The Official Chicago Transfer Decision Countdown Forum

[zcc2012]

Just made my decision, I'm taking the plunge. Chicago, here we come.

Yes! Hambone! Makes me wish I weren't an ED transfer so I could have a dramatic moment where I decided my fate.

It's totally overrated. Trust me.

[Hamilton]

It was a moment marked by the realization that I need to pay $1800 to get out of my lease early and take out an additional 13k in student loans for tuition this year.

Hoo-Rah!

[bizen boat]

Hoo-rah indeed. I had to take an additional 25k, and I'm not even 100% sure that will be enough. Hopefully 10k is enough to cover the cost of living.

[sanpiero]

still nothing for me

[TheBigMediocre]

still nothing for me

Sadness for you, sanpiero. Schadenfreude for traydeuce.

[traydeuce]

still nothing for me

Sadness for you, sanpiero. Schadenfreude for traydeuce.

Fair enough, but I think the fact that some have been rejected and some haven't only confirms that the process is ongoing.

[kevzez]

still nothing for me

Sadness for you, sanpiero. Schadenfreude for traydeuce.

Fair enough, but I think the fact that some have been rejected and some haven't only confirms that the process is ongoing.

Yea I think it is ongoing. However, I am really happy to get my conformation e-mail and officially be welcomed to the class of 2012 .

Now is the time where I hope I made at least one of the journals.

[apper123]

dinged yesterday but i submitted after-ish the deadline fwiw

[traydeuce]

Kind of substantiates the view that those of us who haven't heard anything still have a shot. But on second thought, maybe it's time to panic.

[sanpiero]

anyone know when the deposit deadline is for those who have been admitted?

[zcc2012]

7/21

[traydeuce]

sooooooo.... maybe after Wednesday rolls around and they get shafted by half of their admits they'll admit people?

[sanpiero]

sooooooo.... maybe after Wednesday rolls around and they get shafted by half of their admits they'll admit people?

precisely.

[ToTransferOrNot]

They probably stepped out to purchase a few rolls from the local bakery and will return to make more calls soon.

+eleventymillion

Edit: I know I'm late on this, but still. Win.

Also--I look forward to meeting those of you who are joining UChicago. I hate many of you atm because I'm having to spend nearly every spare moment of my time grading journal admissions for CJIL, but I'm looking forward to meeting you nonetheless

[bizen boat]

Now that TToN is back, maybe he could be super helpful and advise those of us who have no idea how best to use our bids at OCI. Or at least advise me I want to work in Chicago; I have ties to Chicago; my previous school was BC. If I just want a SA and am not picky about prestige or the highest salary (but do at least want something that is reasonably likely to lead to an offer), would you have any advice or helpful resources to peruse? I've been trying to do my own research, but I'll come across a firm that seems pretty middle of the road (as in not huge) and it turns out to be a super-selective boutique firm. I know the Vault rankings for Chicago, but that's it.

edit: Just saw TToN's edit and now I feel bad for asking for even more of his time

[ToTransferOrNot]

Now that TToN is back, maybe he could be super helpful and advise those of us who have no idea how best to use our bids at OCI. Or at least advise me I want to work in Chicago; I have ties to Chicago; my previous school was BC. If I just want a SA and am not picky about prestige or the highest salary (but do at least want something that is reasonably likely to lead to an offer), would you have any advice or helpful resources to peruse? I've been trying to do my own research, but I'll come across a firm that seems pretty middle of the road (as in not huge) and it turns out to be a super-selective boutique firm. I know the Vault rankings for Chicago, but that's it.

edit: Just saw TToN's edit and now I feel bad for asking for even more of his time

I epically failed at OCI, I thought everyone knew that? However, it wasn't because my bids were poorly spent--I got interviews with nearly all the firms I cared about interviewing with--I just sucked it up at OCI and only got one callback/offer

Honestly, it is a guessing game. You want to focus on Chicago... put Sidley/Mayer/Skadden/Latham/Winston/Kirkland/Jenner in your top 10. I don't know what to tell you as far as organizing them goes--I had Kirkland 1, Mayer 2, Sidley 3, Winston 4, Skadden 5, Jenner 6.. can't remember much beyond that. I got interviews with every major Chicago firm. There's not much else to say. The smaller lit boutiques don't hire very often.

Beware the Chicago market though. It was godawful last year, and I'm not sure how much better it is now. People who focused on Chicago last year got absolutely destroyed (like I said, I only got one callback, though it turned in to an offer and seems like it might turn in to a offer for post-graduation.) I don't know what to tell you as far as heding your bets on the NY market, though.

[bizen boat]

Haha, I did know about the "epic fail," but thought perhaps you learned something from the experience. While I'm not surprised it had more to do with the economy than your bid strategy, I am mildly disappointed you didn't have an amazing revelation about leet bidding strats. I've thought about NYC, but I've only been to the city twice in my life and feel like I wouldn't interview as well at those firms.

So I guess the followup would be, do you feel there is life after striking out at OCI for U of C students? Obviously the big firms are out, but do you have any sense of Chicago's clout in government, small/mid firms that don't do OCI or any other alternatives to biglaw? My biggest fear is not missing out on the glamor and glitz of biglaw, but rather straight up unemployment.

[traydeuce]

As long as you're taking transfer questions, did any transfers make the Law Review your year? Or was it all Forum/CJIL? I wasn't overly thrilled with my submission but you never know.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Haha, I did know about the "epic fail," but thought perhaps you learned something from the experience. While I'm not surprised it had more to do with the economy than your bid strategy, I am mildly disappointed you didn't have an amazing revelation about leet bidding strats. I've thought about NYC, but I've only been to the city twice in my life and feel like I wouldn't interview as well at those firms.

So I guess the followup would be, do you feel there is life after striking out at OCI for U of C students? Obviously the big firms are out, but do you have any sense of Chicago's clout in government, small/mid firms that don't do OCI or any other alternatives to biglaw? My biggest fear is not missing out on the glamor and glitz of biglaw, but rather straight up unemployment.

You won't have to worry about straight-up unemployment. Chicago has clout everywhere. Some people who struck out managed to land firms in smaller markets, at least one person got a government job, etc. I didn't have to do that search, which I'm thankful for. I expect that OCI this year will be somewhat better than it was last year, anyway.

For what it's worth, New York firms don't expect New York connections. It's New York. They don't understand how anyone sane would want to live/work anywhere else, despite the fact that their city is a steaming pile

No transfers made law review in the write-on competition--though I'm not sure many transfers even tried. I was the only person on any journal for awhile. One person did topic access on to Legal Forum, one person managed to Topic Access on to LAw Review, but it was after the deadline for editorial board consideration (2 others tried and failed). At least one person was accepted to Legal Forum via the write-on competition and declined to join. You probably have a good chance, because everyone likes having someone around who will do a bakery run.

[megaTTTron]

Haha, I did know about the "epic fail," but thought perhaps you learned something from the experience. While I'm not surprised it had more to do with the economy than your bid strategy, I am mildly disappointed you didn't have an amazing revelation about leet bidding strats. I've thought about NYC, but I've only been to the city twice in my life and feel like I wouldn't interview as well at those firms.

So I guess the followup would be, do you feel there is life after striking out at OCI for U of C students? Obviously the big firms are out, but do you have any sense of Chicago's clout in government, small/mid firms that don't do OCI or any other alternatives to biglaw? My biggest fear is not missing out on the glamor and glitz of biglaw, but rather straight up unemployment.

You won't have to worry about straight-up unemployment. Chicago has clout everywhere. Some people who struck out managed to land firms in smaller markets, at least one person got a government job, etc. I didn't have to do that search, which I'm thankful for. I expect that OCI this year will be somewhat better than it was last year, anyway.

For what it's worth, New York firms don't expect New York connections. It's New York. They don't understand how anyone sane would want to live/work anywhere else, despite the fact that their city is a steaming pile

No transfers made law review in the write-on competition--though I'm not sure many transfers even tried. I was the only person on any journal for awhile. One person did topic access on to Legal Forum, one person managed to Topic Access on to LAw Review, but it was after the deadline for editorial board consideration (2 others tried and failed). At least one person was accepted to Legal Forum via the write-on competition and declined to join. You probably have a good chance, because everyone likes having someone around who will do a bakery run.

I am so happy trey is becoming notorious for this on TLS. I was in the room when it happened. Trey is a straight gangster.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Wait, you went to trey's school?

First of all, that bodes really poorly for trey getting in--if I remember correctly, we only had one school who sent two people here last year (Northwestern)--and I might even be remembering that wrong.

But, if he does get in, you realize that you're obligated to point him out, right? During Wine Mess (because I don't really do bar review--it is too far out of the way) optimally.

Also, all of you should join the corporate practicum class. Just sayin'. I need transfer minions, because trannies are >>> the natives when it comes to actually doing work (And yes, those are the technical terms around here, though for some reason, no one in the administrative office seem to agree.)

[traydeuce]

Is it advisable to turn down Legal Forum? Isn't some journal always better than no journal? Georgetown Journal of Law and Modern Critical Race Perspectives aside.

[ToTransferOrNot]

No--I think the person who turned down Legal Forum made a poor choice. I think the logic was that they wanted to Topic Access on to Law Review, so they gambled. I don't think he ended up getting very far in the Topic Access process.

Obviously, CJIL didn't make it rain in OCI, but I imagine that it will help a lot in my clerkship applications (here's hoping anyway--even though I haven't finished my Comment, so my writing sample is godawful). And honestly, given that Mayer only brought on 11 people this year, I probably wouldn't have gotten the gig without the journal. I don't think gambling on Topic Access for Law Review is worth giving up the OCI resume line. Just work hard for the journal, get an ed. board position--and enjoy not having to do the Law Review hell. (Make no mistake about it--the difference in time obligation is HUGE, but there's obviously a prestige difference too.)

[traydeuce]

Topic Access and working on a journal are mutually exclusive in some way? Or do you just not have the time if you're working for a journal?

[ToTransferOrNot]

Topic Access and working on a journal are mutually exclusive in some way? Or do you just not have the time if you're working for a journal?

I'm not sure that you would be allowed to be on both Law Review and a Secondary, but I don't know the school's policy there. I know that you're not allowed to be on both CJIL and Legal Forum. (I was accepted to both and actually considered doing both, but was informed that that isn't allowed.) That said... I honestly don't think anyone in the history of the world would be willing to put themselves through the work of being on two journals, once you know what journal work is like. (Hint: It's the single worst experience of my life.)

... except for a friend of mine at my old school, I guess. Think she's on the ed board on both now, too. Crazy woman.