Top Law Schools

I'm putting together my bid lists for firm interviews:

Finished the first year at Cornell with a 3.71 GPA. That's about .1 GPA pts outside the top 10%, but somewhere in the top 30%. No word on journal yet.

Aiming for a top NYC office.

Questions: 1) How aggressive can I be bidding on firms w/ top litigation departments (esp. Paul Weiss, Quinn Emanuel, Skadden and Kirkland Ellis)? Can I realistically target these firms?

2) How relevant are non-GPA factors in securing a callback? Specifically, journal selection or moot court success?

I think you are competitive for any of those firms.

I think the only real non-GPA factors are law review, work experience, and IP. But I don't think lacking any of those will hinder your performance in a significant way. It'll really come down to how well you interview.