Columbia EIP 2016 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Can someone help judge my bid list and also propose any suggestions to filling out the bottom half of it? All are NYC except W&C and Steptoe. Gpa = 3.73. Particularly interested in Kirkland, Debevoise, Cleary, & DPW.

Bid Firm FFB 2015
1 Kirkland & Ellis 1
2 Gibson Dunn 3
3 Debevoise 4
4 Weil 6
5 Clifford Chance/Milbank 6/8
6 Ropes & Gray/WilmerHale 9/9
7 Paul Weiss 11
8 Sullivan and Cromwell 12
9 Cleary 14
10 DPW 15
11 Latham & Watkins 17
12 Covington and Burling 18
13 Fried Frank 16
14 Freshfields 17
15 Williams & Connolly 20
16 Cravath 23
17 Jones Day 24
18 Simpson Thacher 27
19 Wachtell 24
20 Dechert 23
21 Steptoe & Johnson 25
22
23
24
25 Sheppard, Mullin 29
26
27
28
29
30 Sherman & Sterling *

With a GPA that high and looking at NY, I wouldn't lose any sleep over the lower bids. You're going to get offers higher up, and nothing that would interest you would have that low a FFB.

That said, in what kind of law are you interested? I don't see much in common with some of those firms except that they're elite. Ropes & Gray and WilmerHale are very different firms; what attracts you about each of them?

Thanks for your response! Honestly, it probably looks a bit nonsensical because I haven't done enough firm research yet. I'm torn between whether I want to do litigation or corporate which doesn't help. I'm more focused on finding a good fit in terms of the culture of the firm - looking for a more social firm where I'm friends (or at least friendly) with my colleagues than a stuffy firm that keeps work and social life separate.

[Anonymous User]

3.61 GPA, don't know journal yet. I am having trouble filling out the bottom but let me know if this is good or if you have any suggested add ons. Looking for transactional work with emphasis on Securities and Banking.

1. Kirkland
2. Skadden
3. Debevoise
4. White&Case
5. Linklaters
6. Milbank
7. Paul Weiss
8. S&C
9. Cahill
10. Cleary
11. Davis Polk
12. Cadwalder
13. Latham
14. Cooley
15. Freshfields
16 O'Melveny
17
18. Cravath
19. Wachtell
20. Jones Day
21. Simpson
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Sherman
30.

Any suggestions?

[Anonymous User]

Lol at Career Services making us fill out a summer employment survey, halfway through the summer, that's entirely geared toward firms, when the large majority of 1Ls aren't working in the private sector, just to be able to see the list of firms coming to EIP.

[Anonymous User]

3.61 GPA, don't know journal yet. I am having trouble filling out the bottom but let me know if this is good or if you have any suggested add ons. Looking for transactional work with emphasis on Securities and Banking.

1. Kirkland
2. Skadden
3. Debevoise
4. White&Case
5. Linklaters
6. Milbank
7. Paul Weiss
8. S&C
9. Cahill
10. Cleary
11. Davis Polk
12. Cadwalder
13. Latham
14. Cooley
15. Freshfields
16 O'Melveny
17
18. Cravath
19. Wachtell
20. Jones Day
21. Simpson
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Sherman
30.

Any suggestions?

You are cutting it too close for #s 8-11 on your list, which are like your bread and butter. You should not miss an interview with any key NY transactional firms to keep your screener spot with, say, White & Case or Links.

[Anonymous User]

3.61 GPA, don't know journal yet. I am having trouble filling out the bottom but let me know if this is good or if you have any suggested add ons. Looking for transactional work with emphasis on Securities and Banking.

1. Kirkland
2. Skadden
3. Debevoise
4. White&Case
5. Linklaters
6. Milbank
7. Paul Weiss
8. S&C
9. Cahill
10. Cleary
11. Davis Polk
12. Cadwalder
13. Latham
14. Cooley
15. Freshfields
16 O'Melveny
17
18. Cravath
19. Wachtell
20. Jones Day
21. Simpson
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Sherman
30.

Any suggestions?

You are cutting it too close for #s 8-11 on your list, which are like your bread and butter. You should not miss an interview with any key NY transactional firms to keep your screener spot with, say, White & Case or Links.

Really? I hoped 4 places up would be enough. Issue is I just remembered I didn't put in Weil. That cuts Weil pretty close if I switch it with Linklaters.

Also, should I just cut out Milbank? It is #2 with project financed by vault, so it is a good safety firm.

[Anonymous User]

3.61 GPA, don't know journal yet. I am having trouble filling out the bottom but let me know if this is good or if you have any suggested add ons. Looking for transactional work with emphasis on Securities and Banking.

1. Kirkland
2. Skadden
3. Debevoise
4. White&Case
5. Linklaters
6. Milbank
7. Paul Weiss
8. S&C
9. Cahill
10. Cleary
11. Davis Polk
12. Cadwalder
13. Latham
14. Cooley
15. Freshfields
16 O'Melveny
17
18. Cravath
19. Wachtell
20. Jones Day
21. Simpson
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Sherman
30.

Any suggestions?

You are cutting it too close for #s 8-11 on your list, which are like your bread and butter. You should not miss an interview with any key NY transactional firms to keep your screener spot with, say, White & Case or Links.

Really? I hoped 4 places up would be enough. Issue is I just remembered I didn't put in Weil. That cuts Weil pretty close if I switch it with Linklaters.

Also, should I just cut out Milbank? It is #2 with project financed by vault, so it is a good safety firm.

You are a mid-Stone who wants to do transactional work in NYC. You must interview with Cravath/S&C/DPW/Cleary/STB/Skadden, and maybe even Deb. Your safety firms are Latham/Weil/Wilkie/Ropes/Sherman/GDC/milbank type places. You will get multiple offers from the first group and, my guess, convert 75% of the CBs you take at the latter, if any. With luck, you will never need to take CBs at the second group if you stack the first group first and get your offer in the bag.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks so much in advance! You guys are awesome.

GPA: 3.66. Targeting SF Bay. Fairly significant ties in norcal and socal. Targeting tax but would be happy to work in corp if that is the only offer I get. Litigation would probably not be my thing but I'm trying to keep an open mind because there aren't that many jobs in the area period.

4 years of W/E relevant to tax, semi relevant to corporate.

Are there any big NY firms with satellite offices in SF that I missed? Should I bid multiple offices of the same firm (I did this with a couple of the big NY firms).

Bid Employer FFB
1 Baker & McKenzie LLP (Palo Alto, CA/San Francisco, CA) 2
2 Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 3
3 DLA Piper US LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 10
4 Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (New York/PA) 12
5 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Palo Alto, CA) 14
6 Shearman & Sterling LLP (Bay Area, CA) 15
7 Paul Weiss NY 10
8 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton NY 14
9 Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (New York, NY) 15
10 Latham & Watkins LLP (Silicon Valley, CA, aka Menlo Park) 17
11 O'Melveny & Myers LLP (Silicon Valley, CA) 19
12 Morrison & Foerster LLP (San Francisco, CA) 21
13 Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (San Francisco, CA) 23
14 Paul Hastings LLP (San Francisco, CA) 23
15 Kirkland & Ellis LLP (San Francisco, CA) 24
16 Fenwick & West LLP (Mountain View, CA) 25
17 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (New York, CA) 27
18 Cravath Swaine & Moore 23
19 Winston & Strawn LLP (San Francisco, CA) 27
20 Cooley LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 30
21 Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP New York 29
22 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (San Francisco, CA) 30
23 Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Menlo Park, CA) *
24 Dechert LLP (San Francisco, CA) *
25 Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP (Redwood City, CA) *
26 Morrison & Foerster, LLP (Palo Alto, CA) *
27 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Palo Alto, CA) *
28 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom (Palo Alto, CA) *
29 Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Redwood Shores, CA) *

Bumping for new page. I talked to OCS and they are recommending I take off the no failed bid firms and just add them in later. Does this seem like good advice? Frankly I'm not confident enough in the FFB to risk that. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

Serious question. Does brexit and the potential devastating consequences it will have on the US economy mean I should reconsider my bid list? I'm median, maybe just below. Should I take off my "reach firms" (DPW, Kirkland, Weil) and just bid on all target and safety firms?

[smaug]

Serious question. Does brexit and the potential devastating consequences it will have on the US economy mean I should reconsider my bid list? I'm median, maybe just below. Should I take off my "reach firms" (DPW, Kirkland, Weil) and just bid on all target and safety firms?

Shouldn't change bidding. It'll be hard to know who it'll hurt and why. I wouldn't try to correct for it.

DPW is a stretch either way, tho

[Anonymous User]

3.56, interested in NY transactional exclusively. I am basically bidding the V20 (not in that order obviously) plus very few others. Is this a bad move/do I need more safety firms? I would say my interview skills are a 6/10. Thanks in advance for any advice y'all may have.

ETA: Would also love some help/advice on my top 3 bids currently:
1. Kirkland (FFB 1)
2. Sidley (FFB2)
3. Skadden (FFB 3)

I understand that these are way too tight and I may not get interviews at any with these rankings, but these are 3 of my top firms and don't want to take any off (unless I truly won't need Sidley as a backup with my GPA, which I don't know the answer to). I unfortunately am abroad this summer and will not be returning to NYC until August 1, so I am guessing pre-EIP interviews are not going to be possible. If anyone has any thoughts on this it would be greatly appreciated!

- d

[Anonymous User]

Hi all, hoping to get some feedback on my bid list. GPA 3.27, pretty decent interviewer. I have some pretty significant connections to one of the firms in my top 5 spots and I'm aiming to get a pre-EIP interview with them, which would help move everything up a bit. Assuming I'm not able to get that pre-EIP interview, is the top of my bid list too aggressive/congested? I'm also thinking of taking out Akin at 12 and Goodwin at 16 to shift some of the important firms in my middle up a bit. Also, if anyone has an idea for 3 more firms I can try and include I'd really appreciate that as well. Thanks in advance!

1. Kirkland & Ellis (1)
2. Sidley Austin (2)
3. Debevoise (4)
4. Hogan (5)
5. Weil (6)
6. Milbank (8)
7. Allen Overy (8)
8. Ropes (9)
9. Willkie (11)
10. Schulte (12)
11. Cahill Gordon (12)
12. Akin Gump (14)
13. Cadwalader (14)
14. Fried Frank (16)
15. Kramer Levin (18)
16. Goodwin Procter (17)
17. Shearman & Sterling (*)
18. Hughes Hubbard (21)
19. Pillsbury (21)
20. Chadbourne (21)
21. Dechert (23)
22. Vinson Ellis (23)
23. Jones Day (24)
24. Seward & Kissel (24)
25. Stroock & Stroock (25)
26. Simpson Thacher (27)
27. McDermott (*)

[kingpin101]

Hi all, hoping to get some feedback on my bid list. GPA 3.27, pretty decent interviewer. I have some pretty significant connections to one of the firms in my top 5 spots and I'm aiming to get a pre-EIP interview with them, which would help move everything up a bit. Assuming I'm not able to get that pre-EIP interview, is the top of my bid list too aggressive/congested? I'm also thinking of taking out Akin at 12 and Goodwin at 16 to shift some of the important firms in my middle up a bit. Also, if anyone has an idea for 3 more firms I can try and include I'd really appreciate that as well. Thanks in advance!

1. Kirkland & Ellis (1)
2. Sidley Austin (2)
3. Debevoise (4)
4. Hogan (5)
5. Weil (6)
6. Milbank (8)
7. Allen Overy (8)
8. Ropes (9)
9. Willkie (11)
10. Schulte (12)
11. Cahill Gordon (12)
12. Akin Gump (14)
13. Cadwalader (14)
14. Fried Frank (16)
15. Kramer Levin (18)
16. Goodwin Procter (17)
17. Shearman & Sterling (*)
18. Hughes Hubbard (21)
19. Pillsbury (21)
20. Chadbourne (21)
21. Dechert (23)
22. Vinson Ellis (23)
23. Jones Day (24)
24. Seward & Kissel (24)
25. Stroock & Stroock (25)
26. Simpson Thacher (27)
27. McDermott (*)

Yes this list is too congested. There's a possibility that you'll get fewer than 10 screeners with this list. Aim for at least 3-4 spots above the FFB.

[TheoO]

I honestly don't think you need to bid on Seward. You can just email them for an interview. They usually give automatic callbacks via email.

Your list looks a bit tight tbh.

[Anonymous User]

[double post]

[stephcurry]

edited

[TheoO]

I emailed post eip and got an immediate callback. You have a bigger shot pretty eip. They do a lot of interviews. And I know at least 3 others who did the same.

[redbird]

I honestly don't think you need to bid on Seward. You can just email them for an interview. They usually give automatic callbacks via email.

Your list looks a bit tight tbh.

Ah, didn't know that about Seward. Do you mean email them pre-EIP, or do you mean just don't bid on them/bid them 30 and email them during EIP for an interview?

Also, I was thinking my list was too tight too so I think I'm taking out Akin at 12, Goodwin at 17, Seward because of above, and I'll probably take out Sidley unless I manage to grab the pre-EIP interview with the firm I mentioned above. New list would look like this: (need to fill in some firms betwen 23-30)

1. Kirkland & Ellis (1)
2. Debevoise (4)
3. Hogan (5)
4. Weil (6)
5. Milbank (8)
6. Allen Overy (8)
7. Ropes (9)
8. Willkie (11)
9. Schulte (12)
10. Cahill Gordon (12)
11. Cadwalader (14)
12. Fried Frank (16)
13. Kramer Levin (18)
14. Shearman & Sterling (*)
15. Hughes Hubbard (21)
16. Pillsbury (21)
17. Chadbourne (21)
18. Dechert (23)
19. Vinson Ellis (23)
20. Jones Day (24)
21. Stroock & Stroock (25)
22. Simpson Thacher (27)
23. McDermott (*)

30. Seward (or leave off and just email)

With below median grades, is there a reason you're bidding Kirkland, which only offered 1 spot to someone without kent/stone last year, over somewhere like Paul Hastings which was about 50/50 on stone versus non-stone?

[Anonymous User]

3.56, interested in NY transactional exclusively. I am basically bidding the V20 (not in that order obviously) plus very few others. Is this a bad move/do I need more safety firms? I would say my interview skills are a 6/10. Thanks in advance for any advice y'all may have.

ETA: Would also love some help/advice on my top 3 bids currently:
1. Kirkland (FFB 1)
2. Sidley (FFB2)
3. Skadden (FFB 3)

I understand that these are way too tight and I may not get interviews at any with these rankings, but these are 3 of my top firms and don't want to take any off (unless I truly won't need Sidley as a backup with my GPA, which I don't know the answer to). I unfortunately am abroad this summer and will not be returning to NYC until August 1, so I am guessing pre-EIP interviews are not going to be possible. If anyone has any thoughts on this it would be greatly appreciated!

- d

Sidley is fungible with a million other firms that have lower FFB. Crazy to risk missing Skadden for that.

If I were you, I would do Skadden#1, K&E#2, drop Sidley and then go on from there. That means you're guaranteed Skadden, and if I had to guarantee one of Skadden or K&E, that's an easy choice for Skadden.

[kingpin101]

I honestly don't think you need to bid on Seward. You can just email them for an interview. They usually give automatic callbacks via email.

Your list looks a bit tight tbh.

Ah, didn't know that about Seward. Do you mean email them pre-EIP, or do you mean just don't bid on them/bid them 30 and email them during EIP for an interview?

Also, I was thinking my list was too tight too so I think I'm taking out Akin at 12, Goodwin at 17, Seward because of above, and I'll probably take out Sidley unless I manage to grab the pre-EIP interview with the firm I mentioned above. New list would look like this: (need to fill in some firms betwen 23-30)

1. Kirkland & Ellis (1)
2. Debevoise (4)
3. Hogan (5)
4. Weil (6)
5. Milbank (8)
6. Allen Overy (8)
7. Ropes (9)
8. Willkie (11)
9. Schulte (12)
10. Cahill Gordon (12)
11. Cadwalader (14)
12. Fried Frank (16)
13. Kramer Levin (18)
14. Shearman & Sterling (*)
15. Hughes Hubbard (21)
16. Pillsbury (21)
17. Chadbourne (21)
18. Dechert (23)
19. Vinson Ellis (23)
20. Jones Day (24)
21. Stroock & Stroock (25)
22. Simpson Thacher (27)
23. McDermott (*)

30. Seward (or leave off and just email)

Assuming you only want NYC, take out Kirkland and consider adding Paul Hastings, Sidley, Proskauer, Skadden, Kaye, White & Chase, Clifford Chance, Orrick, Hunton, Winston (ordered by FFB).

[Anonymous User]

With below median grades, is there a reason you're bidding Kirkland, which only offered 1 spot to someone without kent/stone last year, over somewhere like Paul Hastings which was about 50/50 on stone versus non-stone?

I don't really have a good reason except that a few upperclassmen advised me to have a few reach firms and listed K&E as one of them. I'm definitely a little hesitant about it though because even though Kirkland's % by honors numbers in the past were much lower, they jumped up to 80% this year.

[TheoO]

Reach firms don't belong anywhere near your first place

[Anonymous User]

3.56, interested in NY transactional exclusively. I am basically bidding the V20 (not in that order obviously) plus very few others. Is this a bad move/do I need more safety firms? I would say my interview skills are a 6/10. Thanks in advance for any advice y'all may have.

ETA: Would also love some help/advice on my top 3 bids currently:
1. Kirkland (FFB 1)
2. Sidley (FFB2)
3. Skadden (FFB 3)

I understand that these are way too tight and I may not get interviews at any with these rankings, but these are 3 of my top firms and don't want to take any off (unless I truly won't need Sidley as a backup with my GPA, which I don't know the answer to). I unfortunately am abroad this summer and will not be returning to NYC until August 1, so I am guessing pre-EIP interviews are not going to be possible. If anyone has any thoughts on this it would be greatly appreciated!

- d

Sidley is fungible with a million other firms that have lower FFB. Crazy to risk missing Skadden for that.

If I were you, I would do Skadden#1, K&E#2, drop Sidley and then go on from there. That means you're guaranteed Skadden, and if I had to guarantee one of Skadden or K&E, that's an easy choice for Skadden.

Thanks so much! That's kinda what I was thinking I should do, I am just not that informed about how attainable certain firms are if you are in the mid-Stone range.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks so much in advance! You guys are awesome.

GPA: 3.66. Targeting SF Bay. Fairly significant ties in norcal and socal. Targeting tax but would be happy to work in corp if that is the only offer I get. Litigation would probably not be my thing but I'm trying to keep an open mind because there aren't that many jobs in the area period.

4 years of W/E relevant to tax, semi relevant to corporate.

Are there any big NY firms with satellite offices in SF that I missed? Should I bid multiple offices of the same firm (I did this with a couple of the big NY firms).

Bid Employer FFB
1 Baker & McKenzie LLP (Palo Alto, CA/San Francisco, CA) 2
2 Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 3
3 DLA Piper US LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 10
4 Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (New York/PA) 12
5 Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (Palo Alto, CA) 14
6 Shearman & Sterling LLP (Bay Area, CA) 15
7 Paul Weiss NY 10
8 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton NY 14
9 Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (New York, NY) 15
10 Latham & Watkins LLP (Silicon Valley, CA, aka Menlo Park) 17
11 O'Melveny & Myers LLP (Silicon Valley, CA) 19
12 Morrison & Foerster LLP (San Francisco, CA) 21
13 Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (San Francisco, CA) 23
14 Paul Hastings LLP (San Francisco, CA) 23
15 Kirkland & Ellis LLP (San Francisco, CA) 24
16 Fenwick & West LLP (Mountain View, CA) 25
17 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (New York, CA) 27
18 Cravath Swaine & Moore 23
19 Winston & Strawn LLP (San Francisco, CA) 27
20 Cooley LLP (Palo Alto, CA) 30
21 Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP New York 29
22 Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (San Francisco, CA) 30
23 Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP (Menlo Park, CA) *
24 Dechert LLP (San Francisco, CA) *
25 Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian LLP (Redwood City, CA) *
26 Morrison & Foerster, LLP (Palo Alto, CA) *
27 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Palo Alto, CA) *
28 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom (Palo Alto, CA) *
29 Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP (Redwood Shores, CA) *

Bumping for new page. I talked to OCS and they are recommending I take off the no failed bid firms and just add them in later. Does this seem like good advice? Frankly I'm not confident enough in the FFB to risk that. Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Why would that make any sense? Just fill out all 30 spots and drop some of the no FFB firms post-lottery if you don't want them. Not sure who you talked to, but FWIW I've dealt exclusively with Scott and he's been very normal and helpful.

Unrelated, but funny how different the advice is over in the Harvard thread -- the gurus recommend not doing pre-EIP outreach at all (to EIP firms). Not like they're in that different of a spot from us, are they?

[John_Luther1989]

If the Harvard thread is saying not to do pre-EIP interviews (i.e. insta-callbacks), they're ether parroting their career services office (which has a vested interest in keeping EIP robust), purposefully giving out bad advice, or truly ignorant regarding how the job search process is changing for students at top schools.

[lawlorbust]

If the Harvard thread is saying not to do pre-EIP interviews (i.e. insta-callbacks), they're ether parroting their career services office (which has a vested interest in keeping EIP robust), purposefully giving out bad advice, or truly ignorant regarding how the job search process is changing for students at top schools.

Wouldn't claim to be speaking for every HLS poster, but my take is that telling someone to hustle pre-EIP isn't bad advice, it's just unnecessary in most cases. Let's assume you're median or slightly higher (3-4 Hs) and aiming for NY biglaw: by all means go ahead and snag that K&E pre-offer so you can head into EIP with some peace of mind, but since you're probably going to get multiple V10 offers anyway -- there's a decent case for "why bother."