“Meet the Firms” Networking Event Helps Brooklyn Law School’s 1L Students Navigate Big Law’s Accelerated Recruiting Timeline
A student meets with a recruiter at the Meet the Firms event in March 2025.
The landscape of Big Law recruiting is shifting rapidly, and first-year law students are feeling the effects.
In what many in the legal field describe as an “arms race” to secure top talent sooner and sooner, large law firms are now beginning outreach to first-year students before they even complete their first semester or receive a single grade.
To help students navigate this new reality, Brooklyn Law School’s Career Development Center will host its third annual “Meet the Firms” event on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Forchelli Center. This event typically attracts up to 300 first-year students and will include attorneys from 44 major law firms—the highest level of employer participation since the event began—for an evening of conversation and connection.
“The recruiting timeline continues to move earlier each year, which can make the first semester of law school even more stressful for students,” said Heather Spielmaker, Associate Dean of Career Development. “Our goal is to help students manage that pressure by providing structure, guidance, and early access to employers in a way that supports—not distracts from—their academic success.”
While early recruiting can make an already demanding semester feel even more intense, Spielmaker is hopeful that it may also offer an advantage: students could meet with and impress representatives from major firms before grades become a primary screening factor.
Now in its third year, Meet the Firms has quickly become one of Brooklyn Law’s most popular and impactful networking events. The program—previously held in March—has been moved to November to reflect the significantly earlier recruiting timelines that many large firms have now adopted.
This year’s Meet the Firms features a mix of long-standing employer partners, including Ropes & Gray, Fried Frank, Davis Polk, Latham & Watkins, and Clifford Chance, along with first-time participants such as Hodgson Russ, Milbank, Chapman & Cutler, and Kirkland & Ellis.
“This is our strongest employer turnout yet,” said Val Kapitula, Director of Recruitment and Employer Engagement. “The enthusiasm from firms to connect with Brooklyn Law students continues to grow. Employers consistently tell us how impressed they are by the professionalism and preparation of our 1Ls.”
Students will receive a full list of attending employers and firm representatives prior to the event, allowing them to plan conversations and target their outreach strategically.
In advance of Meet the Firms, the Career Development Center will host an informational webinar on Friday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m.
Students are invited to join the Career Development team for a conversation about the Big Law application process. The session, led by Val Kapitula and Keith Dominguez, senior associate director of career and professional development, will cover how and when to research firms, how to prepare your materials, and tips for success—with time left over for a Q&A.
Big Law firms—typically the largest and most prestigious in the profession—offer some of the highest starting salaries in the legal industry and handle high-stakes corporate work for global clients. They are also known for their demanding work environments, making early exposure and thoughtful exploration essential for students who want to understand what this path entails.
Event Details
Friday, Nov. 7 – Big Law Webinar
1:00 p.m. | Virtual
Tuesday, Nov. 18 – Meet the Firms
6:00–7:30 p.m. | Forchelli Center (205 State St.)
Open to all 1L students – no registration required
For questions, contact Val Kapitula, Director of Recruitment and Employer Engagement, at val.kapitula@brooklaw.edu or 718-780-0327.
Brooklyn Law School thanks the participating firms:
Akin; Alston & Bird; Arnold & Porter; Blank Rome; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; Cahill Gordon & Reindel; Chapman and Cutler LLP; Clifford Chance US LLP; Clyde & Co; Cozen O'Connor; Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP; Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath; Freshfields; Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP; Gibson Dunn; Goodwin; Hodgson Russ; Hunton; Katten Muchin Rosenman; Kelley Drye & Warren LLP; Kirkland & Ellis; Latham & Watkins; Lowenstein Sandler LLP; Mayer Brown LLP; Milbank LLP; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP; Paul, Weiss; Proskauer Rose; Ropes & Gray LLP; Seward & Kissel; Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP; Thompson Coburn LLP; Thompson Hine LLP; Troutman Pepper Locke; Vedder Price; Venable LLP; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; White & Case LLP; Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; and Winston & Strawn LLP.