The University of Chicago Law School Class of 2018 Forum

[Mack.Hambleton]

intersting thing from that handbook:

only 16% of grads (~34 ppl) worked NY biglaw

last year more grads worked in CA than NY

[Mal Reynolds]

It's hard to overstate how little my class wanted to go to NYC. There are obviously exceptions, especially people from there. But mostly people wanted anywhere but NYC.

[LawBron James]

It's hard to overstate how little my class wanted to go to NYC. There are obviously exceptions, especially people from there. But mostly people wanted anywhere but NYC.

Was it mainly COL and sweatshop reputation concerns?

[Mal Reynolds]

Those were definitely concerns. It just seemed like people preferred other cities also. As between Chicago and NYC, or California and NYC, I noticed the balance tipped away from NYC more often than not. Now this doesn't mean that people won't be going there. People with very specific work goals, or family/friends in NYC were happy to choose some of those firms. I know a person going to Wachtell and they will kill it there.

But in the aggregate I know that lots of NYC firms were experiencing very low yield numbers. They even emailed their associates to see if there was anything they could do. Like one V10 had 16 open offers and only one or two acceptances. What this means is that competition for you guys in NYC is pretty low. While this is by no means a guarantee, and you still have to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row before OCI, I am happy I bid some NYC firms as a backup to my primary market for sure.

[musedreverie]

Those were definitely concerns. It just seemed like people preferred other cities also. As between Chicago and NYC, or California and NYC, I noticed the balance tipped away from NYC more often than not. Now this doesn't mean that people won't be going there. People with very specific work goals, or family/friends in NYC were happy to choose some of those firms. I know a person going to Wachtell and they will kill it there.

But in the aggregate I know that lots of NYC firms were experiencing very low yield numbers. They even emailed their associates to see if there was anything they could do. Like one V10 had 16 open offers and only one or two acceptances. What this means is that competition for you guys in NYC is pretty low. While this is by no means a guarantee, and you still have to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row before OCI, I am happy I bid some NYC firms as a backup to my primary market for sure.

Do you think the low yield from UChi to those law firms may mean that they start an aversion to future Chicago students?

But even for me, I think I will choose California over NYC if I could

[Mal Reynolds]

Those were definitely concerns. It just seemed like people preferred other cities also. As between Chicago and NYC, or California and NYC, I noticed the balance tipped away from NYC more often than not. Now this doesn't mean that people won't be going there. People with very specific work goals, or family/friends in NYC were happy to choose some of those firms. I know a person going to Wachtell and they will kill it there.

But in the aggregate I know that lots of NYC firms were experiencing very low yield numbers. They even emailed their associates to see if there was anything they could do. Like one V10 had 16 open offers and only one or two acceptances. What this means is that competition for you guys in NYC is pretty low. While this is by no means a guarantee, and you still have to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row before OCI, I am happy I bid some NYC firms as a backup to my primary market for sure.

Do you think the low yield from UChi to those law firms may mean that they start an aversion to future Chicago students?

But even for me, I think I will choose California over NYC if I could

If anything their reaction is the opposite-I heard from multiple sources that they really wanted UChicago students. An OCI interviewer at one of the firms I interviewed with told one of his then summer associates he really needed to convince us to come there. But of course asking me to predict the emotions of law firm partners is probably impossible.

[musedreverie]

Do you think the low yield from UChi to those law firms may mean that they start an aversion to future Chicago students?

But even for me, I think I will choose California over NYC if I could

If anything their reaction is the opposite-I heard from multiple sources that they really wanted UChicago students. An OCI interviewer at one of the firms I interviewed with told one of his then summer associates he really needed to convince us to come there. But of course asking me to predict the emotions of law firm partners is probably impossible.

Yeah good point haha

well I guess the low yield means students have other great options to choose aside from the tragic 18-hour-a-day workhouse that is the NYC biglaw; and good on them too!

[Mal Reynolds]

Don't be so quick the write off the hours of non-NYC biglaw.

[musedreverie]

Don't be so quick the write off the hours of non-NYC biglaw.

Oh dear.

[Mal Reynolds]

Shouldn't that be "oh bother."

[EvergreenStateLady]

Shouldn't that be "oh bother."

Lol, I was thinking the same thing and then I scrolled down to see that we were on the same page.

[musedreverie]

Yeah I was beside myself on having my Californian dreams crushed I forgot my catchphrase.

[EvergreenStateLady]

Yeah I was beside myself on having my Californian dreams crushed I forgot my catchphrase.

That's too bad.

At least you got accepted to some great schools, I saw you got into Harvard as well as Chicago. Sounds like you have some great options but I know it's always hard not to get your first choice. I'm certain you'll be happy!

[musedreverie]

Yeah I was beside myself on having my Californian dreams crushed I forgot my catchphrase.

That's too bad.

At least you got accepted to some great schools, I saw you got into Harvard as well as Chicago. Sounds like you have some great options but I know it's always hard not to get your first choice. I'm certain you'll be happy!

Haha yeah... I was kinda talking about the Californian biglaw, not the law school itself, but thanks for the optimistic comment though! And Chicago is definitely my top 3 (all 3 on an equal par); it's such a great school!

(on a related note though, I think my rejection from the only Californian school I applied to is soon due anyway!)

[nejlas]

intersting thing from that handbook:

only 16% of grads (~34 ppl) worked NY biglaw

last year more grads worked in CA than NY

If you read through the thread "current students taking questions" when you read the posts related to OCI, many students only bid at NYC firms as backup, most do not want to attend. Some posters stated it's easy to get in the legal market in NYC from UChicago, so its not a problem... just not desirable.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 4&t=140165

[middlebear]

When did scholly decisions come out last year? Somewhere around the end of February?

[EvergreenStateLady]

Yeah I was beside myself on having my Californian dreams crushed I forgot my catchphrase.

That's too bad.

At least you got accepted to some great schools, I saw you got into Harvard as well as Chicago. Sounds like you have some great options but I know it's always hard not to get your first choice. I'm certain you'll be happy!

Haha yeah... I was kinda talking about the Californian biglaw, not the law school itself, but thanks for the optimistic comment though! And Chicago is definitely my top 3 (all 3 on an equal par); it's such a great school!

(on a related note though, I think my rejection from the only Californian school I applied to is soon due anyway!)

Well UChi and HLS both place a lot of people in California and most of those placements are probably BigLaw jobs - though you can't know how many of those people already had ties to California.
From LST Score Reports
Harvard: California (12.1% of 2013 grads) 2nd most placed state after NY http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/harvard/
University of Chicago: California (16.3% of 2013 grads) 2nd most placed state after Illinois http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/chicago/

You could still get a job in california; you could make contacts with firms that have offices in multiple big cities or meet biglaw people who are friends with people who work in Californian firms or even make law school friends who have ties to California. There are ways to network even if you don't live there. It would suck to have to move for the summer but if you can afford to then get a 2L summer associate job from a Californian firm - plus it might not be too expensive since I heard that you get paid for biglaw summer associateships. It is definitely a hassle to move away and then back over the summer but it's probably worth it if that's where you want to live and work.

[titusandronicus]

Just admitted today! Checking in, would love to be in the midwest.

[03282016]

[antiworldly]

Checking in! Just got the email today, looking forward to visiting for the ASW, but not looking forward to the drive (~11 hrs).

[compass]

When did scholly decisions come out last year? Somewhere around the end of February?

Near then, yeah. Who knows when it'll be this year since things seem to be much more active - two waves in two weeks!

Welcome to the new acceptances!

Checking in! Posting because the admit email said financial aid packages will be emailed in early March.

[hillz]

Hi everyone!

[crookedjaws]

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[03282016]

[ChemEng1642]

Checking in!! Excited!