V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

[Anonymous User]

as a rising 3L with an upcoming callback interview (had a 2L SA and received an offer, and am looking to switch firms mostly for geographic preference), should i expect the callback interview to be any different from when i was doing callbacks for my 2L SA?

[itbdvorm]

From the OCI interviewer/firm perspective: what is the most polite way to decline a callback invite? or is ignoring it/never scheduling it an accepted practice? (I'm just thinking this because we are pretty fungible as candidates at these huge class sizes firms and maybe they don't care?). I am certain from my interactions/personality that I would rather work at a firm I was already offered than a couple of these where I have yet to schedule the CB's.

If you're really not going to take it best to send a polite email declining. Clears the books and helps them plan.

[itbdvorm]

as a rising 3L with an upcoming callback interview (had a 2L SA and received an offer, and am looking to switch firms mostly for geographic preference), should i expect the callback interview to be any different from when i was doing callbacks for my 2L SA?

Might be a little more intense/targeted as to your interests and the fit with the firm, since it's a permanent position and may be for a specific practice group.

[Anonymous User]

First time OCI interviewer here coming in to rant....

Do not underestimate the power of body language. About 1/3 of our schedule, the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table and cradled the portfolio like their life depended on it! It wasn't an autoding, but it sure made it hard to see poise and confidence in the rest of the record.

[Anonymous User]

May have been answered previously in the thread but I don't feel like reading through it. How does your firm view federal district clerkships in flyover districts? Assume the person has pretty good grades/school, but didnt do a 2l SA .

[mephistopheles]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

[itbdvorm]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

wish that was the least questionable behavior I'd ever seen...not even close

As Kramer says, poise counts.

[Anonymous User]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

Yes, it's unconscionable that when we interview for a professional position that the person act professionally.

[Mal Reynolds]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

I don't understand your problem.

[nsideirish]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

I don't understand your problem.

I think (well, hope) that he is saying you got to be kidding that someone would actually do that. Not that the interviewer is shocked that the candidate did it.

[Mal Reynolds]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

I don't understand your problem.

I think (well, hope) that he is saying you got to be kidding that someone would actually do that. Not that the interviewer is shocked that the candidate did it.

Considering his posting history I can assure you that is the wrong interpretation.

[checkers]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

Yes, it's unconscionable that when we interview for a professional position that the person act professionally.

Sure, elbows on the table looks sloppy, but am I underappreciating how big a faux pas this is? Hands on the table are fine right? What about forearms? I never knew people had strong opinions on this sort of thing so I am a little surprised.

[First Offense]

Jesus - just sit up straight.

[Anonymous User]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

[FSK]

To all the interviewers out there:

You should get a big thank you for putting up with law students literally all freaking day.

[mephistopheles]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

because the firm is also managing a relationship with the school, and ocs in particular, not just your special snowflake self

[Anonymous User]

This question has probably already been asked, but quite frankly, this thread is way too long for me to go back and look through while still researching for OCI.

I'm assuming it varies by firm, but is there a general callback-> offer ratio? For my purposes, i'm mainly asking about V10 NY firms coming from a T14 school. Thank you, and for anybody else going through the OCI process right now, good luck.

[foundingfather]

the candidates came in and planted their elbows on the table

you've got to be fucking kidding

Yes, it's unconscionable that when we interview for a professional position that the person act professionally.

Sure, elbows on the table looks sloppy, but am I underappreciating how big a faux pas this is? Hands on the table are fine right? What about forearms? I never knew people had strong opinions on this sort of thing so I am a little surprised.

TCR is to keep your arms pointed straight up in the air throughout the entire interview.

on a more serious note: those of you going through the interview process may benefit from the following video. body language speaks volumes to your interviewer. good luck!

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your ... ho_you_are

tldr: don't clam up

[mephistopheles]

wait, people in this thread are defending putting goddamn elbows on the desk? like what?

the most you do is cross your legs and look comfortable in a grown up environment, not lean forward and make the interviewer(s) feel uncomfortable as fuck, jesus christ

[Anonymous User]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

because the firm is also managing a relationship with the school, and ocs in particular, not just your special snowflake self

Yeah, and everyone knows wasting people's time is a great way to maintain relationships.

[Druid]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

because the firm is also managing a relationship with the school, and ocs in particular, not just your special snowflake self

Yeah, and everyone knows wasting people's time is a great way to maintain relationships.

They don't care about your time. The school gets to know that the firm interviews its students; the firm gets to know that it regularly interviews that school's students. It keeps the gears turning so that when a desirable candidate comes along the exchange can happen fluidly.

[iliketurtles123]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

because the firm is also managing a relationship with the school, and ocs in particular, not just your special snowflake self

Lol I love how getting irked that a firm is wasting your time (and they genuinely are) considers one a "special snowflake"

[hoos89]

Just because you are below a firm's stated grade cutoff does not mean that you have a 0% chance of receiving a callback or an offer.

[mephistopheles]

Why would a firm call you in for a screening if you don't meet the grade cut off? I prepared for my screening thoroughly, but was barely given a chance to speak. It felt like a total waste of time. I walked away feeling depressed.

because the firm is also managing a relationship with the school, and ocs in particular, not just your special snowflake self

Lol I love how getting irked that a firm is wasting your time (and they genuinely are) considers one a "special snowflake"

our brave anon needs to step back and look at the system as a whole, not just his/her/its myopic pov

[itbdvorm]

A few thoughts in no particular order:

1) If you are below our grade cut there are a number of circumstances where we may be forced to interview you. Maybe lottery, maybe partial lottery/pre-select, etc. You know how the day is rough on your end? It's rough on our end too. Why should either of us waste our time? Or even if you are above our grade cut, maybe we have 6 potential callbacks to give out and we know within the first five minutes that you're not going to make it based upon others with whom we've already met. What's the point? You're not going to change my mind.

2) I think someone in another post asked about whether there was a "too late to cancel" time. In my view - no. People are taking valuable time out of their days to meet with you - if there is zero chance you will be accepting an offer at a firm, cancel whenever rather than waste people's time. Recruiting will not care and neither will the lawyers.