Minneapolis Offers? Forum

[Anonymous User]

No way. It's all about Faegre baby!

I enjoyed my callback with them. That said, people shouldn't choose Faegre so as to maximize my chance of getting an offer.

I'm calling to decline my Faegre offer on Monday. It's all yours (I hope).

Thanks (and good luck). *Fingers crossed*

[Anonymous User]

Any word (CB's, Offers/Dings) from the MN firms paying below $110,000? Realistically this is where I only have a shot. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Any word (CB's, Offers/Dings) from the MN firms paying below $110,000? Realistically this is where I only have a shot. Thanks!

OP here: Ding from Maslon via snail mail last week. I had the grades, etc, but I just didn't mesh AT ALL with the people. It takes a very particular person to work for them I think. Just my opinion.

I had a CB with GPM 4 weeks ago. No word still. I'm sitting on a few offers, so I'll likely just withdraw my application tomorrow.

[Anonymous User]

Faegre offer today, about two weeks after CB. I will decide by next Mon/Tues at the latest. Probably will turn it down. I will post once I make a decision and inform them. I really loved the firm (the people were fantastic!) and wanted to be in Minneapolis. But a market-paying firm in another secondary market (did CB just a week ago and got an offer in two days!) with very similar hours and culture is getting just too hard to resist. It would have been an easy decision if the higher paying offer was in NYC/LA/Chicago/SF etc. sweatshops.

I hope this will free up a Faegre offer for one of you guys.

[Anonymous User]

Faegre offer today, about two weeks after CB. I will decide by next Mon/Tues at the latest. Probably will turn it down. I will post once I make a decision and inform them. I really loved the firm (the people were fantastic!) and wanted to be in Minneapolis. But a market-paying firm in another secondary market (did CB just a week ago and got an offer in two days!) with very similar hours and culture is getting just too hard to resist. It would have been an easy decision if the higher paying offer was in NYC/LA/Chicago/SF etc. sweatshops.

I hope this will free up a Faegre offer for one of you guys.

If they're sticking to the 2 weeks thing, hopefully I'll find out next week (unless a rejection letter is already in the mail). Congrats on having two great options (and a market-paying firm in a secondary market)!

[Anonymous User]

OP here:

Received offers from Robins Kaplan, Faegre, Dorsey, and Lindquist. I accepted from Faegre. I also (obviously) agree that Faegre seems like a topnotch place to work. I chose based upon the people. Obviously, the fact that they are without a doubt (in my mind at least) the first or second (depending on the year) best law firm in town doesn't hurt. Lindquist and Dorsey were both great places too, but Faegre took the cake. Robins was tough to turn down because of their excellent practice areas, but their billing requirement turned me off. Too lazy. I chose to work in Minneapolis and not NYC for a reason

For the record, my Faegre offer was 2 weeks on the dot. As was Robins. Lindquist was a month and half after, so who knows.

[Anonymous User]

After telling Dorsey that I went with Faegre (they asked which firm), they have called me on two occasions asking me if I would change my mind. Weird.

[Anonymous User]

how long after you cb did you receive an offer from Robins Kaplan?

[Anonymous User]

Because I don't think that things like this should be soon forgotten, I would like to point out that between Faegre & Benson and Dorsey, Faegre laid off more associates (20+) far more quickly than Dorsey did. Dorsey has since laid off a few associates this year, but I think their commitment to shared sacrifice in the beginning was admirable and would cause me to lean toward Dorsey in any comparison between the two firms. On the other hand, Dorsey did have an abysmal offer rate for SA's in 2009.

[Anonymous User]

Abysmal is an understatement. They hired something like 19 out of 40, where Faegre hired 15 of 19. Dorsey was in a position at the point not to have to lay as many attorneys off, it is just a fact. That said, I went with Faegre and I'm not looking back.

[Anonymous User]

Dorsey laid off associates this year? Source?

[Anonymous User]

Because I don't think that things like this should be soon forgotten, I would like to point out that between Faegre & Benson and Dorsey, Faegre laid off more associates (20+) far more quickly than Dorsey did. Dorsey has since laid off a few associates this year, but I think their commitment to shared sacrifice in the beginning was admirable and would cause me to lean toward Dorsey in any comparison between the two firms. On the other hand, Dorsey did have an abysmal offer rate for SA's in 2009.

from everything reliable that i have ever seen and heard, dorsey only ever laid off support staff - no attorneys.

[Anonymous User]

Yes, they laid off at least 3 mid-level associates this year, all in Corporate, and it wasn't performance related as far as I am aware. Not reported on ATL for obvious reasons. Turnover is still much lower than it was before. However, I also know of some Faegre associates that preemptively jumped ship this year for much, much smaller firms (firms with 10 or so attorneys). It's rough out there still, and the TC are no exception.

[Unshake]

Sorry I keep sort of hijacking this thread.

But would people with offers (or without?) in Minneapolis mind posting approximate stats and school (eg top 15% at UMN or top 25% at T14). Just trying to get an idea of how hard it is to break into the Minneapolis market in general.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry I keep sort of hijacking this thread.

But would people with offers (or without?) in Minneapolis mind posting approximate stats and school (eg top 15% at UMN or top 25% at T14). Just trying to get an idea of how hard it is to break into the Minneapolis market in general.

Top 25%, T6 here.

Median at T14 with solid MN ties still have a strong chance at getting at least one offer between Dorsey, Faegre, Oppenheimer, Fredrickson, Robbins, etc.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry I keep sort of hijacking this thread.

But would people with offers (or without?) in Minneapolis mind posting approximate stats and school (eg top 15% at UMN or top 25% at T14). Just trying to get an idea of how hard it is to break into the Minneapolis market in general.

quite good grades @T14 that doesn't rank. almost certainly not top 10%, but almost certainly top 25%.

[Anonymous User]

Top 15 % at top 25, secondary journal (but one which I chose OVER law review as it is tecnically better known)

Offers:

Faegre

Dorsey

Robins

Oppenheimer

Lindquist

[Anonymous User]

T-14 - Law Review - top 10% or better

Offers -
Dorsey
Faegre
Lindquist
Gray Plant
Maslon
Briggs
Fredrikson

[Anonymous User]

T6, top 25%. Offers at Dorsey, RKMC, Faegre.

[Anonymous User]

Any Minneapolis movement in the last week?

[Anonymous User]

CCN - Top 1/3

Rejected at Faegre, Briggs, Fred

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else out there still waiting to hear form Faegre or Dorsey after a callback? If so, how long have you been waiting?

[lawclerk2012]

Has anyone who interviewed with the Ramsey County Attorney heard back? They told me we'd hear in November but I'm starting to get nervous...

[lawclerk2012]

bump... Any new offers with govt or otherwise?

[Anonymous User]

I am the OP, and the guy you disagree with. I think you make some pretty good points actually. I, personally go to a T25 (not Minnesota), and I have friends at my school who landed callbacks at all the major firms in Minneapolis and they were NOT in the top 15 % or even 25 % of their class. I landed multiple offers there (I have chosen on one), and I am in the top 30 students of my class (roughly top 13 % or so . . . my school's ranking system is sort of screwy).

My point about Michigan is that if you have a significant tie to Minnesota, it is likely that they will call you back more so than someone who goes to Minnesota and has a significant tie, because you in no way stand out from the rest of the pack that way. Minneapolis is a big market, but still, people going to Michigan and other places likely think that Chicago, NY, or LA are the places they want to go, and as such, the Minnesota firms that do OCI there are not only looking for high class rank, but ALSO for an actual commitment to staying in the market.

They want to make sure their investment is sound, and with this economy, and after talking to multiple recruiting partners, they all agree with this analysis-- a commitment to living in the area is important. Going to Michigan and showing that commitment stands out more so than going to Minnesota and showing it in my opinion. It seems that if you go to a Minnesota school, your competition is very strong. Those firms always have a relationship with those schools. But the law firms also want to maintain relationships with the other schools that they regularly recruit from, and this encourages them to do OCI at highly ranked schools and to bring back people who are committed to working in the area.

Also, certain firms in Minneapolis have a rather large number of Michigan alumn. And Iowa, for instance, has a number of associates at these firms that did not graduate at the tippity top of the class (though I have no doubt they were accomplished students).

Just a few thoughts of my own. I don't entirely disagree with you though.

Different anonymous poster here... I am at a top 20 school and probably top 15% (not specifically ranked). I selectively pursued interviews with Minneapolis firms and received an offer from one of the larger firms in town.

I think this post makes some good points. Specifically, based on my experience, I think it is true that you can stick out a little bit more than your average UMN student if you go to a another (good) school. From observing a couple of different markets during OCI, it seems like students at the local school can become a commodity.

I'm not weighing in on where anybody should go to law school--just validating that point.