2012 UVA OGI Thread Forum

[Anonymous User]

Would it be at all skeevy if I emailed my summer employer (judge) to ask her if she can put in a good word for me for one of my firms? The interviewer for this firm clerked for her a few years ago.

I don't think that is a great idea. Though you could send an email along the lines of "hey judge x, just wanted to let you know I got interviewed by associate y today. They spoke very fondly of their time, etc, etc. small world, etc etc. Hope things are well"

Leave it up to the judge to take that initiative.

Thank you, that sounds like a much better idea.

[Anonymous User]

How do people keep being positive?

Hookers and blow?

Hope to god we're friends.

[Anonymous User]

How do people keep being positive?

Hookers and blow?

Hope to god we're friends.

I'm friends with everyone.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone received an email from Latham DC about callbacks? I received a call from my interviewer yesterday saying that I would get an email today to schedule it and still haven't heard anything. Just wondering if anyone else was in the same boat.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone received an email from Latham DC about callbacks? I received a call from my interviewer yesterday saying that I would get an email today to schedule it and still haven't heard anything. Just wondering if anyone else was in the same boat.

Same situation here. I've been wondering if I should get in touch with the interviewer.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone received an email from Latham DC about callbacks? I received a call from my interviewer yesterday saying that I would get an email today to schedule it and still haven't heard anything. Just wondering if anyone else was in the same boat.

Same situation here. I've been wondering if I should get in touch with the interviewer.

I would touch base with the recruiter, not the interviewer

[Anonymous User]

That's what I was thinking too, just let them know that the interviewer had called and that I was double-checking to make sure I hadn't missed an email.

[Anonymous User]

Initial anon who's losing his/her shit:

Look, I know it's only day 2 but I've witnessed firsthand friends and classmates receiving responses from the following firms/offices (that have all made decisions within 24 hours): Skadden NY, Latham NY, Gibson Dunn NY/DC (dinner invitation = necessary for a cb at least), and white & case. Look, I understand that some firms are slower than others and send out cbs in waves, but at the same time, I've had NY interviewers say they make these decisions extremely quickly, often within a 24-48 hour window, and well, clock's ticking.

I'm sorry if I'm freaking people out, but I'd prefer to know sooner than later whether or not something is seriously wrong with my interviewing, so I can go talk to CSO to pinpoint problems and salvage the few interviews that I have next week.

Don't get me wrong, I'm def happy for everyone who's heard back so far but it's also really disheartening to watch people pick up their phones, get an ecstastic expression on their faces, and then dash out of the room to schedule a callback.

Ok I'm going to down several shots of tequila and call it an early night. Please do what I am refusing to do: keep calm and carry on.

I went through this two years ago. Everything worked out, but it's indeed frightening when you feel that everyone but you is getting callbacks. I have two basic pieces of advice:

1) Do not read TLS threads on which firms have given callbacks. Do not discuss callbacks with friends. Spend as little time around the law school as possible, because you're bound to overhear students receiving callbacks, boasting about their callbacks, and loudly calling firms to schedule callbacks (yes, this actually happens). I read threads on callbacks throughout OGI and all it did was freak me out more and cause me to waste time that could have been used to prepare for future interviews.

2) There's a lot of luck and randomness in OGI, but if you are significantly under-performing based on your grades and the firms you're targeting, weak interviewing is probably part of the reason. You can't change the fact that you didn't fly fighter planes before coming to law school like some of your classmates, but it's never too late to improve your interviewing. I'm sure different things work for different people. I ended up spending a few hours in front of a mirror rehearsing my answers to the standard questions (thoughtfulness and a confident delivery are key). My friend practiced interviewing with her more successful friends and received valuable feedback. Both of us did much better afterwards.

You should practice your answers to the usual questions like why you are interested in firm X, why you came to law school, why you want to be a lawyer, and so on, practice discussing something you worked on over the summer, practice discussing every item on your resume, and practice asking the questions that you plan to ask.

[Anonymous User]

The outright boasting regarding receiving callbacks is pathetic. I understand that people are happy about their success, but have some humility and respect for your classmates. If you have to tell someone, do so privately - you look like a huge asshole otherwise. End rant.

[thesealocust]

The outright boasting regarding receiving callbacks is pathetic. I understand that people are happy about their success, but have some humility and respect for your classmates. If you have to tell someone, do so privately - you look like a huge asshole otherwise. End rant.

These will be your peers for the rest of your career. God Bless law school, and God Bless the lawyers - each and every one!

[Anonymous User]

If invited to dinner send thank you note after?

[thesealocust]

If invited to dinner send thank you note after?

No.

[Anonymous User]

I haven't heard any boasting... Why I love this school

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on whether this class just went a lot more heavily NY than years past?

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on whether this class just went a lot more heavily NY than years past?

My guess would be that it would because that conventional wisdom has spread beyond obsessive TLS types and bidding NYC is considered playing it somewhat safe. Or I might be completely off base

I know some people who vehemently don't want it who threw alot of bids there out of fear

[Anonymous User]

Yes, I...um..."know" somebody like that as well.

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on whether this class just went a lot more heavily NY than years past?

My guess would be that it would because that conventional wisdom has spread beyond obsessive TLS types and bidding NYC is considered playing it somewhat safe. Or I might be completely off base

I know some people who vehemently don't want it who threw alot of bids there out of fear

I totally understand this fear, and know quite a few people who have done something like that. However, selfishly, as someone who actually wants to be in NY it can be frustrating to interview at the same places with people who are flat out telling me they don't want to work there!

[letmk]

I got a ding email from a firm I interviewed at a job fair. However, they are interviewing me again at OGI next week (firmwide for job fair, a specific office for OGI), does it even make sense for me to go to the interview? And if I go, should I mention the first interview and/or the ding email? Totally baffled.

[albanach]

I got a ding email from a firm I interviewed at a job fair. However, they are interviewing me again at OGI next week (firmwide for job fair, a specific office for OGI), does it even make sense for me to go to the interview? And if I go, should I mention the first interview and/or the ding email? Totally baffled.

I can't imagine what you have to lose. The biggest problems I would foresee are being interviewed by the same folk (hopefully symplicity says that's not happening) or running into them at a callback (is the specific office a different one to where your last interviewer was based?)

[Anonymous User]

Well I've now done 75% of my screening interviews, all NY, and am sitting on 1 callback. I have a 3.5, WE, and did several interviews before OGI. Not sure what the fuck I'm doing wrong, but I'm starting to worry.

[thesealocust]

Well I've now done 75% of my screening interviews, all NY, and am sitting on 1 callback. I have a 3.5, WE, and did several interviews before OGI. Not sure what the fuck I'm doing wrong, but I'm starting to worry.

IT ISN'T EVEN 5PM ON THE THIRD DAY OF OGI, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT YET. People get worked up into a frenzy every year when some people get some callbacks very early. It is VERY early in the process. It's great that you have a callback already, but you need to give it time before you start panicking or declaring yourself as having done something wrong.

To repeat myself: I knew somebody my year who was basically having public breakdowns over not having any callbacks the third day of OGI and by the 4th had 5. Some firms move quickly, but not all of them, and not that quickly. The people who are public about skads of callbacks at this stage are the exception and not the rule.

Sign off of TLS, stop reading the 'callback dickwaving thread', have a beer or something, and relax.

[Anonymous User]

Well I've now done 75% of my screening interviews, all NY, and am sitting on 1 callback. I have a 3.5, WE, and did several interviews before OGI. Not sure what the fuck I'm doing wrong, but I'm starting to worry.

I've posted this before, but it seems like there are at least a few of us in this boat. All we can do at this point is go to CSO to make sure we're not doing anything horribly wrong in interviewing, and do something along the lines of sealocust's advice. NY is a competitive market, and we might be candidates for a later wave of callbacks.

[Anonymous User]

Well I've now done 75% of my screening interviews, all NY, and am sitting on 1 callback. I have a 3.5, WE, and did several interviews before OGI. Not sure what the fuck I'm doing wrong, but I'm starting to worry.

IT ISN'T EVEN 5PM ON THE THIRD DAY OF OGI, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT YET. People get worked up into a frenzy every year when some people get some callbacks very early. It is VERY early in the process. It's great that you have a callback already, but you need to give it time before you start panicking or declaring yourself as having done something wrong.

To repeat myself: I knew somebody my year who was basically having public breakdowns over not having any callbacks the third day of OGI and by the 4th had 5. Some firms move quickly, but not all of them, and not that quickly. The people who are public about skads of callbacks at this stage are the exception and not the rule.

Sign off of TLS, stop reading the 'callback dickwaving thread', have a beer or something, and relax.

can we freak out now that it's after 5PM?

(just kidding)

[Anonymous User]

Well I've now done 75% of my screening interviews, all NY, and am sitting on 1 callback. I have a 3.5, WE, and did several interviews before OGI. Not sure what the fuck I'm doing wrong, but I'm starting to worry.

IT ISN'T EVEN 5PM ON THE THIRD DAY OF OGI, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT YET. People get worked up into a frenzy every year when some people get some callbacks very early. It is VERY early in the process. It's great that you have a callback already, but you need to give it time before you start panicking or declaring yourself as having done something wrong.

To repeat myself: I knew somebody my year who was basically having public breakdowns over not having any callbacks the third day of OGI and by the 4th had 5. Some firms move quickly, but not all of them, and not that quickly. The people who are public about skads of callbacks at this stage are the exception and not the rule.

Sign off of TLS, stop reading the 'callback dickwaving thread', have a beer or something, and relax.

can we freak out now that it's after 5PM?

(just kidding)

3.6+, NY heavy, also only one so far, dont think it is that uncommon

[Anonymous User]

So is there such a thing as "trickle-down" at this stage, albeit to a lesser degree than bidding?

i.e. if the people who bid NY for safety turn down callbacks because they get X market they really want, is there any chance more could be passed on? Does anyone on the inside of a firm have experience that things work this way sometimes?