concentrate on class sizes when bidding, not solely selectivity.

A couple of little tips which definitely helped me (the kind of things that won't make the difference for you, but can definitely help get you there):

1.) Get a smart phone. At every callback, there was at least one 15-minute stretch where I was just sitting there waiting for someone. This is the perfect time to poke around the website and take one last look at the bios of the attorneys who will be interviewing you or come up with some kind of interesting question to ask them.

2.) Be conversant in sports. If you're a guy, I think it can actually hurt you not to know anything about spots - being able to shoot the breeze for 10 minutes here and there about the Giants or the 49ers isn't going to get you a job, but it helps to show that you're an affable person and establish that relationship that could lead to you getting an offer. Most, --seriously, over 50%-- of my male interviewers, just started talking sports at one point and it was clearly expected that I could hold up my end of the convo. Fortunately, I enjoy sports so this was no problem. If I replied with "What's a football?" things would have gotten quiet. If you're a woman, I think it can be even more helpful to know something about sports because your interviewer will be pleasantly surprised (I realize that's a bit sexist, but it's also true, so take it fwiw).

I'd say yes, its very important, but you must find a way OUT of the sports convo after some time. I had two screenings where we literally talked about NOTHING expect high school and college football. No CB.

I really fucking hope that isn't needed during the summer. I'll memorize a sport if I have to but I won't be happy about it.

This is especially true if your interviewer went to the same UG as you, and its a school with big sports programs. Happened to me twice at CBs with partners, got offers at both, and my relationship with one resulted in me accepting their offer. Who would have thought sports would be the difference-maker...

Never got a single comment or question about sports.

If they had asked me about sports I definitely would not have struck out

Agreed. If I failed to escape a sports conversation, I didn't get a CB. If I talked about sports ~50% of the time and escaped after, I did get the CB. In short, it feels like a safe topic and typically is. Just don't hold on to it like a life raft.

Back in my day, I had 30 screening interviews and 10 callbacks. Sports were not mentioned once. I'm a guy, by the way.

I got a callback when I spent half of my interview talking about my favorite bars.

I didn't get a callback when the interviewer asked me who my fantasy sleeper pick was this year and I said Kyle Orton. Oh well, I win in the end

echoing nyc here.

i bid entirely chicago....post-bidding, an attorney friend at a top chicago firm told me to run the fuck away, it's going to be slashed so badly. i hustled to pick up 5 or 6 extra NYC interviews, got 2 callbacks in NYC, and an offer. if i would have been cool with chicago, i'd be jumping off a bridge.

Sports conversation CAN be a good way for them to blow you off if you're a weak candidate. However a bit of banter can help establish that you'd fit with the firm culture. Definitely a bad idea to spend the WHOLE interview discussing LeBron though.

+1. I didn't talk about sports once either and I interviewed all in Boston (everyone is obsessed with the Red Sox).

Dunno man....if that's where the conversation goes then you should probably run with it. I literally did spend an entire interview discussing the Heat, and got an offer w/ the firm. It's better to let the conversation flow naturally then cut off the partner mid "but they have no inside game."

You're right too though - in most interviews you should be shooting for a balance. I think the main lesson to take away is BE NATURAL. Let the conversation flow. The interviewer will guide the conversation in that direction if they want more substance.

I'm humored that this thread has devolved into the science of conversation. People are drawing conclusions from their own experiences as if it's definitive advice.

The best advice for OCI interviews (and callbacks): Have a normal conversation. If you have trouble grasping that concept, get off TLS and go buy some books on how to talk like a normal person.

tag.

I love TLS.

I would have any of your children.

Exactly.

EXACTLY. Let the conversation flow.

Meh. Generally yes, sometimes no. I think if you're a strong candidate, sure, just shoot the breeze and show them you're a nice guy. But if you're a weak candidate, you're going to need to sell yourself a little more, which probably involves SOME degree of just BSing about sports but also some measure of hitting ye olde predetermined talking points. It's a balance.

Says the guy who either can't push the proper post button or feels his overbearing advice really MUST be from the ether.

I'm just speaking from the perspective of someone who has been through interviews and has done some recruiting. But if you want to wax poetic about whether to drop LeBron James 10 minutes into the interview rather than 11, be my guest.

Firm? Care to elaborate?

Depends on the market.

For Cleveland I'd recommend 0 minutes. In Miami you could go as high as 12.

Just outted yourself as flame. 8 is clearly TCR.

For the Dallas market, I preferred to get it out there a little sooner. Usually dropped the LeBron reference around five minutes in.