Top Law Schools

"[The] Boston State-House is the hub of the solar system. You couldn't pry that out of a Boston man, if you had the tire of all creation straightened out for a crowbar." -Oliver Wendell Holmes

It's that season. Let's get a discussion going on the various firms, experiences of past SA's, strategy, rumors, gossip and employment movement.

Still mass-mailing some in Boston and waiting to hear from OCI - bid results are due next Tuesday.

We had a limited selection of Boston at my school (I only applied to 5 I think, there were only 7 total).

Crossing my fingers.

Picked up about 8 boston firms through OCI, only mass mailed a handful because they were all at ours. Further updates in the future.

Anyone have any tips, advice, or know any specifics about interviewing with Ropes? I have a screening interview at the end of the month and I'm really interested in their firm.

Anonymous User wrote:Anyone have any tips, advice, or know any specifics about interviewing with Ropes? I have a screening interview at the end of the month and I'm really interested in their firm.

+1

I've heard their SA mentorship program is sort of their baby, and they love to hear you say good things about it.

only a few bites at OCI - very random. 3 firms from Boston. had much better luck in NYC/Philly/CA despite going to BC/BU. Whats a respectable # of screeners from BC/BU?

Anonymous User wrote:only a few bites at OCI - very random. 3 firms from Boston. had much better luck in NYC/Philly/CA despite going to BC/BU. Whats a respectable # of screeners from BC/BU?

Well, what was your approximate ranking? And where do you have ties to?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:only a few bites at OCI - very random. 3 firms from Boston. had much better luck in NYC/Philly/CA despite going to BC/BU. Whats a respectable # of screeners from BC/BU?

Well, what was your approximate ranking? And where do you have ties to?

I was top 25%.

Only really ties to FLA, New England (undergrad in NH) and CA

Its weird because most my boston firms seem to be ones that prefer a science background I don't got.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:only a few bites at OCI - very random. 3 firms from Boston. had much better luck in NYC/Philly/CA despite going to BC/BU. Whats a respectable # of screeners from BC/BU?

Well, what was your approximate ranking? And where do you have ties to?

I was top 25%.

Only really ties to FLA, New England (undergrad in NH) and CA

Thats odd that someone in the top 1/4 would get so few Boston firms. But hey, as long as you have the NY/CA/Philly interviews as well, your overall haul shouldn't be bad. And you can always mass mail the firms not coming.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:only a few bites at OCI - very random. 3 firms from Boston. had much better luck in NYC/Philly/CA despite going to BC/BU. Whats a respectable # of screeners from BC/BU?

Well, what was your approximate ranking? And where do you have ties to?

BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Anonymous User wrote:
BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Almost top 10% at BU and only 8 pre-selects? It's going to be a rough year it looks like

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:
BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Almost top 10% at BU and only 8 pre-selects? It's going to be a rough year it looks like

Top 10% at BU and only 8 preselections? Seems like most people are having more luck with the NY job fair than through actual OCI.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:
BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Almost top 10% at BU and only 8 pre-selects? It's going to be a rough year it looks like

8 Boston Firms, 2 NYC, 1 DC, and then another 9 NYC through our sattelite program, 3 through DC

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:
BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Almost top 10% at BU and only 8 pre-selects? It's going to be a rough year it looks like

8 Boston Firms, 2 NYC, 1 DC, and then another 9 NYC through our sattelite program, 3 through DC

Overall, thats really not bad at all. Thats 23 screening interviews solely through school-run programs. Once you add in your mass mails and interviews you get through networking or contacts, you have a seriously solid haul

It was actually 25, but I got 2 Goodwin Procters and had to drop NYC, and I couldnt' fit another interview into NYC so I had to drop a 10th firm.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:
BU almost top 10%, picked up 8 Boston firms and 1 Boston alternate. We also have OCI II which has 3 boston firms, but they are small.

Almost top 10% at BU and only 8 pre-selects? It's going to be a rough year it looks like

8 Boston Firms, 2 NYC, 1 DC, and then another 9 NYC through our sattelite program, 3 through DC

Overall, thats really not bad at all. Thats 23 screening interviews solely through school-run programs. Once you add in your mass mails and interviews you get through networking or contacts, you have a seriously solid haul

No you're right, collectively that's huge. I just thought it might warrant a stronger showing in Boston, though I guess statistically he did get almost 1/3 of the NALP firms. Maybe I was underestimating (or forgot how small Boston was relative to NYC and DC).

I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

More likely they thought you would get better offers and go there honestly. Those are all the lower ends of the Boston firms. If they know you've got interviews with Ropes, Goodwin and Bingham maybe they just don't think it's worth giving you an interview slot because you'll have better options?

Note, I'm partially trying to reassure myself because I've mailed those places and my stats aren't as good as yours from a non-Boston school

Anonymous User wrote:Anyone have any tips, advice, or know any specifics about interviewing with Ropes? I have a screening interview at the end of the month and I'm really interested in their firm.

Ropes calls back tons of people but gives few offers. As for call-backs, they tend to try to knock people off guard and see how they do.

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

Depending on your grades, Brown/Sullivan/Goulston may think you'd be hitting higher, they tend to be a little self-conscious given the other firms in the area. Choate is extremely selective, and they are definitely the most unpredictable of Boston firms.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

More likely they thought you would get better offers and go there honestly. Those are all the lower ends of the Boston firms. If they know you've got interviews with Ropes, Goodwin and Bingham maybe they just don't think it's worth giving you an interview slot because you'll have better options?

Note, I'm partially trying to reassure myself because I've mailed those places and my stats aren't as good as yours from a non-Boston school

Choate is not a lower end Boston firm - it just targets a different market size than Ropes/Goodwin. Overall, disregarding practice area, Ropes/Wilmer are top with Goodwin a tad behind, followed by a grouping including Choate.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

More likely they thought you would get better offers and go there honestly. Those are all the lower ends of the Boston firms. If they know you've got interviews with Ropes, Goodwin and Bingham maybe they just don't think it's worth giving you an interview slot because you'll have better options?

Note, I'm partially trying to reassure myself because I've mailed those places and my stats aren't as good as yours from a non-Boston school

Sorry this thread is turning into me bragging about my OCI. Thanks, that's a really positive spin on it.

I got 9 Boston firms through OCI and a total of 17 interviews and a bunch of alternates between OCI and the BU/BC NY program. Should I still be doing mass mailings?

Anonymous User wrote:I got 9 Boston firms through OCI and a total of 17 interviews and a bunch of alternates between OCI and the BU/BC NY program. Should I still be doing mass mailings?

Of course. You really think anyone is "safe"?

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

I had very similar results, but I'm still really interested in some of these firms. Anything I can do about this?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I was really suprised by some of the firms I didn't get: Brown Rudnick, Choate, Sullivan Worcester, Goulston, McDermott. I don't have any Journals, so that might offer some explanation.

-poster w/23

I had very similar results, but I'm still really interested in some of these firms. Anything I can do about this?

email them a transcript,
CL and resume and explain that you didn't get an OCI interview but you are still very interested in the firm...