NU OCI 2013/The Great Jerb Hunt Forum

[bdubs]

I guess someone said earlier that career services doesn't release past years' bidding history by firm. But is there a general guide? I get that the popular Chicago firms should be top 5, but what about NYC? Bay Area? Secondary markets? How low can I bid those firms? I currently don't plan to bid Chicago.

Thanks in advance!

I would construct a bid list based on your personal preference for working at the firms combined with your likelihood of getting a callback. Once you've got your ideal list, you can post it anonymously on TLS and people will help you modify it to maximize your # of screeners.

Generally, you should get a lot of screening interviews if you're not bidding Chicago. I think lots of SF went more quickly than NYC last year because they tended to have fewer interview slots, but i didn't bid the full range of firms in those two markets.

[Anonymous User]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

[Flips88]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

LR is prestigious so employers will care. Why they continue to care about it is beyond me, but they do. Congrats, btw.

[bk1]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

Bid your gpa. Period.

[homestyle28]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

Bid your gpa. Period.

wait, are you saying things would've gone better if I had only bid firms that start with Cs?

<rimshot>

I'll be here all week, try the veal

[Icculus]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

Bid your gpa. Period.

wait, are you saying things would've gone better if I had only bid firms that start with Cs?

<rimshot>

I'll be here all week, try the veal

[homestyle28]

How big a deal is LR for people outside the top-10%, if at all? I think I'm roughly top-20% based on the numbers posted here, but got LR today, should that change the bidding calculus at all?

Bid your gpa. Period.

wait, are you saying things would've gone better if I had only bid firms that start with Cs?

<rimshot>

I'll be here all week, try the veal

What, you don't like jokes?

[Icculus]

Bid your gpa. Period.

wait, are you saying things would've gone better if I had only bid firms that start with Cs?

<rimshot>

I'll be here all week, try the veal

What, you don't like jokes?

--ImageRemoved--

[lgleye]

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[splitsplat]

--ImageRemoved--

I get it !! I get it !! She's saying, " NU....NU....NU....NU...." A true Wildcat.

that's a boy, but it's not surprising that you can't tell

[lgleye]

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[lgleye]

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[crumpetsandtea]

Well, bidding opens tomorrow. I've searched past threads, but can find an answer as to how may bids we are allowed. In threads from past years, I think someone meantioned amore than 30 (?!?). I know that once you get past 18-20, most everything is gone, but would like to know how many firms from 2ndary markes to pile on.
So, upperclassmen, thanks again for answering: What's the max number of bids you've seen or done in past years?

I was under the impression that we had ~50 bids.

[Georgia Avenue]

You have 50

although i think you can end up with more than that if you bid firms on the same interview schedule or something like that. but your chances of landing anything later than 40 are basically zero anyway, so who cares

[fishfry111]

+1

[lgleye]

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[crumpetsandtea]

Sorry if this has been asked, but, asifr from spending 30 minutes reading on a firm's website and Chambers, how much detail about the firm do screeners expect you to know? Put another way, if I'm fortunate enough to get 10 screeners, will it be like 10 quizzes to prep for?

I don't think they expect to quiz you. Just know the basics - what offices do they have, what PAs are their strength? Maybe a bit about your interviewer if you know who they are ahead of time.

ETA: in other words, I doubt theywill ask you any direct qs about it, but slipping something firm-specific into your CL/intvw will give you bonus points and knwing about the firm will elp you avoid dumb mistakes like expressing interest in a PA they don't really work in

[Georgia Avenue]

Sorry if this has been asked, but, asifr from spending 30 minutes reading on a firm's website and Chambers, how much detail about the firm do screeners expect you to know? Put another way, if I'm fortunate enough to get 10 screeners, will it be like 10 quizzes to prep for?

Be able to provide a "this is why I want to work for _______" answer weaving in information that you find is specific to each firm

Law firms do this cute thing where they pretend that they're the only unique one from everyone else, so cater to that

[rinkrat19]

Anyone going to SFIPLA?

[Anonymous User]

Bid list help, por favor? All the tips on here made crafting a bid list sound easy enough.... until I tried to do it myself. Pretty sure this is a total mess.

3.6x, Secondary Journal. I'm pretty dead set on Chicago, but using Houston as a backup market.

1. Sidley
2. Dentons
3. Kirkland
4. Jenner
5. Katten
6. K&L Gates
7. Baker McKenzie
8. Jones Day
9. Paul Hastings
10. Ropes & Gray
11. DLA Piper
12. Mayer Brown
13. Schiff
14. Baker Botts (TX)
15. Vinson & Elkins (TX)
16. McDermott
17. Skadden
18. Winston
19. Foley & Laudner
20. Latham
21. Chapman
22. Reed Smith
23. McGuire Woods
24. Greenberg Traurig
25. Bryan Cave

[Anonymous User]

Bid list help, por favor? All the tips on here made crafting a bid list sound easy enough.... until I tried to do it myself. Pretty sure this is a total mess.

3.6x, Secondary Journal. I'm pretty dead set on Chicago, but using Houston as a backup market.

1. Sidley
2. Dentons
3. Kirkland
4. Jenner
5. Katten
6. K&L Gates
7. Baker McKenzie
8. Jones Day
9. Paul Hastings
10. Ropes & Gray
11. DLA Piper
12. Mayer Brown
13. Schiff
14. Baker Botts (TX)
15. Vinson & Elkins (TX)
16. McDermott
17. Skadden
18. Winston
19. Foley & Laudner
20. Latham
21. Chapman
22. Reed Smith
23. McGuire Woods
24. Greenberg Traurig
25. Bryan Cave

One question: at which bid# did you start adding Houston Firms?

[Icculus]

Sorry if this has been asked, but, asifr from spending 30 minutes reading on a firm's website and Chambers, how much detail about the firm do screeners expect you to know? Put another way, if I'm fortunate enough to get 10 screeners, will it be like 10 quizzes to prep for?

Be able to provide a "this is why I want to work for _______" answer weaving in information that you find is specific to each firm

Law firms do this cute thing where they pretend that they're the only unique one from everyone else, so cater to that

This. Just know why you want their firm...

i.e. - I really want Kirkland b/c I love the idea if the free market system.

I really like Jones Day because of the "one firm worldwide" mantra and like the idea that compensation is merit based.

I really want to work for Weil because I am interested in bk, or I really like the culture of the firm...

blah, blah, blah. It's not a quiz, it's about knowing enough to be able to answer "Why our firm?"

[traehekat]

Sorry if this has been asked, but, asifr from spending 30 minutes reading on a firm's website and Chambers, how much detail about the firm do screeners expect you to know? Put another way, if I'm fortunate enough to get 10 screeners, will it be like 10 quizzes to prep for?

Be able to provide a "this is why I want to work for _______" answer weaving in information that you find is specific to each firm

Law firms do this cute thing where they pretend that they're the only unique one from everyone else, so cater to that

This. Just know why you want their firm...

i.e. - I really want Kirkland b/c I love the idea if the free market system.

I really like Jones Day because of the "one firm worldwide" mantra and like the idea that compensation is merit based.

I really want to work for Weil because I am interested in bk, or I really like the culture of the firm...

blah, blah, blah. It's not a quiz, it's about knowing enough to be able to answer "Why our firm?"

You can get a mixed bag of results with this, I'm afraid. Sometimes you'll find something interesting about a firm that you really like, so you bring it up in the interview and it just turns out to be some marketing nonsense that the interviewing attorney has never heard of or, worse yet, doesn't even agree with. Some large firms have a similar culture throughout most of their offices, while others are kind of a hodgepodge of different cultures leftover from various mergers. Your best bet is to find out some information specific to the office you are interviewing for, but I understand that sometimes that just isn't in the cards and you have to make do. Use your best judgment and stay away from stuff that has a "marketing" feel to it. For instance, I brought up the "one firm worldwide" mantra with Jones Day's Chicago office and I felt like it kind of fell flat. On the other hand, talking about specific practice areas or "unique" models work distribution are always a good call.

[Icculus]

Sorry if this has been asked, but, asifr from spending 30 minutes reading on a firm's website and Chambers, how much detail about the firm do screeners expect you to know? Put another way, if I'm fortunate enough to get 10 screeners, will it be like 10 quizzes to prep for?

Be able to provide a "this is why I want to work for _______" answer weaving in information that you find is specific to each firm

Law firms do this cute thing where they pretend that they're the only unique one from everyone else, so cater to that

This. Just know why you want their firm...

i.e. - I really want Kirkland b/c I love the idea if the free market system.

I really like Jones Day because of the "one firm worldwide" mantra and like the idea that compensation is merit based.

I really want to work for Weil because I am interested in bk, or I really like the culture of the firm...

blah, blah, blah. It's not a quiz, it's about knowing enough to be able to answer "Why our firm?"

You can get a mixed bag of results with this, I'm afraid. Sometimes you'll find something interesting about a firm that you really like, so you bring it up in the interview and it just turns out to be some marketing nonsense that the interviewing attorney has never heard of or, worse yet, doesn't even agree with. Some large firms have a similar culture throughout most of their offices, while others are kind of a hodgepodge of different cultures leftover from various mergers. Your best bet is to find out some information specific to the office you are interviewing for, but I understand that sometimes that just isn't in the cards and you have to make do. Use your best judgment and stay away from stuff that has a "marketing" feel to it. For instance, I brought up the "one firm worldwide" mantra with Jones Day's Chicago office and I felt like it kind of fell flat. On the other hand, talking about specific practice areas or "unique" models work distribution are always a good call.

That's funny because when I interviewed with the JD NY office they kept bringing up the one firm thing. I do think another thing that can help is knowing how assignments are handed out, like if the summer is a rotation or pulling work from anywhere. Really, what it comes down to is OCI is a total crapshoot and everyone's experience is different.

Just make sure you have questions to ask do if at minute ten the interviewer says"what can I answer for you?" There isn't total awkward silence.

[lgleye]

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