Bold CB Move Forum

[UVA2B]

How does this calculus change if you're telling a non-interviewer at the firm (partner you know personally) of your absolute preference for their firm? Obviously my phone call to them will not present an opportunity for fire or flesh wound, but curious on best practices for this kind of move (or advice not to do it).

Are you absolutely dead set on working for this firm? You should only mention that the firm is your top choice if you'd accept an offer, regardless of who you're talking with at the firm, and regardless of other options available to you. Otherwise, be cordial, appreciative, and non-commital until they make a decision. Your control of the process begins and ends in the interactions you have with the firm, and you should appreciate that. It doesn't matter if it's an interviewer or not, because everyone at the firm can affect your candidacy at the firm. But if you have a strong advocate at the firm because you want to work for them, absolutely leverage that relationship.

If some people got cbs for a firm and nobody got rejections yet, does it pay to follow up with the partner? He liked me and I said I could email him something we spoke about and then I did not (because it wasn't a promise, but a "I can email you")
Does it ever help to email follow up? Sigh

I'll provide an optimist perspective, even though I question this will work: anytime you can interact with a firm that hasn't rejected you, you are given another opportunity to give a positive impression to that person/that firm. Law firms are making important hiring decisions at this time of year, and while there is important guidelines a firm will follow, there is real value to showing you're genuinely interested in the firm beyond initial interviews. Keep leveraging your contacts when you can. We all need that type of confirmation sometimes.

[foregetaboutdre]

FWIW I wish looking back on my OCI experience I did some more aggressive things for a few firms(not so much at this level), but to just gauge the realities of the legal market. Like ask one firm to compare itself to another. Of course, this can backfire so I steered clear.

Firm I am at now asked where I had applied/had CBs and gave really genuine advice about each firm and how their firm works etc... (in a non bullshit way). That was helpful.

[Anonymous User]

The weird thing about this strategy is less you telling them about the other offers - that's normal and something you should do if asked anyway - and more the "I'll accept an offer from your firm on the spot," which is both (a) weird and (b) not going to work because the partner has to go through the hiring committee anyway, (s)he'd be unable to extend such an offer and it would just be a bizarre and awkward thing to say.

FWIW I've definitely done some semi-aggressive things - got a lot of callbacks and used callbacks at certain firms to go 100% in on appellate work, for example, once I had an offer up my sleeve. I wouldn't be anything but conservative and normal at my top choice firm though.

[RaceJudicata]

Only skimmed up thread so maybe its been mentioned... but why don't you just do what you did in your previous successful call backs? Seems to be working...

just a thought.

[Johann]

Yeah I'd just say I have offers at x and y. What sets your firm apart.
Then follow up with based on my research I've tentatively ranked this firm first because a b and c. Is that a fair analysis?

ETA - id do this to start getting actual answers or see how the firm distinguishes itself. Your ranking system prolly sucks so at least this way you'd learn something i think.

[LurkerTurnedMember]

Only if you literally throw paper offers on the table as though they were gauntlets and you were challenging the interviewer to a duel.

OP: Don't listen to cavalier. His advice is poor.

The proper approach here involves a cigarette lighter, which you should use to burn the two existing offers in front of the partner. Once those offers have turned to ash, unroll your sleeve to reveal the name of your top firm—which, of course, you should have carved into your arm with a knife during the hour before your interview.

No. Still not good enough. Wait until you're asked, "Why this firm?" Then take out the two paper offers out, eat ONE of them in front of the interviewer, say, "I wanna eat the competition, together," and then slide the second paper offer to the interviewer while you give him/her a creepy smile.

[dixiecupdrinking]

You better have a damn good reason for wanting to work there so bad.

what reason is good enough?

Almost none that I can think of, aside from having a really good niche practice that you're 100 percent interested in.

Look, when I interview law students and they rave about my firm, it sounds fucking ridiculous. Buddy you have no idea what it's like to work here and it's at most marginally distinct from any similar firm. It's all the same shit, within certain bands, and to the extent there are differences you won't know them until you work here.

[FSK]

How does this calculus change if i have no offers, and am merely trespassing in the hiring's partners office? He looks worried.

[Anonymous User]

You better have a damn good reason for wanting to work there so bad.

what reason is good enough?

Almost none that I can think of, aside from having a really good niche practice that you're 100 percent interested in.

Look, when I interview law students and they rave about my firm, it sounds fucking ridiculous. Buddy you have no idea what it's like to work here and it's at most marginally distinct from any similar firm. It's all the same shit, within certain bands, and to the extent there are differences you won't know them until you work here.

mind sharing ranking of ur firm? do you hate it? or wish you'd taken a different path?
I had a callback with a partner the other day who I swear wished he'd been an investment banker

[dixiecupdrinking]

You better have a damn good reason for wanting to work there so bad.

what reason is good enough?

Almost none that I can think of, aside from having a really good niche practice that you're 100 percent interested in.

Look, when I interview law students and they rave about my firm, it sounds fucking ridiculous. Buddy you have no idea what it's like to work here and it's at most marginally distinct from any similar firm. It's all the same shit, within certain bands, and to the extent there are differences you won't know them until you work here.

mind sharing ranking of ur firm? do you hate it? or wish you'd taken a different path?
I had a callback with a partner the other day who I swear wished he'd been an investment banker

I'm not gonna say the rank because it doesn't matter. It's a well regarded NYC firm. I don't like working in biglaw and will leave when the opportunity arises but I'm pretty sure I have it about as good as I could under the circumstances, ie I don't work for assholes and I don't hate the matters we do. But none of that is really knowable by some 2L who read our profile on Vault.