UChicago 2011 OCI Discussion and Results Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just got 2 email dings, including a firm where I had reasonably strong connections and was well within the GPAs they hire from. The only firms I haven't heard back from were reaches to begin with. When does it becomes reasonable to start thinking about cutting your loses?

what does cutting your losses consist of?

[Anonymous User]

Just got 2 email dings, including a firm where I had reasonably strong connections and was well within the GPAs they hire from. The only firms I haven't heard back from were reaches to begin with. When does it becomes reasonable to start thinking about cutting your loses?

What is "cutting your losses"? Preemptively dinging yourself? Withdrawing?

If you're unhappy with the # of CBs you have, start prepping mass mailings.

[Anonymous User]

McDermott Will & Emery ding via email.

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

Tell that to the 3L who struck out at OCI and ended up with Cravath from a mass mailing.

[Anonymous User]

McDermott Ding via e-mail.

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

Do you want to be a lawyer or not?

[Anonymous User]

For Chi, has anyone received callbacks/dings from SNR Denton, Foley, Polsinelli Shughart, or Bryan Cave?

Polsinelli CB

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

Do you want to be a lawyer or not?

Yes, I want to be a lawyer. The question is whether I should be taking out an additional 140k in loans when there's a very real possibility my only job option at graduation will be a small 6 month stipend from the school to do part time public interest work while I keep looking for a real job. I even think I would probably be happy in a government or PI position. But those jobs are being absolutely slashed right now, and I'll be fighting for those jobs against people who have spent years laying groundwork for those sorts of careers. There's a decent chance I'd come out of law school with a job. There's also a decent chance I'd have three times the debt I have now and end up doing doc review in a windowless room somewhere. Am I really the only person that thinks this merits some serious consideration?

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

Do you want to be a lawyer or not?

Yes, I want to be a lawyer. The question is whether I should be taking out an additional 140k in loans when there's a very real possibility my only job option at graduation will be a small 6 month stipend from the school to do part time public interest work while I keep looking for a real job. I even think I would probably be happy in a government or PI position. But those jobs are being absolutely slashed right now, and I'll be fighting for those jobs against people who have spent years laying groundwork for those sorts of careers. There's a decent chance I'd come out of law school with a job. There's also a decent chance I'd have three times the debt I have now and end up doing doc review in a windowless room somewhere. Am I really the only person that thinks this merits some serious consideration?

I totally agree with you, man. I just think it's a little bit too early. Reconsider after spending this quarter trying to find a job.

[Anonymous User]

Dropping out. The likelihood of getting a firm job through mass mailing seems pretty remote when you've been getting a real clear message about your desirability from the firms that have already had the chance to talk to you.

Do you want to be a lawyer or not?

Yes, I want to be a lawyer. The question is whether I should be taking out an additional 140k in loans when there's a very real possibility my only job option at graduation will be a small 6 month stipend from the school to do part time public interest work while I keep looking for a real job. I even think I would probably be happy in a government or PI position. But those jobs are being absolutely slashed right now, and I'll be fighting for those jobs against people who have spent years laying groundwork for those sorts of careers. There's a decent chance I'd come out of law school with a job. There's also a decent chance I'd have three times the debt I have now and end up doing doc review in a windowless room somewhere. Am I really the only person that thinks this merits some serious consideration?

I think if you are seriously considering this you should find out when the deadline to withdraw from school and get a full refund of your tuition is. Then spend that time mass mailing like crazy. Go talk to OCS and tell them you are thinking about leaving, I'm sure that'll spur some action on their part. Even if OCI was a bust that doesn't mean that mass-mailing will be. Part of the problem with OCI is that you are inevitably going to be getting compared to someone else who did a screening interview who has better grades than you do. On the other hand, I have to think that there are a lot of firms that would love to have a UChi grad but didn't make it to OCI. Those firms won't be comparing your transcript to 20+ other kids.

[Anonymous User]

Received McDerm and Foley dings via email today. Still waiting to hear from 75% of the firms I screened at. Why is Texas being so slow!

[Anonymous User]

Yes, I want to be a lawyer. The question is whether I should be taking out an additional 140k in loans when there's a very real possibility my only job option at graduation will be a small 6 month stipend from the school to do part time public interest work while I keep looking for a real job. I even think I would probably be happy in a government or PI position. But those jobs are being absolutely slashed right now, and I'll be fighting for those jobs against people who have spent years laying groundwork for those sorts of careers. There's a decent chance I'd come out of law school with a job. There's also a decent chance I'd have three times the debt I have now and end up doing doc review in a windowless room somewhere. Am I really the only person that thinks this merits some serious consideration?

You mean people spending one year laying ground work for those careers? It's not too late at all to switch to the PI track. Especially if your summer work for 1L was in gov or PI. But it'd have to be something you'd really want to do, I'm guessing employers can probably tell when it's just a back up plan.

Also, six month stipend--is that how Chicago keeps up its employment rate? These fuckin' schools, I swear...

[Anonymous User]

Foley email ding. Fenwick snail mail ding.

Would love some good news at this point.

[Anonymous User]

Foley email ding. Fenwick snail mail ding.

Would love some good news at this point.

I just saved a ton of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

[Anonymous User]

Yes, I want to be a lawyer. The question is whether I should be taking out an additional 140k in loans when there's a very real possibility my only job option at graduation will be a small 6 month stipend from the school to do part time public interest work while I keep looking for a real job.

last year i interviewed at a satellite office of a V10 firm and spoke to a uchicago alum who mass-mailed as a 3L and got several offers from big firms all over his targeted market. his wife was in medicine and got a job somewhere unexpected and blah blah blah, he was fine. don't drop out of law school; not getting your ideal job right at this moment isn't the end of the world.

[Anonymous User]

Mintz Levin snail mail ding

[Anonymous User]

Latham Chi CB Friday

Did Latham San Diego or Orange County CBs go out yet?

[Anonymous User]

Also, six month stipend--is that how Chicago keeps up its employment rate? These fuckin' schools, I swear...

I asked them during an ASW event last year and they were pretty open about it. They said that class of 2009 had 14 people on those stipends and class of 2010 had 9 people. Those seem like pretty reasonable numbers ITE. They said that none of those people had to renew the stipend, meaning they all found other employment within 6 months. Whether that means market paying biglaw or a doc review factory, we'll probably never know.

[Anonymous User]

Latham Chi CB Friday

Did Latham San Diego or Orange County CBs go out yet?

Or LA?

[California Babe]

Also, six month stipend--is that how Chicago keeps up its employment rate? These fuckin' schools, I swear...

I asked them during an ASW event last year and they were pretty open about it. They said that class of 2009 had 14 people on those stipends and class of 2010 had 9 people. Those seem like pretty reasonable numbers ITE. They said that none of those people had to renew the stipend, meaning they all found other employment within 6 months. Whether that means market paying biglaw or a doc review factory, we'll probably never know.

Also important to note: the key employment number reported by schools is 9 months after graduation, so if the students aren't renewing a 6-month stipend, the 9-month employment numbers aren't being padded.

[Anonymous User]

MoFo SF callback.

[Anonymous User]

Any word from Ropes Chi or Baker McKenzie Chi?

[Anonymous User]

MoFo SF callback.

What time?

[Anonymous User]

Jenner (Chi) email ding.