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Grades were all over the place: from B- to A-. Decent background with good personality + Spanish.

Do I have a chance?

Should I even touch firms like Paul Hastings and MoFo?

Also interested in this... Any thoughts TLS world?

Also what about Jones Day?

MoFo is a wasted bid. Jones Day probably is too.

Paul Hastings might be a go. I would bid firms like Seward and Kissel, Cadwalader, Katten Muchin, and K&L Gates (all NYC). Shearman should be about as far as you are reaching.

Also, make sure you are mailing firms in regions that you have a connection to. NYC is up in the air with those grades.

Younger Abstention wrote:MoFo is a wasted bid. Jones Day probably is too.

Paul Hastings might be a go. I would bid firms like Seward and Kissel, Cadwalader, Katten Muchin, and K&L Gates (all NYC). Shearman should be about as far as you are reaching.

Also, make sure you are mailing firms in regions that you have a connection to. NYC is up in the air with those grades.

Thanks.

What about Jones Day's offices in secondary markets where I have ties? Any lowered standards?

How about those Magic Circle firms, given my Spanish skills and willingness to travel?

Anonymous User wrote:

Younger Abstention wrote:MoFo is a wasted bid. Jones Day probably is too.

Paul Hastings might be a go. I would bid firms like Seward and Kissel, Cadwalader, Katten Muchin, and K&L Gates (all NYC). Shearman should be about as far as you are reaching.

Also, make sure you are mailing firms in regions that you have a connection to. NYC is up in the air with those grades.

Thanks.

What about Jones Day's offices in secondary markets where I have ties? Any lowered standards?

How about those Magic Circle firms, given my Spanish skills and willingness to travel?

Probably not, but I'm not an expert on either question. Maybe Freshfields.

Anonymous User wrote:

Younger Abstention wrote:MoFo is a wasted bid. Jones Day probably is too.

Paul Hastings might be a go. I would bid firms like Seward and Kissel, Cadwalader, Katten Muchin, and K&L Gates (all NYC). Shearman should be about as far as you are reaching.

Also, make sure you are mailing firms in regions that you have a connection to. NYC is up in the air with those grades.

Thanks.

What about Jones Day's offices in secondary markets where I have ties? Any lowered standards?

How about those Magic Circle firms, given my Spanish skills and willingness to travel?

Magic Circle as an American w/ median (below?) grades from outside the T10???? Time to adjust the expectations. You're not screwed, by any means, but MC's out.

I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Oh. Sorry. I've no direct or indirect experience w/ MC in NYC. MY BAD. Median at Cornell should be good for Vault in NYC. OP's got little to fret over if he/she interviews well.

MrKappus wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Oh. Sorry. I've no direct or indirect experience w/ MC in NYC. MY BAD. Median at Cornell should be good for Vault in NYC. OP's got little to fret over if he/she interviews well.

Thanks, and yes, I meant the UK ones in NYC.

MrKappus wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Oh. Sorry. I've no direct or indirect experience w/ MC in NYC. MY BAD. Median at Cornell should be good for Vault in NYC. OP's got little to fret over if he/she interviews well.

Median at Cornell is actually a 3.35. Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

danidancer wrote: Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Where'd you get that information?

Anonymous User wrote:

danidancer wrote: Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Where'd you get that information?

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

Anonymous User wrote:

danidancer wrote: Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Where'd you get that information?

Thanks - that's actually very helpful in general!

danidancer wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

danidancer wrote: Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Where'd you get that information?

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

Aren't those numbers from people who did OCI back in 2008? The people who did OCI in 2009's NLJ250 placement is probably going to be in the 40-45% range, and the people who did it in 2010 is probably going to be closer to 50% (although I'm not sure there is enough hard evidence out there for this yet).

And isn't OP's GPA going to put him/her in the bottom third of the class or so? (maybe even bottom quarter?) I find it hard to believe that this translates to a "very decent shot at...biglaw."

danidancer wrote:

MrKappus wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Oh. Sorry. I've no direct or indirect experience w/ MC in NYC. MY BAD. Median at Cornell should be good for Vault in NYC. OP's got little to fret over if he/she interviews well.

Median at Cornell is actually a 3.35. Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Yea but is that median for all students or the 1L class. There's usually a pretty significant difference at most schools between those two numbers. I'd imagine OP is pretty close to median if so.

Moxie wrote:

danidancer wrote:

MrKappus wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Oh. Sorry. I've no direct or indirect experience w/ MC in NYC. MY BAD. Median at Cornell should be good for Vault in NYC. OP's got little to fret over if he/she interviews well.

Median at Cornell is actually a 3.35. Though I still think OP has a very decent shot at NYC biglaw since something like 58% of Cornell's class got NLJ 250 last year.

Yea but is that median for all students or the 1L class. There's usually a pretty significant difference at most schools between those two numbers. I'd imagine OP is pretty close to median if so.

Median for 1Ls at Cornell is at least 3.35. OP is probably bottom 40%.

Helmholtz wrote:Aren't those numbers from people who did OCI back in 2008? The people who did OCI in 2009's NLJ250 placement is probably going to be in the 40-45% range, and the people who did it in 2010 is probably going to be closer to 50% (although I'm not sure there is enough hard evidence out there for this yet).

And isn't OP's GPA going to put him/her in the bottom third of the class or so? (maybe even bottom quarter?) I find it hard to believe that this translates to a "very decent shot at...biglaw."

Yes, these are class of 2010 numbers. But, from what I've heard, median at Cornell apparently did pretty well last year too, and there's no reason to think that will change for the worse this year.

By "very decent" I definitely do not mean guaranteed. Or even more likely than not. But with a good interview and smart bidding strategy, OP DOES have a shot at quite a few of the less prestigious biglaw firms that care more about fit and personality than grades.

danidancer wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Aren't those numbers from people who did OCI back in 2008? The people who did OCI in 2009's NLJ250 placement is probably going to be in the 40-45% range, and the people who did it in 2010 is probably going to be closer to 50% (although I'm not sure there is enough hard evidence out there for this yet).

And isn't OP's GPA going to put him/her in the bottom third of the class or so? (maybe even bottom quarter?) I find it hard to believe that this translates to a "very decent shot at...biglaw."

Yes, these are class of 2010 numbers. But, from what I've heard, median at Cornell apparently did pretty well last year too, and there's no reason to think that will change for the worse this year.

Is OP median? If the median truly is 3.35, then bottom quarter or bottom third sounds more accurate.

Helmholtz wrote:

danidancer wrote:

Helmholtz wrote:Aren't those numbers from people who did OCI back in 2008? The people who did OCI in 2009's NLJ250 placement is probably going to be in the 40-45% range, and the people who did it in 2010 is probably going to be closer to 50% (although I'm not sure there is enough hard evidence out there for this yet).

And isn't OP's GPA going to put him/her in the bottom third of the class or so? (maybe even bottom quarter?) I find it hard to believe that this translates to a "very decent shot at...biglaw."

Yes, these are class of 2010 numbers. But, from what I've heard, median at Cornell apparently did pretty well last year too, and there's no reason to think that will change for the worse this year.

Is OP median? If the median truly is 3.35, then bottom quarter or bottom third sounds more accurate.

We don't know what the median really is - but best guess is 3.35 (and certainly not lower). Best case for OP is probably bottom 40%. Worst case probably bottom 25%.

afghan007 wrote:We don't know what the median really is - but best guess is 3.35 (and certainly not lower). Best case for OP is probably bottom 40%. Worst case probably bottom 25%.

This. Also, all that firms will see is the cut offs for top 10%, top 30%, and target median of 3.35. The "actual" median could be higher or lower, but that would be pure speculation. So yes, OP is below median. How far below is anyone's guess.

Bottom line: it might not be as easy as it is for top 10%/LR students, but below median Cornell students can still get jobs if they hustle.

http://abovethelaw.com/2010/07/biglaw-e ... -a-debate/

86 ppl in class of 2011 got SA, about 40%.

OCI seemed significantly better for class of 2010, but I do not know how much better.

OP, ask career services for the gpa list for firms, they have it. Honestly though, 3.2 seems low even for the boon years. good luck though.

danidancer wrote:

afghan007 wrote:We don't know what the median really is - but best guess is 3.35 (and certainly not lower). Best case for OP is probably bottom 40%. Worst case probably bottom 25%.

This. Also, all that firms will see is the cut offs for top 10%, top 30%, and target median of 3.35. The "actual" median could be higher or lower, but that would be pure speculation. So yes, OP is below median. How far below is anyone's guess.

Bottom line: it might not be as easy as it is for top 10%/LR students, but below median Cornell students can still get jobs if they hustle.

Do we actually know the top 30% cutoff? If you are dean's list both semesters than you know you are in top 30%, but do we know the actual cutoff?

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Aren't linklaters and especially clifford chance the most prestigious and profitable law firms in the world? I get the feeling median will not make the cut. R u basing this on what Career Services says about the firms?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I think he means the london magic circle = mid tier ny big law. MEdian is about right for linklaters and clifford chance at least.

Aren't linklaters and especially clifford chance the most prestigious and profitable law firms in the world? I get the feeling median will not make the cut. R u basing this on what Career Services says about the firms?

The US offices of these firms are not particularly prestigious and will regularly take below median people.