Vandy OCI Bidlist Critique Forum

[Anonymous User]

Stats: ~30-35%, GPA 3.5ish, Some WE
Ties: Indianapolis, Chicago, Atlanta
Desired Location: Chicago, then the rest, including NY/DC
We have interview fairs for DC, NY, and Chicago, some of the firms opt to do those instead. We also get 35 bids and I think we are on a 50-50% bid/preselect system.

Please help me because I have no idea what I'm doing.

Jones Day (Chicago)
DLA Piper (Chicago)
Simpson Thatcher (NY)
Skadden (NY)
Milibank (NY)
Bryan Cave (Chicago)
hogan lovells (NY)
Dechert (Chicago/NY)
Sheppard Mullin (Chicago/NY)
Perkins Coi (Chicago)
Allen & Overy (NY)
Seward & Kisse (NY)
Alston & Bird (ATL/NY)
Sutherland Asbill (ATL)
King & Spalding (ATL/NY)
Vinson & Elkins (NY)
Ice Miller (Indy)
Nelson Mullsin (ATL)
Taft Stettinius (Indy/Chi)
Arnal Golden Gregory (ATL)
Baker Botts (NY/DC)
McKenna Long & Aldridge (ATL)
Paul Hastings (ATL)
Morris Nichols (DE)
Smith Gambrell & Russell (ATL)
Baker Donelson (ATL/NASH)
Troutman Sanders (ATL)
Harris Whilshire (DC)
Bingham Greenebaum (Indy)
Burr & Forman (ATL)
Bass Berry Sims (Nash)
Butler Snow (Nash)
Bradley Arant (Nash)
Dickinson Wright (Nash)
Sites & Harbison (Nash)

[Anonymous User]

Simpson skadden that high? Its a reach for me same rank t14.

[Anonymous User]

Like I said, I have no idea what i'm doing in terms of ranking reaches and stuff. I just know they have big classes so it made sense giving myself the best shot at getting a CB

[Anonymous User]

On my phone so this is a bit jumbled. Also, I'm a rising 2L in the same spot as you, so take it for what it's worth:

I don't think you can bid both King & Spalding schedules. NYC is the safer bet between the two with a 3.5, although you're more likely to get a screener with ATL because of the larger schedule

Bryan cave probably doesn't need to be that high since they have so many slots

McKenna is probably a wasted bid that low with so few slots

Why didn't you bid Foley? Their CHI office is pretty big I thought

I would bid Allen & Overy higher than Simpson and Skadden. The latter are reaches, while Allen is more likely to give you a cb. Since Alen is less selective, I would think more people would bid them. With your current list you'll likely get a screener at one or both of Simpson/Skadden, not get a cb at either, and miss a potentially more lucrative screener with Allen. Edit: or maybe not, since there is a huge difference in SA class size. I don't know. Hard choice.

Bid Milbank a bit lower. They have more slots than the other NYC firms.

Bid the Indy firms at the bottom. They'll probably preselect you with ties and if you want Indy you'll need to mass mail anyway.

Those Nashville bids at the bottom are likely wasted that low (maybe just Bass and Bradley)

You probably can move Perkins down a tad

When I get to a computer I can add more.

[Anonymous User]

On my phone so this is a bit jumbled. Also, I'm a rising 2L in the same spot as you, so take it for what it's worth:

I don't think you can bid both King & Spalding schedules. NYC is the safer bet between the two with a 3.5, although you're more likely to get a screener with ATL because of the larger schedule

Bryan cave probably doesn't need to be that high since they have so many slots

McKenna is probably a wasted bid that low with so few slots

Why didn't you bid Foley? Their CHI office is pretty big I thought

I would bid Allen & Overy higher than Simpson and Skadden. The latter are reaches, while Allen is more likely to give you a cb. Since Alen is less selective, I would think more people would bid them. With your current list you'll likely get a screener at one or both of Simpson/Skadden, not get a cb at either, and miss a potentially more lucrative screener with Allen.

Bid Milbank a bit lower. They have more slots than the other NYC firms.

Bid the Indy firms at the bottom. They'll probably preselect you with ties and if you want Indy you'll need to mass mail anyway.

Those Nashville bids at the bottom are likely wasted that low (maybe just Bass and Bradley)

You probably can move Perkins down a tad

When I get to a computer I can add more.

I would appreciate that! Thanks for the input so far though. Foley isn't on there b/c I am interviewing with them at the Chicago interview thing

[Anonymous User]

Where did you get the class rank estimate for your 3.5ish? I thought median was like 3.2?

[Anonymous User]

Where did you get the class rank estimate for your 3.5ish? I thought median was like 3.2?

I based it off a 3.3, which is what I though it was, especially seeing the Deans list cut-offs

[Anonymous User]

I think your percentage estimate is probably pretty close, fwiw, given the recent data.

[Anonymous User]

stuff.

I would appreciate that! Thanks for the input so far though. Foley isn't on there b/c I am interviewing with them at the Chicago interview thing

Same anon. More stuff:

Morris Nichols seems like a throwaway bid. Is there something else you can put there or are you really interested in working in DE?

I'm assuming Latham isn't on there because you're interviewing with them at the job fair. If not, I'd put them in instead of Morris.

Sheppard Mullin has 20 lawyers in Chicago and 57 in NYC. That bid is basically wasted if you're targeting those offices. I would probably move it below Seward, go for the DC office, or bid on another firm instead.

Burr and Forman is likely a wasted bid that low.

[Anonymous User]

Stats: ~30-35%, GPA 3.5ish, Some WE
Ties: Indianapolis, Chicago, Atlanta
Desired Location: Chicago, then the rest, including NY/DC
We have interview fairs for DC, NY, and Chicago, some of the firms opt to do those instead. We also get 35 bids and I think we are on a 50-50% bid/preselect system.

Please help me because I have no idea what I'm doing.

Jones Day (Chicago)
DLA Piper (Chicago)
Simpson Thatcher (NY)
Skadden (NY)
Milibank (NY)
Bryan Cave (Chicago)
Hogan Lovells (NY)
Dechert (Chicago/NY)
Sheppard Mullin (Chicago/NY)
Perkins Coi (Chicago)
Allen & Overy (NY)
Seward & Kisse (NY)
Alston & Bird (ATL/NY)
Sutherland Asbill (ATL)
King & Spalding (ATL/NY)
Vinson & Elkins (NY)
Ice Miller (Indy)
Nelson Mullsin (ATL)
Taft Stettinius (Indy/Chi)
Arnal Golden Gregory (ATL)
Baker Botts (NY/DC)
McKenna Long & Aldridge (ATL)
Paul Hastings (ATL)
Morris Nichols (DE)
Smith Gambrell & Russell (ATL)
Baker Donelson (ATL/NASH)
Troutman Sanders (ATL)
Harris Whilshire (DC)
Bingham Greenebaum (Indy)
Burr & Forman (ATL)
Bass Berry Sims (Nash)
Butler Snow (Nash)
Bradley Arant (Nash)
Dickinson Wright (Nash)
Sites & Harbison (Nash)

You BABC and Bass bids are likely wasted. BABC only had one new 2L this summer, the rest were returning 1Ls. Bass is huge on ties (as are most Nashville/Southern firms).

[Anonymous User]

You BABC and Bass bids are likely wasted. BABC only had one new 2L this summer, the rest were returning 1Ls. Bass is huge on ties (as are most Nashville/Southern firms).

Not op

For Bass, can high grades + LR overcome lack of ties? Genuinely interested in Nashville, but no ties to the city. Didn't work in Nashville 1L because I didn't get any offers there. I can talk intelligently about why Nashville makes more sense than other southern markets because of specific practice area interests.

[Anonymous User]

You BABC and Bass bids are likely wasted. BABC only had one new 2L this summer, the rest were returning 1Ls. Bass is huge on ties (as are most Nashville/Southern firms).

Not op

For Bass, can high grades + LR overcome lack of ties? Genuinely interested in Nashville, but no ties to the city. Didn't work in Nashville 1L because I didn't get any offers there. I can talk intelligently about why Nashville makes more sense than other southern markets because of specific practice area interests.

I think it's possible. There are a few people who have been able to do this in years prior (ex. healthcare law interest/experience).

I think it's moot if you're "sooo interested" and bid it last for OCI.

[baal hadad]

Nash firms that low are wasted bids

You gotta bid em high if you want interviews, like your top slots

[baal hadad]

Also keep in mind the lottery really only matters for the fist 1-8 bids or so

Everything else unless you bid quaternary markets you're looking for a preselect and it doesn't matter that much

[baal hadad]

W atl ties move all the atl firms to the mid and hope for preselect. Use top 1-9 bids on chi and NYC. The fewer spots the more likely you need to bid it high