V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

[itbdvorm]

1. How do you perceive female appearance?
a. Must female interviewees wear skirt suits or are pant suits fine?
b. I do not generally wear makeup, and I understand I will have to for interviews - do you have a concept of how much? (I generally just use coverup and a tiny amount of other makeup - no eye makeup, and i wear glasses).

2. This thread addressed subjective views based on appearance. Do you think there's a different standard for women then for men? (specifically, is it more damaging to be an overweight female than an overweight male; will long hair that gets unrulier throughout the day be thought of as a killer, when men keep it short and don't have that issue).

3. Is there an advantage/disadvantage to a "friendly" demeanor, smiling and animated conversation, rather than a "professional" demeanor, more reserved and v. to the point. I'm not talking about extremes, just about your preference / trend in who you think gets hired within the spectrum of acceptable/professional.

4. What can a candidate with little impressive work experience and without impressive summer experience (reg. judicial internship or reg. public interest job) do to improve his/her impact in an interview? Focus on transferable skills? Reiterate interest in firm? Seem really nice? Seem really on-the-ball?

Sorry for the long questions. Thank you for answering them!

1. Not sure what this question is asking.
a. I think pant suits are probably fine from my perspective; others may disagree.
b. I am not the right person to ask this question...don't look like a clown I guess?

2. Again, not totally sure how to answer this - looking slovenly is problematic for men or women. If you have clothes that fit well, take care of your appearance (if you're worried about unruly hair, spring for a salon / straightening thing maybe?) you should be fine. Will prettier/skinnier/more fit people do better in the aggregate? yeah, probably. sorry. it's the way the world works.

3. I guess friendlier is better usually from my perspective, though "animated" scares me. I've had intense, robotic interviews in the past that turned me off. I've also had overenthusiastic people that turned me off. Mock interviews can help if you're not sure/confident about yourself.

4. I think seeming really on-the-ball is probably your best bet. Be informed about the firm, about the practice, about the interviewer if you can. Do your homework, be really prepared.

[itbdvorm]

How do you look upon moot court/mock trial experience as compared to someone who dedicated themselves solely to law review?

Honestly don't care so so much about either - actual law review is a plus, other law journals are "nice to haves" and more that it's surprising if something isn't there than a plus that it is.

[itbdvorm]

I'm not sure if I asked this on your post or another persons' post whose also helping out but I'll just give it a go.

I have a 1 year gap in my resume. I really didn't do anything for the first 6 months and I was looking for a job for the next 6 months and got one. (This is before I matriculated for law school)

How bad would this be for me? What kind of answer would be a decent response that would make you just shrug it off and move on.

Depends on exactly when...is it immediately post-college? Between jobs? Laid off during economic downturn? Why didn't you do anything? Did you travel? Was it difficult to find a job? What did you learn?

All of these things factor into the real answer. Your interviewers are smart, don't try to bs them. A real answer / explanation / what you learned from the experience will be better than trying to trick them.

[Mce252]

How influential is it to have associates that know the applicant give recommendations?

[Anonymous User]

Do you also interview outside of OCI? Specifically, do you interview people looking to join the firm after a 1 or 2 year judicial clerkship?

I am currently a federal COA clerk looking to join a firm. However, my resume is pretty public-interesty. The pressures of the specific PI I was interested in, especially after my 2L summer internship and 3L jobs, got to be too much to bear. After seeing many people I worked with get deported, imprisoned for life, and even executed, I was having a hard time coping with that particular stress. I feel like, at this point, I couldn't do that work full-time and have it consume my life, but unfortunately I figured that out a little later in the game (too late to have a chance to summer with a firm). I know biglaw is stressful, but not such in a way that if you fail, a client could face such severe personal consequences (most of the time). I still enjoy litigation and its high-stakes aspect generally, though.

I've also become much more interested in a variety of civil matters that working at a firm entails through my experience as a clerk.

What would you think of me as a candidate for joining the firm after my clerkship? And is there any particular advice you could give me? Many thanks for your help.

[Anonymous User]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

[itbdvorm]

How influential is it to have associates that know the applicant give recommendations?

Can't save a bad candidate (unless there's some sort of money/client connection involved) but can certainly help a borderline one.

[itbdvorm]

Do you also interview outside of OCI? Specifically, do you interview people looking to join the firm after a 1 or 2 year judicial clerkship?

I am currently a federal COA clerk looking to join a firm. However, my resume is pretty public-interesty. The pressures of the specific PI I was interested in, especially after my 2L summer internship and 3L jobs, got to be too much to bear. After seeing many people I worked with get deported, imprisoned for life, and even executed, I was having a hard time coping with that particular stress. I feel like, at this point, I couldn't do that work full-time and have it consume my life, but unfortunately I figured that out a little later in the game (too late to have a chance to summer with a firm). I know biglaw is stressful, but not such in a way that if you fail, a client could face such severe personal consequences (most of the time). I still enjoy litigation and its high-stakes aspect generally, though.

I've also become much more interested in a variety of civil matters that working at a firm entails through my experience as a clerk.

What would you think of me as a candidate for joining the firm after my clerkship? And is there any particular advice you could give me? Many thanks for your help.

Sure, I interview them as well. I think clerkship candidates - especially COA ones - are much more desirable and thus you shouldn't be as worried about your background. At your stage you can actually talk about substantive legal issues, what you hope to do at a law firm, what you're looking for in your career, etc. This gives you a pretty big leg up over most of the other candidates already.

At your level you are interviewing for fit, knowledge and openings rather than being basically just another cog...

[itbdvorm]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

No, I can't. But I can tell you that there are definitely differences in the T14. Top third or so at CCN might be good enough for us, top 20-25% as you go further down the line, probably need to be in the top 10% towards the bottom of the T14...

[Anonymous User]

As a 1L with no work experience, with a summer job that doesn't give corporate work experience (gov't DA/PD), is it possible to credibly convey an interest in corporate work? I'm planning on taking a course load next semester with classes that are geared towards corporate work. I also might take a clinic that focuses on corporate work.

[Anonymous User]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

No, I can't. But I can tell you that there are definitely differences in the T14. Top third or so at CCN might be good enough for us, top 20-25% as you go further down the line, probably need to be in the top 10% towards the bottom of the T14...

What about YHS? Top third as well?

Also, if you made it to callbacks for a 1L summer position where they were only giving out 1 position per school, but were encouraged to apply again in the fall, do you think it provides a leg-up?

[desertlaw]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

No, I can't. But I can tell you that there are definitely differences in the T14. Top third or so at CCN might be good enough for us, top 20-25% as you go further down the line, probably need to be in the top 10% towards the bottom of the T14...

What about YHS? Top third as well?

Also, if you made it to callbacks for a 1L summer position where they were only giving out 1 position per school, but were encouraged to apply again in the fall, do you think it provides a leg-up?

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

[Julio_El_Chavo]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

No, I can't. But I can tell you that there are definitely differences in the T14. Top third or so at CCN might be good enough for us, top 20-25% as you go further down the line, probably need to be in the top 10% towards the bottom of the T14...

What about YHS? Top third as well?

Also, if you made it to callbacks for a 1L summer position where they were only giving out 1 position per school, but were encouraged to apply again in the fall, do you think it provides a leg-up?

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

LOL @ the aspies on this site. Jesus fucking Christ.

[Anonymous User]

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

I'm asking because it's good to know information. Creating a proper bidlist is important, and I plan to not only make my own, but help my friends. If I know a friend is in the bottom third, I want to know where to tell them to be more risk-averse. If top third is a cut off for V15, then maybe someone just at median only bids some of them. It's relevant information, back off.

[Anonymous User]

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

I'm asking because it's good to know information. Creating a proper bidlist is important, and I plan to not only make my own, but help my friends. If I know a friend is in the bottom third, I want to know where to tell them to be more risk-averse. If top third is a cut off for V15, then maybe someone just at median only bids some of them. It's relevant information, back off.

Just because his V15 has this cut-off, doesn't make it a universal rule for all V15s. With median at HYS, if you don't get a V5, it's clearly something other than your grades that's keeping you from the job.

[Anonymous User]

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

I'm asking because it's good to know information. Creating a proper bidlist is important, and I plan to not only make my own, but help my friends. If I know a friend is in the bottom third, I want to know where to tell them to be more risk-averse. If top third is a cut off for V15, then maybe someone just at median only bids some of them. It's relevant information, back off.

Just because his V15 has this cut-off, doesn't make it a universal rule for all V15s. With median at HYS, if you don't get a V5, it's clearly something other than your grades that's keeping you from the job.

Really? All medians at HLS can get V-5? Seems a bit unreasonable to me, as there are likely more median students than slots at V5 firms. Maybe all median at HLS with WE at Goldman/McKinsey and an Ivy undergrad.....

[Anonymous User]

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

I'm asking because it's good to know information. Creating a proper bidlist is important, and I plan to not only make my own, but help my friends. If I know a friend is in the bottom third, I want to know where to tell them to be more risk-averse. If top third is a cut off for V15, then maybe someone just at median only bids some of them. It's relevant information, back off.

Just because his V15 has this cut-off, doesn't make it a universal rule for all V15s. With median at HYS, if you don't get a V5, it's clearly something other than your grades that's keeping you from the job.

There are 450+ HYS students at median or higher. If you're counting not having worked at Goldman Sachs before law school as something keeping you from the job, then sure, but I doubt they differentiate between us based on only interviewing skills.

[desertlaw]

You talked earlier about grade cut-offs at different schools. Could you go into that a little more, as in where do you draw lines at each level? Are there differences in the t14 outside of YHS?

No, I can't. But I can tell you that there are definitely differences in the T14. Top third or so at CCN might be good enough for us, top 20-25% as you go further down the line, probably need to be in the top 10% towards the bottom of the T14...

What about YHS? Top third as well?

Also, if you made it to callbacks for a 1L summer position where they were only giving out 1 position per school, but were encouraged to apply again in the fall, do you think it provides a leg-up?

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

This. I think the point was that getting this info for this 1 V15 isn't going to help your bidding list because there are still 14 more Vault's. Especially if OP doesn't disclose what firm he's at, whether they take median (or don't take median) is not going to help you. Your office of career services, however, is somewhere that you can turn to for this information. Or other 2L/3L's at HYS on TLS or at your school.

[Anonymous User]

You are fucking insane/douchestastic asking this question if you're at HYS. If you're at YHS, you're fine. Stop worrying and chill. Even if you had to get top third for this V15, there are still another 14 V's. 14 of them that will welcome you with wide open arms if you are "merely" median at HYS.

I'm asking because it's good to know information. Creating a proper bidlist is important, and I plan to not only make my own, but help my friends. If I know a friend is in the bottom third, I want to know where to tell them to be more risk-averse. If top third is a cut off for V15, then maybe someone just at median only bids some of them. It's relevant information, back off.

Just because his V15 has this cut-off, doesn't make it a universal rule for all V15s. With median at HYS, if you don't get a V5, it's clearly something other than your grades that's keeping you from the job.

There are 450+ HYS students at median or higher. If you're counting not having worked at Goldman Sachs before law school as something keeping you from the job, then sure, but I doubt they differentiate between us based on only interviewing skills.

You overestimate the interviewing abilities of median students at HYS

[dixiecupdrinking]

You guys should keep this ridiculous bickering out of this helpful thread.

[Anonymous User]

Similar to a question another user asked but: I have an arrest on my record, but the charges were thrown out. It was for possession of alcohol as a minor. Is this something I should disclose during the interviewing process to see if it would bar me from employment, or should I wait until after the background check goes through? Do you recommend me getting my record expunged ASAP? I am still a 1L.

I so far haven't had any difficulties finding employment, including in a courthouse, with this, but I didn't know if a firm had higher standards regarding arrests than judges.

[itbdvorm]

As a 1L with no work experience, with a summer job that doesn't give corporate work experience (gov't DA/PD), is it possible to credibly convey an interest in corporate work? I'm planning on taking a course load next semester with classes that are geared towards corporate work. I also might take a clinic that focuses on corporate work.

Yes. It's only really hard when you've spent every summer doing human rights work / saving puppies, ran the ASPCA club in undergrad, etc. If you've got a mix of summer jobs and you're working for the government this summer it's not as much of an uphill climb.

[itbdvorm]

You guys should keep this ridiculous bickering out of this helpful thread.

Hah. Agreed.

But - to answer the relatively reasonable question...

While I'm not positive exactly what our grade cuts are for YHS, I suspect it's a little above median. Whether "median" can get you a V5 firm or not I don't know - but the bigger issue for us (and many of our peers) is that even if everyone we met on campus was good enough, grade-wise, for us to callback, we're not going to give everyone a callback for a variety of reasons, including fit, capacity, etc.

So I'd say that if you don't have an H or two (or if you have an LP), you should really broaden your search a little bit. Same if you're not a good interview.

I'd also say that "V5 or bust" is not really the best way to go about the process, but I know that I'll be ignored on that front.

[itbdvorm]

And re: the "if you made it to callbacks for a 1L summer position where they were only giving out 1 position per school, but were encouraged to apply again in the fall, do you think it provides a leg-up?" sure, but not an insane one. But assuming your callbacks went well you probably will have a slightly easier time the second time around...

[itbdvorm]

Similar to a question another user asked but: I have an arrest on my record, but the charges were thrown out. It was for possession of alcohol as a minor. Is this something I should disclose during the interviewing process to see if it would bar me from employment, or should I wait until after the background check goes through? Do you recommend me getting my record expunged ASAP? I am still a 1L.

I so far haven't had any difficulties finding employment, including in a courthouse, with this, but I didn't know if a firm had higher standards regarding arrests than judges.

I wouldn't mention anything on this front (but if there's a spot in a form that asks about it, disclose it). Such a small deal that I can't imagine it being meaningful.