter. But those things reflect differently on different people. It’s really not a question of how you look or how you dress. It’s a question of what you say and do to present yourself with confidence. Appearance isn’t a determinative factor, but a well-dressed person just tends to be someone who better understands that personality and presentation matter. But I’m perfectly happy to hire someone who isn’t the best dresser and doesn’t have the fanciest clothes.
Do thank-you notes matter anymore? Will an email do, or is the whole concept over?
Andrew Struve, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP (Los Angeles):
They do matter. Paper is kind of nice because you don’t see that a lot anymore, but an email is fine too. What matters is the content of the note. If they can show that they actually put effort in to the note, that’s what I like. Did they reference something we talked about? If they’re just writing to satisfy some perceived requirement, that doesn’t really advance the ball. I won’t hold it against them, but it’s not impressive.
Alex Fugazzi, Partner, Snell & Wilmer LLP (Las Vegas):
Handwritten thank-you notes matter, as they are relatively rare, making a candidate stand out. They’re also are more tangible than email. We review the thank you note in addition to the standard resume and cover letter. The person to whom the thank-you note is directed is significant as well. I’ve had several candidates send a thank-you note not just to me, but also to my assistant. Quite frankly, the note to the assistant carries more weight than the note to me or other attorneys who interviewed the candidate.
Anonymous Partner, AmLaw 75 (Los Angeles):
Thank you notes probably don’t matter that much. Email is probably better than a note, though. It gives the recipient (me) an opportunity to respond, and sometimes I do, which is a good thing for the applicant. I never respond to a note.
From the Hiring Partners Tell All Series
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All. Catching an applicant in a lie, favorite interview questions, and what you wish you knew then that you only know now.
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All: Part 2. Hiring partners’ worst interviews, including dealing with cocky name-droppers, admitting to sexism in an interview, and what to do if you bomb the interview in the first five minutes.
- OCI Hiring Partners Tell All: Part 3. Manners and looks. As in, do good looks actually matter? And is the handwritten thank-you note a relic of the 1990’s?