Fall 2015 OCI Results Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is it too early for this? Have people decided? Are people still doing CBs? Is the legal market going to crash? What's really going on?

[Anonymous User]

I have super mixed messages from this recruiting season. It seems like in some quarters, it was a tougher year than last year, with tougher performances at some very top schools. On the other hand, some firms have taken larger summer classes, and TLSers from c/o 2017 seem to have done very very well, even from some schools with traditionally lower placement.

[Anonymous User]

I think we're at the point where most firms have given out their initial offers and are just waiting for confirmations and rejections before they offer students on their waitlist. Also, seems like a lot of the same people have 3,4,5 offers and are debating between them, whereas others haven't heard a yes or a no from the firms they CB @ because they're basically on a waiting list. So, people with multiple offers, at least give up the ones you know you aren't going to take!

[Anonymous User]

I'll bite.

School Range: HYS
Market(s): DC, NY, LA
Approximate class rank: top 10%.
Law review: No
Work experience: 2 years banking/consulting/tech
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Clerkships for 2017 and 2018.
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI, 1 email
Callbacks received: 22 (21 OCI, 1 email)
Callbacks accepted: 13
Offers w/vault ranges: 13. Wachtell, MTO, W&C, some top lit boutiques
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 1
Thank-you notes sent: None.

I thought I was a shitty interviewer. It took me at least 10 screeners before I ironed out an acceptable answer for "why this firm/why this location." But clearly that didn't matter, even in the interviews I thought I did terribly in. In most of my interviews the interviewer already presumed I was competent based on my grades/school/clerkships. I have no idea whether I would have done as well at other schools, but right now I'm pretty happy I paid sticker for HYS over schollys elsewhere.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: top 30-40%.
Law review: No
Work experience: 2 years V10 paralegal
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 17 at OCI
Callbacks received: 13
Callbacks accepted: 4
Offers: 3. (two V5, one V20).
Accepted: V5
Thank-you notes sent: None.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: Tier 2
Market(s): CHI
Approximate class rank: top 5%
Law review:Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: 3 years sales
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 14
Callbacks received: 9
Callbacks accepted: 7
Offers: 5
Accepted: V50
Thank-you notes sent: None.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 1

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCNP
Market(s): NYC, Philadelphia
Approximate class rank: bottom 33-49%
Law Review: No, but a Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 yrs in tech sales
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 28 at OCI
Callbacks received: 16 (14 OCI, 2 email)
Callbacks accepted: 8
Offers: 4 (one V30s, two V50, one regional-slightly lower than mkt)
Thank-you notes sent: To the one firm that interviewed me in July.

I don't want to over-generalize but it seems like this year was just as good as last year. Many of the below-median people at my school got together to strategize over bidding, interviewing etc. And every person in my group (there was six of us) has a job by now. There was a couple of sub 3.0 kids who landed market paying jobs as well.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): DC, NY
Approximate class rank: top 10-15%
Law review: Yes
Work experience: 4 years, interesting but non-legal work experience
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Was handling a personal issue that required a lot of attention/energy during OCI.
Screening Interviews: 25
Callbacks received: 10 (0 within V5, 8 within V6-V15, 2 outside of V15)
Callbacks accepted: 5 (V10)
Offers w/vault ranges: 3 (V10)
Thank-you notes sent: 1

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T20
Market(s): NYC, DC
Approximate class rank: 40%
Law Review: No
Work Experience: K-JD
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 13
Callbacks received: 7 (V10, V30, 4 V50, DC V100)
Callbacks accepted: 2
Offers: 1 (V10)
Thank-you notes sent: None

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): CA (NorCal and SoCal), NY
Approximate class rank: ~ top 40%
Law review: No. Secondary journal
Moot Court: No
Work experience: None.
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? Very strong ties to the CA markets I interviewed with including working 1L summer in city I ended up accepting an offer in. Only interviewed with NY firms that gave lots of offers and weren't very grade selective - mostly lower V50.
Screening Interviews: 30 (18 CA, 12 NY)
Callbacks received: 16 (8 CA, 8 NY)
Callbacks accepted: 9 (5 CA, 4 NY)
Offers w/ overall vault ranges: 8 (5 CA: 1 V10, 2 V25, 2 V50. 3 NY: 2 V50. 1 V100)
Thank-you notes sent: None.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 3 screeners

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN transfer
Market(s): NY, TX (Houston)
Approximate class rank: top 15% pre-transfer
Law review: No
Work experience: 5+ years in various industries
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: No
Screening Interviews: 21 at OCI, 1 by phone
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 5 (cancelled 3 after accepting offer)
Offers w/vault ranges: V5, V10, V15, V50
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 1
Thank-you notes sent: None except those sent in response to congratulations emails, of course.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): NYC, two regional markets
Approximate class rank: bottom 40%
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related field
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Had a couple interviews say "I'm sure with your looks you haven't had a problem in OCI" So there's that...
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks received: 13 OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks accepted: 8 OCI; 0 pre-OCI (got an offer before I went on those--they were mid-sized firms)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 1 V5, 1 V10, 1 V20, 3 V50, 1 V20 regional, 1 V70 regional
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 0
Thank-you notes sent: 0

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T30
Market(s): Chicago
Approximate class rank: Top 25%
Law review: Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related fields
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Nope
Screening Interviews: 24ish at OCI; 1 Mass Mail
Callbacks received: 15 or so through OCI; 1 Mass Mailing
Callbacks accepted: 7 (Cancelled 2 after first offer)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: V20, V25, V50, V100
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? Not sure
Thank-you notes sent: 0

[Anonymous User]

School Range: Tier 2
Market(s): NY
Approximate class rank: Top 5%
Law review: LR
Work Experience: 3 years in semi-related industry
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact: No
Screening Interviews: 30 at OCI; 1 Mass Mail
Callbacks received: 20 through OCI; 4 Mass Mailing
Callbacks accepted: 9
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 8 total (2 V5, 1 V10, 2 V20, 3 V40)
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 1
Thank-you notes sent: Did them for first 4 CBs then got lazy after first offer and stopped. Didn't seem to make a difference

[Anonymous User]

School Range: HYS
Market(s): almost all DC with a handful of NYC
Approximate class rank: Top 20%
Law review: LR
Work Experience: K-JD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact: Interesting term-time work experience. 1L SA. Multiple publications.
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI, 3 Mass Mailing
Callbacks received: 12 through OCI; 2 Mass Mailing
Callbacks accepted: 5 (canceled all others)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 3 total (1 DC V5, 1 DC V10, 1 DC V15)
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 2
Thank-you notes sent: No

[Anonymous User]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): Chi, one regional
Approximate class rank: top half (3.4)
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: none
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact:I'm pretty normal and have good conversational skills
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI
Callbacks received: 14 OCI
Callbacks accepted: 5OCI
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 2 V10, 1 top regional in city
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 4
Thank-you notes sent: 0

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Bottom 30%.
Law review: No
Work experience: 2.5 years legal assistant in small firms
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 21 at OCI
Callbacks received: 1 (3, if you count mailing)
Callbacks accepted: 1
Offers: 1
Accepted: V30
Thank-you notes sent: Sent 1.

I pretty much barely came out alive. Grades were shit and my interviewing skills were far from stellar to make up for the grades. I also didn't really get a good number of screeners (18 and picked up 3 that were longshots) for my grades. For those seeking advice from my close-call: mass mail the moment you send out your bids and then contact firms you didn't get a screener with. practice interviewing, and then practice some money, and then practice more after that.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Market(s): NYC
Approximate class rank: Bottom 30%.
Law review: No
Work experience: 2.5 years legal assistant in small firms
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 21 at OCI
Callbacks received: 1 (3, if you count mailing)
Callbacks accepted: 1
Offers: 1
Accepted: V30
Thank-you notes sent: Sent 1.

I pretty much barely came out alive. Grades were shit and my interviewing skills were far from stellar to make up for the grades. I also didn't really get a good number of screeners (18 and picked up 3 that were longshots) for my grades. For those seeking advice from my close-call: mass mail the moment you send out your bids and then contact firms you didn't get a screener with. practice interviewing, and then practice some money, and then practice more after that.

Wow, on the 1/1 callback to offer ratio, congrats!!!

[PPL]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): NYC, two regional markets
Approximate class rank: bottom 40%
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related field
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Had a couple interviews say "I'm sure with your looks you haven't had a problem in OCI" So there's that...
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks received: 13 OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks accepted: 8 OCI; 0 pre-OCI (got an offer before I went on those--they were mid-sized firms)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 1 V5, 1 V10, 1 V20, 3 V50, 1 V20 regional, 1 V70 regional
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 0
Thank-you notes sent: 0

I don't know why people are surprised that looks matter. Better looking people have a much much stronger room presence. And firms have clients they have to put associates in front of...so clearly better looks protect the bottom line.

My looks are polarizing, so I had a very bizarre OCI experience.

[star fox]

MVP as a tier makes no sense btw.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: Tier 2
Market(s): Chi/NYC
Approximate class rank: top 25%
Law review: Yes, Primary
Work experience: 1 year
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 7 screeners OCI, 1 screener via family connect
Callbacks received: 6
Callbacks accepted: 6
Offers: 2 - V50, V100
Accepted: V50
Thank-you notes sent: V50, but only to one person whom I had a good connection with

I think I overachieved my grades, and certainly overachieved my school ranking. Did a lot of networking during the summer before OCI. None of that led to a job, but it certainly made me a better interviewer and gave me a better idea of what I wanted to do. Fellow and future T2 folks: Hustle like hell, connect with alum (UG and law school), and be confident/non-apologetic or dismissive of the school you go to.

[pancakes3]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): NYC, two regional markets
Approximate class rank: bottom 40%
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related field
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Had a couple interviews say "I'm sure with your looks you haven't had a problem in OCI" So there's that...
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks received: 13 OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks accepted: 8 OCI; 0 pre-OCI (got an offer before I went on those--they were mid-sized firms)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 1 V5, 1 V10, 1 V20, 3 V50, 1 V20 regional, 1 V70 regional
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 0
Thank-you notes sent: 0

I don't know why people are surprised that looks matter. Better looking people have a much much stronger room presence. And firms have clients they have to put associates in front of...so clearly better looks protect the bottom line.

My looks are polarizing, so I had a very bizarre OCI experience.

I don't think it's the fact that looks matter intself but rather commenting on it.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): NYC, two regional markets
Approximate class rank: bottom 40%
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related field
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Had a couple interviews say "I'm sure with your looks you haven't had a problem in OCI" So there's that...
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks received: 13 OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks accepted: 8 OCI; 0 pre-OCI (got an offer before I went on those--they were mid-sized firms)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 1 V5, 1 V10, 1 V20, 3 V50, 1 V20 regional, 1 V70 regional
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 0
Thank-you notes sent: 0

I don't know why people are surprised that looks matter. Better looking people have a much much stronger room presence. And firms have clients they have to put associates in front of...so clearly better looks protect the bottom line.

My looks are polarizing, so I had a very bizarre OCI experience.

I don't think it's the fact that looks matter intself but rather commenting on it.

Yeah I'm that anon. It was weird as hell. I got cbs from both those places so it shouldn't matter, but not sure why people think it's okay to do that in a professional setting the first time they meet me

[lavarman84]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): NYC, two regional markets
Approximate class rank: bottom 40%
Law review: No; Secondary Journal
Work Experience: 2 years in non-related field
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact: Had a couple interviews say "I'm sure with your looks you haven't had a problem in OCI" So there's that...
Screening Interviews: 24 at OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks received: 13 OCI; 2 pre-OCI
Callbacks accepted: 8 OCI; 0 pre-OCI (got an offer before I went on those--they were mid-sized firms)
Offers w/ Vault ranges: 7: 1 V5, 1 V10, 1 V20, 3 V50, 1 V20 regional, 1 V70 regional
How many firms just didn't get back to you with a rejection/callback? 0
Thank-you notes sent: 0

I don't know why people are surprised that looks matter. Better looking people have a much much stronger room presence. And firms have clients they have to put associates in front of...so clearly better looks protect the bottom line.

My looks are polarizing, so I had a very bizarre OCI experience.

I don't think it's the fact that looks matter intself but rather commenting on it.

Yeah I'm that anon. It was weird as hell. I got cbs from both those places so it shouldn't matter, but not sure why people think it's okay to do that in a professional setting the first time they meet me

Are you a woman? As a male, I'd find that flattering.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: DCNG
Market(s): Chicago
Approximate class rank: top 30%.
Law review: Yes
Work experience: 3 years
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 12
Callbacks received: 3
Callbacks accepted: 3
Offers w/vault ranges: 1 V20
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: don't know
Thank-you notes sent: all my screeners and 2 of my callbacks