Northwestern 2019 OCI Forum

[Anonymous User]

3.67 Regional Transfer into NU (Which complicates things)

Aiming to work in venture capital/emerging tech transactional. I definitely want interviews at the big Silicon Valley firms, but I have no idea where to put them in my bid list to ensure that I a) get the interviews and b) still get interviews at the Chicago firms. Anyone have any insights?

currently playing with this list, but not at all set in stone.

1. Gunderson (Silicon Valley)
2. Fenwick and West (Silicon Valley)
3. Cooley (Silicon Valley)
4. DLA Piper (Chi)
5. Mayer Brown Transactional (Chi)
6. Wilson Sonsini (Silicon Valley)
7. Winston and Strawn (Chi)
8. Morrison and Foerster (Silicon Valley)
9. Perkins Coie- (Chi/SF)
10. Kirkland and Ellis (Chi)
11. Skadden – (Chi)
12. Jones Day (Chi)
13. Goodwin (Silicon Valley)
14. O’Melveny and Myers (Silicon Valley)

I didn't bid cali so i don't know, but my guess is you can bid them way lower and still get them, since its generally not a very popular market. but you should double check on that. also, you wont get any of the chicago firms you bid from No. 9 and down, they will all be gone by that point. finally, you should be bidding way way more firms. like close to 40. OCI is all about maximizing chances at employment.

[Anonymous User]

Wanting Chicago Transactional, but interested in Proskauer's sports law. Any advice for top 15 and maybe who to throw later bids on. 3.5x


1 Katten Chi
2 Winston Chi
3 DLA Chi
4 Proskauer NY
5 Mayer Brown Chi
6 Kirkland Chi
7 Sidley Chi
8 Greenberg Chi
9 Paul Hastings Chi
10 Dentons Chi
11 McDermott Will & Emery Chi
12 Holland & Knight Chi
13 Jenner & Block Chi
14 Perkins Coie Chi
15 Reed Smith Chi

[M458]

Wanting Chicago Transactional, but interested in Proskauer's sports law. Any advice for top 15 and maybe who to throw later bids on. 3.5x


1 Katten Chi
2 Winston Chi
3 DLA Chi
4 Proskauer NY
5 Mayer Brown Chi
6 Kirkland Chi
7 Sidley Chi
8 Greenberg Chi
9 Paul Hastings Chi
10 Dentons Chi
11 McDermott Will & Emery Chi
12 Holland & Knight Chi
13 Jenner & Block Chi
14 Perkins Coie Chi
15 Reed Smith Chi

Not sure how your interviewing skills are or other factors, such as diversity or work experience (and that GPA should have you in a good spot at DLA/Proskauer/Hastings), but if you want to play it a bit safer, adding NYC firms with lots of slots and slightly lower GPA expectations to your teen bids would be helpful (think Weil, Paul Weiss, Milbank, etc.).

[M458]

3.67 Regional Transfer into NU (Which complicates things)

Aiming to work in venture capital/emerging tech transactional. I definitely want interviews at the big Silicon Valley firms, but I have no idea where to put them in my bid list to ensure that I a) get the interviews and b) still get interviews at the Chicago firms. Anyone have any insights?

currently playing with this list, but not at all set in stone.

1. Gunderson (Silicon Valley)
2. Fenwick and West (Silicon Valley)
3. Cooley (Silicon Valley)
4. DLA Piper (Chi)
5. Mayer Brown Transactional (Chi)
6. Wilson Sonsini (Silicon Valley)
7. Winston and Strawn (Chi)
8. Morrison and Foerster (Silicon Valley)
9. Perkins Coie- (Chi/SF)
10. Kirkland and Ellis (Chi)
11. Skadden – (Chi)
12. Jones Day (Chi)
13. Goodwin (Silicon Valley)
14. O’Melveny and Myers (Silicon Valley)

How many slots does DLA have? As a Chicago firm that has a lower GPA requirement than the rest of your Chicago choices, I think maybe worth moving up to ensure you get it. From my own OCI, I think you can get the Silicon Valley firms a bit lower (bump Cooley and Fenwick down) or else you risk some of your Chicago bids being wasted bids.

[M458]

3.07, URM as WOC, NY Transactional

Prospects? Potential strategy?

Please help with some info!

Look at GPA callback report (does CSO still circulate this?) and target firms that have dipped below median in the past. Bid firms that take large classes and make sure you're mass mailing like crazy. Don't be afraid to hit up hospitality suites early in the day for firms you didn't get from your bid list. Attend every firm's summer networking event and see if you make a connection with an associate who might offer to pass your resume along.

Good luck.

[yyyuppp]

Wanting Chicago Transactional, but interested in Proskauer's sports law. Any advice for top 15 and maybe who to throw later bids on. 3.5x


1 Katten Chi
2 Winston Chi
3 DLA Chi
4 Proskauer NY
5 Mayer Brown Chi
6 Kirkland Chi
7 Sidley Chi
8 Greenberg Chi
9 Paul Hastings Chi
10 Dentons Chi
11 McDermott Will & Emery Chi
12 Holland & Knight Chi
13 Jenner & Block Chi
14 Perkins Coie Chi
15 Reed Smith Chi

you all should put the number of interview slots next to the firms so its easier to judge. but, with the exception of Mcdermott, you run the risk of not getting a firm after Sidely. Bidding chicago is tough because most firms are gone by the 10-12 range, and firms with 20 slots and low GPA numbers like greenberg or holland will go pretty high i think. You can move Winston way down I'm pretty sure to maybe 10-12 if they still have a ton of slots. you def need to have nyc firms starting to appear around 10 or so. Bidding only chicago is a big risk even with a 3.5 + transactional. and i question whether proksauer needs to be so high (correct me if I'm wrong).

[Anonymous User]

you all should put the number of interview slots next to the firms so its easier to judge. but, with the exception of Mcdermott, you run the risk of not getting a firm after Sidely. Bidding chicago is tough because most firms are gone by the 10-12 range, and firms with 20 slots and low GPA numbers like greenberg or holland will go pretty high i think. You can move Winston way down I'm pretty sure to maybe 10-12 if they still have a ton of slots. you def need to have nyc firms starting to appear around 10 or so. Bidding only chicago is a big risk even with a 3.5 + transactional. and i question whether proksauer needs to be so high (correct me if I'm wrong).

I agree with everything except Proskauer NY going lower. I was told last year when I went through OCI that Proskauer goes in the top 3 or top 5 every year.

[M458]

you all should put the number of interview slots next to the firms so its easier to judge. but, with the exception of Mcdermott, you run the risk of not getting a firm after Sidely. Bidding chicago is tough because most firms are gone by the 10-12 range, and firms with 20 slots and low GPA numbers like greenberg or holland will go pretty high i think. You can move Winston way down I'm pretty sure to maybe 10-12 if they still have a ton of slots. you def need to have nyc firms starting to appear around 10 or so. Bidding only chicago is a big risk even with a 3.5 + transactional. and i question whether proksauer needs to be so high (correct me if I'm wrong).

I agree with everything except Proskauer NY going lower. I was told last year when I went through OCI that Proskauer goes in the top 3 or top 5 every year.

I bid Proskauer 8th and got a slot (granted, this was a couple years ago and my class may have bid differently).

[Anonymous User]

3.67 Regional Transfer into NU (Which complicates things)

Aiming to work in venture capital/emerging tech transactional. I definitely want interviews at the big Silicon Valley firms, but I have no idea where to put them in my bid list to ensure that I a) get the interviews and b) still get interviews at the Chicago firms. Anyone have any insights?

currently playing with this list, but not at all set in stone.

1. Gunderson (Silicon Valley)
2. Fenwick and West (Silicon Valley)
3. Cooley (Silicon Valley)
4. DLA Piper (Chi)
5. Mayer Brown Transactional (Chi)
6. Wilson Sonsini (Silicon Valley)
7. Winston and Strawn (Chi)
8. Morrison and Foerster (Silicon Valley)
9. Perkins Coie- (Chi/SF)
10. Kirkland and Ellis (Chi)
11. Skadden – (Chi)
12. Jones Day (Chi)
13. Goodwin (Silicon Valley)
14. O’Melveny and Myers (Silicon Valley)

I didn't bid cali so i don't know, but my guess is you can bid them way lower and still get them, since its generally not a very popular market. but you should double check on that. also, you wont get any of the chicago firms you bid from No. 9 and down, they will all be gone by that point. finally, you should be bidding way way more firms. like close to 40. OCI is all about maximizing chances at employment.

I interviewed with most of the SV firms...some went higher than you'd think. You can also get pre-OCI screenings and even callbacks with those firms, try that first (FW, Cooley, Perkins, Goodwin).

[Anonymous User]

3.2x transactional, all NY here. Is this a reasonable list? Turned out far harder than I thought...

1 Gunderson Dettmer
2 Mayer Brown
3 Kirkland & Ellis
4 Weil
5 Orrick
6 Cahill
7 Willkie
8 WilmerHale
9 Fried Frank
10 Millbank
11 Kasowitz
12 Shearman
13 Allen & Overy
14 Arnold & Porter
15 Baker & McKenzie
16 Holland & Knight
17 Baker & Hostetler
18 Goodwin Procter
19 Fenwick
20 Baker Botts
21 Seward
22 Paul Hastings
23 Proskauer
24 Winston & Strawn
25 Foley & Lardner
26 Cooley
27 Dechert
28 Pillsbury
29 Ropes & Gray
30 Sidley
31 White & Case
32 MoFo
33 Cadwalader
34 McDermott
35 Vedder
36 DLA Piper
37 Wilson Sonsini
38 Jones Day
39 Davis Polk
40 Cravath

[Anonymous User]

I assume all the law review calls have gone out?

[Anonymous User]

How high do I need to bid the following:

Chicago:
Drinker Biddle
Foley
Jenner
Katten
Mayer Brown (t)
McDermott
Morgan Lewis
Sidley (t)
Winston Strawn
White & Case

NY:
Fried Frank
Rope
Sidley
Prosk
Winston Strawn

I realize I will have to give up on some of the Chicago bids so as not to waste them but am trying to get more info before putting together a bid list

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a list of NY offices that are not coming to OCI?

[Anonymous User]

3.2x transactional, all NY here. Is this a reasonable list? Turned out far harder than I thought...

1 Gunderson Dettmer
2 Mayer Brown
3 Kirkland & Ellis
4 Weil
5 Orrick
6 Cahill
7 Willkie
8 WilmerHale
9 Fried Frank
10 Millbank
11 Kasowitz
12 Shearman
13 Allen & Overy
14 Arnold & Porter
15 Baker & McKenzie
16 Holland & Knight
17 Baker & Hostetler
18 Goodwin Procter
19 Fenwick
20 Baker Botts
21 Seward
22 Paul Hastings
23 Proskauer
24 Winston & Strawn
25 Foley & Lardner
26 Cooley
27 Dechert
28 Pillsbury
29 Ropes & Gray
30 Sidley
31 White & Case
32 MoFo
33 Cadwalader
34 McDermott
35 Vedder
36 DLA Piper
37 Wilson Sonsini
38 Jones Day
39 Davis Polk
40 Cravath

I'd put Cadwalader closer to top 20. I'd switch them with Holland & Knight. Bigger summer class, more prestigious, and lockstep compensation. Weil can probably go down 3-4 spots. Proskauer is a waste at 23. Might as well bump them to the way end so you don't lose a bid from a marginal candidate in the 20-25 range.

[Wubbles]

Anyone have a list of NY offices that are not coming to OCI?

https://www.nalpdirectory.com/Page.cfm?PageID=34

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard of any Chicago firms giving out pre-OCI interviews or offers?

I applied to a handful but can't figure out which Chicago firms actually give pre-OCI offers. TLS and Reddit reporting movement in other markets but haven't heard anything about here.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard of any Chicago firms giving out pre-OCI interviews or offers?

I applied to a handful but can't figure out which Chicago firms actually give pre-OCI offers. TLS and Reddit reporting movement in other markets but haven't heard anything about here.

I haven't heard of anyone else getting pre-OCI interviews/offers but I have 2 pre-OCI CBs scheduled. Both are with small offices here (classes <10). One was from a random direct application, one was through networking. Given the smallness of the classes I don't feel comfortable naming the firms, but just wanted to say there's some hope.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone heard of any Chicago firms giving out pre-OCI interviews or offers?

I applied to a handful but can't figure out which Chicago firms actually give pre-OCI offers. TLS and Reddit reporting movement in other markets but haven't heard anything about here.

I haven't heard of anyone else getting pre-OCI interviews/offers but I have 2 pre-OCI CBs scheduled. Both are with small offices here (classes <10). One was from a random direct application, one was through networking. Given the smallness of the classes I don't feel comfortable naming the firms, but just wanted to say there's some hope.

Thanks! That's good to know. Good luck!

[carsondalywashere]

you all should put the number of interview slots next to the firms so its easier to judge. but, with the exception of Mcdermott, you run the risk of not getting a firm after Sidely. Bidding chicago is tough because most firms are gone by the 10-12 range, and firms with 20 slots and low GPA numbers like greenberg or holland will go pretty high i think. You can move Winston way down I'm pretty sure to maybe 10-12 if they still have a ton of slots. you def need to have nyc firms starting to appear around 10 or so. Bidding only chicago is a big risk even with a 3.5 + transactional. and i question whether proksauer needs to be so high (correct me if I'm wrong).

I agree with everything except Proskauer NY going lower. I was told last year when I went through OCI that Proskauer goes in the top 3 or top 5 every year.

I bid Proskauer 8th and got a slot (granted, this was a couple years ago and my class may have bid differently).

I bid them in the top 5 last year and did not get them

[CSKLawz]

Possibly unpopular opinion, but I found career services incredibly helpful with managing the bid list. They may not have been in tune with hiring trends, but they definitely knew where to place bids to maximize the number of screeners. There is a lot to complain about, but at least they get the bid list right more often than not.

I would also err on the conservative side regarding GPAs. The people I know who struck out my year went all-in on reaches and didn’t do as much work on the firms they were actually matches for. Never assume that you are going to be the below-median callback. If your GPA is really low, consider tempering expectations, applying more broadly, or opening yourself up to other practice groups. You can’t afford to be picky when the alternative is striking out. All that matters is getting the 2L summer offer to keep your options open moving forward.

[Anonymous User]

3.8x, law review, ideally would like to be in Chicago or to a slightly lesser extent DC (ties to both). I've thoughtfully considered the firms but hastily threw together the order. I'm worried I need more backup options.

1. Sidley (Chicago lit)
2. Mayer Brown (Chicago lit)
3. McDermott (Chicago)
4. Jones Day (Chicago)
5. King & Spalding (Chicago)
6. Weil (NY)
7. Skadden (Chicago)
8. Latham (Chicago)
9. Cleary (NY)
10. Cravath (NY)
11. Kirkland (Chicago)
12. Perkins Coie (Chicago)
13. Ropes (Chicago)
14. Paul Weiss (NY)
15. Sidley (DC)
16. Jones Day (DC)
17. Covington (DC)
18. Cleary (DC)
19. Sullivan & Cromwell (NY)

[Anonymous User]

I'd move McDermott to 1, Sildey to 3, Kirkland to 7, and move the rest down, I'd also switch spots between SullCrom and Covington. Finally, move Perkins and Ropes up - maybe above Cravath.

Jenner is a good place for litigation, you should bid on them.

Bid on other firms like Winston & Strawn etc as backup and use all 40 bids. If you don't get an interview beyond #20 - which is very possible, you could always request one. There shouldn't be a problem with that since you have a decent GPA and LR.

3.8x, law review, ideally would like to be in Chicago or to a slightly lesser extent DC (ties to both). I've thoughtfully considered the firms but hastily threw together the order. I'm worried I need more backup options.

1. Sidley (Chicago lit)
2. Mayer Brown (Chicago lit)
3. McDermott (Chicago)
4. Jones Day (Chicago)
5. King & Spalding (Chicago)
6. Weil (NY)
7. Skadden (Chicago)
8. Latham (Chicago)
9. Cleary (NY)
10. Cravath (NY)
11. Kirkland (Chicago)
12. Perkins Coie (Chicago)
13. Ropes (Chicago)
14. Paul Weiss (NY)
15. Sidley (DC)
16. Jones Day (DC)
17. Covington (DC)
18. Cleary (DC)
19. Sullivan & Cromwell (NY)

[Anonymous User]

Diff 2L here but FYI Sidley decided to switch to separate Litigation (20)/Transactional (40) interview spots.

I'd move McDermott to 1, Sildey to 3, Kirkland to 7, and move the rest down, I'd also switch spots between SullCrom and Covington. Finally, move Perkins and Ropes up - maybe above Cravath.

Jenner is a good place for litigation, you should bid on them.

Bid on other firms like Winston & Strawn etc as backup and use all 40 bids. If you don't get an interview beyond #20 - which is very possible, you could always request one. There shouldn't be a problem with that since you have a decent GPA and LR.

3.8x, law review, ideally would like to be in Chicago or to a slightly lesser extent DC (ties to both). I've thoughtfully considered the firms but hastily threw together the order. I'm worried I need more backup options.

1. Sidley (Chicago lit)
2. Mayer Brown (Chicago lit)
3. McDermott (Chicago)
4. Jones Day (Chicago)
5. King & Spalding (Chicago)
6. Weil (NY)
7. Skadden (Chicago)
8. Latham (Chicago)
9. Cleary (NY)
10. Cravath (NY)
11. Kirkland (Chicago)
12. Perkins Coie (Chicago)
13. Ropes (Chicago)
14. Paul Weiss (NY)
15. Sidley (DC)
16. Jones Day (DC)
17. Covington (DC)
18. Cleary (DC)
19. Sullivan & Cromwell (NY)

[Anonymous User]

Yeah that's why I was thinking of having them #1. I will add Jenner/Winston as well, and make the other recommendations

[quote="Anonymous User"]Diff 2L here but FYI Sidley decided to switch to separate Litigation (20)/Transactional (40) interview spots.

[quote="Anonymous User"]I'd move McDermott to 1, Sildey to 3, Kirkland to 7, and move the rest down, I'd also switch spots between SullCrom and Covington. Finally, move Perkins and Ropes up - maybe above Cravath.

Jenner is a good place for litigation, you should bid on them.

Bid on other firms like Winston & Strawn etc as backup and use all 40 bids. If you don't get an interview beyond #20 - which is very possible, you could always request one. There shouldn't be a problem with that since you have a decent GPA and LR.

[Anonymous User]

Wanting Chicago Transactional, but interested in Proskauer's sports law. Any advice for top 15 and maybe who to throw later bids on. 3.5x


1 Katten Chi
2 Winston Chi
3 DLA Chi
4 Proskauer NY
5 Mayer Brown Chi
6 Kirkland Chi
7 Sidley Chi
8 Greenberg Chi
9 Paul Hastings Chi
10 Dentons Chi
11 McDermott Will & Emery Chi
12 Holland & Knight Chi
13 Jenner & Block Chi
14 Perkins Coie Chi
15 Reed Smith Chi

I summered at Proskauer and would recommend not telling your interviewers you are specifically interested in sports law. Pretty much an auto ding.