Northwestern OCI Forum

[Anonymous User]

Give this a whirl:

~3.54, targeting Chicago transactional work. I felt like adding Mayer/Sidley would be too many reach firms on that top 10 and would block out some firms with lower GPAs that I should target with decent class sizes in Chicago. Any thoughts? Tried to make the list pretty conservative to my knowledge. I thought KE and Skadden would go lower since people say they are hellish

1 Katten
2 Schiff
3 Chapman
4 McDermott
5 Baker & McKenzie
6 K&L
7 DLA Piper
8 Winston
9 Latham
10 Skadden
11 Kirkland

if you actually want Kirkland, it should be 1 on this list without a doubt. Skadden should probably go top 5-7. Also, I would imagine Skadden is tougher to pull than Sidley with that GPA, since I think Sidley is entirely possible with a 3.5x.

[bdubs]

Give this a whirl:

~3.54, targeting Chicago transactional work. I felt like adding Mayer/Sidley would be too many reach firms on that top 10 and would block out some firms with lower GPAs that I should target with decent class sizes in Chicago. Any thoughts? Tried to make the list pretty conservative to my knowledge. I thought KE and Skadden would go lower since people say they are hellish

1 Katten
2 Schiff
3 Chapman
4 McDermott
5 Baker & McKenzie
6 K&L
7 DLA Piper
8 Winston
9 Latham
10 Skadden
11 Kirkland

if you actually want Kirkland, it should be 1 on this list without a doubt. Skadden should probably go top 5-7. Also, I would imagine Skadden is tougher to pull than Sidley with that GPA, since I think Sidley is entirely possible with a 3.5x.

General advice: Do not rank firms in the order in which you think your GPA qualifies you for a shot at getting a CB.

How many bid spots are available for each of those firms?

[homestyle28]

Give this a whirl:

~3.54, targeting Chicago transactional work. I felt like adding Mayer/Sidley would be too many reach firms on that top 10 and would block out some firms with lower GPAs that I should target with decent class sizes in Chicago. Any thoughts? Tried to make the list pretty conservative to my knowledge. I thought KE and Skadden would go lower since people say they are hellish

1 Katten
2 Schiff
3 Chapman
4 McDermott
5 Baker & McKenzie
6 K&L
7 DLA Piper
8 Winston
9 Latham
10 Skadden
11 Kirkland

if you actually want Kirkland, it should be 1 on this list without a doubt. Skadden should probably go top 5-7. Also, I would imagine Skadden is tougher to pull than Sidley with that GPA, since I think Sidley is entirely possible with a 3.5x.

General advice: Do not rank firms in the order in which you think your GPA qualifies you for a shot at getting a CB.

How many bid spots are available for each of those firms?

Pretty confident both KE and Skadden will be gone by then, so you're better off dropping them out completely. I agree with above who said Sidley is prob a better bet than Skadden...I actually thought (without knowing # of slots) your top 5 looks decent.

[M458]

Give this a whirl:

~3.54, targeting Chicago transactional work. I felt like adding Mayer/Sidley would be too many reach firms on that top 10 and would block out some firms with lower GPAs that I should target with decent class sizes in Chicago. Any thoughts? Tried to make the list pretty conservative to my knowledge. I thought KE and Skadden would go lower since people say they are hellish

1 Katten
2 Schiff
3 Chapman
4 McDermott
5 Baker & McKenzie
6 K&L
7 DLA Piper
8 Winston
9 Latham
10 Skadden
11 Kirkland

if you actually want Kirkland, it should be 1 on this list without a doubt. Skadden should probably go top 5-7. Also, I would imagine Skadden is tougher to pull than Sidley with that GPA, since I think Sidley is entirely possible with a 3.5x.

General advice: Do not rank firms in the order in which you think your GPA qualifies you for a shot at getting a CB.

How many bid spots are available for each of those firms?

We don't know yet how many slots are available for each firm; think that will show up when bidding opens in a couple weeks.

[Anonymous User]

1 Katten 14
2 Schiff Harden 32 (firm wide)
3 Chapman 7
4 McDermott 29 (firm wide)
5 Baker & McKenzie 7
6 K&L 15
7 DLA Piper 34 (firm wide)
8 Winston 18
9 Latham 12
10 Skadden 27
11 Kirkland 42

-From NALP

[homestyle28]

1 Katten 14
2 Schiff Harden 32 (firm wide)
3 Chapman 7
4 McDermott 29 (firm wide)
5 Baker & McKenzie 7
6 K&L 15
7 DLA Piper 34 (firm wide)
8 Winston 18
9 Latham 12
10 Skadden 27
11 Kirkland 42

-From NALP

I believe Jones Day Chicago is shooting for 20+ this year, I'd put them in your top 5.

[Anonymous User]

Give this a whirl:

~3.54, targeting Chicago transactional work. I felt like adding Mayer/Sidley would be too many reach firms on that top 10 and would block out some firms with lower GPAs that I should target with decent class sizes in Chicago. Any thoughts? Tried to make the list pretty conservative to my knowledge. I thought KE and Skadden would go lower since people say they are hellish

1 Katten
2 Schiff
3 Chapman
4 McDermott
5 Baker & McKenzie
6 K&L
7 DLA Piper
8 Winston
9 Latham
10 Skadden
11 Kirkland

if you actually want Kirkland, it should be 1 on this list without a doubt. Skadden should probably go top 5-7. Also, I would imagine Skadden is tougher to pull than Sidley with that GPA, since I think Sidley is entirely possible with a 3.5x.

I'm gona disagree with this...I got a KE interview with a much lower bid. Your bidding depends in large part on the # interview slots they have, so make an assessment when that information comes out. In my year, KE had a disproportionately high number of interview slots, so I think I bid them in the 11-15 area and got an interview.

If KE gives 60+ slots, I cannot see why you would bid #1. I'd recommend top 5, and save #1 for a Chi firm with 20 or fewer.

[Anonymous User]

Posted this in last year's OCI thread. Hope it helps:

These posts in past years really helped me out, so hopefully this helps future classes-

19 Interviews, extremely happy with the results.

Got 17 out of the first 20 - DC/NY V100s from semi-selective to very-selective - the only V20 firm I missed in the first 20 bids was Gibson Dunn: bid in the late teens, 20 interview slots, and multiple cities so I knew it was a long shot, but I just didn't want to bid them any higher.

2 elite boutiques in the early 20s

DF's advice earlier in this thread is on point. Pleasantly surprised how late I got a few DC firms.

[cookiejar1]

FYI - interview slots per firm are up on OCI so go crazy!

[bjsesq]

1 Katten 14
2 Schiff Harden 32 (firm wide)
3 Chapman 7
4 McDermott 29 (firm wide)
5 Baker & McKenzie 7
6 K&L 15
7 DLA Piper 34 (firm wide)
8 Winston Fuck Winston
9 Latham 12
10 Skadden 27
11 Kirkland 42

-From NALP

Seems about right

[09042014]

If you have over a 3.5 and looking at chicago, I'd bid K&E and (Sidely OR Mayer).

If you have over 3.6 I'd bid all three in the top three slots.

I know people who didn't even get Sidely at number 2. People know these are hard to get so it's a bidding war.

[cookiejar1]

DF, did the big chicago firms have 80 slots your year? Sidley, KE, and Mayer all have 80 slots - seems like a lot to me.

[09042014]

General rules:

I'd break the firms into 7 groups

Unselective with small number of interview slots

unselective with large number of interview slots

Selective with small number of interview slots

Selective with large number of interview slots

Elite firms - firms with very high GPA requirements - like Covington, Cravath, DPW, etc.

Chicago favorites - K/E, Sid, MB

Non major market firms - Tex., DC, South, Denver, etc. etc. Basically not California, NYC, or Chicago.

If you've got a 3.75 or above, this isn't totally for you since you probably want more elite firms.

Spots 1-5 - Unselective/Small and Popular firms.
5-9 - Unselective/Large
10-14 - selective small
14-18 - selective/ large
18+ Elite and nonmajor. Try to keep DC firms in the top 25, put the ones with big slots earlier so you catch a few.

I wouldn't really waste my time with bids in markets you have no ties like Texas or something. But if you have some ties, you'll get them over 20.

[09042014]

DF, did the big chicago firms have 80 slots your year? Sidley, KE, and Mayer all have 80 slots - seems like a lot to me.

IIRC Sidely and Mayer had less than 80. But I think Sidely was 60.

It's not all that many when you consider how many people bid them. Well over 80 people want Chicago, and they all bid them. And people in the top 20 percent often bid those firms even if aiming for CA or NYC.

They are usually the first firms to fill up. Occasionally a firm like Baker McKenzie fills up because the GPA spread sheet shows them as extremely loose with grades and it has a small class.

If there is some reason you really want an unselective firm with a small slot size, you may want to bid before KE, Sid, MB. But normally you really shouldn't want a firm like that. Just because they take low GPAs doesn't mean it's easy to get an offer.


So in that situation, I wouldn't bid baker mckenzie, and I'd bid some other Chicago firm with 40 slots.

In fact, if all else is equal, there isn't a reason to go with a 20 slot firm.

[lhanvt13]

Tagging along. May need bid advice later. How should I take into consideration the oci callback GPA data given that I'm a transfer?

[09042014]

Tagging along. May need bid advice later. How should I take into consideration the oci callback GPA data given that I'm a transfer?

Bid as if you were still at your old school with old grades.

[lhanvt13]

Tagging along. May need bid advice later. How should I take into consideration the oci callback GPA data given that I'm a transfer?

Bid as if you were still at your old school with old grades.

Gotcha thanks.

[Dr. Filth]

is there any way to figure out how many people some of these firms that aren't on nalp plan on hiring?

[Pokemon]

If there is someone looking for individualized advice with their bid list. They can pm me. I know about east coast bidding.

[Derrrrrp]

Was just admitted as a transfer to Northwestern, trying to decide if i should go.

Are there a fair amount of Cali firms at OCI? Would like to go back but also open to Chicago/East Coast.

[lhanvt13]

Was just admitted as a transfer to Northwestern, trying to decide if i should go.

Are there a fair amount of Cali firms at OCI? Would like to go back but also open to Chicago/East Coast.

Woo! Join the crew. Congrats

[Anonymous User]

3.60.

I would prefer Chicago, but a job is better than this city. This is my first go at this, so let me know if I am headed in the right direction. Interview slots available in parentheses.

Sidley (80)
Mayer (40)
K&L (20)
Jones Day [chi] (40)
Kirkland (80)
Baker McKenzi (20)
McDermott (80)
Jenner (60)
Schiff (80)
Gibson [NYC] (20 combined across offices)
Debevoise (20)
Latham [NYC] (19)
Proskauer [NYC] (20)
White & Case (20)
Simpson (40)
Fried Frank (40)
Wilkie Farr (40)
Skadden [NYC] (120 combined for NYC + Chi)
Paul Weiss (40)
Millbank Tweed (40)

[Cobretti]

3.60.

I would prefer Chicago, but a job is better than this city. This is my first go at this, so let me know if I am headed in the right direction. Interview slots available in parentheses.

Sidley (80)
Mayer (40)
K&L (20)
Jones Day [chi] (40)
Kirkland (80)
Baker McKenzi (20)
McDermott (80)
Jenner (60)
Schiff (80)
Gibson [NYC] (20 combined across offices)
Debevoise (20)
Latham [NYC] (19)
Proskauer [NYC] (20)
White & Case (20)
Simpson (40)
Fried Frank (40)
Wilkie Farr (40)
Skadden [NYC] (120 combined for NYC + Chi)
Paul Weiss (40)
Millbank Tweed (40)

probably not going to get Jenner or Schiff that low I would think. I've heard schiff gets bid pretty aggressively since everyone at median targets them.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a transfer wanting Chi NY or DC
I heard splitting it up like that with multiple markets is a death sentence... How should I target my bids?

My preference is Chi > DC > NY but if it means getting a job, then idc where I end up. I have ties to the midwest and DC. Already have a handful of interviews in DC and another handful in NYC through job fairs.

Maybe useful info: targeting IP Lit - CS/EE
top 1/3 from T1

[zugzwanger]

What do you guys think about the rather large amount of Chicago firms coming to OCI with small class sizes? I'm ending up with room for these firms at after around first 12-15 slots -- would I even land any of these firms that high and if so, do you think it's worth pursuing them if they don't take very many people at all? I was thinking about replacing those mid-teenish/20ish slots with NYC firms since there are so many more with larger class sizes.