BigLaw at WUSTL or Illinois? Should this kid Defer? Forum

[Hannibal]

If your definition of a good job is biglaw, then you're pretty much going to be disappointed at all 3 of your schools.

[romothesavior]

FWIW (nothing), I talked to a partner on the hiring committee at Sidley Austin in Chicago at a school function last week and he said they were back to pre-ITE hiring practices.

Really? Wow. I dunno if I believe that, and even if it is true, I doubt it holds for the majority of big firms in Chicago. I just don't see this fall's OCI being drastically better than this past years, but of course, that's just based on gut-feeling. It seems like the hemorrhaging has stopped (better offer rates), but I don't see SA totals skyrocketing for next summer. One can hope though.

[Hannibal]

Eh, the Minnesota Biglaw guy said the same thing, that the larger Minnesota firms are back to a full class this coming OCI.

[romothesavior]

Eh, the Minnesota Biglaw guy said the same thing, that the larger Minnesota firms are back to a full class this coming OCI.

Stop it. You're making me irrationally optimistic about my chances of avoiding debt-pwnage.

[Hannibal]

Eh, the Minnesota Biglaw guy said the same thing, that the larger Minnesota firms are back to a full class this coming OCI.

Stop it. You're making me irrationally optimistic about my chances of avoiding debt-pwnage.

Haha, just remember that you have way more competition since everyone and their mom went to law school for your class. Congrats, still boned.

[stratocophic]

Eh, the Minnesota Biglaw guy said the same thing, that the larger Minnesota firms are back to a full class this coming OCI.

Stop it. You're making me irrationally optimistic about my chances of avoiding debt-pwnage.

Haha, just remember that you have way more competition since everyone and their mom went to law school for your class. Congrats, still boned.

Yeah but they all ended up at TTTs and TTTTs. I don't think the schools we're competing with really increased class sizes. Accordingly, NY TO 190

[09042014]

I think WUSTL and Illinois are solid regional schools, and there are worse things than going on a huge scholly to one of them. On the other hand, for schools of their rank, they seem to underperform on the biglaw market. Probably need to be about top 20% to get the interviews? And then kick ass in the interviews? This is just a guess on my part, but I do know some people at both schools who got burned by the economy.

For what it's worth, I got about $90,000 from WUSTL, didn't apply to UI, but took $75,000 from BU and I couldn't be happier.

Both schools rely on Chicago big law firms. Before ITE that made these schools great regional options. The number of Summer Associates in 2010 (256) was only 31% of what it was in 2008. 2011 will be better, but not hugely. Nobody knows what 2012 will look like.

Anyone applying now will be 2013 SA's. Going to these schools is a pretty large gamble that Chicago will be back to normal by then.

FWIW (nothing), I talked to a partner on the hiring committee at Sidley Austin in Chicago at a school function last week and he said they were back to pre-ITE hiring practices.

Sidley is a top firm. Hopefully the lesser firms will be back. STill very good news. Sidley is probably out of my reach, but it frees up some spots at target firms.

[beachbum]

Eh, the Minnesota Biglaw guy said the same thing, that the larger Minnesota firms are back to a full class this coming OCI.

Stop it. You're making me irrationally optimistic about my chances of avoiding debt-pwnage.

Seriously, you guys better not be playing with my delicate emotions.

(But I hope you're right. That would be incredible.)

[Slevin Kelevra 2011]

Hopefully you get into BC/BU/Fordham. WUSTl and Illinois do not place very well into biglaw according to the National Law Journal's recent study:

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNL ... hbxlogin=1

[JusticeHarlan]

FWIW (nothing), I talked to a partner on the hiring committee at Sidley Austin in Chicago at a school function last week and he said they were back to pre-ITE hiring practices.

Really? Wow. I dunno if I believe that, and even if it is true, I doubt it holds for the majority of big firms in Chicago. I just don't see this fall's OCI being drastically better than this past years, but of course, that's just based on gut-feeling. It seems like the hemorrhaging has stopped (better offer rates), but I don't see SA totals skyrocketing for next summer. One can hope though.

Kirkland, too:

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-gr ... aw-schools

After cutting back some last year, Kirkland's summer class this year will be on par with years prior to the economic downturn. In what amounts to good news for law school students, Primis says his firm has "certainly seen an uptick in corporate activity" both in terms of mergers and acquisition and general commercial litigation work.

Though the way that's worded, it sounds like he's referring to current 2Ls who are SAs this summer?