G. T. L. Rev. wrote:A time machine with a setting to warp back to 2006 would be useful.
In all seriousness, doing your homework on firms and bidding is a big part of whether you succeed. But wait to do this UNTIL AFTER 1L YEAR IS OVER. You don't want to leave anything on the table with 1L grades, as you can research over the summer, but cannot use the summer to improve your grade in property or conlaw.
CR. Especially the part about a time machine.
My school (T20) was all preselect, so my advice really pertains to that. If anybody else wants to edit-in tips about a pure bidding system, be my guest. My advice will generally discuss the timeline between the end of your last exam to the moment you walk into your first interview.
OP, you'll want to do the following things:
1. Get a list of firms coming for OCI. If your OCS doesn't have one early in the summer, get one from last year. Moreover, get information about GPA cutoffs, number of bids per employer, number of interviews given, etc... This information will help you formulate your bid strategy.
2. Figure out whether you have a lottery, preselect, or hybrid OCI system. This will be critical for planning your bid list.
3. See where your grades land you after spring semester. This will allow you to throw out firms at which you've got no shot, as well as give you an idea of how to best use your bids.
4. Figure out where you want to work after graduation and what you want to do/practice. This is very important and will come in handy during interviews. To be sure, you're probably going to want to take a job at just about any firm that offers you (ITE, you take what you can get). If you've got the luxury of choosing between firms based upon location or whatever, then these considerations become very important (trust me).
5. Hopefully, your OCS will post employers on your school's online interface long before the bidding deadline. LOTS of information is contained here. You will find: a) which employers are attending, b) location of firm offices, and c) special instructions for bidding. You should use this information, cross-referenced with your preferences from 4., and decide how to bid. For example: if you want to work in NYC but you also want to do appellate/government contract work, you'll probably want to bid the DC office instead of the NYC office...but we know that DC is a harder nut to crack, so if you're a borderline candidate but really want to work in the firm, then you'd probably be better-off bidding NYC, etc... This is probably the most complicated step, and you should TRIPLE CHECK your choices before submitting bids (also, keep in mind certain employers require certain things...some people say these recommendations are not iron-clad, and I'd agree since I definitely got interviews with firms that had requirements I didn't meet...bottom line, just take those recommendations into account in choosing bids).
6. Set your bids. If you're in a preselect system, bid away (assuming you've done your homework). If you're in a lottery system, then you have to be careful with ranking, which should have been figured into your analysis in 5. (I assume, since I didn't have a lottery system). Anybody who had lottery can fill-in here.
7. In the meantime/while you're doing all this, make sure you polish the f*ck out of your resume and cover letter. Consider writing a cover letter for each bid, even if not required. I did this, and while I had lots of success at OCI, I can't say for sure that cover letters helped. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but they were certainly not a negative impact.
8. Once you get your interview selections (hopefully!), get online and schedule your interviews as soon as you can. I liked doing them either first or last. People tend to remember the beginning and end of the day. Interviewers are speaking with like 10-20 people per day, so taking the slot just after lunch might be a bad idea (especially if the interviewer crushed a huge lunch and is experiencing a hyperglycemic-hangover). People argue about time scheduling all the time, and surely your credentials will be the dispositive factor in getting you a job. ITE, we use any possible advantage in our favor if we want to be gainfully employed at graduation.
9. Once you're all scheduled, STUDY! You've got a wealth of information on the internet, so use it to learn each firm. This will get really tedious, but it's really important. You don't want to give the interviewer a reason to write you off. Moderate research should be sufficient. Once you do it like 10+ times, firms start to blend together and you'll realize commonalities between firms. Studying will also help you build an arsenal of questions, should you walk in and have to ask questions for the entire interview. Being able to ask questions is key, so have lots ready.
10. If you're an awful interviewer, get some practice.
11. Dress well, relax, and do the interview.