ITT: Oh my God, it's impossible to get a f**king DC SA spot Forum

[Anonymous User]

I can't believe the carnage I've seen.

Personal stats: Top 3%, law review, traditional DC-feeding T14 (think Duke/UVA/GULC/Michigan), litany of DC relevant experience and ties. Got dinged by more than half of the firms I did screening interviews with, and almost everyone else I've spoken to (even with similar or better creds) did even worse. Sifting through the OCI threads, it looks like "lol DC is slow" is beginning to turn into "lol DC is like elevator doors opening and unleashing a river of blood and lava and crushed dreams."

I know basically nobody who went even 50/50 on A&P, Wilmer, Hogan, W&C, and Covington CBs. Similar results from the good DC branches (Jenner, Mayer, Sidley, Latham, Gibson, OMM, Cleary, S&C, Akin, Hunton, Alston, etc. etc. etc.) It's possible firms are looking to hire from within the band of people they get high yield from and ignoring the rest, or that they're doing some kind of extraordinary screen for "fit" - but the results have been pretty devastating. Think top 5% + LR types with perfectly passable social skills sitting on 1-4 CBs max out of dozens of DC screeners.

Commiseration? Corroboration? Consolation?

[Anonymous User]

I can't believe the carnage I've seen.

Personal stats: Top 3%, law review, traditional DC-feeding T14 (think Duke/UVA/GULC/Michigan), litany of DC relevant experience and ties. Got dinged by more than half of the firms I did screening interviews with, and almost everyone else I've spoken to (even with similar or better creds) did even worse. Sifting through the OCI threads, it looks like "lol DC is slow" is beginning to turn into "lol DC is like elevator doors opening and unleashing a river of blood and lava and crushed dreams."

I know basically nobody who picked up even a majority of A&P, Wilmer, Hogan, W&C, and Covington. It's possible firms are looking to hire from within the band of people they get high yield from and ignoring the rest, or that they're doing some kind of extraordinary screen for "fit" - but the results have been pretty devastating. Think top 5% + LR types with perfectly passable social skills sitting on 1-4 CBs max out of dozens of DC screeners.

Commiseration? Corroboration? Consolation?

Stats not as good as yours, but absolutely nothing out of DC so far. I'm up to 12 interviews with DC firms, haven't heard a peep (positive or negative). Would definitely love to see some movement.

[Anonymous User]

I've been dinged by Wilmer and Jones Day (and Gibson, because they did their callbacks, and maybe even Akin, which according to one person did callbacks), and haven't heard from, um.... Mayer Brown, Weil, Winston, and Paul Weiss. But I'm just a lowly top 5% transferring from a school in the 30s guy.

[Anonymous User]

yeah, DC is rough this year. They must be hiring for a very small number of spots. My background includes two of HYS, and I am not confident I will get a DC offer (have three callbacks but one was a while ago that I'm thinking it's a ding). NYC has been much easier. I got one ding today (from a callback last week), but I'm been called back to all six I applied to. I am hoping at least one of the six will turn into an offer (have two V10 interviews coming up).

I'm having the experience of doing really well in screening interviews but less well in callbacks. I'm thinking that one reason might be that my interests are too specific. I express too much, I think, about what I want to do. I think firms might want someone to do whatever the hell you tell them to do

If you have only applied to DC, I would consider mass mailing NYC V100s. I may do some NYC mailings myself. I think that's where the work is.

[Anonymous User]

I'm 2/5 in DC with top 25% from a non-DC T14. Pleasantly surprised, especially because it was definitely a secondary market for me.

[Anonymous User]

I can't believe the carnage I've seen.

Personal stats: Top 3%, law review, traditional DC-feeding T14 (think Duke/UVA/GULC/Michigan), litany of DC relevant experience and ties. Got dinged by more than half of the firms I did screening interviews with, and almost everyone else I've spoken to (even with similar or better creds) did even worse. Sifting through the OCI threads, it looks like "lol DC is slow" is beginning to turn into "lol DC is like elevator doors opening and unleashing a river of blood and lava and crushed dreams."

I know basically nobody who picked up even a majority of A&P, Wilmer, Hogan, W&C, and Covington. It's possible firms are looking to hire from within the band of people they get high yield from and ignoring the rest, or that they're doing some kind of extraordinary screen for "fit" - but the results have been pretty devastating. Think top 5% + LR types with perfectly passable social skills sitting on 1-4 CBs max out of dozens of DC screeners.

Commiseration? Corroboration? Consolation?

Stats not as good as yours, but absolutely nothing out of DC so far. I'm up to 12 interviews with DC firms, haven't heard a peep (positive or negative). Would definitely love to see some movement.

SO glad I aimed at TX...

[Anonymous User]

T14 with ties to DC, top 20%, IP background, work experience

I'm 6/8 (CBs) from DC firms at OCI, but I skipped out on some of the more selective firms.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah, DC is terrible. I have similar stats to OP, minus the DC ties, and I've gotten about 20% CBs from screening interviews. I'm sure part of that is attributable to being a poor interviewer, but I know of only a couple people who are getting more than 50% CBs from screening interviews, and they have credentials that most people simply cannot match (beyond just grades + law review).

I feel lucky just to have a V100 offer from DC. While it looks as though I won't get anything like A&P/Wilmer/Hogan/Cov, I like the firm that I have, so I can't complain. Summer class sizes in DC are very small this year - most are well under 20 - so firms can be extremely selective. Assuming next year's economy is similar, I would advise people looking to go to DC to (a) bid on plenty of safety firms, and (b) leave several bids for NY firms.

[Anonymous User]

T14 with ties to DC, top 20%, IP background, work experience

I'm 6/8 (CBs) from DC firms at OCI, but I skipped out on some of the more selective firms.

IPSECURE.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

[Anonymous User]

Weil said in my screener they were only taking 8. "That's rightsizing for us," he said.

[Anonymous User]

I think the smaller offices are a bit more generous. 6 screens, 4 CBs, 2 CBs done, 1 offer. T14, Top 30%, no real DC ties.

[rayiner]

Weil said in my screener they were only taking 8. "That's rightsizing for us," he said.

That's not inconsistent with their historical numbers.

7 in '08, 11 in '09, 2! (est) in '10.

[Anonymous User]

I didn't apply to DC but my brother did
His Stats: Top 15%, T2 (CA), LR, CALI Awards (2)

6/15 (11 in V100), 2 turned to offers (V20), the rest dings. No connections at all, just went through school's OCI.

[Anonymous User]

I didn't apply to DC but my brother did
His Stats: Top 15%, T2 (CA), LR, CALI Awards (2)

6/15 (11 in V100), 2 turned to offers (V20), the rest dings. No connections at all, just went through school's OCI.

OP here: We're talking about this year. There's a 0% chance anybody from a CA T2 has burned through 6 Callbacks + dings or offers this season. Impressive results from any season, but not terribly relevant to what's going on this time around.

[Anonymous User]

Remember that all you need is one offer. Even if you only go 1/20 on CBs, if you get an offer from that CB, then who cares?

I went about 20% and only got CBs from good DC branches (think Latham, JD, etc). Top 15% CCN no LR.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

This was the case for many of the W&C interviews I heard about at Harvard. It was not uncommon for people to have 8-10 minute interviews.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

This was the case for many of the W&C interviews I heard about at Harvard. It was not uncommon for people to have 8-10 minute interviews.

[OP here]: My God, care to elaborate? Did they just do a "thanks for you time" after 10 minutes? Were they just snarky about people being below their (absurd) grade cutoff?

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

This was the case for many of the W&C interviews I heard about at Harvard. It was not uncommon for people to have 8-10 minute interviews.

[OP here]: My God, care to elaborate? Did they just do a "thanks for you time" after 10 minutes? Were they just snarky about people being below their (absurd) grade cutoff?

Never told people they were below the grade cutoff. They asked very few questions which didn't leave much room for elaboration (if any), then said, "So, any questions for me?" Those questions were answered rather rapidly and then they ushered people out the door.

One of the interviewers in particular made a point of telling students that their applicant pool this year was particularly competitive and the applicant may want to reapply in the future if they don't get a callback.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

This was the case for many of the W&C interviews I heard about at Harvard. It was not uncommon for people to have 8-10 minute interviews.

[OP here]: My God, care to elaborate? Did they just do a "thanks for you time" after 10 minutes? Were they just snarky about people being below their (absurd) grade cutoff?

In the beginning, the interviewer asked very few questions other than something about what my legal interests were. The interviewer then offered to take a few questions, but only gave very short answers. After 10 minutes, she just said thank you and good luck. There was nothing snarky, but it wasn't conversational or informative.

[Anonymous User]

A lot of the DC firms at our OCI (mid T14) are hiring very few SA's if any. Some of the W&C interviews were only 10 minutes - you could tell they were just going through the motions. Certain DC boutique firms are only hiring 3 or 4 for the entire SA class.

This was the case for many of the W&C interviews I heard about at Harvard. It was not uncommon for people to have 8-10 minute interviews.

[OP here]: My God, care to elaborate? Did they just do a "thanks for you time" after 10 minutes? Were they just snarky about people being below their (absurd) grade cutoff?

In the beginning, the interviewer asked very few questions other than something about what my legal interests were. The interviewer then offered to take a few questions, but only gave very short answers. After 10 minutes, she just said thank you and good luck. There was nothing snarky, but it wasn't conversational or informative.

Wow, that's messed up. Now, I'm glad W&C rejected me. I didn't want them anyway

[Anonymous User]

Remember that all you need is one offer. Even if you only go 1/20 on CBs, if you get an offer from that CB, then who cares?

I went about 20% and only got CBs from good DC branches (think Latham, JD, etc). Top 15% CCN no LR.

So JD DC is doing CBs?

[Anonymous User]

Remember that all you need is one offer. Even if you only go 1/20 on CBs, if you get an offer from that CB, then who cares?

I went about 20% and only got CBs from good DC branches (think Latham, JD, etc). Top 15% CCN no LR.

So JD DC is doing CBs?

I don't know. I was just giving the types of firms for which I have a callback. Someone in the UofC thread got a CB though, so I assume if you haven't heard, that's not good news.

[Anonymous User]

i know several people with JD DC CB

[dbt]

I can't believe the carnage I've seen.

Personal stats: Top 3%, law review, traditional DC-feeding T14 (think Duke/UVA/GULC/Michigan), litany of DC relevant experience and ties. Got dinged by more than half of the firms I did screening interviews with, and almost everyone else I've spoken to (even with similar or better creds) did even worse. Sifting through the OCI threads, it looks like "lol DC is slow" is beginning to turn into "lol DC is like elevator doors opening and unleashing a river of blood and lava and crushed dreams."

I know basically nobody who went even 50/50 on A&P, Wilmer, Hogan, W&C, and Covington CBs. Similar results from the good DC branches (Jenner, Mayer, Sidley, Latham, Gibson, OMM, Cleary, S&C, Akin, Hunton, Alston, etc. etc. etc.) It's possible firms are looking to hire from within the band of people they get high yield from and ignoring the rest, or that they're doing some kind of extraordinary screen for "fit" - but the results have been pretty devastating. Think top 5% + LR types with perfectly passable social skills sitting on 1-4 CBs max out of dozens of DC screeners.

Commiseration? Corroboration? Consolation?

I know people with callbacks at 4+ DC offices. It's a tough year...I think the DC firms are having small classes, so they can afford to be super selective. I was 2/5 for DC firms, for example.