I have a crush on a biglaw firm Forum

[Anonymous User]

...ranked in the 90-100 range in the V100. It has a rather fascinating and unusual practice area, and the people there (alumni of my school) seem quite personable. My feelings came as a bit of a surprise, since I'd been fairly certain I wanted PI and nothing else.

I plan to bid on the firm this August. Can anyone say what kind of grades I'll need to be in the running? My school places next after the T14 in its home market. If I say much more I'll give myself away, and it's quite possible I already have. I was warned that I suck at alting.

[gglr24]

we need the rank of your school

[Anonymous User]

we need the rank of your school

T30, well respected for biglaw placement here in its home region, sufficiently so that top students need not transfer.

[Renzo]

This is the dumbest post ever. You are posting anonymously so that people won't know your made-up pretend name, and you won't even say what school OR firm under double-anonymity?

[Anonymous User]

This post reeks of opera soprano even though she hinted that there's only one T14 school in the area....

[gglr24]

No answer can be that accurate, but I believe top 30% will keep you in the running. Top 20% will make you a solid candidate. Remember that you could be perfectly qualified for the job and not get the position... spots are competitive and they may choose another applicant for subjective reasons.

[Wahoo1L]

Do you go to Boston College/Boston University and like the firm Mintz, Levin & Others?

Here is my reasoning, if there is only one T14 in your region, it seems that you must be looking at Boston (Harvard), Richmond (Virginia), or Charlotte (Duke). Yale doesn't really have a target, Stanford & Berkeley share CA, Columbia, Cornell & NYU have the same market, Chicago, Northwestern & arguably Michigan share Chicago, and Georgetown shares DC with everyone.

Here are the T30 schools & their potential markets
20. Minnesota (target market Chicago includes NU/Chicago/Michigan)
20. Emory (no T14's)
23. Indiana (no idea what the target market would be, probably Chicago and it's not really T30)
23. Illinois (Chicago market)
23. Notre Dame (Chicago market)
26. Iowa (Chicago market)
28. William & Mary (maybe the Richmond market, if so Virginia would probably be the only target market)
28. George Washington (DC, Virginia/Gtown/Every T14)
30. Fordham (NYU/Columbia)
30. Alabama (no T14's)
30. UNC (maybe the Charlotte "market", if so Duke qualifies)
30. W&L (Richmond market?)
30. University of Washington (no real T14's, or possibly both Stanford & Berkeley)

Vault 90-100
91. Strook (no offices in Boston, Charlotte or Richmond)
92. Blank & Rome (no offices in any potential city)
93. Seyfarth Shaw (Decent sized Boston office; however, no offered half of Boston class)
94. Kramer Levin (only NYC & Paris offices)
95. Manatt, Phelps (only CA, NY & DC offices)
96. Squire Sanders (some OH offices but no T14's here, some NY, TX & CA offices)
97. Sheppard Mullin (only CA offices)
98. Patterson Belkamp (only NYC office)
99. Wiley Rein (only DC & NoVa offices)
100. Mintz, Levin & Others (Boston HQ)

[vanwinkle]

Do you go to Boston College/Boston University and like the firm Mintz, Levin & Others?

Here is my reasoning, if there is only one T14 in your region, it seems that you must be looking at Boston (Harvard), Richmond (Virginia), or Charlotte (Duke). Yale doesn't really have a target, Stanford & Berkeley share CA, Columbia, Cornell & NYU have the same market, Chicago, Northwestern & arguably Michigan share Chicago, and Georgetown shares DC with everyone.

Here are the T30 schools & their potential markets
20. Minnesota (target market Chicago includes NU/Chicago/Michigan)
20. Emory (no T14's)
23. Indiana (no idea what the target market would be, probably Chicago and it's not really T30)
23. Illinois (Chicago market)
23. Notre Dame (Chicago market)
26. Iowa (Chicago market)
28. William & Mary (maybe the Richmond market, if so Virginia would probably be the only target market)
28. George Washington (DC, Virginia/Gtown/Every T14)
30. Fordham (NYU/Columbia)
30. Alabama (no T14's)
30. UNC (maybe the Charlotte "market", if so Duke qualifies)
30. W&L (Richmond market?)
30. University of Washington (no real T14's, or possibly both Stanford & Berkeley)

Vault 90-100
91. Strook (no offices in Boston, Charlotte or Richmond)
92. Blank & Rome (no offices in any potential city)
93. Seyfarth Shaw (Decent sized Boston office; however, no offered half of Boston class)
94. Kramer Levin (only NYC & Paris offices)
95. Manatt, Phelps (only CA, NY & DC offices)
96. Squire Sanders (some OH offices but no T14's here, some NY, TX & CA offices)
97. Sheppard Mullin (only CA offices)
98. Patterson Belkamp (only NYC office)
99. Wiley Rein (only DC & NoVa offices)
100. Mintz, Levin & Others (Boston HQ)

That is some damn fine detective work.

[turkfish]

That is some damn fine detective work.

Except that T14 can be singular or plural, seeing as how the origins of the term suggest plural. E.g. "I'm applying to the T14" doesn't mean I'm just applying to one school. So NYC would be included, even if you're only considering the T14 in that market. However, the OP was probably talking about his/her school being outplaced by ALL the T14 in that market.

[Zapatero]

That is some damn fine detective work.

Except that T14 can be singular or plural, seeing as how the origins of the term suggest plural. E.g. "I'm applying to the T14" doesn't mean I'm just applying to one school. So NYC would be included, even if you're only considering the T14 in that market. However, the OP was probably talking about his/her school being outplaced by ALL the T14 in that market.

That's the impression I got. My first thought was Fordham (#15 in NYC).

[Wahoo1L]

That is some damn fine detective work.

Except that T14 can be singular or plural, seeing as how the origins of the term suggest plural. E.g. "I'm applying to the T14" doesn't mean I'm just applying to one school. So NYC would be included, even if you're only considering the T14 in that market. However, the OP was probably talking about his/her school being outplaced by ALL the T14 in that market.

Yeah, I probably should have read the OP's post a bit closer. I really don't understand why OP doesn't just name the firm and the school. It's not like a V100 firm will only get one bid from a T30 school.

[entrechatsix]

has to be operasoprano. well, whoever it is, i like that you call this a crush so good luck.

[articulably suspect]

I was under the impression that OP meant "it's the T14 schools, followed by my T30" re: Biglaw prospects in his/her region.

[Anonymous User]

Do you go to Boston College/Boston University and like the firm Mintz, Levin & Others?

Here is my reasoning, if there is only one T14 in your region, it seems that you must be looking at Boston (Harvard), Richmond (Virginia), or Charlotte (Duke). Yale doesn't really have a target, Stanford & Berkeley share CA, Columbia, Cornell & NYU have the same market, Chicago, Northwestern & arguably Michigan share Chicago, and Georgetown shares DC with everyone.

Here are the T30 schools & their potential markets
20. Minnesota (target market Chicago includes NU/Chicago/Michigan)
20. Emory (no T14's)
23. Indiana (no idea what the target market would be, probably Chicago and it's not really T30)
23. Illinois (Chicago market)
23. Notre Dame (Chicago market)
26. Iowa (Chicago market)
28. William & Mary (maybe the Richmond market, if so Virginia would probably be the only target market)
28. George Washington (DC, Virginia/Gtown/Every T14)
30. Fordham (NYU/Columbia)
30. Alabama (no T14's)
30. UNC (maybe the Charlotte "market", if so Duke qualifies)
30. W&L (Richmond market?)
30. University of Washington (no real T14's, or possibly both Stanford & Berkeley)

Vault 90-100
91. Strook (no offices in Boston, Charlotte or Richmond)
92. Blank & Rome (no offices in any potential city)
93. Seyfarth Shaw (Decent sized Boston office; however, no offered half of Boston class)
94. Kramer Levin (only NYC & Paris offices)
95. Manatt, Phelps (only CA, NY & DC offices)
96. Squire Sanders (some OH offices but no T14's here, some NY, TX & CA offices)
97. Sheppard Mullin (only CA offices)
98. Patterson Belkamp (only NYC office)
99. Wiley Rein (only DC & NoVa offices)
100. Mintz, Levin & Others (Boston HQ)

That is some damn fine detective work.

Beautifully done, but based upon a misinterpretation of the OP. (So much for my ambiguous language.) I ought to have specified "next after the T14 as a collective group", as perceived by firms in my school's home market.

To Renzo: I have no double anonymity. I don't think I even have any single anonymity. The firm is Sheppard Mullin, and it does have offices outside CA.

[Pearalegal]

I think you can drop the anonymous name at this point, Opera.

[Renzo]

has to be operasoprano. well, whoever it is, i like that you call this a crush so good luck.

After all the detective work, maybe. And if so, I take back my comment. She's famous enough on this board to merit double-secret anonymous posting. But no one else.

[Zapatero]

has to be operasoprano. well, whoever it is, i like that you call this a crush so good luck.

After all the detective work, maybe. And if so, I take back my comment. She's famous enough on this board to merit double-secret anonymous posting. But no one else.

Clearly he/she is someone who posts quite a bit on TLS to have been told that he/she "sucks at alting." So yeah, it seems pretty clear.

[doyleoil]

if it is opera, good for her for embracing common sense - "planning" on pi, with as much debt as most of us take, is a risky (in my mind financially suicidal/irresponsible) proposition

[vanwinkle]

if it is opera, good for her for embracing common sense - "planning" on pi, with as much debt as most of us take, is a risky (in my mind financially suicidal/irresponsible) proposition

I'm planning on PI, and making it happen. *shrug*

Maybe folks should stop trying to figure out who OP is and actually give useful advice if there is any? (In other words, just assume it's her and keep going. ) Mine would be "great grades help, but you'll never know if you don't try, so whatever you grades are go ahead and apply and see what happens". Fortune favors the bold.

[doyleoil]

if it is opera, good for her for embracing common sense - "planning" on pi, with as much debt as most of us take, is a risky (in my mind financially suicidal/irresponsible) proposition

I'm planning on PI, and making it happen. *shrug*

Maybe folks should stop trying to figure out who OP is and actually give useful advice if there is any? (In other words, just assume it's her and keep going. ) Mine would be "great grades help, but you'll never know if you don't try, so whatever you grades are go ahead and apply and see what happens". Fortune favors the bold.

the advice is, no one knows what the hell is happening with the economy, even at the best schools - so get the best fucking grades you can

[Anonymous User]

if it is opera, good for her for embracing common sense - "planning" on pi, with as much debt as most of us take, is a risky (in my mind financially suicidal/irresponsible) proposition

Doyle, no one ever accused me of financial responsibility. Surprisingly, I am told I have the grades for it, and I've even been castigated for intent to "waste" a perfectly good GPA. If I can do this again next semester, maybe I have a shot in hell. It's more than I ever had any right to expect, or even to waste my time hoping for, and frankly it threw me for such a loop that I have no idea what to do with it.

(Note: thanks to IBR and my school's LRAP, PI is not unmanageable, but I would not be repaying my debt, at least not in the financial sense of the word. I don't know how I feel about starting in the private sector, though I know I'd only have to start there.)

[doyleoil]

I have no idea what to do with it.

yes you do - do it

[Anonymous User]

I have no idea what to do with it.

yes you do - do it

I have to, don't I? Unless I manage to really F up this semester.

I'm just trying to get a ballpark figure for this firm. Top 20%? Top 15%? Higher?

[doyleoil]

I have no idea what to do with it.

yes you do - do it

I have to, don't I? Unless I manage to really F up this semester.

I'm just trying to get a ballpark figure for this firm. Top 20%? Top 15%? Higher?

jesus christ, nobody knows - at any school - put your damn head down and power through your classes - you'll have plenty of damn time in july to think about fall oci

[vanwinkle]

I have to, don't I? Unless I manage to really F up this semester.

I'm just trying to get a ballpark figure for this firm. Top 20%? Top 15%? Higher?

Ballpark figure? The best you can do. Top 1% makes it much more likely if that helps. Aim high.