UChicago OCI Alums Answering Questions About the Job Hunt Forum

[WheninLaw]

I'll get this aspie party started:

179.6, 2 yrs (non-substantive) WE, URM, below median personality, no journal

Which firms are realistic?

WLRK
Munger
Irell
Gibson
Boies (CA)
Keker

-- Joffrey Baratheon

Someone with more URM experience should take this. My guess is it will turn on LR, but that none of these firms is out of reach. Keker will be tough, but more because their tiny summer class (4 people, and sometimes won't come to Chicago at all).

[Anonymous User]

You will grade-on to LR, and all of these firms are in reach. Being a K&E scholar (if you become one) will do wonders at MTO. Nobody will care about the "weird mix" of grades. I had similar grades and targeted CA/DC, so happy to help in PM.

Edit: be careful with your success. You probably knew the answer to your question before you asked it. But well done.

Point taken - appreciate the advice. Apologies if it came off as a brag disguised as a question - I legitimately didn't know, especially after the post last page saying K&E cutoff could be as high as 181.5. My impression was that a lot of these places were legitimately only looking for tip-top of the class people, like >182 future-SCOTUS-clerk grades.

-Septimus Warren Smith

[Anonymous User]

Point taken - appreciate the advice. Apologies if it came off as a brag disguised as a question - I legitimately didn't know, especially after the post last page saying K&E cutoff could be as high as 181.5. My impression was that a lot of these places were legitimately only looking for tip-top of the class people, like >182 future-SCOTUS-clerk grades.

-Septimus Warren Smith

181.5 would be abnormally high for the K&E cutoff; I was told to expect 180.5-181 last year. Also, notifications went out fairly promptly then (the 16th), so you'll likely know soon.

[Anonymous User]

177.5. Decent WE. Non-URM.

What sort of firms should I be aiming for?

Also: Do firms calculate our GPA or just look at our transcripts? And do they care if you have an upward trend?

[Anonymous User]

179.4. No WE. Non-URM. Looking in NY/Chi. Which firms are feasible, and which firms should I not waste bids on?

[Mal Reynolds]

177.5. Decent WE. Non-URM.

What sort of firms should I be aiming for?

Also: Do firms calculate our GPA or just look at our transcripts? And do they care if you have an upward trend?

What markets? I think that's the only other thing that might help her an answer.

[Anonymous User]

NY/Chicago. But I can be flexible. I just want a job at the best firm possible.

[Anonymous User]

For someone who wants litigation, some good excuses for not being on a journal (besides the truth)?

[Anonymous User]

179.5 with no interest in NYC

How risky would it be to bid only Chicago? I also have very strong ties to a secondary market that I intend to mail.

[Crowing]

If we contacted firms in our secondary market during 1L, how should we modify our cover letters we send to them this summer? Should they be totally rewritten, or is mostly the same alright? Should we mention our interactions with them during 1L recruiting?

[Anonymous User]

180.6, so I guess I'm on the edge for LR? Pretty much no pre-law school WE.

I'm mostly thinking about NY and Chicago.

Thanks for any input!

[20141023]

.

[2014]

179.4. No WE. Non-URM. Looking in NY/Chi. Which firms are feasible, and which firms should I
not waste bids on?

You are unlikely to grade onto LR. I would rule out WLRK and probably Boies (both worth a bid but don't count on it, WLRK doesn't fill so bid them 49th). Everything in Chicago at OCI should be in play but don't count on any single firm, it;s still a shit show.

For someone who wants litigation, some good excuses for not being on a journal (besides the truth)?

Unlikely to come up but if it does just bring it back to the awesome experience you had this summer that solidified your research capabilities or the awesome 1L classes you took that were lit focused and inspired you. Selling lit isn't hard, no one second guesses that like they do corp.

179.5 with no interest in NYC

How risky would it be to bid only Chicago? I also have very strong ties to a secondary market that I intend to mail.

You are in a very good spot but like I said above, don't count on any single firm because it's a limited and competitive market. You should do fine at a number of firms though assuming even average interview skills.

If we contacted firms in our secondary market during 1L, how should we modify our cover letters we send to them this summer? Should they be totally rewritten, or is mostly the same alright? Should we mention our interactions with them during 1L recruiting?

I used largely the same cover letter and was unsuccessful but I think that was more a product of me not proactively flying myself to the secondary to show interest. I don't really know what you can substantively change, I'm not convinced that they read cover letters anyway when they get some impractically high number of applications a day.

180.6, so I guess I'm on the edge for LR? Pretty much no pre-law school WE.

I'm mostly thinking about NY and Chicago.

Thanks for any input!

You will grade onto LR and can bid everything. I assume you knew that but good work baiting me into validation, I aim to serve.

[Anonymous User]

For someone who wants litigation, some good excuses for not being on a journal (besides the truth)?

Unlikely to come up but if it does just bring it back to the awesome experience you had this summer that solidified your research capabilities or the awesome 1L classes you took that were lit focused and inspired you. Selling lit isn't hard, no one second guesses that like they do corp.

Is this still true for those who are obviously above the grade-on cutoff?

[Mal Reynolds]

For someone who wants litigation, some good excuses for not being on a journal (besides the truth)?

Unlikely to come up but if it does just bring it back to the awesome experience you had this summer that solidified your research capabilities or the awesome 1L classes you took that were lit focused and inspired you. Selling lit isn't hard, no one second guesses that like they do corp.

Is this still true for those who are obviously above the grade-on cutoff?

That sounds like one of those good problems to have.

[Anonymous User]

High 176/urm/3-6 years substantial work experience. I'm bidding only NYC. Do I have a chance at V15? I'm specifically looking at S&C, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, Paul Weiss, Debevoise, Davis Polk, and Cleary. If I have a chance, how high should I bid these firms (top 10?, top 20?)? Thanks

[Emma.]

I'll get this aspie party started:

179.6, 2 yrs (non-substantive) WE, URM, below median personality, no journal

Which firms are realistic?

WLRK
Munger
Irell
Gibson
Boies (CA)
Keker

-- Joffrey Baratheon

You'll have a good shot at Irell & GDC. Keker & WLRK are both a big reach.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

NY/Chicago. But I can be flexible. I just want a job at the best firm possible.

If you just want the best firm possible you should be bidding Ny. 177.5 makes you competitive at most, but you have to know yourself, your personality, and your interviewing ability. It's hard to give advice online without speaking to you in person.

If you're a strong interviewer, lots of very amazing NY firms are within reach. If you're a weak interviewer, you should be bidding safeties to make sure you have a job.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

High 176/urm/3-6 years substantial work experience. I'm bidding only NYC. Do I have a chance at V15? I'm specifically looking at S&C, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, Paul Weiss, Debevoise, Davis Polk, and Cleary. If I have a chance, how high should I bid these firms (top 10?, top 20?)? Thanks

Not that familiar with URM status but I'll give it a go. Deb and Skadden are the easiest of these in my experience (maybe PW if you're corporate), but your grades aren't good so maybe you're counting on URM status to carry you? I'm really not sure how much that impacts it, but if you weren't URM I would say you need to be heavily bidding safeties so you end up with a job and have some of these dream firms sprinkled in. Actually, I'd probably say that anyway.

What's your practice area? Please quote this post so I know who it is when you answer.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

If we contacted firms in our secondary market during 1L, how should we modify our cover letters we send to them this summer? Should they be totally rewritten, or is mostly the same alright? Should we mention our interactions with them during 1L recruiting?

Also interested in this.

Obviously modify so you don't look lazy.

Summer job will be the most substantive legal work experience you've had. Why wouldn't you include that?

You can also talk about your experience meeting attorneys if you interviewed with them during 1L.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

180.6, so I guess I'm on the edge for LR? Pretty much no pre-law school WE.

I'm mostly thinking about NY and Chicago.

Thanks for any input!

You'll grade on.

No w/e isn't killer don't worry about it.

NY and Chicago is a good mix for someone with your grades. Shoot for K&E/Sidley (Jenner too if you want lit) and if you miss those you'll end up with a very solid lit firm in NY. (not bashing other firms here, just saying--for example-- it's unlikely you choose mayer over WLRK even if you prefer Chicago).

[Neal Patrick Harris]

179.4. No WE. Non-URM. Looking in NY/Chi. Which firms are feasible, and which firms should I not waste bids on?

I feel like this is kind of obvious considering previous advice ITT.

All firms but WLRK are feasible.

Don't waste bids on firms you wouldn't work at.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

179.4. No WE. Non-URM. Looking in NY/Chi. Which firms are feasible, and which firms should I
not waste bids on?

You are unlikely to grade onto LR. I would rule out WLRK and probably Boies (both worth a bid but don't count on it, WLRK doesn't fill so bid them 49th). Everything in Chicago at OCI should be in play but don't count on any single firm, it;s still a shit show.

For someone who wants litigation, some good excuses for not being on a journal (besides the truth)?

Unlikely to come up but if it does just bring it back to the awesome experience you had this summer that solidified your research capabilities or the awesome 1L classes you took that were lit focused and inspired you. Selling lit isn't hard, no one second guesses that like they do corp.

179.5 with no interest in NYC

How risky would it be to bid only Chicago? I also have very strong ties to a secondary market that I intend to mail.

You are in a very good spot but like I said above, don't count on any single firm because it's a limited and competitive market. You should do fine at a number of firms though assuming even average interview skills.

If we contacted firms in our secondary market during 1L, how should we modify our cover letters we send to them this summer? Should they be totally rewritten, or is mostly the same alright? Should we mention our interactions with them during 1L recruiting?

I used largely the same cover letter and was unsuccessful but I think that was more a product of me not proactively flying myself to the secondary to show interest. I don't really know what you can substantively change, I'm not convinced that they read cover letters anyway when they get some impractically high number of applications a day.

180.6, so I guess I'm on the edge for LR? Pretty much no pre-law school WE.

I'm mostly thinking about NY and Chicago.

Thanks for any input!

You will grade onto LR and can bid everything. I assume you knew that but good work baiting me into validation, I aim to serve.

2014 seems like he knows his shit but I don't think Boies is as selective as he thinks.

[Anonymous User]

High 176/urm/3-6 years substantial work experience. I'm bidding only NYC. Do I have a chance at V15? I'm specifically looking at S&C, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, Paul Weiss, Debevoise, Davis Polk, and Cleary. If I have a chance, how high should I bid these firms (top 10?, top 20?)? Thanks

Not that familiar with URM status but I'll give it a go.

What's your practice area? Please quote this post so I know who it is when you answer.

Thanks for your help. I'm really open to anything. I can see myself doing either corporate or litigation. I just want a good firm.

[Neal Patrick Harris]

High 176/urm/3-6 years substantial work experience. I'm bidding only NYC. Do I have a chance at V15? I'm specifically looking at S&C, Simpson Thacher, Skadden, Paul Weiss, Debevoise, Davis Polk, and Cleary. If I have a chance, how high should I bid these firms (top 10?, top 20?)? Thanks

Not that familiar with URM status but I'll give it a go.

What's your practice area? Please quote this post so I know who it is when you answer.

Thanks for your help. I'm really open to anything. I can see myself doing either corporate or litigation. I just want a good firm.

Great. Well. Some firms (PW) will have slightly lower standards for Corporate, because they are lit powerhouses. Deb is probably one of the easiest firms to get on your list, but all of them are pretty rough for a 176.

Like I said before, I'm not sure how URM status impacts things, but I'd focus other market-paying firms and have the firms you really like (do your research) sprinkled in.

As to how high you bid them, you should bid firms based on # of interview slots and how desirable you think the firm is to others in your class. You certainly shouldn't bid based on how subjectively desirable you consider the firm or how good of a chance you think you have (this should serve as a tie-breaker, but it shouldn't dictate whether something is in the top 10 or the top 20).

One friend got deb around 25 last year (others picked it up on add/drop). PW went much earlier (like 13?). S&C went around 17 I believe. Skadden went very quickly (top 10 at least). Another friend had DPW/Cleary around 14/15 and got them both.

Hope this helps!