When a firm says something like B+ average preferred do they mean it? Forum

[Anonymous User]

See title.

Been looking through the OCI list, and there are several firms that say a certain GPA, average grade or rank is "required" or "preferred" but then their own GPA distribution betrays them, a firm that says B+ required has hired a significant amount of B students in the past, for example.

So should I tread lightly on these firms if I don't make their cutoff?

[JonTheMandamus]

It is highly likely that the students that don't meet their GPA requirements make up for it by attending a T6 or maybe T14, depending on what firm you're looking at. So I'd recommend trying to keep that in mind as you bid. If you're at said T6/T14, you have a better shot at it.

[Anonymous User]

What if I am at a T10 but they still posted that grade cutoff specifically, even though they seem to hire a lot of B students? Is it safe to assume that is the description they post for EVERY OCI, and so it's not necessarily tailored to my specific school?

[cookiejar1]

I'd ignore those descriptions. I'm shocked that a firm would even say B+ average preferred. I feel like every firm markets itself as wanting the top 25%-minimum (maybe it's a signaling mechanism or w/e). In reality, there are very few firms with real hard top GPA cut offs and/or LR cut offs and you'll know about this regardless of their little symplicity description.

Besides, why would any firm advertise that they take students from median, like, all the time?

[JusticeHarlan]

A wise and insightful person once wrote:

PSA - when a firm lists its GPA preference and requirements, you should do the following: Ignore them entirely and mother fucking ask career services.

Firms lie through their god damned teeth on those things, and I want to keep harping on it, because it is VERY IMPORTANT TO YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS. The firms are lying or naive or outsourcing their symplicity profiles to India or who knows what, but if you ask a 3 year old with a box of crayons to draw you the cut off for a firm you'll get a better answer than the firm's published cutoff on your OCI software.

Firms aren't consistently high, or consistently low - they're just consistently full of shit. A firm that says "top third required" might hire to median, it might hire from the top 3% without exception, and there's even a remote chance it will hire from the top third. But those pieces of data simply cannot be relied upon at all. Not even in a cursory way. Not for comparison's sake, not when nothing else will do. You need to completely disregard them, and beg/borrow/steal data from career services. Your (and that's the royal 'your' for everyone out their reading in paranoid law student land) career depends on it.

[071816]

See title.

Been looking through the OCI list, and there are several firms that say a certain GPA, average grade or rank is "required" or "preferred" but then their own GPA distribution betrays them, a firm that says B+ required has hired a significant amount of B students in the past, for example.

So should I tread lightly on these firms if I don't make their cutoff?

ask career services for a spreadsheet of average gpa that received offers at each oci firm. they should be able to provide that. then bid accordingly.

[2014]

They absolutely mean it...until they don't because they like a candidate for another reason.

[smallfirmassociate]

A wise and insightful person once wrote:
[a bunch of stuff]

^^^This is generally accurate from my experience. I interviewed with various firms claiming either a "preference" or a "requirement" for, usually, top 33% or top 25%. I didn't have that during OCI. But, you know...lottery system so fuck you; I'm trying to get mine.

Some of those firms brushed me off in the interview, mailed it in, obviously had a red "X" next to my name going in. You'll know. Just say thanks but no thanks, feel free to leave that interview 10-15 minutes into a 30 minute block and use the time to relax and get ready for your next interview.

Some of those firms, however, extended anywhere from a slight glimmer of hope (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5jNnDMfxA) to a full-on honest, legitimate interview as if I met their purported requirement or preference. Game on.

The firm that hired me "required" top 1/3rd and a writing sample. I got in on a lottery interview as, at the time, a bottom 40%er without a writing sample. I mean, I was going to upload a writing sample but then whiskey etc. The managing partner, who graduated with honors from a T-5, seemed to give me a fair shake from the start, whether he intended to or whether he was just too nice of a guy to be mean to me. We got along just great, fast forward through a summer and some years in practice and now I'm a partner with him. He's still an awesome guy, and yes, we still "require" top third and a writing sample at OCI. |

There are no rules. Just go get yours and see what happens.