2014 Texas OCI (UT and other schools bidding on TX) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Target Houston. I am under the impression ties are way more important for Dallas and Austin. Austin biglaw is super hard to break into, but I mean it can't hurt to apply.

Thanks, I'm guessing due to the transient nature of Houston. I've started mass mailing firms and stress being from the south, preferring the sense of community in the south, etc.

[Anonymous User]

My friends on here will probably figure out who this is anyway, but I thought I'd go anonymous just in case.

I grew up in a major city (NY, LA, Chi) and was always around a 4.0 GPA. My experience was that I vastly underperformed my GPA for 1L jobs. Every firm asked me "so, X city, how'd you like growing up there? It's a pretty great place, right?" I happen to love my hometown, but I don't want to practice there. They never asked me straight up if I had plans to return, just questions about how great it was. I struck out with every interview until I finally told firms I hated my hometown and never wanted to go back there.

2L was a different story. I did as well as expected for my grades. I don't think I had a single person ask me about my ties to my hometown. And if they did, it wasn't in the coded, let's see if he's gonna bail on us way. Firms know you're far less likely to be a flight risk after your 2L summer. So I wouldn't worry too much about having ties to a major city. But if someone does ask you about what you think of the city, it may be a test to see if you're going to bail. Be honest about your feelings, but sum up with "but I have no desire to practice there."

-Jeff Mangum

Edit: thought I should sign it, for continuity.

[Anonymous User]

3L here. I'll try and answer questions that any of y'all have here.

Make sure and mass mail; I got one of my SA's through mass-mailing.

[Anonymous User]

New York job fair pre-selects are out. Pleasantly surprised with how many I got, but not sure if these are harder to convert to CBs than screeners through OCI. Any 3Ls/alums have anecdata on this?

Yeah I got 7 screeners. Only top 40% and I'm very surprised. I am wondering if not many people bid and employers just had to fill interview slots.

Just in case anyone was wondering, I contacted CSO and they said employers are not required or expected to fill interview slots, and that some firms have only interviewed a few applicants in the past. I'm just really shocked because some of the firms I got have significantly higher GPA guidelines for t14 schools.

I also asked CSO about a group rate for the hotel where they are interviewing, and they said they'll "look into it."

-40% anon.

[Anonymous User]

New York job fair pre-selects are out. Pleasantly surprised with how many I got, but not sure if these are harder to convert to CBs than screeners through OCI. Any 3Ls/alums have anecdata on this?

Yeah I got 7 screeners. Only top 40% and I'm very surprised. I am wondering if not many people bid and employers just had to fill interview slots.

Just in case anyone was wondering, I contacted CSO and they said employers are not required or expected to fill interview slots, and that some firms have only interviewed a few applicants in the past. I'm just really shocked because some of the firms I got have significantly higher GPA guidelines for t14 schools.

I also asked CSO about a group rate for the hotel where they are interviewing, and they said they'll "look into it."

-40% anon.

3L Anon here

Firm's listed GPA cut-offs are largely a joke and should be ignored. I was at median going into OCI and got a SA with a firm that claimed it would only hire from top quarter.

[Anonymous User]

I got multiple screeners but was unable to schedule them all because of timing constraints. anyone know how i can rectify this? contact CSO? or firms directly?

[Anonymous User]

I got multiple screeners but was unable to schedule them all because of timing constraints. anyone know how i can rectify this? contact CSO? or firms directly?

Screeners through OCI or a job fair?

[Anonymous User]

I got multiple screeners but was unable to schedule them all because of timing constraints. anyone know how i can rectify this? contact CSO? or firms directly?

Screeners through OCI or a job fair?

the NYC job fair. Got 10+ - the way the slots worked out allowed to select only 9.

[Anonymous User]

I got multiple screeners but was unable to schedule them all because of timing constraints. anyone know how i can rectify this? contact CSO? or firms directly?

Screeners through OCI or a job fair?

the NYC job fair. Got 10+ - the way the slots worked out allowed to select only 9.

From a CSO response to an email that I got asking about preselect limits before bidding, it seems like CSO wants you to pick your top preselects and decline the ones you can't fit/schedule. They suggested leaving 20 minutes between screeners lol.

I would contact firms directly.

[Anonymous User]

3L here. I'll try and answer questions that any of y'all have here.

Make sure and mass mail; I got one of my SA's through mass-mailing.

Did you get your mass mail from a market you have ties to? I am from TX and want to mass mail LA firms not coming to OCI but not sure if that will be fruitless.

[Anonymous User]

3L here. I'll try and answer questions that any of y'all have here.

Make sure and mass mail; I got one of my SA's through mass-mailing.

Did you get your mass mail from a market you have ties to? I am from TX and want to mass mail LA firms not coming to OCI but not sure if that will be fruitless.

Ya i mass mailed the market I grew up in. I think you will definitely have an uphill battle doing that but it's worth a shot IMO.

[Anonymous User]

I got multiple screeners but was unable to schedule them all because of timing constraints. anyone know how i can rectify this? contact CSO? or firms directly?

Screeners through OCI or a job fair?

the NYC job fair. Got 10+ - the way the slots worked out allowed to select only 9.

From a CSO response to an email that I got asking about preselect limits before bidding, it seems like CSO wants you to pick your top preselects and decline the ones you can't fit/schedule. They suggested leaving 20 minutes between screeners lol.

I would contact firms directly.

yea that's what I plan on doing. I might also have to reach to one of the firms i accepted but is coming to our OCI and see if I can cancel the screener in NYC and just meet in Austin. When are you headed out there?

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed out on Wednesday since my first screener is going to be at 8:40

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed out on Wednesday since my first screener is going to be at 8:40

mine starts at 9 so i'll be there on the 30th as well. what 1L section were you in? I was in 1

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed out on Wednesday since my first screener is going to be at 8:40

mine starts at 9 so i'll be there on the 30th as well. what 1L section were you in? I was in 1

4

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

Congrats on the preselects! Do you have NYC ties, and did you bid on the TX-based firms too?

I avoided those bc NYC is not my #1 location, but now I'm wondering if the TX offices even would find out/care. #willworkanywhere

I also have a few back-to-back bc there really was no other way, and until an offer is on the table, seems dumb to turn down interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

Congrats on the preselects! Do you have NYC ties, and did you bid on the TX-based firms too?

I avoided those bc NYC is not my #1 location, but now I'm wondering if the TX offices even would find out/care. #willworkanywhere

Regarding whether the TX offices will find out....I was asked multiple times during OCI if I had bid on or interviewed with different offices of the firm or whether I had bid on markets other than the location of the firm I was currently in the room with.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

Congrats on the preselects! Do you have NYC ties, and did you bid on the TX-based firms too?

I avoided those bc NYC is not my #1 location, but now I'm wondering if the TX offices even would find out/care. #willworkanywhere

Regarding whether the TX offices will find out....I was asked multiple times during OCI if I had bid on or interviewed with different offices of the firm or whether I had bid on markets other than the location of the firm I was currently in the room with.

But unless you bid on their firm's other office... Can't you stretch the truth? Like "primarily this city, but a few other random places to fill up my bidlist"

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

Congrats on the preselects! Do you have NYC ties, and did you bid on the TX-based firms too?

I avoided those bc NYC is not my #1 location, but now I'm wondering if the TX offices even would find out/care. #willworkanywhere

Regarding whether the TX offices will find out....I was asked multiple times during OCI if I had bid on or interviewed with different offices of the firm or whether I had bid on markets other than the location of the firm I was currently in the room with.

But unless you bid on their firm's other office... Can't you stretch the truth? Like "primarily this city, but a few other random places to fill up my bidlist"

Of course you can. Or just outright lie, tons of people lie their asses off about motivations for working at X, why they want city X, etc.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah a little above median and got 10 preselects for me. Had to schedule a few back to back to make it work. Anyone else schedule some back to back? Heard there was around 35 that bid.

Section 2 represent.

Congrats on the preselects! Do you have NYC ties, and did you bid on the TX-based firms too?

I avoided those bc NYC is not my #1 location, but now I'm wondering if the TX offices even would find out/care. #willworkanywhere

I also have a few back-to-back bc there really was no other way, and until an offer is on the table, seems dumb to turn down interviews.

every single one of mine is back to back...only way i could make it work

[Anonymous User]

3L here. I'll try and answer questions that any of y'all have here.

Make sure and mass mail; I got one of my SA's through mass-mailing.

Did you get your mass mail from a market you have ties to? I am from TX and want to mass mail LA firms not coming to OCI but not sure if that will be fruitless.

Los Angeles firms I take it? Not Lousiana?

I go to UT and have picked up one screener in Los Angeles from mass mailing so far. Have some ok ties to the city but I didn't grow up there or anything.

[Anonymous User]

I'm roughly top 15-20% at Duke with law review. I am from the south and plan on bidding heavy on Dallas and Houston. Am I setting myself up for failure? I have no ties to Texas, but want to work in a large legal market in the south, with a strong and growing legal economy, and good quality of life. That's about the extent of my reasons for Texas beyond market pay and no state income tax.

[Anonymous User]

I'm roughly top 15-20% at Duke with law review. I am from the south and plan on bidding heavy on Dallas and Houston. Am I setting myself up for failure? I have no ties to Texas, but want to work in a large legal market in the south, with a strong and growing legal economy, and good quality of life. That's about the extent of my reasons for Texas beyond market pay and no state income tax.

If you have no ties to Dallas, I don't think it's a good idea to bid heavily there. They are very conscious of ties. Target Houston and see what happens. Talk about how much you want O&G.

[Anonymous User]

I'm roughly top 15-20% at Duke with law review. I am from the south and plan on bidding heavy on Dallas and Houston. Am I setting myself up for failure? I have no ties to Texas, but want to work in a large legal market in the south, with a strong and growing legal economy, and good quality of life. That's about the extent of my reasons for Texas beyond market pay and no state income tax.

If you have no ties to Dallas, I don't think it's a good idea to bid heavily there. They are very conscious of ties. Target Houston and see what happens. Talk about how much you want O&G.

Anon 3L here. I've gotten the impression that Dallas is more ties conscious than Houston.