UChicago OCI 2015 Forum

[Mad Hatter]

I don't think interview time matters at all. I always went w/ the meal b/c duh.

tbf if someone is even a little aspie I would tell them to go for one of the non-meal slots. Lots of room for weirdness.

[Anonymous User]

I was admitted as a transfer last week. Are there any transfers who have gone through OCI willing to field some questions over PM?

[Anonymous User]

Is there a 3L out there who bid NY with a lit focus who would be willing to look over my bid list?

[bearsfan23]

Is there a 3L out there who bid NY with a lit focus who would be willing to look over my bid list?

Sure, PM me and I'll look it over

[Anonymous User]

OK here's my first bid list. I'm at about a 179, and my preferred market is the bay area with a strong preference for SF. I have strong ties to the area. Leaning transactional, but also interested in litigation. Non-urm, 1 year of basic work experience. Do I need to fit more NY in the top 20? Thanks

If there are any CA market geniuses out there who are willing to talk the list out with me, let me know.

1. Paul Hastings (SF)
2. MoFo (SF)
3. K&E (SF)
4. Gibson Dunn (SF)
5. Latham Watkins (SF)
6. Skadden (NY)
7. Davis Polk (NY)
8. Cleary Gottlieb (NY)
9. Paul Weiss (NY)
10. Cooley (SF)
11. Simpson Thatcher (NY)
12. Fried Frank (NY)
13. Sull Crom (NY)
14. Jones Day (SF)
15. Shearman & Stearling (NY)
16. Debevoise (NY)
17. Sheppard Mullin Richter (SF)
18. Cravath (NY)
19. Ropes & Gray (SF)
20. Fenwick West (SV)
21. Wilson Sonsini (SV)
22. Gunderson Dettmer (SV)
23. O'Melveny (SF)
24. Goodwin Procter (SF)
25. Milbank Tweed (NY)
26. WilmerHale (NY)
27. Holland & Knight (LA)
28. Arnold Porter (NY)
29. Perkins Coie (SF)
30. Schiff Hardin (SF)

[beepboopbeep]

Can you edit w/ # of slots for each?

[WheninLaw]

OK here's my first bid list. I'm at about a 179, and my preferred market is the bay area with a strong preference for SF. I have strong ties to the area. Leaning transactional, but also interested in litigation. Non-urm, 1 year of basic work experience. Do I need to fit more NY in the top 20? Thanks

If there are any CA market geniuses out there who are willing to talk the list out with me, let me know.

I am a CA market genius! But yeah, you need slot #'s.

[Anonymous User]

Transfer.
No journal.
TX > NY.
Litigation.
All firms are NY if not otherwise designated with parentheses.

1. Susman Godfrey (Houston) 19 (shared)
2. Baker Botts (Houston) 21 (shared)
3. Vinson & Elkins (Houston) 21 (shared)
4. Norton Rose (Houston) 21 (shared)
5. Skadden (Houston) 19 (shared)
6. DPW 42
7. Cravath 38
8. SullCrom 42
9. Paul Weiss 42
10. Cleary 42
11. Debevoise 63
12. Simpson Thatcher (Houston) 21 (shared)
13. Jones Day (Houston) 21 (shared)
14. Locke Lord (Houston) 7 (shared)
15. Jackson Walker (Houston) 21 (shared)
16. King & Spalding (Houston) 8 (shared)
17. Latham (Houston) 22
18. Sidley (Houston) 21
19. mckool smith (Austin) 21 (shared)
20. Mayer Brown (Houston) 7 (shared)
21. Boies Schiller 21 (shared)
22. White & Case 21
23. Proskauer Rose 21
24. Ropes & Gray 42 (shared)
25. Fried Frank 42
26. WilmerHale 21 (shared)
27. Cadwalader 21 (shared)
28. Ahmad Zaitsanos (Houston) 21
29. Freshfields 20
30. Cooley 42 (shared)
31. Gunderson Dettmer 21
32. Curtis Mallet-Prevost 21
33. Hughes Hubbard 21
34. Shearman 21
35. Chadbourne 21
36. Axinn Veltrop 21 (shared)
37. Foley Lardner 21 (shared)
38. MoFo 21 (shared)
39. O'Melveny 21 (shared)
40. Sheppard 21 (shared)
41. W&C (DC) 42
42. WLRK 42

[Lurk3r]

Latham is also transactional only in Houston...

[WheninLaw]

Transfer.
No journal.
TX > NY.
Litigation.
All firms are NY if not otherwise designated with parentheses.

Don't have much help here other than I'd move Susman down (you have a .00000001% chance, but worth a shot).

[LawFirmInterviews]

I'm at a t15 in NY, litigation, graduated a few years ago from UChicago. I would move the larger New York Firms (for example Debevoise) down a little bit since they have so many slots. You will likely have a spot there, and there are always ways to get spots at your back-up firms without even bidding. Feel free to PM me to get more answers.

[LawFirmInterviews]

Transfer.
No journal.
TX > NY.
Litigation.
All firms are NY if not otherwise designated with parentheses.

1. Susman Godfrey (Houston) 19 (shared)
2. Baker Botts (Houston) 21 (shared)
3. Vinson & Elkins (Houston) 21 (shared)
4. Norton Rose (Houston) 21 (shared)
5. Skadden (Houston) 19 (shared)
6. DPW 42
7. Cravath 38
8. SullCrom 42
9. Paul Weiss 42
10. Cleary 42
11. Debevoise 63

I'm at a V15 in NY, litigation, graduated a few years ago from UChicago. I would move the larger New York Firms (for example Debevoise) down a little bit since they have so many slots. You will likely have a spot there, and there are always ways to get spots at your back-up firms without even bidding. Feel free to PM me to get more answers.

[Anonymous User]

Is Susman too LR-conscious or anti-transfer? Where would be a better (more realistic) place to bid them? I put them #5 below, but I am open to bidding them lower if need be. I removed McKool because it appears to be mostly IP. I also exchanged the Houston offices of Latham and STB for their NY offices because they are only transactional in Houston. Here is another try:

1. Baker Botts (Houston) 21 (shared)
2. Vinson & Elkins (Houston) 21 (shared)
3. Norton Rose (Houston) 21 (shared)
4. Skadden (Houston) 19 (shared)
5. Susman Godfrey (Houston) 19 (shared)
6. Paul Hastings (Houston) 4 (shared)
7. Mayer Brown (Houston) 7 (shared)
8. Locke Lord (Houston) 7 (shared)
9. King & Spalding (Houston) 8 (shared)
10. Paul Weiss 42
11. Cleary 42
12. DPW 42
13. Simpson Thatcher 63 (shared)
14. SullCrom 42
15. Cravath 38
16. Debevoise 63
17. Jones Day (Houston) 21 (shared)
18. Jackson Walker (Houston) 21 (shared)
19. Sidley (Houston) 21
20. Ahmad Zaitsanos (Houston) 21
21. Williams & Connolly (DC) 42
22. Boies Schiller 21 (shared)
23. Latham 31 (shared)
24. White & Case 21
25. Proskauer Rose 21
26. Ropes & Gray 42 (shared)
27. Fried Frank 42
28. WilmerHale 21 (shared)
29. Cadwalader 21 (shared)
30. Freshfields 20
31. Cooley 42 (shared)
32. Gunderson Dettmer 21
33. Curtis Mallet-Prevost 21
34. Hughes Hubbard 21
35. Shearman 21
36. Chadbourne 21
37. Axinn Veltrop 21 (shared)
38. Foley Lardner 21 (shared)
39. MoFo 21 (shared)
40. O'Melveny 21 (shared)
41. Sheppard 21 (shared)
42. WLRK 42

[Anonymous User]

Feedback on this list is kindly appreciated.
GPA: 177 and change.
New York offices only. Open to either litigation or transactional.
Thanks.

1 Davis Polk 42
2 Sidley Austin 21
3 Kirkland & Ellis 21
4 Gibson Dunn 21
5 Skadden 42
6 Morrison Foerster 21
7 Cravath 38
8 WilmerHale 21
9 Cleary Gottlieb 42
10 Sullivan & Cromwell 42
11 Shearman & Sterling 21
12 Cadwalader 21
13 Simpson Thacher 63
14 Debevoise 63
15 Milbank 21
16 Paul Weiss 42
17 Latham & Watkins 31
18 Allen & Overy 15
19 Freshfields 20
20 Proskauer Rose 21
21 Ropes & Gray 42
22 cooley llp 42
23 Fried Frank 42
24 Dechert 21

[Anonymous User]

Re-posting a slightly revised California-centric list with bid slots. Here's my info again: I'm at about a 179. My preferred market is the bay area with a strong preference for SF. I have strong ties to the area. Leaning transactional, but also interested in litigation. Non-urm, 1 year of basic work experience.

To all you CA market geniuses out there, share your wisdom. I'm unsure how to handle the Paul Hastings bid since there are so few slots. Mail instead? Thanks

1. Gibson Dunn (SF) 10
2. MoFo (SF) 21
3. K&E (SF) 21
4. Paul Hastings (SF) 5
5. Latham Watkins (SF) 22
6. Skadden (NY) 42
7. Davis Polk (NY) 42
8. Cleary Gottlieb (NY) 42
9. Paul Weiss (NY) 42
10. Cooley (SF) 42
11. Simpson Thatcher (NY) 63
12. Fried Frank (NY) 42
13. Sull Crom (NY) 42
14. Jones Day (SF) 21
15. Shearman & Stearling (NY) 21
16. Debevoise & Plimpton (NY) 63
17. Sheppard Mullin Richter (SF) 21
18. Cravath (NY) 38
19. Ropes & Gray (SF) 42
20. Fenwick West (SV) 21
21. Wilson Sonsini (SV) 40
22. Gunderson Dettmer (SV) 21
23. O'Melveny (SF) 21
24. Goodwin Procter (SF) 8
25. Milbank Tweed (NY) 21
26. Wilmher Hale (NY) 21
27. Holland & Knight (LA) 11
28. Sidley Austin (NY) 21
29. Schiff Hardin (SF) 84

[N.P.H.]

Feedback on this list is kindly appreciated.
GPA: 177 and change.
New York offices only. Open to either litigation or transactional.
Thanks.

1 Davis Polk 42 hit (can go down)
2 Sidley Austin 21 hit (so many sidley NY bids...)
3 Kirkland & Ellis 21 hit
4 Gibson Dunn 21 hit
5 Skadden 42 hit
6 Morrison Foerster 21 hit
7 Cravath 38 hit (can go waaaaaaaaay down)
8 WilmerHale 21 ? idk
9 Cleary Gottlieb 42 hit (can go dow a few)
10 Sullivan & Cromwell 42 hit (can go down)
11 Shearman & Sterling 21 maybe hit idk (where does S&S go in other threads?)
12 Cadwalader 21 same as above
13 Simpson Thacher 63 hit
14 Debevoise 63 hit
15 Milbank 21 70/30 hit/miss
16 Paul Weiss 42 definitely miss
17 Latham & Watkins 31 miss
18 Allen & Overy 15 miss
19 Freshfields 20 miss
20 Proskauer Rose 21 miss
21 Ropes & Gray 42 miss
22 Cooley LLP 42 miss
23 Fried Frank 42 miss
24 Dechert 21

[Emma.]

To all you CA market geniuses out there, share your wisdom. I'm unsure how to handle the Paul Hastings bid since there are so few slots. Mail instead? Thanks

Five slots is really weird. I could see them having a summer class of 5, but it seems bizarre to come all this way for just 5 interviews. I think GDC at #1 is a good call, but you could put PH at #2 and see how that plays out? (Don't buy into MoFo's marketing hype.) Why do you have Goodwin Proctor so low? Are Fenwick & West not interviewing at all for the SF office? OMM and Orrick aren't at OCI this year?

[Anonymous User]

Please Help.

178.03 Average. Really want Chicago transactional. Decent ties/story. Solid Work Experience.

Anything I need to move up/can comfortably move down?

If I am going to bid on big NYC class sizes, where should they be slotted? (ie Simpson, Cleary, Debevoise, Cravath)

1. Kirkland Chicago (84)
2. Sidley Chicago (84)
3. Skadden Chicago (84)
4. Greenberg Traurig Chicago (21)
5. Barack Chicago (42)
7. Schiff Hardin Chicago (84)
8. Pircher Nichols Chicago (42)
9. Dentons Chicago (21)
10. Bryan Cave Chicago (21)
11. Jenner Chicago (63)
12. Katten Chicago (42)
13. Latham Chicago (61)
14. Mayer Brown Chicago (73)
15. Jones Day Chicago (42)
16. Baker McKenzie Chicago (21)
17. Chapman Cutler Chicago (21)
18. Holland Knight Chicago (10)
19. DLA Piper Chicago (21)
20. Foley Chicago (21)
21. Perkins Coie Chicago (32)
22. McDermott Chicago (63)
23. Dechert Chicago (42)
24. Vedder Chicago (21)
25. Taft Chicago (10)
26. Faeger Chicago (16)
27. Locke Lord Chicago (13)
28. Paul Hastings Chicago (21)
29. Polsinelli Chicago (10)
30. Miller Shakeman Chicago (21)
31. Pattischall Chicago (21)
32. Schook Hardy Chicago (21)

[2014]

I'm not good enough w/ Chicago outside of the big 5-6 everyone bids to be super helpful but you have some firms that are for sure too high (Barack, Pircher, Bryan Cave) and others that are for sure too low (Katten, Jones Day, McDermott)

While Chicago is tough because of how many people bid it, you really need to make sure you are hitting firms with the biggest class sizes.

As for NY - Latham, Skadden, Paul Weiss, Cleary, DPW, Simpson, Debevoise, S&C, Cravath will probably fill in roughly that order and if you were bidding them in a line should probably go 8-16 or so. If you pick and choose only a few of them it'd be safest to put them around their corresponding spot in that line (so like Skadden 9th, Debevoise 14th, etc)

[skers]

Yeah, I probably wouldn't go all-in on Chicago in your position, but depends on how risk-averse you are.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the help, how am I looking now? Still be moving things around?

(want Chi transactional, decent ties/story, solid work experience, 178.03)

1. Kirkland Chicago (84)
2. Sidley Chicago (84)
3. Skadden Chicago (84)
4. Schiff Hardin Chicago (84)
5. Mayer Brown Chicago (73)
6. Katten Chicago (42)
7. McDermott Chicago (63)
8. Greenberg Traurig Chicago (21)
9. Latham Chicago (61)
10. Winston Chicago (42)
11. Jones Day Chicago (42)
12. Jenner Chicago (63)
13. Pircher Nichols Chicago (42)
14. Simpson NY (63)
15. Debevoise NY (63)
16. Sullivan Cromwell NY (63)
17. Cravath NY (63)
18. Chapman Cutler Chicago (21)
19. Reed Smith Chicago (21)
20. Dentons Chicago (21)
21. Baker McKenzie Chicago (21)
22. Bryan Cave Chicago (21)
23. Barack Chicago (42)
24. Holland Knight Chicago (10)
25. DLA Piper Chicago (21)
26. Foley Chicago (21)
27. Perkins Coie Chicago (32)
28. Dechert Chicago (42)
29. Vedder Chicago (21)
30. Taft Chicago (10)
31. Faeger Chicago (16)
32. Locke Lord Chicago (13)
33. Paul Hastings Chicago (21)
34. Polsinelli Chicago (10)
35. Miller Shakeman Chicago (21)
36. Pattischall Chicago (21)
37. Schook Hardy Chicago (21)
38-50. Random NY Firms?

[skers]

Pircher is still too high. You should probably move Cravath down and put somewhere else to get an interview b/c you will probably get 1-2 interviews after 20. I still think that's a pretty aggressive bidlist in your situation. You've basically got Deb, S&C, and STB as three firm insurance in case you strike out in Chicago w/ no guarantee you will get offers at one of those three. I think that's kind of dumb, but you do you if that's what you want.

[Anonymous User]

^ Noted.

How many NYC firms would you recommend?

[Anonymous User]

You don't have to bid Kirkland and Sidley one and two. You can bid them three and four. You should probably bid jones day higher.

It makes absolutely no sense why you would prefer Jenner/GT/Schiff over a good NYC firm since they barely do transactional work. But you do you.

[skers]

You'll probably get varied perspectives on this one, and I tend risk-averse w/ OCI bidding since if you fuck up you strike out. I would probably go 50/50 in your position since your GPA is not auto-cb/offer at S&C, STB, ect.