UChicago OCI 2014 Forum

[Crowing]

lol... Also, at first I had gone through and just selected the numbers from the drop-down menu because it specifically says "THERE IS NO "Submit" BUTTON. As soon as you select a bid number in the drop down field it is submitted." However, I later noticed that for some firms it takes you to another page after selecting it and you have to click "Apply" in order to make it actually count your bid. We should probably have you design a new website for next year.

That "feature" is driving me insane right now. Why does it automatically work just sometimes?

It is probably just Symplicity's shitty version of CAPTCHA that makes sure you aren't botting your bid list.

Wait what? When I change one it bumps all the rest accordingly.

Weird... I changed a few and it didn't auto-update. I also removed firms some I originally had, but switching them to "no bid" didn't cause the others to auto-sort either.

Seems like you can move a firm up and it will automatically bump others down. But if you move it down it will not bump anything up...

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know where we need to bid the government agencies/public defenders in order to guarantee an interview?

[Anonymous User]

Grades: Transfer, T1 Top 5%
URM/Female: No
Work Exp: 5 years
Preferred Market: Chicago
Practice Area: Litigation
Misc: All Chicago (good ties). Would consider NY, if anyone has advice on which firms would fit well in the teens (or lower?) and be relatively safe picks. I also feel like I'm putting some of the 21-slot Chicago firms too low, and that adding NY would effectively make those picks worthless...TYIA for any advice!
Bid list:

1 Jenner (63)
2 Mayer (63)
3 Sidley (84)
4 Jones Day (21)
5 Kirkland (84)
6 Perkins Coie (21)
7 Skadden (84)
8 MWE (63)
9 Vedder (21)
10 Winston (42)
11 Schiff (84)
12 Latham (51)
13 Katten (42)
14 Foley (42)
15 GT (21)
16 Baker & McKenzie (21)
17 Morgan Lewis (21)
18 Dykema (21)
19 DLA Piper (21)
20 mcguirewoods (21)
21 Ropes (42)
22 Holland & Knight (21)
23 Drinker Biddle (21)
24 Dentons (21)

[Anonymous User]

Thoughts?

6 Jones Day NY 21
7 Boies (LIT) NY 21
8 Cleary NY 42
9 Skadden NY 42
10 Proskauer Rose NY 21
11 Davis Polk NY 42
12 Simpson NY 57
13 Debevoise NY 63
14 S&C NY 42
15 Cravath NY 38
16 Milbank NY 21
17 Wilmer Hale NY 38
18 Sidley Austin NY 21
19 Kirkland Ellis NY 21
20 Kirkland Ellis LA 21

[Anonymous User]

Just to confirm, what is the absolute lowest you all would bid Jones Day NY (21 seats) if you really wanted an interview with them?

[Anonymous User]

Another list!

178.75-179, male, not urm, average interview skills, not k-jd but no substantive we.

Bidding Chicago, some NY, and a little bit of Texas. On the fence as to corp or lit, so looking for firms that are competent in both. The only reason I'm bidding NYC is because I don't want to be unemployed, so exit options are an important consideration for the NY firms.

Goals: maximize screeners, maximize callbacks, get a jerb.

Would appreciate any and all feedback.

All firms are Chicago unless otherwise indicated.

1. Jones Day Chicago - 21 spots
2. K&E - 84
3. Sidley - 84
4. Mayer - 63
5. Skadden - 84
6. Latham - 61
7. Katten - 42
8. McDermott - 63
9. Jenner - 63
10. Davis Polk - 42 (NYC)
11. Cleary - 42 (NYC)
12. Schiff - 84
13. Simpson Thacher - 57 (NYC)
14. Vinson + Elkins - 21 (Houston)
15. Baker Botts - 21 (Houston)
16. Gibson Dunn - 6 (Dallas)
17. Sullivan Cromwell - 42 (NYC)
18. Cravath - 38 (NYC)
19. Debevoise - 63 (NYC)
20. Fried Frank - 21 (NYC)

[Anonymous User]

I'll add to the profusion of bidlists for our kind 3Ls to review

180.5, law review, no real work experience. Mostly interested in Kirkland/Sidley/Jenner + NY, and just throwing in MTO and a few DC firms. I have very little idea what I'm doing...Do I need more safeties?

1. Jenner Chi (63)
2. Kirkland Chi (84)
3. Sidley Chi (84)
4. Gibson Dunn NY (21)
5. Boies Schiller - Lit NY (21)
6. Freshfields NY (15)
7. Allen & Overy NY (21)
8. Skadden NY (42)
9. Cleary Gottlieb NY (42)
10. Debevoise NY (63)
11. Davis Polk NY (42)
12. Simpson Thatcher Bartlett NY (57)
13. Sullivan & Cromwell NY (42)
14. Cravath NY (38)
15. Paul Weiss NY (42)
16. White & Case NY (42)
17. Weil NY (21)
18. Baker & McKenzie (21)
19. DLA Piper Chi (21)
20. Jones Day Chi (21)
21. Latham Chi (51)
22. Covington & Burling DC (21)
23. Williams & Connolly DC (38)
24. Wachtell NY (42)
…
49. Munger (42)

And it can't be said enough: thank you so much for doing this!

[Neal Patrick Harris]

Just to confirm, what is the absolute lowest you all would bid Jones Day NY (21 seats) if you really wanted an interview with them?

If I really wanted an interview: 7/8.

If I just wanted one: 10-12

If I didn't really care but think they sound cool: 14

People got them w/ the third option.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

I'll add to the profusion of bidlists for our kind 3Ls to review :D

180.5, law review, no real work experience. Mostly interested in Kirkland/Sidley/Jenner + NY, and just throwing in MTO and a few DC firms. I have very little idea what I'm doing...Do I need more safeties?

1. Jenner Chi (63)
2. Kirkland Chi (84)
3. Sidley Chi (84)
4. Gibson Dunn NY (21)
5. Boies Schiller - Lit NY (21)
6. Freshfields NY (15)
7. Allen & Overy NY (21)
8. Skadden NY (42)
9. Cleary Gottlieb NY (42)
10. Debevoise NY (63)
11. Davis Polk NY (42)
12. Simpson Thatcher Bartlett NY (57)
13. Sullivan & Cromwell NY (42)
14. Cravath NY (38)
15. Paul Weiss NY (42)
16. White & Case NY (42)
17. Weil NY (21)
18. Baker & McKenzie (21)
19. DLA Piper Chi (21)
20. Jones Day Chi (21)
21. Latham Chi (51)
22. Covington & Burling DC (21)
23. Williams & Connolly DC (38)
24. Wachtell NY (42)
…
49. Munger (42)

And it can't be said enough: thank you so much for doing this!

very hard to tell if you've PM'd me but 15 down worries me (and I've said where most of these firms should go earlier ITT). Everything above that is good.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

all are fine unless i make a comment:

1. Jones Day Chicago - 21 spots
2. K&E - 84
3. Sidley - 84
4. Mayer - 63
5. Skadden - 84
6. Latham - 61
7. Katten - 42
8. McDermott - 63
9. Jenner - 63 maybe too late
10. Davis Polk - 42 (NYC)
11. Cleary - 42 (NYC)
12. Schiff - 84 i think this is okay? I didn't bid schiff but 84 slots and less desirable than kirk/sidley/skadden/jenner
13. Simpson Thacher - 57 (NYC)
14. Vinson + Elkins - 21 (Houston)?
15. Baker Botts - 21 (Houston)?
16. Gibson Dunn - 6 (Dallas)?
17. Sullivan Cromwell - 42 (NYC) probably pushing it but a decent chance at S&C here
18. Cravath - 38 (NYC) fine
19. Debevoise - 63 (NYC) probably ok (would obviously be safer further up
20. Fried Frank - 21 (NYC) nope

[Neal Patrick Harris]

Grades: Transfer, T1 Top 5%
URM/Female: No
Work Exp: 5 years
Preferred Market: Chicago
Practice Area: Litigation
Misc: All Chicago (good ties). Would consider NY, if anyone has advice on which firms would fit well in the teens (or lower?) and be relatively safe picks. I also feel like I'm putting some of the 21-slot Chicago firms too low, and that adding NY would effectively make those picks worthless...TYIA for any advice!
Bid list:

1 Jenner (63)
2 Mayer (63)
3 Sidley (84)
4 Jones Day (21)
5 Kirkland (84)
6 Perkins Coie (21)
7 Skadden (84)
8 MWE (63)
9 Vedder (21)
10 Winston (42)
11 Schiff (84)
12 Latham (51)
13 Katten (42)
14 Foley (42)
15 GT (21)
16 Baker & McKenzie (21)
17 Morgan Lewis (21)
18 Dykema (21)
19 DLA Piper (21)
20 McGuireWoods (21)
21 Ropes (42)
22 Holland & Knight (21)
23 Drinker Biddle (21)
24 Dentons (21)

Only firms I could really help you with are the top 6 and they look relatively fine (though I'd prioritize Perkins/Kirkland/sidley over Mayer/jenner but reasonable minds could disagree)

[Anonymous User]

How many screeners should we be aiming to get?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks NPH.

[Mal Reynolds]

How many screeners should we be aiming to get?

This is my expectation but if I get 20+ I'm feeling good. I'll also be hustling for more during lunch sign ups.

[Anonymous User]

I heard a lot of people are putting NYC high this year. Everyone else get that vibe?

[Neal Patrick Harris]

I heard a lot of people are putting NYC high this year. Everyone else get that vibe?

My impression is that lots of people are bidding NYC (based on the # of PM's I've gotten). This may mean that Chicago/DC are easier to get. Last year, Chicago was heavily overbid and NY was underbid. Might be a cycle. That said, from TLS it doesn't seem like anyone is bidding DC and people feasted there last year...

How many screeners should we be aiming to get?

You should expect to get most, if not all of your top 15, and then everything after is luck. With smart bidding, you can extend that number to expected 17-18, and then luck after that.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

How many screeners should we be aiming to get?

This is my expectation but if I get 20+ I'm feeling good. I'll also be hustling for more during lunch sign ups.

And add/drop. IMO that's better than lunch sign-ups because you guarantee yourself a full interview.

[Anonymous User]

Bidding DC with no ties: feasible or stupid?

[WheninLaw]

Bidding DC with no ties: feasible or stupid?

Incredibly stupid without amazing grades.

Edit: Fine if it's one or two firms. Iffy with a bunch. Incredibly stupid if it's most of your list.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

Bidding DC with no ties: feasible or stupid?

Incredibly stupid without amazing grades.

Edit: Fine if it's one or two firms. Iffy with a bunch. Incredibly stupid if it's most of your list.

This, but ties can come from practice area if you've done your hw (note: appellate litigation doesn't count as a practice area for this comment). Should obviously mix as you would with any selective market

[2014]

I had like 23 screeners from bidding last year and that was definitely on the high end. After open sign ups I ended up doing like 27 or 28 or something.

I also get the feeling that more people are doing NY than our year but it could just be a sample size thing. Almost all lists I've looked at have also had the 7-8 usual Chi suspects on them too.

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone. Here is another bid list that I need some urgent help with since I just found out about the information here and apparently I've been doing it all wrong. I have a 175.8 GPA, and am a non-URM with no past substantial work experience. I lived in DC for two years when I was in high school, however, so I am hoping to work those ties. I am mainly interested in doing litigation in DC. Here is the bid list that I originally made, but a friend just told me that I should probably switch some things up. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Let me know if I am not providing the information in the correct format. Lastly, all of the firms listed below are the DC office unless otherwise stated.

1 - Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (5)
2 - Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP (21)
3 - Dechert LLP (21)
4 - Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP (21)
5 - susman godfrey llp (19) - New York
6 - Foley & Lardner LLP (42)
7 - Kirkland & Ellis LLP (21)
8 - Morrison & Foerster LLP (21) - San Francisco
9 - BakerHostetler (16)
10 - White & Case LLP (21)
11 - Jenner & Block LLP (21)
12 - Ropes & Gray LLP (42)
13 - Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP (21)
14 - Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (38)
15 - Baker Botts LLP (21)
16 - Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP (21)
17 - Latham & Watkins (31)
18 - Simpson Thacher & Bartlett (3)
19 - Crowell & Moring L.L.P. (21)
20 - sidley austin llp (21)
21 - paul hastings llp (4)
22 - mayer brown llp (21)
23 - Holland & Knight LLP (11)
24 - Steptoe & Johnson LLP (18)
25 - Williams & Connolly (38)

Sorry to bother you all with this so late in the game, but the deadline is tomorrow.

[Mal Reynolds]

I would bid ALL NYC if I were you plus a hometown secondary market if you have ties to one. I hope you're mass mailing also. Susman is a firm I don't even think Law Review people are a lock for. Same goes for Williams. I'm in your class so take my advice with a large grain of salt but your GPA will not lend itself well to a bidlist like that.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know when San Diego firms become wasted bids? I'm thinking of putting them mid 20s. But if there's no shot then I'll probably just put a few in the 40s and see if I can snag them during sign ups.

[Anonymous User]

How low can you put Paul Hastings LA?