u/Separate_Fun7902

Any 3L heard back from Latham? ;)

I understand that the firm stops sponsoring H1B for its entry level associate starting from this year. But does anyone know if it still sponsors H1B for the international students who they hired as 2026 2L summer associates after they graduate? Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m a rising 3L at a T30 law school, on law journal, with 3+ years of prior legal experience and a 3.5+ GPA. This summer, I’ll be doing commercial litigation work at a midsize firm, but for post-graduate positions I am primarily interested in transactional practice.

I’m starting to prepare for 3L hiring and would really appreciate advice on two questions:

First, timing: I understand that most 3L postings tend to appear around August or September. Is it too early to start networking with firms and practice groups I’m interested in now, or is this a good time to begin making connections before positions are posted?

Second, practice-group strategy: I understand that 3L hiring is often practice-group specific. My strongest interests and background are in capital markets, finance, and restructuring, and I have both work experience and coursework related to these areas. For networking and applications, should I focus on one specific practice group to show a clear interest, or should I apply more broadly across related transactional groups to maximize my chances?

I don’t want to unnecessarily limit my opportunities—because it’s hard to predict which practice groups will actually have 3L openings, but I’m also concerned that applying too broadly may make my interest look unfocused.

I would be grateful for any advice on how to approach 3L networking and applications, both timing-wise and practice-group-wise. Thank you!