HLS EIP 2021 Forum

[Anonymous User]

According to the OCS spreadsheet Cleary NY is already giving out CBs...has anyone here heard anything?

I saw that too but I feel like that must’ve been a mistake since they didn’t interview until today—the offer had been up at 8am this morning which wouldn’t make sense.

[Anonymous User]

just got the Skadden ding

[Anonymous User]

According to the OCS spreadsheet Cleary NY is already giving out CBs...has anyone here heard anything?

I saw that too but I feel like that must’ve been a mistake since they didn’t interview until today—the offer had been up at 8am this morning which wouldn’t make sense.

That's good to know - thank you! this week has made me crazy...

[Anonymous User]

Got Skadden and STB ding :/

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know how much firms care about grades after giving a CB?

[Anonymous User]

Someone got a Goodwin Boston callback anyone else? Not sure initials but mine was CH and haven’t heard yet

[Anonymous User]

Someone got a Goodwin Boston callback anyone else? Not sure initials but mine was CH and haven’t heard yet

No Goodwin Boston callback for me either. Initials BW.

Anyone get any WilmerHale Boston callbacks from JH? I haven't heard anything there either, but the sheet says someone got a CB.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone hear from K&S DC? (PM/MP)

[Anonymous User]

Someone got a Goodwin Boston callback anyone else? Not sure initials but mine was CH and haven’t heard yet

CH as well. Haven't heard back either

[Anonymous User]

I've gotten no callbacks, anyone else? Is anyone else panicking like crazy?? I feel like such a failure! OCS said I'm doing great in all my mocks, I don't get it

I have 2/20 so far.. OCS has been no help either. I feel like I am doing a great job tbh and really connecting with interviewers and then they ghost me lol. It’s really disheartening. Let’s just try and get through this week and keep doing our best

I'm a partner OCI interviewer for my firm. I did OCI for a different school than HLS this year but I have done HLS OCI in the past. I wanted to respond to this comment because it resonated with me. There are times when this specific thing happens - interviewer/interviewee have great vibe, and at times I'm thinking that I'm going to call the person back, and then it doesn't happen for reasons that have nothing to do with anything going wrong in the interview. Those can include:

- Getting transcript and the grades are below our cutoffs. Sometimes I press for an exception to be made if I'm really excited about the candidate. Sometimes it's granted, sometimes not. Whether it's granted can depend on how competitive the office is (some of our offices have much more demand than others based on geography), how competitive the group is (ditto), how many people have already accepted callbacks, etc.

- The office for whom I'm trying to issue the callback tells me they're full up. Especially a problem in our smaller offices which may have only a handful of corp or lit spots per year.

- There simply were too many qualified candidates. Sometimes I make X callback recommendations and am told I have to get down to X-2 or X-5. I *hate* having to cut candidates for this reason. I don't want to be the sole person deciding that someone (whom I've already decided interviewed well, meets our grade cutoffs, and deserves a callback) doesn't get a shot at our summer program - I'd rather that decision get made after 5-7 of my colleagues have met them. But the reality of being a popular firm during OCI at a school with as many compelling candidates as HLS has is that tough decisions have to be made on painfully limited information.

I don't know that any of this will make you feel any better if you are frustrated about your number of CBs, but I hope it provides some insight into what might be happening behind the scenes, and how it really might not be you at all, let alone how well you are interviewing.

For the person who wanted to know whether they should send thank you notes: I'd say it can't hurt if you had a good connection with your interviewer and wanted to leave a positive impression. This year, a supermajority of my callbacks did NOT send me a thank you note, but everyone who sent me a thank you note was someone I'd connected well with and was ultimately able to invite back. I'd say I appreciated hearing from those who sent thank you notes, but it didn't substantively move the needle for me this year b/c I was already a strong yes on those who sent thank yous. Possible in a very close case in which I was being told that you have to choose between calling back A vs. B, and they were otherwise equally strong, I'd break the tie by choosing who I thought was most excited about my firm specifically. And a thank you note could be one factor in gauging that depending on what it said (a generic "thank you for taking the time to meet with me, I really enjoyed our conversation" wouldn't matter much). So maybe it could make a difference in an edge case, but I think it usually wouldn't.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a partner OCI interviewer for my firm. I did OCI for a different school than HLS this year but I have done HLS OCI in the past. I wanted to respond to this comment because it resonated with me. There are times when this specific thing happens - interviewer/interviewee have great vibe, and at times I'm thinking that I'm going to call the person back, and then it doesn't happen for reasons that have nothing to do with anything going wrong in the interview. Those can include:

- Getting transcript and the grades are below our cutoffs. Sometimes I press for an exception to be made if I'm really excited about the candidate. Sometimes it's granted, sometimes not. Whether it's granted can depend on how competitive the office is (some of our offices have much more demand than others based on geography), how competitive the group is (ditto), how many people have already accepted callbacks, etc.

- The office for whom I'm trying to issue the callback tells me they're full up. Especially a problem in our smaller offices which may have only a handful of corp or lit spots per year.

- There simply were too many qualified candidates. Sometimes I make X callback recommendations and am told I have to get down to X-2 or X-5. I *hate* having to cut candidates for this reason. I don't want to be the sole person deciding that someone (whom I've already decided interviewed well, meets our grade cutoffs, and deserves a callback) doesn't get a shot at our summer program - I'd rather that decision get made after 5-7 of my colleagues have met them. But the reality of being a popular firm during OCI at a school with as many compelling candidates as HLS has is that tough decisions have to be made on painfully limited information.

I don't know that any of this will make you feel any better if you are frustrated about your number of CBs, but I hope it provides some insight into what might be happening behind the scenes, and how it really might not be you at all, let alone how well you are interviewing.

For the person who wanted to know whether they should send thank you notes: I'd say it can't hurt if you had a good connection with your interviewer and wanted to leave a positive impression. This year, a supermajority of my callbacks did NOT send me a thank you note, but everyone who sent me a thank you note was someone I'd connected well with and was ultimately able to invite back. I'd say I appreciated hearing from those who sent thank you notes, but it didn't substantively move the needle for me this year b/c I was already a strong yes on those who sent thank yous. Possible in a very close case in which I was being told that you have to choose between calling back A vs. B, and they were otherwise equally strong, I'd break the tie by choosing who I thought was most excited about my firm specifically. And a thank you note could be one factor in gauging that depending on what it said (a generic "thank you for taking the time to meet with me, I really enjoyed our conversation" wouldn't matter much). So maybe it could make a difference in an edge case, but I think it usually wouldn't.

I had 24 interviews and 0 callbacks. This sucks. But thanks for the insight. Do you have any suggestions on the next steps I should take? I don't really trust OCS to give me the right information.

Did your firm consider fewer candidates due to COVID or just a general economical outlook?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Latham DC (AQ)?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Cleary today?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard from Cleary today?

If CLS is any indication, Cleary probably won’t move for another day or two—they make their decisions as a group.

[Anonymous User]

I've gotten no callbacks, anyone else? Is anyone else panicking like crazy?? I feel like such a failure! OCS said I'm doing great in all my mocks, I don't get it

I have 2/20 so far.. OCS has been no help either. I feel like I am doing a great job tbh and really connecting with interviewers and then they ghost me lol. It’s really disheartening. Let’s just try and get through this week and keep doing our best

I'm a partner OCI interviewer for my firm. I did OCI for a different school than HLS this year but I have done HLS OCI in the past. I wanted to respond to this comment because it resonated with me. There are times when this specific thing happens - interviewer/interviewee have great vibe, and at times I'm thinking that I'm going to call the person back, and then it doesn't happen for reasons that have nothing to do with anything going wrong in the interview. Those can include:

- Getting transcript and the grades are below our cutoffs. Sometimes I press for an exception to be made if I'm really excited about the candidate. Sometimes it's granted, sometimes not. Whether it's granted can depend on how competitive the office is (some of our offices have much more demand than others based on geography), how competitive the group is (ditto), how many people have already accepted callbacks, etc.

- The office for whom I'm trying to issue the callback tells me they're full up. Especially a problem in our smaller offices which may have only a handful of corp or lit spots per year.

- There simply were too many qualified candidates. Sometimes I make X callback recommendations and am told I have to get down to X-2 or X-5. I *hate* having to cut candidates for this reason. I don't want to be the sole person deciding that someone (whom I've already decided interviewed well, meets our grade cutoffs, and deserves a callback) doesn't get a shot at our summer program - I'd rather that decision get made after 5-7 of my colleagues have met them. But the reality of being a popular firm during OCI at a school with as many compelling candidates as HLS has is that tough decisions have to be made on painfully limited information.

I don't know that any of this will make you feel any better if you are frustrated about your number of CBs, but I hope it provides some insight into what might be happening behind the scenes, and how it really might not be you at all, let alone how well you are interviewing.

For the person who wanted to know whether they should send thank you notes: I'd say it can't hurt if you had a good connection with your interviewer and wanted to leave a positive impression. This year, a supermajority of my callbacks did NOT send me a thank you note, but everyone who sent me a thank you note was someone I'd connected well with and was ultimately able to invite back. I'd say I appreciated hearing from those who sent thank you notes, but it didn't substantively move the needle for me this year b/c I was already a strong yes on those who sent thank yous. Possible in a very close case in which I was being told that you have to choose between calling back A vs. B, and they were otherwise equally strong, I'd break the tie by choosing who I thought was most excited about my firm specifically. And a thank you note could be one factor in gauging that depending on what it said (a generic "thank you for taking the time to meet with me, I really enjoyed our conversation" wouldn't matter much). So maybe it could make a difference in an edge case, but I think it usually wouldn't.

I’m the user that posted what you commented to.

Thanks for taking the time to write out this thoughtful reply! It’s really to nice to hear that what I assumed the issues were is probably what happened. I know I did well from a personal standpoint and I truly put my best foot forward. I can’t expect any more than that from myself and I have accepted that. But it’s reassuring to hear that there are indeed factors outside of the interview that can really make it or break it, as I do feel that is what happened with me a lot. And I thank you for taking a kind and holistic approach to the interview process, and for advocating for students when you can.

That said, do you have any advice for standing out during my 2 callbacks? I am obviously very nervous as it seems like these 2 callbacks are all I have and I am banking a lot of them. Would love to hear any advice you have! Thanks again.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone get CB from Shearman (interviewer JD)?

[Anonymous User]

Someone got a Goodwin Boston callback anyone else? Not sure initials but mine was CH and haven’t heard yet

No Goodwin Boston callback for me either. Initials BW.

Anyone get any WilmerHale Boston callbacks from JH? I haven't heard anything there either, but the sheet says someone got a CB.

No for WH, initials SP

[Anonymous User]

Should we be expecting callbacks over the long weekend?

[Anonymous User]

Should we be expecting callbacks over the long weekend?

A friend got one this morning so seems possible!

[Anonymous User]

Did anyone hear from Cleary?

[Anonymous User]

Heard back from S&C(JR) this morning.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone get CB from Shearman (interviewer JD)?

Haven't heard from Shearman, not JD tho.

[Anonymous User]

Did Willkie send that candy thing to everyone? Haven't heard back from them about a callback, so it seems like a weird move.

[Anonymous User]

Cahill anyone?

[Anonymous User]

Did Willkie send that candy thing to everyone? Haven't heard back from them about a callback, so it seems like a weird move.

I got it with a CB so if you haven’t heard it may mean you got a CB and they haven’t called yet.