Duke OCI - Class of 2016 - Oooh Kill Em Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anybody started mailing firms that won't be at our OCI?

Starting to do that this week, so that ideally I can set up interviews before OCI.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody started mailing firms that won't be at our OCI?

Starting to do that this week, so that ideally I can set up interviews before OCI.

Would it be a mistake to say that you're "available" to interview the week after OCI if the firm you are mailing is in a different city than your summer job?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense where I need to bid Fried Frank (NYC) to get an interview? I have no idea how popular it is since I haven't heard anyone talk about it. Its stats are 3.66/3.60/3.48 for 75th/50th /25th GPA percentiles for offers given over the past 5 years and there have been 10 offers. There are only 21 interview slots.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody started mailing firms that won't be at our OCI?

I am waiting for Casenote results to come out.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody started mailing firms that won't be at our OCI?

I am waiting for Casenote results to come out.

Anybody started mailing firms that won't be at our OCI?

I am waiting for Casenote results to come out.

You might as well email them now and use the CaseNote results as a chance to follow up.

[Anonymous User]

Anybody received feedback from career counselors on bidlists yet?

[Anonymous User]

I received feedback that I think was helpful, but of course no way to tell until I have offers in my hand. I don't plan to bid any NY so the feedback I got probably can't help you.

[Anonymous User]

Any idea what the grade cut off for DLJ was?

Dirk

[Anonymous User]

If no journal invite by now does it mean that you didn't get an exclusive?

[Anonymous User]

If no journal invite by now does it mean that you didn't get an exclusive?

Not necessarily. You'll get an email after all the exclusive hiring is finished saying you were not matched, and even then the non-exclusive journals could be up to a couple weeks later as people decide whether to accept the invite.

[Wearthewildthingsr]

If no journal invite by now does it mean that you didn't get an exclusive?

By now, yes.

However the non-exclusive journals might still be up for contention. I believe the Environmental Journal gave their invitations out already though...

[Anonymous User]

If no journal invite by now does it mean that you didn't get an exclusive?

By now, yes.

However the non-exclusive journals might still be up for contention. I believe the Environmental Journal gave their invitations out already though...

Is there only one round for exclusive journal invitations? Is it common to not get even one journal from median?

[Anonymous User]

I'm top 1/3 and didn't get an invite to any journals. I have no idea what journal outcome is common since I am just one data point.

[beachbum]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

[Anonymous User]

Bottom half and no journal, guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[Anonymous User]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

Is that right? I went to a White & Case lunch talk this past year and the attorneys there said that being on a journal (not necessarily DLJ) was a requirement.

[beachbum]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

Is that right? I went to a White & Case lunch talk this past year and the attorneys there said that being on a journal (not necessarily DLJ) was a requirement.

That may be true for White & Case. But, from what I could tell, journals generally didn't seem to move the needle.

[Anonymous User]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

Is that right? I went to a White & Case lunch talk this past year and the attorneys there said that being on a journal (not necessarily DLJ) was a requirement.

That may be true for White & Case. But, from what I could tell, journals generally didn't seem to move the needle.

Do you mean for non-DLJ journals? Could DLJ give you a bump if you are say .05 below a firm's median?

[beachbum]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

Is that right? I went to a White & Case lunch talk this past year and the attorneys there said that being on a journal (not necessarily DLJ) was a requirement.

That may be true for White & Case. But, from what I could tell, journals generally didn't seem to move the needle.

Do you mean for non-DLJ journals? Could DLJ give you a bump if you are say .05 below a firm's median?

Man, I'm just a poor ignorant (former) student, not an OCI interviewer. There are way too many variables in play for me to be able to give you an answer to that. The DLJ members I knew all ended up with good jobs, but their GPAs alone would've probably made them eligible for those jobs. On the other hand, people without journals still seemed eligible for even the highest-ranked firms (e.g., Cravath), and, overall, the people I knew without journals largely landed in good jobs.

[Anonymous User]

From my experience, journals didn't seem to matter much to employers. After all, journals are mostly just a proxy for grades. So if you have the grades and can carry yourself in an interview, a journal (or lack thereof) probably isn't going to move the needle much in one direction or the other.

Also, journals (especially DLJ) can be a lot of work. If you manage to walk into 2L with a job and no journal, then bully for you.

(And good luck, everyone. OCI sucks, but you'll make it. Eye of the tiger and all that.)

Is that right? I went to a White & Case lunch talk this past year and the attorneys there said that being on a journal (not necessarily DLJ) was a requirement.

That may be true for White & Case. But, from what I could tell, journals generally didn't seem to move the needle.

Do you mean for non-DLJ journals? Could DLJ give you a bump if you are say .05 below a firm's median?

Anecdotal I know, but there was at least one person on DLJ who had a lot of trouble landing a job this year. Not sure if it was a write-on with mediocre grade situation or what, but it does still happen.

[Anonymous User]

Any upperclassmen out there who can speak to how difficult OCI is if you're in the 3.2-3.3 range?

[Anonymous User]

Is a 3.75ish with DLJ a place upperclassmen would feel comfortable budding straight DC at?

[Anonymous User]

Is a 3.75ish with DLJ a place upperclassmen would feel comfortable budding straight DC at?

No. With small firm class sizes, anything can happen. You still need safeties.

[Anonymous User]

Any upperclassmen out there who can speak to how difficult OCI is if you're in the 3.2-3.3 range?

Bid heavy NYC and a smaller market you have strong ties, use the offer report for GPA ranges. You can come out on top if you interview well, but it takes some hustling.

[Anonymous User]

I also agree that journals seemed pretty marginal. It is probably a good idea to have one, but GPA is really the determining factor.

Moot court is also a plus for litigation (obv).

Is a 3.75ish with DLJ a place upperclassmen would feel comfortable budding straight DC at?

No. With small firm class sizes, anything can happen. You still need safeties.

Agree with this. DC seemed super unpredictable this last cycle.