~Top 5% at UChi & no idea what I'm doing with bidlist. Halp? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm lucky enough to have done really well last quarter. Leaning transactional, want Bay Area but would take Chicago. I'm not sure how my "ties" to the Bay Area are going to play out, but hoping my grades make up for that to some extent. Is this too risky?

Don't know what firms are coming to our OCI yet, but so far thinking (in no real order):

SF
MoFo
Jones Day
Davis Polk (Menlo Park)
hogan lovells
Sheppard Mullin
Pillsbury
S&C (Palo Alto)
Baker McKenzie
Cooley
Fenwick West
Ropes Gray
Dechert

Chi
Skadden
Sidley
Paul Hastings
Proskauer
Edelson McGuire

[timbs4339]

I'm lucky enough to have done really well last quarter. Leaning transactional, want Bay Area but would take Chicago. I'm not sure how my "ties" to the Bay Area are going to play out, but hoping my grades make up for that to some extent. Is this too risky?

Don't know what firms are coming to our OCI yet, but so far thinking (in no real order):

SF
MoFo
Jones Day
Davis Polk (Menlo Park)
Hogan Lovells
Sheppard Mullin
Pillsbury
S&C (Palo Alto)
Baker McKenzie
Cooley
Fenwick West
Ropes Gray
Dechert

Chi
Skadden
Sidley
Paul Hastings
Proskauer
Edelson McGuire

I don't know if you've maxed out the number of bids you can use. But you are top 5% at one of the top 6 law schools in the country. You'll have plenty of offers from this list or any other list you can reasonably think of. Relax and interview adequately.

[JollyGreenGiant]

Top 5% is over 180 which means you can bid anywhere... even wachtell. There's not much advice to give except bid wherever you want. Grades aren't going to be an issue. Congrats on your success.

[Anonymous User]

I don't know if you've maxed out the number of bids you can use. But you are top 5% at one of the top 6 law schools in the country. You'll have plenty of offers from this list or any other list you can reasonably think of. Relax and interview adequately.

Thanks. We get 50 bids, all lottery.

[Anonymous User]

Top 5% is over 180 which means you can bid anywhere... even wachtell. There's not much advice to give except bid wherever you want. Grades aren't going to be an issue. Congrats on your success.

Thanks. I ended up somewhere between 181 and 181.5. Not interested in NYC though (or 100 hour weeks) so Wachtell is out.

Hope you also did well.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Somewhere between 181 and 181.5 is higher than top 5%, by the way (as ~180.5 has historically been top 5%). You're likely in the top 1-2%. What "help" do you possibly want with your bidlist?

Bid the firms you want to work at at the top, flout your K&E scholar's/law review designation, and collect your offers?

Oh, and don't be a complete and total aspie during your interviews. You might only get 10 offers if you go aspie rage.

[bjsesq]

Unless you are absolutely in love with Edelson, I have no idea what that bid is doing there. Could say similar things for Proskauer, but I am having a definite WTF moment with Edelson on your bidlist.

[rayiner]

Bid list is a bit weird. If you're leaning transactional, you want:

Bay Area:
Skadden
Latham
Wilson Sonsini
Davis Polk
Gibson
Morrison & Foerster
Simpson Thacher
Kirkland
Weil
Fenwick
Cooley

Chicago:
Kirkland
Sidley

Kirkland is undisputedly the best corporate practice in Chicago, and unless you're socially retarded you've got it in the bag. In the Bay there is much less of a clear hierarchy. If you want to represent tech companies go to Wilson Sonsini. If you want to represent banks go to Davis Polk, Sullivan, or Skadden. If you want to represent PE, go to Simpson or Kirkland. If you want to represent VC, got to Fenwick or Cooley.

[Anonymous User]

What "help" do you possibly want with your bidlist?

I mainly don't know how to balance SF and Chi firms, since I only have tenuous ties in SF. I don't have any interest in bragging, I'm genuinely looking for advice.

Oh, and don't be a complete and total aspie during your interviews. You might only get 10 offers if you go aspie rage.

Lulz. Hopefully I can get away without total aspie rage. I don't think I'm the greatest ever interviewer, but I can present myself well and hold down a conversation.

[ToTransferOrNot]

What "help" do you possibly want with your bidlist?

I mainly don't know how to balance SF and Chi firms, since I only have tenuous ties in SF. I don't have any interest in bragging, I'm genuinely looking for advice.

Oh, and don't be a complete and total aspie during your interviews. You might only get 10 offers if you go aspie rage.

Lulz. Hopefully I can get away without total aspie rage. I don't think I'm the greatest ever interviewer, but I can present myself well and hold down a conversation.

I guess the one thing I would say is that you should probably spend a top-5 bid on Kirkland and a top-10 on Sidley, just to make sure you get an interview slot with both of them (though if you got locked out of the interview rooms, you could probably still send e-mails to them begging for slots). As long as you get an interview with them, you'll get an offer.

[Anonymous User]

Unless you are absolutely in love with Edelson, I have no idea what that bid is doing there. Could say similar things for Proskauer, but I am having a definite WTF moment with Edelson on your bidlist.

Ha. Like I said, I really don't know what I'm doing. Edelson seemed cool just because it is smaller.

Rayiner: Thank you!

[bjsesq]

Unless you are absolutely in love with Edelson, I have no idea what that bid is doing there. Could say similar things for Proskauer, but I am having a definite WTF moment with Edelson on your bidlist.

Ha. Like I said, I really don't know what I'm doing. Edelson seemed cool just because it is smaller.

Rayiner: Thank you!

Edelson pays well below market. Think, around 60k below market. Median-esque grades at NU are targeting Edelson. They shouldn't even be a consideration for you.

[Anonymous User]

I guess the one thing I would say is that you should probably spend a top-5 bid on Kirkland and a top-10 on Sidley, just to make sure you get an interview slot with both of them (though if you got locked out of the interview rooms, you could probably still send e-mails to them begging for slots). As long as you get an interview with them, you'll get an offer.

Thanks. This is definitely the kind of thing I need to know. I know people have all kinds of strategies for bidding, I need to figure something out. I was kind of avoiding Kirkland just because I hear it is a hellish place to work. I know biglaw is going to be no picnic no matter where I end up, but I'd take quality of life over prestige any day.

[rayiner]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

[rayiner]

I guess the one thing I would say is that you should probably spend a top-5 bid on Kirkland and a top-10 on Sidley, just to make sure you get an interview slot with both of them (though if you got locked out of the interview rooms, you could probably still send e-mails to them begging for slots). As long as you get an interview with them, you'll get an offer.

Thanks. This is definitely the kind of thing I need to know. I know people have all kinds of strategies for bidding, I need to figure something out. I was kind of avoiding Kirkland just because I hear it is a hellish place to work. I know biglaw is going to be no picnic no matter where I end up, but I'd take quality of life over prestige any day.

Above-market bonuses buy you a lot of quality of life. So does knowing that with booming PPP and tons of work, partners aren't in a cost-cutting (ie: firing) mode.

[Anonymous User]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

Do you think it is that easy though? I heard SF is notoriously tough about ties to the market. I have a story to tell about why I want to be there, but it isn't exactly a "tie".

[ToTransferOrNot]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

Do you think it is that easy though? I heard SF is notoriously tough about ties to the market. I have a story to tell about why I want to be there, but it isn't exactly a "tie".

CA firms know that some people just want to be there for the weather. You are one of the top 5-10 people (I'd be willing to bet 5) at the University of Chicago. You're going to be able to get a job out there.

[Anonymous User]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

Do you think it is that easy though? I heard SF is notoriously tough about ties to the market. I have a story to tell about why I want to be there, but it isn't exactly a "tie".

CA firms know that some people just want to be there for the weather. You are one of the top 5-10 people (I'd be willing to bet 5) at the University of Chicago. You're going to be able to get a job out there.

Man. My head is spinning. I apologize to anyone who finds this thread douchey. I know some people this quarter were disappointed with their grades and I don't want to be insensitive. I clearly do need the advice though.

[rayiner]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

Do you think it is that easy though? I heard SF is notoriously tough about ties to the market. I have a story to tell about why I want to be there, but it isn't exactly a "tie".

If you don't have enough ties to the region, nothing you do with your bidlist is going to change that. It's not like less selective firms will be more willing to overlook your lack of ties because of your grades than more selective firms would be. Indeed, you'd probably have an easier time convincing a place like Simpson because of the level of work they do.

[timbs4339]

The thing is, your bid list isn't a typical one where you're just trying to get a job. You're in a position to pick and choose, but that means figuring out what you want to do. If the big NYC firms are off the table, and you want to do corporate in the bay area, then research those firms and see which ones do things you find interesting.

Do you think it is that easy though? I heard SF is notoriously tough about ties to the market. I have a story to tell about why I want to be there, but it isn't exactly a "tie".

CA firms know that some people just want to be there for the weather. You are one of the top 5-10 people (I'd be willing to bet 5) at the University of Chicago. You're going to be able to get a job out there.

Man. My head is spinning. I apologize to anyone who finds this thread douchey. I know some people this quarter were disappointed with their grades and I don't want to be insensitive. I clearly do need the advice though.

I know a top ranked CCN student who has absolutely no connections to California, interviewed with a top firm just for the hell of it (add/drop) and got a callback. Didn't get the offer, but didn't need to articulate any reasons other than "I'd like to work for your firm because you are a top firm, do the work I want to do, and work with X clients."

[Anonymous User]

Not OP, but would appreciate any thoughts on corporate at Latham and Skadden in Chicago.

[bjsesq]

Not OP, but would appreciate any thoughts on corporate at Latham and Skadden in Chicago.

What information are you looking for, specifically?

[Anonymous User]

Not OP, but would appreciate any thoughts on corporate at Latham and Skadden in Chicago.

What information are you looking for, specifically?

Thoughts on work environment, stability, selectivity, whatever people are willing to share. I know they don't have the largest classes, but I have heard very few things about their Chicago offices.

[wjs98]

OP, I honestly don't have anything to contribute, since I'm a 0L. But, reader's digest version, what do you think you'd attribute your immense success to? Congratulations is in order, in addition to bidlist critiques. Well done!

[Anonymous User]

OP, are you considering potentially becoming a professor and clerking? What about giving Bartlit Beck a shot? I really think you would have a good shot at it OP. Also, congrats!

Edit: Also, Boies has an office in Oakland.