Post Your Bidlists Here for Critique, Consolation & Caveats Forum

[Anonymous User]

School: HYS
Rank: Top 30-35% (supposedly)
URM: No

All LA unless noted:

1. Gibson Dunn
2. MoFo
3. Irell
4. Sidley
5. Latham
6. Skadden
7. Quinn
8. OMM
9. Jones Day
10. Bingham
11. Kirkland
12. Paul Hastings
13. MoFo SD
14. Latham SD
15. Sheppard Mullin
16. Akin Gump
17. Jenner
18. Winston & Strawn
19. McDermott Will
20. Orrick
21. Proskauer Rose
22. Foley & Lardner
23. Bryan Cave

Targeted Mailings: Manatt Phelps; Reed Smith; Morgan Lewis; some boutique-type places. Did I miss anything (besides MTO, which I think is a waste of a bid)?

Which OMM office: LA or Century City? Same question for Sheppard Mullin.

OP here: both Downtown LA. Also adding Cooley Godward SD and Munger (it's not a waste of a bid if I'm 12 bids short, huh?) to the list. Any thoughts about order?

I grew up in Southern California (not LA, though) if that makes a difference.

[quakeroats]

School: HYS
Rank: Top 30-35% (supposedly)
URM: No

All LA unless noted:

1. Gibson Dunn
2. MoFo
3. Irell
4. Sidley
5. Latham
6. Skadden
7. Quinn
8. OMM
9. Jones Day
10. Bingham
11. Kirkland
12. Paul Hastings
13. MoFo SD
14. Latham SD
15. Sheppard Mullin
16. Akin Gump
17. Jenner
18. Winston & Strawn
19. McDermott Will
20. Orrick
21. Proskauer Rose
22. Foley & Lardner
23. Bryan Cave

Targeted Mailings: Manatt Phelps; Reed Smith; Morgan Lewis; some boutique-type places. Did I miss anything (besides MTO, which I think is a waste of a bid)?

Which OMM office: LA or Century City? Same question for Sheppard Mullin.

OP here: both Downtown LA. Also adding Cooley Godward SD and Munger (it's not a waste of a bid if I'm 12 bids short, huh?) to the list. Any thoughts about order? I grew up in Southern California (not LA, though) if that makes a difference.

Munger is still a waste no matter where you put it. There are a lot of firms your missing.

[Anonymous User]

School: HYS
Rank: Top 30-35% (supposedly)
URM: No

All LA unless noted:

1. Gibson Dunn
2. MoFo
3. Irell
4. Sidley
5. Latham
6. Skadden
7. Quinn
8. OMM
9. Jones Day
10. Bingham
11. Kirkland
12. Paul Hastings
13. MoFo SD
14. Latham SD
15. Sheppard Mullin
16. Akin Gump
17. Jenner
18. Winston & Strawn
19. McDermott Will
20. Orrick
21. Proskauer Rose
22. Foley & Lardner
23. Bryan Cave

Targeted Mailings: Manatt Phelps; Reed Smith; Morgan Lewis; some boutique-type places. Did I miss anything (besides MTO, which I think is a waste of a bid)?

Which OMM office: LA or Century City? Same question for Sheppard Mullin.

OP here: both Downtown LA. Also adding Cooley Godward SD and Munger (it's not a waste of a bid if I'm 12 bids short, huh?) to the list. Any thoughts about order? I grew up in Southern California (not LA, though) if that makes a difference.

Munger is still a waste no matter where you put it. There are a lot of firms your missing.

Want to be more specific? I'd be happy to PM you if you'd rather not out yourself/attach your name to that post.

[Anonymous User]

School: Michigan
GPA: Approximately 3.75
Notes: I'm not decided on corp/lit, but I'm leaning toward lit. All offices are NY unless otherwise stated. I have strong ties to NY and Chicago. I still need to add a few firms.

1) Jones Day
2) Akin Gump
3) Ropes & Gray
4) Sidley Austin
5) Fried Frank
6) Hughes Hubbard
7) Paul Hastings
Kramer Levin
9) MoFo
10) Paul Weiss
11) Cleary Gotlieb
12) Gibson Dunn
13) Weil Gotshal
14) Patterson Belknap
15) Simpson Thacher
16) Debevoise
17) Shearman & Sterling
18) Davis Polk
19) Skadden
20) Sullivan & Cromwell
21) Kirkland (Chicago)
22) Jenner & Block (Chicago)
23) McDermott (Chicago)
24) Winston & Strawn (Chicago)
25) Dewey & Lebeuf
26) hogan lovells

[Anonymous User]

School: Michigan
GPA: Approximately 3.75
Notes: I'm not decided on corp/lit, but I'm leaning toward lit. All offices are NY unless otherwise stated. I have strong ties to NY and Chicago. I still need to add a few firms.

1) Jones Day
2) Akin Gump
3) Ropes & Gray
4) Sidley Austin
5) Fried Frank
6) Hughes Hubbard
7) Paul Hastings
Kramer Levin
9) MoFo
10) Paul Weiss
11) Cleary Gotlieb
12) Gibson Dunn
13) Weil Gotshal
14) Patterson Belknap
15) Simpson Thacher
16) Debevoise
17) Shearman & Sterling
18) Davis Polk
19) Skadden
20) Sullivan & Cromwell
21) Kirkland (Chicago)
22) Jenner & Block (Chicago)
23) McDermott (Chicago)
24) Winston & Strawn (Chicago)
25) Dewey & Lebeuf
26) Hogan Lovells

This is a little too conservative IMO -- I'd put firms like Debevoise/STB/DPW higher. A 3.75 at Mich has to be what, top 5-10%?

[Anonymous User]

Top 10-15% midwest T25

First session (Chicago unless noted)

1. Jenner & Block
2. Jones Day
3. Winston & Strawn
4. Sidley Austin
5. Taft (Indianapolis)
6. Varnum (Grand Rapids)
7. McDermott Will & Emery
8. McGuireWoods
9. Dykema (Grand Rapids)
10. Vedder Price
11. Ungaretti & Harris
12. Paul Hastings
13. Rhodes McKee (Grand Rapids)
14. Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones (Grand Rapids)

Second Session

1. Baker & Daniels (Indianapolis)
2. Barnes & Thornburg (Indianapolis)
3. Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn (Detroit)
4. Frost Brown Todd (Indianapolis)
5. Kirkland
6. Dickinson Wright (Detroit)
7. Drinker Biddle & Reath
8. Bryan Cave
9. K&L Gates

Not this poster but our numbers must be identical and we're definitely at the same school so bumping for great justice

Other anon, what's your bidlist like? And your GPA ~

ND, 3.65. Our bidlists are virtually identical; move around placement of our firms. Not preselect; most students get the interviews they want.

[Anonymous User]

School: Cornell
Gpa: ~3.5

we bid separately on each day of our OCI so here are my 4 days

all firms are NYC other than Perkins which is seattle (I have ties)

Day 1

1. White & Case
2. Schulte Roth & Zabel
3. Strook & Strook & Lavan
4. Proskauer Rose
5. Allen & Overy
6. Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP
7. Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP
8. Seward & Kissel LLP
9. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
10. Winston & Strawn
11. Morrison & Foerester
12. Carter, Ledyard & Milburn LLP
13. Latham & Watkins LLP
14. Foley & Lardner LLP

Day 2

1. brown rudnick llp
2. Crowell & Moring LLP
3. freshfields bruckhaus deringer LLP
4. Willkie Farr & Ghallager
5. Bryan Cave LLP
6. Dechert LLP
7. clifford chance
8. Alston & Bird LLP
9. Dewey & LeBoeuf
10. sidley austin llp
11. Ropes & Gray LLP
12. Shearman & Sterling
13. O'Melveny & MyersJones Day
14. hogan lovells LLP
15. Hahn & Hessen LLP
16. goodwin procter llp
17. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
18. Arnold & Porter LLP
19. Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP

Day 3

1. Linklaters
2. Kaye Scholer LLP
3. Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP
4. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
5. Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
6. Chadbourne & Parke LLP
7. Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
8. Perkins Coie LLP
9. Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
10. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
11. Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
12. blank rome llp
13. Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP
14. Vinson & Elkins LLP
15. Olshan Grundman Frome Rosenzweig & Wolosky
16. Reed Smith LLP
17. fox rothschild llp
18. Sutherland LLP
19. cooley llp

Day 4

1. Curtis Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle
2. nixon peabody llp
3. hodgson russ llp
4. Skadden LLP

[Anonymous User]

School: Michigan
GPA: Approximately 3.75
Notes: I'm not decided on corp/lit, but I'm leaning toward lit. All offices are NY unless otherwise stated. I have strong ties to NY and Chicago. I still need to add a few firms.

1) Jones Day
2) Akin Gump
3) Ropes & Gray
4) Sidley Austin
5) Fried Frank
6) Hughes Hubbard
7) Paul Hastings
Kramer Levin
9) MoFo
10) Paul Weiss
11) Cleary Gotlieb
12) Gibson Dunn
13) Weil Gotshal
14) Patterson Belknap
15) Simpson Thacher
16) Debevoise
17) Shearman & Sterling
18) Davis Polk
19) Skadden
20) Sullivan & Cromwell
21) Kirkland (Chicago)
22) Jenner & Block (Chicago)
23) McDermott (Chicago)
24) Winston & Strawn (Chicago)
25) Dewey & Lebeuf
26) Hogan Lovells

This is a little too conservative IMO -- I'd put firms like Debevoise/STB/DPW higher. A 3.75 at Mich has to be what, top 5-10%?

I'm the anon poster you quoted. I'm guessing it's around top 5%, but I ranked them lower because fewer people will likely bid on them. Also, Debevoise will be interviewing for two days, so I figured there will be more slots available. Do you think this is unwise?

[Anonymous User]

Top 10-15% midwest T25

First session (Chicago unless noted)

1. Jenner & Block
2. Jones Day
3. Winston & Strawn
4. Sidley Austin
5. Taft (Indianapolis)
6. Varnum (Grand Rapids)
7. McDermott Will & Emery
8. McGuireWoods
9. Dykema (Grand Rapids)
10. Vedder Price
11. Ungaretti & Harris
12. Paul Hastings
13. Rhodes McKee (Grand Rapids)
14. Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones (Grand Rapids)

Second Session

1. Baker & Daniels (Indianapolis)
2. Barnes & Thornburg (Indianapolis)
3. Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn (Detroit)
4. Frost Brown Todd (Indianapolis)
5. Kirkland
6. Dickinson Wright (Detroit)
7. Drinker Biddle & Reath
8. Bryan Cave
9. K&L Gates

Not this poster but our numbers must be identical and we're definitely at the same school so bumping for great justice

Other anon, what's your bidlist like? And your GPA ~

ND, 3.65. Our bidlists are virtually identical; move around placement of our firms. Not preselect; most students get the interviews they want.

Yeah nearly exact same GPA. I'm worried that I'm bidding the Chicago V50s too highly. Do you think a lot of people will put Jenner/Jones Day/Sidley/Winston that high or is it safe to move them down a bit?

[Anonymous User]

HYS, ~Top 25%
All Lottery
Interested in Litigation
All Firms are NY unless otherwise specified.

....

I have a few more bids to play around with. Is my list on the conservative end? Can I add more reach firms, and any suggestions for ones to add (trying to avoid lit departments that basically boil down to transactional backup)? I'm open to both NY and DC firms; my preferred location is NY, but DC firms do work that's more in line with what I'd prefer.

Also, W&C is sort of my dream firm, but I don't think I have a shot with my grades and am therefore not wasting a bid. Would law review change that?

Good list, a little on the conservative side. Add Kasowitz if you want lit in NYC. Definitely bid W&C, and bid them high if you want them; your grades are absolutely good enough to "waste" a bid on your dream firm. You definitely have a shot, even without LR (though it's not a great, or even good, shot).

Thanks for your input, appreciate it.

[Anonymous User]

First session (Chicago unless noted)

1. Jenner & Block
2. Jones Day
3. Winston & Strawn
4. Sidley Austin
5. Taft (Indianapolis)
6. Varnum (Grand Rapids)
7. McDermott Will & Emery
8. McGuireWoods
9. Dykema (Grand Rapids)
10. Vedder Price
11. Ungaretti & Harris
12. Paul Hastings
13. Rhodes McKee (Grand Rapids)
14. Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones (Grand Rapids)

Second Session

1. Baker & Daniels (Indianapolis)
2. Barnes & Thornburg (Indianapolis)
3. Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn (Detroit)
4. Frost Brown Todd (Indianapolis)
5. Kirkland
6. Dickinson Wright (Detroit)
7. Drinker Biddle & Reath
8. Bryan Cave
9. K&L Gates

Yeah nearly exact same GPA. I'm worried that I'm bidding the Chicago V50s too highly. Do you think a lot of people will put Jenner/Jones Day/Sidley/Winston that high or is it safe to move them down a bit?

Who knows; we don't know the medians and as a result I have a feeling many with lower gpas may overbid.

Anyone have advice for us? ND/3.65 gpa (fall median was 3.2)

[vamedic03]

School: Michigan
GPA: Approximately 3.75
Notes: I'm not decided on corp/lit, but I'm leaning toward lit. All offices are NY unless otherwise stated. I have strong ties to NY and Chicago. I still need to add a few firms.

1) Jones Day
2) Akin Gump
3) Ropes & Gray
4) Sidley Austin
5) Fried Frank
6) Hughes Hubbard
7) Paul Hastings
Kramer Levin
9) MoFo
10) Paul Weiss
11) Cleary Gotlieb
12) Gibson Dunn
13) Weil Gotshal
14) Patterson Belknap
15) Simpson Thacher
16) Debevoise
17) Shearman & Sterling
18) Davis Polk
19) Skadden
20) Sullivan & Cromwell
21) Kirkland (Chicago)
22) Jenner & Block (Chicago)
23) McDermott (Chicago)
24) Winston & Strawn (Chicago)
25) Dewey & Lebeuf
26) Hogan Lovells

Cravath?

[Anonymous User]

School: HYS
Rank: Top 30-35% (supposedly)
URM: No

All LA unless noted:

1. Gibson Dunn
2. MoFo
3. Irell
4. Sidley
5. Latham
6. Skadden
7. Quinn
8. OMM
9. Jones Day
10. Bingham
11. Kirkland
12. Paul Hastings
13. MoFo SD
14. Latham SD
15. Sheppard Mullin
16. Akin Gump
17. Jenner
18. Winston & Strawn
19. McDermott Will
20. Orrick
21. Proskauer Rose
22. Foley & Lardner
23. Bryan Cave

Targeted Mailings: Manatt Phelps; Reed Smith; Morgan Lewis; some boutique-type places. Did I miss anything (besides MTO, which I think is a waste of a bid)?

Which OMM office: LA or Century City? Same question for Sheppard Mullin.

OP here: both Downtown LA. Also adding Cooley Godward SD and Munger (it's not a waste of a bid if I'm 12 bids short, huh?) to the list. Any thoughts about order?

I grew up in Southern California (not LA, though) if that makes a difference.

It makes no sense that you'd add Munger without adding the Century City offices of both of the firms mentioned above (especially because both love HYS students and you could definitely get both firms with your grades pretty easily).

[Anonymous User]

School: HYS
Rank: Top 30-35% (supposedly)
URM: No

Munger is still a waste no matter where you put it. There are a lot of firms your missing.

This is silly (and wrong). Munger has gone below top third at (my) HYS the last few years. Despite their selectivity they still go down to median (and below, rarely) at HYS if you can convince them you want litigation and they like your drive and personality. I'm talking folks with 2 Hs getting offers.

Top 1/3 at HYS means you aren't wasting bids anywhere. Know where your safeties are (places like MoFo, Gibson, OMM and Quinn should be at the top of your bid list if you want SF), but MTO, Keker, Boies, Covington SF, etc. aren't out of reach.

[Anonymous User]

Between top 40% and top 1/3 at NU. No journal. Trial team member. No business-y previous work experience. Office is in Chicago unless otherwise stated.

1. Winston
2. Katten
3. SNR Denton
4. Jenner
5. Jones
6. Greenberg Traurig
7. Mcdermott
8. DLA
9. Edelson McGuire
10. Drinker Biddle
11. Dorsey (MPLS)
12. Cargill (MPLS)
13. Briggs Morgan (MPLS)
14. Lindquist Vennum
15. Maslon (MPLS)
16. Grey, Plant, Mooty (MPLS)
17. Kikland (lol yeah right)
18. Sidley (lol yeah right)
19. Mayer (again, lol)
20. Alston and Bird (ATL)
21. Dykema Gossett
22. Bryan Cave (ATL)
23. Paul Hastings (ATL)
24. Mayer Brown
25. Swanson, Martin and Bell
26. Quarles and Brady
27. Husch Blackwell
28. K&L Gates
29. Holland and Knight
30. Mcguire Woods


Connections in all the cities mentioned.

[Anonymous User]

19. Mayer (again, lol)
24. Mayer Brown

?

[Anonymous User]

19. Mayer (again, lol)
24. Mayer Brown

?

My bad. 24. swanson martin and bell (no name, not even big law)

[Anonymous User]

19. Mayer (again, lol)
24. Mayer Brown

?

My bad. 24. swanson martin and bell (no name, not even big law)

And I doubled again. God, I suck at this.

[D-hops]

Between top 40% and top 1/3 at NU. No journal. Trial team member. No business-y previous work experience. Office is in Chicago unless otherwise stated.

1. Winston
2. Katten
3. SNR Denton
4. Jenner
5. Jones
6. Greenberg Traurig
7. Mcdermott
8. DLA
9. Edelson McGuire
10. Drinker Biddle
11. Dorsey (MPLS)
12. Cargill (MPLS)
13. Briggs Morgan (MPLS)
14. Lindquist Vennum
15. Maslon (MPLS)
16. Grey, Plant, Mooty (MPLS)
17. Kikland (lol yeah right)
18. Sidley (lol yeah right)
19. Mayer (again, lol)
20. Alston and Bird (ATL)
21. Dykema Gossett
22. Bryan Cave (ATL)
23. Paul Hastings (ATL)
24. Mayer Brown
25. Swanson, Martin and Bell
26. Quarles and Brady
27. Husch Blackwell
28. K&L Gates
29. Holland and Knight
30. Mcguire Woods


Connections in all the cities mentioned.

No Schiff Hardin?

[Anonymous User]

Between top 40% and top 1/3 at NU. No journal. Trial team member. No business-y previous work experience. Office is in Chicago unless otherwise stated.

1. Winston
2. Katten
3. SNR Denton
4. Jenner
5. Jones
6. Greenberg Traurig
7. Mcdermott
8. DLA
9. Edelson McGuire
10. Drinker Biddle
11. Dorsey (MPLS)
12. Cargill (MPLS)
13. Briggs Morgan (MPLS)
14. Lindquist Vennum
15. Maslon (MPLS)
16. Grey, Plant, Mooty (MPLS)
17. Kikland (lol yeah right)
18. Sidley (lol yeah right)
19. Mayer (again, lol)
20. Alston and Bird (ATL)
21. Dykema Gossett
22. Bryan Cave (ATL)
23. Paul Hastings (ATL)
24. Mayer Brown
25. Swanson, Martin and Bell
26. Quarles and Brady
27. Husch Blackwell
28. K&L Gates
29. Holland and Knight
30. Mcguire Woods


Connections in all the cities mentioned.

No Schiff Hardin?

Where would you rank them?

[D-hops]

Between top 40% and top 1/3 at NU. No journal. Trial team member. No business-y previous work experience. Office is in Chicago unless otherwise stated.

1. Winston
2. Katten
3. SNR Denton
4. Jenner
5. Jones
6. Greenberg Traurig
7. Mcdermott
8. DLA
9. Edelson McGuire
10. Drinker Biddle
11. Dorsey (MPLS)
12. Cargill (MPLS)
13. Briggs Morgan (MPLS)
14. Lindquist Vennum
15. Maslon (MPLS)
16. Grey, Plant, Mooty (MPLS)
17. Kikland (lol yeah right)
18. Sidley (lol yeah right)
19. Mayer (again, lol)
20. Alston and Bird (ATL)
21. Dykema Gossett
22. Bryan Cave (ATL)
23. Paul Hastings (ATL)
24. Mayer Brown
25. Swanson, Martin and Bell
26. Quarles and Brady
27. Husch Blackwell
28. K&L Gates
29. Holland and Knight
30. Mcguire Woods


Connections in all the cities mentioned.

No Schiff Hardin?

Where would you rank them?

I think they are similar to the Kirkland / Sidley's in terms of decent size class (though a little smaller) and similar selectivity. I just don't know if the cutoffs are going to scare people away from them or not enough to get those firms at 15-20. A rising 3L might know better though.

[Anonymous User]

I think they are similar to the Kirkland / Sidley's in terms of decent size class (though a little smaller) and similar selectivity. I just don't know if the cutoffs are going to scare people away from them or not enough to get those firms at 15-20. A rising 3L might know better though.

The similar selectivity would seem to seriously hurt my chances there. Couple that with the fact that one of my lowest grades was in a class run by an influential partner there, I guess I'm a bit nervous.

[D-hops]

I think they are similar to the Kirkland / Sidley's in terms of decent size class (though a little smaller) and similar selectivity. I just don't know if the cutoffs are going to scare people away from them or not enough to get those firms at 15-20. A rising 3L might know better though.

The similar selectivity would seem to seriously hurt my chances there. Couple that with the fact that one of my lowest grades was in a class run by an influential partner there, I guess I'm a bit nervous.

On a different note: How many people bid on MPLS from NU? If it is not too many, you may be able to move those down to move up some more popular Chicago firms. E.g. Mayer really sticks out as being unattainable that far down the bid list (at either point you put them).

[Anonymous User]

I think they are similar to the Kirkland / Sidley's in terms of decent size class (though a little smaller) and similar selectivity. I just don't know if the cutoffs are going to scare people away from them or not enough to get those firms at 15-20. A rising 3L might know better though.

The similar selectivity would seem to seriously hurt my chances there. Couple that with the fact that one of my lowest grades was in a class run by an influential partner there, I guess I'm a bit nervous.

On a different note: How many people bid on MPLS from NU? If it is not too many, you may be able to move those down to move up some more popular Chicago firms. E.g. Mayer really sticks out as being unattainable that far down the bid list (at either point you put them).

Per career services, 10-15 range is credited. No idea outside of that.

[Anonymous User]

Top 10% at BC/BU

Our OCI is 70% preselect and 30% lottery so the rankings don't matter all that much so long as my top choices are up top. Many of the top NYC firms will be at our off campus NYC program, so this list is fairly Boston heavy. NY is my focus though so many of the NY firms/offices are close to the top. We get 40 bids, but I've only listed out my top 25

1. Ropes & Gray (NY & Boston)
2. Skadden (NY)
3. Dechert (NY)
4. Jones Day (NY & Boston)
5. Cadwalader (NY)
6. Brown Rudnick (NY & Boston)
7. Arnold & Porter (NY)
8. Weil (Boston)
9. WilmerHale (Boston)
10. Goodwin Procter (Boston)
11. Bingham McCutchen (Boston)
12. Foley Hoag (Boston)
13. Holland & Knight (NY & Boston)
14. Goulston & Storrs (Boston)
15. Edwards Angel (Boston)
16. Mintz Levin (Boston)
17. Nutter McClennen (Boston)
18. Foley Lardner (NY & Boston)
19. Cooley (NY & Boston)
20. Choate (Boston)
21. K & L Gates (Boston)
22. Proskauer Rose (Boston)
23. Skadden (Boston)
24. Nixon Peabody (Boston)
25. Hahn & Hessen (NY)

I just found out today that the lottery is even less important than I thought at my school. Apparently, if you get a certain number of preselects, you aren't awarded ANY lottery slots and are automatically taken out of consideration for the lottery. After speaking with career services and mentioning my rank, they said it is likely that the lottery won't matter all that much for me, since I will likely pass the preselect threshold. Great. Now I don't have agonize over a bidding strategy.