2012 UVA OGI Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

At what point should one start thinking about declining callbacks? Should I just schedule them much later in the process and then just cancel in the event that I get an offer for which I'm comfortable accepting? I know I'm very fortunate to be in a situation to have to think about this, but I'm just curious what others' thoughts are.

I am so jealous of your predicament.

[Anonymous User]

Who to schedule earlier: Orrick or Wilkie? Both NY, and I'm leaning litigation.

[thesealocust]

Who to schedule earlier: Orrick or Wilkie? Both NY, and I'm leaning litigation.

The one you prefer? Also you might not have an option, big firms frequently present a choice of dates to you which you have limited control over.

[jawsthegreat]

At what point should one start thinking about declining callbacks? Should I just schedule them much later in the process and then just cancel in the event that I get an offer for which I'm comfortable accepting? I know I'm very fortunate to be in a situation to have to think about this, but I'm just curious what others' thoughts are.

I am so jealous of your predicament.

Schedule the ones that you want the most as early as possible/first. Then when those are set up, schedule the others around the schedule you set for your preferred firms. Once you get an offer you'd take, cancel all the callbacks you don't wanna go on.

[desertlaw]

At what point should one start thinking about declining callbacks? Should I just schedule them much later in the process and then just cancel in the event that I get an offer for which I'm comfortable accepting? I know I'm very fortunate to be in a situation to have to think about this, but I'm just curious what others' thoughts are.

I am so jealous of your predicament.

Schedule the ones that you want the most as early as possible/first. Then when those are set up, schedule the others around the schedule you set for your preferred firms. Once you get an offer you'd take, cancel all the callbacks you don't wanna go on.

Also, remember that 2L classes don't matter. And that traveling for free to NYC/DC/LA/Chicago/wherever to get courted by multiple firms is something you'll never get to do again in your life. My advice is to take those callbacks and enjoy them.

[Anonymous User]

No more email dings this evening, please firms, oh please ...

[Anonymous User]

At what point should one start thinking about declining callbacks? Should I just schedule them much later in the process and then just cancel in the event that I get an offer for which I'm comfortable accepting? I know I'm very fortunate to be in a situation to have to think about this, but I'm just curious what others' thoughts are.

I'm in a similar position and taking the same approach. Booking my less preferred at the back end so that I can cancel. Congrats btw. It's a nice problem to have.

[Anonymous User]

No more email dings this evening, please firms, oh please ...

I haven't gotten a single rejection yet (but not many CBs either)

[Anonymous User]

No more email dings this evening, please firms, oh please ...

I haven't gotten a single rejection yet (but not many CBs either)

They range from the poorly formatted (Debevoise) to the separate PDF file (thanks Kasowitz for not putting it in the email body but making me click on the attachment, waiting for it to download, and then hitting me with the ding) to the cloyingly empathetic (Goodwin's "We'll know you'll do wonderfully in your legal career ... but you just weren't good enough for us").

[desertlaw]

No more email dings this evening, please firms, oh please ...

I haven't gotten a single rejection yet (but not many CBs either)

They range from the poorly formatted (Debevoise) to the separate PDF file (thanks Kasowitz for not putting it in the email body but making me click on the attachment, waiting for it to download, and then hitting me with the ding) to the cloyingly empathetic (Goodwin's "We'll know you'll do wonderfully in your legal career ... but you just weren't good enough for us").

When I run a firm, I'm going to make a funny ding e-mail that links to a funny YouTube video about bad breakup-lines or something. Or it'll just be blunt and to the point. I feel like people will at least respect my forthrightness instead of the usual BS that firms give.

[Anonymous User]

No more email dings this evening, please firms, oh please ...

I haven't gotten a single rejection yet (but not many CBs either)

They range from the poorly formatted (Debevoise) to the separate PDF file (thanks Kasowitz for not putting it in the email body but making me click on the attachment, waiting for it to download, and then hitting me with the ding) to the cloyingly empathetic (Goodwin's "We'll know you'll do wonderfully in your legal career ... but you just weren't good enough for us").

I'm doing pretty terribly but found this post amusing

[Anonymous User]

I also feel completely fucked right now. 12 screeners so far and 1 CB. Had a screener in my secondary home market - thought it would be a slam dunk but they sent a chick in from a completely different market to do all the interviews, and I of course haven't heard from her. I know she just wants to recruit for her own market and does not give one fuck past that and so my #1 choice firm accordingly goes out the window. I spend every waking minute staring at my phone or drunk or both, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at this godawful process.

Secondary market firm with ~20 SAs in its home office who sent some non-alum chick from a ~2 SA class in Denver? If so, that really pissed me off too.

[Anonymous User]

When you're calling to ask if firms will split expenses for callbacks, you only have to call one firm that you designate as the coordinating firm and explain the situation, right? Is it rude to not call the other firms' travel reps as well, or is this something that the coordinating firm will usually do ahead of time?

[Anonymous User]

When you're calling to ask if firms will split expenses for callbacks, you only have to call one firm that you designate as the coordinating firm and explain the situation, right? Is it rude to not call the other firms' travel reps as well, or is this something that the coordinating firm will usually do ahead of time?

I always called the other firms' travel reps and said that hey, just a heads-up that you'll be splitting my hotel and airfare expenses with another firm. I'm not sure if that's required but I always called in case the host firm never calls them.



But honestly, I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm hoping to muddle out of this at the end of Sept/beginning of Oct with my head still intact, given the numerous ways CSO has articulated that one can piss off a firm.

[5ky]

I don't think I ever bothered to call the non-host firms about it. If I had a trip with callbacks at X, Y and Z, typically I just set up flights and a hotel through firm X, and then submitted all of my receipts to firm X, noting on the NALP form that I also saw firm Y and Z on the trip and let them apportion internally.

[thesealocust]

I don't think I ever bothered to call the non-host firms about it.

+1. With the caveat that this line of reasoning really only applies to interchangable firms (big, NALPy firms that are alll doing OGI and all going to be handling reimbursements in the fall through their recruiting departments). If one of your firms is mid-market, a boutique, etc. you definitely want to check on their policies before just assuming you can sort everything out wit ha NALP form.

But as between Vault firms in major markets, it's completely reasonable to just coordinate travel with one firm then send the reimbursement form in. The NALP form even has lines on it to handle that situation.

[desertlaw]

When you're calling to ask if firms will split expenses for callbacks, you only have to call one firm that you designate as the coordinating firm and explain the situation, right? Is it rude to not call the other firms' travel reps as well, or is this something that the coordinating firm will usually do ahead of time?

I always called the other firms' travel reps and said that hey, just a heads-up that you'll be splitting my hotel and airfare expenses with another firm. I'm not sure if that's required but I always called in case the host firm never calls them.



But honestly, I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm hoping to muddle out of this at the end of Sept/beginning of Oct with my head still intact, given the numerous ways CSO has articulated that one can piss off a firm.

You have good judgment. Just trust it. If you can't handle OGI/firms at this point, maybe BigLaw isn't the right place for you.

[Anonymous User]

I know they're just curious and it's something easy to talk about, but I can't handle all these 1Ls asking me how OGI is going. Make them stop! (hopefully not hypocritical, since I definitely didn't ask anyone about it last year)

[Anonymous User]

Is it possible/acceptable to call and change my flight?

I have callbacks in NY scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday, and originally had a callback in DC scheduled for Wednesday. Then I got another NY callback, scheduled it for Wednesday and moved my DC callback later. Can I call the Monday firm which had originally scheduled my flight for Monday morning/Tuesday evening and ask for an extra night in a hotel and to fly back Wednesday night instead? Or should i just have the Wednesday firm fly me up and back on Wednesday?

[RVP11]

I also feel completely fucked right now. 12 screeners so far and 1 CB. Had a screener in my secondary home market - thought it would be a slam dunk but they sent a chick in from a completely different market to do all the interviews, and I of course haven't heard from her. I know she just wants to recruit for her own market and does not give one fuck past that and so my #1 choice firm accordingly goes out the window. I spend every waking minute staring at my phone or drunk or both, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at this godawful process.

Secondary market firm with ~20 SAs in its home office who sent some non-alum chick from a ~2 SA class in Denver? If so, that really pissed me off too.

Out this firm: is it Faegre or Dorsey?

[thesealocust]

Is it possible/acceptable to call and change my flight?

I have callbacks in NY scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday, and originally had a callback in DC scheduled for Wednesday. Then I got another NY callback, scheduled it for Wednesday and moved my DC callback later. Can I call the Monday firm which had originally scheduled my flight for Monday morning/Tuesday evening and ask for an extra night in a hotel and to fly back Wednesday night instead? Or should i just have the Wednesday firm fly me up and back on Wednesday?

I'd try to change the flight if I were you. I'm not 100% sure, but my guess is the firm will be OK with that.

[Anonymous User]

I also feel completely fucked right now. 12 screeners so far and 1 CB. Had a screener in my secondary home market - thought it would be a slam dunk but they sent a chick in from a completely different market to do all the interviews, and I of course haven't heard from her. I know she just wants to recruit for her own market and does not give one fuck past that and so my #1 choice firm accordingly goes out the window. I spend every waking minute staring at my phone or drunk or both, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at this godawful process.

Secondary market firm with ~20 SAs in its home office who sent some non-alum chick from a ~2 SA class in Denver? If so, that really pissed me off too.

Out this firm: is it Faegre or Dorsey?

Different poster but can confirm it is not Dorsey based on the above information. They sent a male interviewer who is also an alum.

[Anonymous User]

Different poster but can confirm it is not Dorsey based on the above information. They sent a male interviewer who is also an alum.

I think this was the case with both of those firms and several others as well based on info from friends. I believe the official party line is that big midwestern firms with large class sizes don't send interviewers because of the perceived lack of interest UVa kids have to go to those locations. They'd rather go to Cali or Seattle or Denver. I think by sending an interviewer from a satellite coastal or mountain west location is doubly screwing us: First, like the people that wanted to go to Denver or Seattle satellites really had a chance in the first place considering the SA classes are so tiny, and second, the people that actually do want the big midwestern firms with large summer classes get screwed because they aren't able to make as much of a connection to the interviewer from the different office and maybe their applications get lost in the mix because of it. OGI screeners are extremely precious entities and have the power to decide an awful lot. If your interviewer is from a different location, he/she is just on a totally different page to begin with. It's just unfortunate. Anyone in the aforementioned position, keep us posted on CBs, rejections, etc.

[Anonymous User]

How have people found the above scenario to work with bigger east coast cities (say, a DC interviewer for NY or vice-versa)? I'd like to think I still have a shot, but I always worry that the fact an interviewer from that market isn't there means they aren't hiring significantly for that market. Is a partner from DC really going to have a lot of pull when presumably, for instance, partners from the NY office are interviewing at local NY schools?

[Anonymous User]

Other than the 2nd ding, another dead silence day. Sigh...