Orrick - When do they ask for grades from SAs? Forum

[Renzo]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig. I have loathed them ever since.

That is fucked up, but they're not the only firm that does it. Some crazy people at a few firms like to deliver bad news personally; I think they're just sadists who enjoy it, personally.

[Anonymous User]

In fact, its a much nicer way of stating the actual truth

Eh... it was an objectively douche move on my part. Was tired and couldn't be pissed to rephrase.

OP here. I actually wasn't offended at all. Mostly, it made me feel better. I also LOL'd and was half-seriously like, "Okay, I feel better now, but also a little stupid." But only half-seriously, because I don't think a firm that doesn't focus on grades as much is necessarily a firm that doesn't put any effort into which candidates it hires. I think every firm is turning away good people by the dozens or hundreds.

I actually do still want to know if they ask for the transcript, for reasons that are different from a grade drop (don't want to out myself, but slightly unusual situation), but the reassurances are good to hear as well.

[timbs4339]

Yes, Orrick could fill their class (of about 30 last summer) with top 1/3 at CCN or higher schools

I don't want to debate the merits of Orrick too much, but this statement is a flatly absurd thing to say.

Top 1/3 at CCN is roughly 360 people total (assuming class sizes of 450, 450, 200). You think that Orrick, a firm that looked like it was in real financial trouble 18 months ago, and in no way stands out from the other 50 or so similar biglaw firms, can hire 30 summer associates from that finite pool of 360 top 1/3 CCN student? Come on; if you add up just the NYC offices of just the V5 firms, last year they took 224 summer associates.

You know there are students at schools other than CCN that are going to be hired by V10, right?

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

[Stanislaw Carter]

I actually do still want to know if they ask for the transcript, for reasons that are different from a grade drop (don't want to out myself, but slightly unusual situation), but the reassurances are good to hear as well.

Every firm will ask for a transcript at some point, if only to confirm that you've graduated.

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

Sure, but doesn't necessarily mean they interviewed with Orrick and got rejected. In my experience, the top third types who struck out either had personalities that made them virtually unemployable anywhere, bad bidding strategy, or some combination of both.

[Renzo]

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

I agree, but that's not what you said the first time. You said "Orrick could fill their class with top 1/3 at CCN or higher schools." They can't.

Yes, there are other schools that will send students to V10 firms. There are also other firms competing for the top 1/3 CCN (and better) students.

[RVP11]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig.

This is how they rejected me after my on-campus interview.

It was...awkward.

[RVP11]

Oh, and no way could Orrick fill their class with top 1/3 from CCN. That's LOL-worthy.

[RVP11]

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

Yeah, class of 2011.

And even then, anyone striking out with top 1/3 grades from CCN in the class of 2011 was either aiming for extremely tough markets or has some serious problems with interviewing.

[Kohinoor]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig. I have loathed them ever since.

Is anyone reading this summering with them? You have to let them know that calling doesn't add a personal touch. It makes them evil. I worry that somehow this misconception is going to spread to other firms.

[Kohinoor]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig.

This is how they rejected me after my on-campus interview.

It was...awkward.

I left my dossier in the interview room and the guy walked out after me and chucked it at the back of my head. You can't prove it didn't happen.

[timbs4339]

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

I agree, but that's not what you said the first time. You said "Orrick could fill their class with top 1/3 at CCN or higher schools." They can't.

Yes, there are other schools that will send students to V10 firms. There are also other firms competing for the top 1/3 CCN (and better) students.

When did I say they had to fill their class out of OCI? A number of V100 firms who did OCI at my school went BACK to Career Services and asked to see more resumes and transcripts. Other firms hired students from my school from the mass mail pile.

[timbs4339]

There were plenty of unemployed c/o 2011 students (top 1/3) at my school who would have killed for an offer from Orrick at OCI 2009.

Yeah, class of 2011.

And even then, anyone striking out with top 1/3 grades from CCN in the class of 2011 was either aiming for extremely tough markets or has some serious problems with interviewing.

Maybe, but that doesn't mean a firm couldn't go back and call them back after OCI. A number of firms did that this year.

[Anonymous User]

I've updated the title a bit to clarify the question.

If anyone has stories of offers/no-offers and wouldn't mind sharing their 1L --> 2L grade situation, though, that'd also be useful. e.g. "My grades dropped ____ and I did/didn't get an offer."

[RVP11]

I know one dude who went from around median to wayyyyy below and kept his offer at a V25.

To find people who were no-offered because of grades you'll probably have to go back to the class of 2010. I'd guess that grades weren't the determining factor for anyone in the class of 2011 who was no-offered

[IzziesGal]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig.

This is how they rejected me after my on-campus interview.

It was...awkward.

Let me tell you . . . there's nothing like sprinting out of a con law class with a rock star professor as a 1L to take a call that you think is worth $30,0000 - only to find out they think you suck. I was never able to get those 15 minutes of con law that I missed back.

[Renzo]

When did I say they had to fill their class out of OCI? A number of V100 firms who did OCI at my school went BACK to Career Services and asked to see more resumes and transcripts. Other firms hired students from my school from the mass mail pile.

Did any of those firms "fill their class with top 1/3 at CCN or higher schools?" Because otherwise I don't see the relevance.

[Stanislaw Carter]

I might go so far as to say that even a place like Cleary couldn't fill up their class entirely with HYSCCN top 1/3rd types, if only because they're all usually deciding between other peer firms (i.e., Simpson, Paul Weiss, Debevoise, etc.).

[Younger Abstention]

Orrick rejected me via a phone call for a 1L summer gig.

This is how they rejected me after my on-campus interview.

It was...awkward.

Let me tell you . . . there's nothing like sprinting out of a con law class with a rock star professor as a 1L to take a call that you think is worth $30,0000 - only to find out they think you suck. I was never able to get those 15 minutes of con law that I missed back.

If it makes you feel better, your con law prof. probably should be in prison...

[Anonymous User]

Update: they asked mid-summer.

[Anonymous User]

Update: they asked mid-summer.

Confirming this.

[Julio_El_Chavo]

Orrick isn't known for attracting the T10, top 10%, law review types, so odds are the mediocre grades that got someone an offer there won't make them offended if those grades became even more mediocre.

LOL. The aspieness of TLS never ceases to amaze.

[Anonymous User]

because im in t2 world, where most people, including many with good grades and LR, are scrambling and failing to just get A job, ANY job, some of the thoughts being expressed in this thread are so alien to me.