NU OCI 2013/The Great Jerb Hunt Forum

[Bumi]

I'm dying here..... sitting on about a hundred letters to firms in 3 markets that I can't send out now because it's too early.......I don't think I can make it until July.

If you are this keyed up to get going, that means you've been networking, right?

[lgleye]

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[Icculus]

I'm dying here..... sitting on about a hundred letters to firms in 3 markets that I can't send out now because it's too early.......I don't think I can make it until July.

If you are this keyed up to get going, that means you've been networking, right?

Sorta.... so far, I've emailed about 20-30 emails to alumni in the 7 or 8 firms I'm targeting, trying to focus on recent graduates, especially if I am lucky to find some in my 2-3 practice areas. Feedback has been good (about 60-80%), but then again, I'm not sure how much that helps b/c they give me a sentence or two about their work, and that's about all I can think about to ask. It's not like they know a secret password for me to whisper to the screener to get a callback or something, right?.
I mean the wealth of info on NALP, Vault, and Chambers seems to equip me with all the info I need to maintain an intelligent conversation already.
I would appreciate any suggestions.

You should see if you can meet some for a coffee or something, discuss firm life, how they chose their practice, etc. Also, you should be networking at smaller firms as well.

[bk1]

I'm dying here..... sitting on about a hundred letters to firms in 3 markets that I can't send out now because it's too early.......I don't think I can make it until July.

If you are this keyed up to get going, that means you've been networking, right?

Sorta.... so far, I've emailed about 20-30 emails to alumni in the 7 or 8 firms I'm targeting, trying to focus on recent graduates, especially if I am lucky to find some in my 2-3 practice areas. Feedback has been good (about 60-80%), but then again, I'm not sure how much that helps b/c they give me a sentence or two about their work, and that's about all I can think about to ask. It's not like they know a secret password for me to whisper to the screener to get a callback or something, right?.
I mean the wealth of info on NALP, Vault, and Chambers seems to equip me with all the info I need to maintain an intelligent conversation already.
I would appreciate any suggestions.

You should see if you can meet some for a coffee or something, discuss firm life, how they chose their practice, etc. Also, you should be networking at smaller firms as well.

This. Networking should ideally not just be a quick "hey, how does your firm do X?" email but rather you grabbing coffee or lunch with someone.

[Icculus]

You should see if you can meet some for a coffee or something, discuss firm life, how they chose their practice, etc. Also, you should be networking at smaller firms as well.

This. Networking should ideally not just be a quick "hey, how does your firm do X?" email but rather you grabbing coffee or lunch with someone.

I can assure you, lawyers LOVE telling you about their practice, how the chose it, why it's great, but usually in person. Also, every lawyer I have met both at my firm and elsewhere has been happy to talk shop with me. Networking also does not stop when you get a job. I make sure to chat with NU grads at my firm and others I have some connection with (undergrad, target practice area, etc) because those are the kinds of interactions people will remember when you start work and are looking for assignments.

[Kikero]

The callback stats for 2012 OCI are now up, looks like they haven't sent out a notification yet, but you can find the file under the Resources tab in Symplicity.

[LHLH]

The callback stats for 2012 OCI are now up, looks like they haven't sent out a notification yet, but you can find the file under the Resources tab in Symplicity.

Am I the only one who just gets 9 blank pages when I download/view this?

[Fabulist]

It looks like the pdfs themselves are passworded. Any ideas?

[Kikero]

They work just fine for me, you do have to be logged in to Symplicity though. I let my session expire and then tried refreshing and I got an "unauthorized" message. Other than that I don't know why you'd have problems.

[fishfry111]

[

[Kikero]

The callback stats for 2012 OCI are now up, looks like they haven't sent out a notification yet, but you can find the file under the Resources tab in Symplicity.

For some reason, I can't seem to open them. When I click the file, the browser prompts whether to save or open, and doing either results in an error message saying "Acrobat unable to open". Same result for all three callback files, so lucky I have the 009-10 and the 2011 already (anyone needs them, PM me).
Does anybody have a 2012 list actually printed out?

Hmm, is it possible I am able to access it when you can't because I actually have Adobe Acrobat rather than just Adobe Reader? Either way, I'm sure they'll get it fixed though, it might be a case where this isn't the final version or something.

I do have a copy saved to my computer though, that I would be happy to email, if anyone absolutely cannot wait.

[fishfry111]

[.

[franklyscarlet]

The callback stats for 2012 OCI are now up, looks like they haven't sent out a notification yet, but you can find the file under the Resources tab in Symplicity.

For some reason, I can't seem to open them. When I click the file, the browser prompts whether to save or open, and doing either results in an error message saying "Acrobat unable to open". Same result for all three callback files, so lucky I have the 009-10 and the 2011 already (anyone needs them, PM me).
Does anybody have a 2012 list actually printed out?

Hmm, is it possible I am able to access it when you can't because I actually have Adobe Acrobat rather than just Adobe Reader? Either way, I'm sure they'll get it fixed though, it might be a case where this isn't the final version or something.

I do have a copy saved to my computer though, that I would be happy to email, if anyone absolutely cannot wait.

Hey bud, would you mind emailing it to me? I'm out of town and can't get it to download on my iPad.

[Kikero]

@scarlet Sent.

@fishfry I have Acrobat X, but I really don't think that can be it, your error message just made me curious.

[fishfry111]

[

[Bumi]

I remember last year's pdfs were squirrelly too. I could only get them to work some weird way.

Also, I agree with the above about coffee/networking. I remember having phone calls with some lawyers out of town and coffee with ones in town during 1L summer, or even lunch once which was great. You don't have to do this at all, but I just remember being really busy with it so I'm confused about why people are itching for the summer to be over when there's so much to do. I didn't send out 40 emails a week, but I did try to do a coffee or something with someone at a different firm every couple of weeks.

No you don't get a secret password. But you do get great interview practice. You get to know what is special about that firm in a real, person-to-person way which is very helpful when you go into an interview with your 10th firm and they ask you what makes them special. There is a major difference between basing your answer on their website and basing your answer on a person you talked to.

Also, at the beginning of the summer when people asked me why I liked the practice areas I was interested in, I said really stupid things. By the end of the summer my answers were pretty good. This transition happened by attorneys correcting my dumb misconceptions over coffee, not over email where they're too polite to point out things you have wrong.

[Bumi]

If you can't get the pdfs to work, try using Google Chrome. For whatever reason that seems to work for me.

[rinkrat19]

No alumni interview for me. They can't find anyone to do it here.

[cactuarX3]

Just wondering how much importance we should place into the medians on that callback list. Seems like with a 45% response rate, it's not very reliable except for maybe the firms that recruit most heavily out of NU (e.g. Sidley, Kirkland, Latham, etc.) since other firms may have just a few people who did callbacks and out of those few people, maybe only 1 or 2 people responded with their median GPAs. Also, I've noticed some firms having huge discrepancies between their 2011 and 2012 median GPAs for the same firm/office (3.4 medians jumping to 3.9 and vice versa).

Given this concern, should we even put too much weight on this list for our bidding strategies outside of the most popular firms?

[Kikero]

Just wondering how much importance we should place into the medians on that callback list. Seems like with a 45% response rate, it's not very reliable except for maybe the firms that recruit most heavily out of NU (e.g. Sidley, Kirkland, Latham, etc.) since other firms may have just a few people who did callbacks and out of those few people, maybe only 1 or 2 people responded with their median GPAs. Also, I've noticed some firms having huge discrepancies between their 2011 and 2012 median GPAs for the same firm/office (3.4 medians jumping to 3.9 and vice versa).

Given this concern, should we even put too much weight on this list for our bidding strategies outside of the most popular firms?

I'm a rising 2L too, so obviously I'm not an expert, but I would think the data is most useful if you look at multiple years and only use it for general info. If you have a 3.6 and the median at the firm you want is 3.7 for 2012 and it was 3.5 in 2011, I don't think that really tells you anything extremely useful. But if in the past 3 years a firm has never given a callback to someone below a 3.5 and you have a 3.35, maybe don't waste a high bid on that firm.

[crumpetsandtea]

Kikero, could you email it to me too? TYIA <3

[lgleye]

.

[Icculus]

Just wondering how much importance we should place into the medians on that callback list. Seems like with a 45% response rate, it's not very reliable except for maybe the firms that recruit most heavily out of NU (e.g. Sidley, Kirkland, Latham, etc.) since other firms may have just a few people who did callbacks and out of those few people, maybe only 1 or 2 people responded with their median GPAs. Also, I've noticed some firms having huge discrepancies between their 2011 and 2012 median GPAs for the same firm/office (3.4 medians jumping to 3.9 and vice versa).

Given this concern, should we even put too much weight on this list for our bidding strategies outside of the most popular firms?

I'm a rising 2L too, so obviously I'm not an expert, but I would think the data is most useful if you look at multiple years and only use it for general info. If you have a 3.6 and the median at the firm you want is 3.7 for 2012 and it was 3.5 in 2011, I don't think that really tells you anything extremely useful. But if in the past 3 years a firm has never given a callback to someone below a 3.5 and you have a 3.35, maybe don't waste a high bid on that firm.

I would recommend not focussing too much on the median (yes it is good to know, but remember just as many people are above that number as below). The two numbers i felt were most important were the high GPA and low GPA of callbacks since that may give you a general idea of the firm's cutoffs. That said, remember that there can be many reasons for an exceptionally low GPA cutoff (URM, other diversity factors, work experience, etc). But it at least gives you an idea of places you would definitely be out of. And I have said this before and will say it again: LOOK AT CLASS SIZES!! A firm taking on 100 summers is going to often times have more leeway than a firm taking on 20 or 5.

[Icculus]

I remember last year's pdfs were squirrelly too. I could only get them to work some weird way.

Also, I agree with the above about coffee/networking. I remember having phone calls with some lawyers out of town and coffee with ones in town during 1L summer, or even lunch once which was great. You don't have to do this at all, but I just remember being really busy with it so I'm confused about why people are itching for the summer to be over when there's so much to do. I didn't send out 40 emails a week, but I did try to do a coffee or something with someone at a different firm every couple of weeks.

No you don't get a secret password. But you do get great interview practice. You get to know what is special about that firm in a real, person-to-person way which is very helpful when you go into an interview with your 10th firm and they ask you what makes them special. There is a major difference between basing your answer on their website and basing your answer on a person you talked to.

Also, at the beginning of the summer when people asked me why I liked the practice areas I was interested in, I said really stupid things. By the end of the summer my answers were pretty good. This transition happened by attorneys correcting my dumb misconceptions over coffee, not over email where they're too polite to point out things you have wrong.

Thanks. Yeah, the people who emailed back did offer to make themselves available for coffee or to chat. From what you say, I guess the lesson is schedule a meet, chill, and absorb.

Did you decline the invitations? If so, that was a mistake.

[crumpetsandtea]

On this subject - what if an associate doesn't reply to you in a few days? Is TCR to send another email after a week or two, or should you assume that person is a dead end and email someone else from that office?