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Grades came in, made top 10% (3.76, woo!) trying to figure out where I should bid. Resume/work experience is extensive but pretty much completely useless in making me a more attractive professional candidate (Jobs are all low-level sales/retail/service). Would like to be in Boston, NY, or SF and would hope to be working in IP.

Frankly, I have no frame of reference for what's even possible for me. Is something like Ropes completely out of reach for me? If it is, pardon my ignorance. Should I just be bidding/applying to any and all firms in our OCI?

I know people around top 10% at BU who are at Ropes, Goodwin, WilmerHale etc. I also know top 10% people who didn't get jobs through OCI. Oddly enough, journal participation seemed to be a clear dividing line (so I certainly hope you did the competition, as you have a solid chance at LR). But the vast majority of people around your rank are fine, so long as they weren't unrealistic. A Vault firm in Boston or NY will very likely bite.

Anonymous User wrote:I know people around top 10% at BU who are at Ropes, Goodwin, WilmerHale etc. I also know top 10% people who didn't get jobs through OCI. Oddly enough, journal participation seemed to be a clear dividing line (so I certainly hope you did the competition, as you have a solid chance at LR). But the vast majority of people around your rank are fine, so long as they weren't unrealistic. A Vault firm in Boston or NY will very likely bite.

I definitely did the competition. I'm not so sure I'll make LR simply because LRW was my worst grade 1L year. But yes, barring some catastrophe, I'll be on a journal.

SF will be difficult, especially if you don't have significant ties or an IP background.

Any advice for a top 25% at BU, engineering background (MechE) and WE, looking to stay in Boston. Will the IP boost give me a shot at the bigger Boston firms? Any bidding advice?

For OP and the most recent poster, the 8-ball says things are looking good.

I'm a BU grad, top 10% after 1L, IP focus, now at R&G/WH/GP. I summered in Boston, NY, and CA. PM me for more specific information.

Anonymous User wrote:Any advice for a top 25% at BU, engineering background (MechE) and WE, looking to stay in Boston. Will the IP boost give me a shot at the bigger Boston firms? Any bidding advice?

Just an anecdote, but a friend of mine in my section had a BS in ME from Michigan and already has a job at Ropes lined up post-graduation. Again anecdotal but still a good sign.

Anyone know when we find out about journals? I just missed top 10% at BU so I feel like a lot is riding on those results.

Seffer15 wrote:Anyone know when we find out about journals? I just missed top 10% at BU so I feel like a lot is riding on those results.

Mid-July is what I've heard.

jarak01 wrote:

Seffer15 wrote:Anyone know when we find out about journals? I just missed top 10% at BU so I feel like a lot is riding on those results.

Mid-July is what I've heard.

Early July most likely. Last year, they made the LR call on my birthday (July 2). Plus, graders for this year's competition had to submit them more than two weeks ago.

I'm in the same boat as you. My best advice is to try to network and emphasis your ties to an area. But I have heard that the top 15% at BU tends to get big law jobs, but there's no guarantee. If you have the grades, it then boils down to your personality and random stuff. For example, CDO told me that if you wait until the last day to interview (say, if Tuesday through Thursday were available and you pick Thursday to interview all the way in SF), offers will be gone by Thursday. Also be prepared for random curve ball questions, like, "Tell me a joke." or "Tell me something interesting that is intelligent." And don't be overly stiff in interviews.

OP here, just got the call on journals. I didn't make Law Review but I'm did get offered the Journal of Science and Technology so hopefully that will give a little more of an IP angle to my resume. Kicking myself I didn't make LR with top 10% but that's life I guess.

Anyone know how much of an effect not having LR will have even if I have the grades? One attorney I spoke with said it mattered a lot more in the world of clerkships and government and that, while big firms obviously view LR as a plus, it shouldn't close too many doors for me.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here, just got the call on journals. I didn't make Law Review but I'm did get offered the Journal of Science and Technology so hopefully that will give a little more of an IP angle to my resume. Kicking myself I didn't make LR with top 10% but that's life I guess.

Anyone know how much of an effect not having LR will have even if I have the grades? One attorney I spoke with said it mattered a lot more in the world of clerkships and government and that, while big firms obviously view LR as a plus, it shouldn't close too many doors for me.

Sorry to hear that, man. Anecdotally, I was only about top 30% during OCI with LR and I didn't get any offers, but had many friends with better grades and only secondary journals who did get offers. Grades seem to be much more important. You'll be fine.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here, just got the call on journals. I didn't make Law Review but I'm did get offered the Journal of Science and Technology so hopefully that will give a little more of an IP angle to my resume. Kicking myself I didn't make LR with top 10% but that's life I guess.

Anyone know how much of an effect not having LR will have even if I have the grades? One attorney I spoke with said it mattered a lot more in the world of clerkships and government and that, while big firms obviously view LR as a plus, it shouldn't close too many doors for me.

Top 10% and secondary journal you should be fine. Since LR is a ton of work, you should also be able to run up your grades 2 and 3L. If you have a tech background, you are even more than fine. In Boston, I would bid on the big three and anywhere else to want to work - for NY, anything but V10, Paul Weiss, Cleary, Deb, basicaly. should be fair game. For SF, apply everywhere and hope you get an offer (tech background will help a ton).

No LR is by no means a death sentence - no journal, and people start to question what happened.

I'm also at BU, around top 20% and no LR, although I did get on a secondary journal. What do you guys think my chances are of landing a big-firm gig in Boston or NY? and where should I be bidding?

Anonymous User wrote:I'm also at BU, around top 20% and no LR, although I did get on a secondary journal. What do you guys think my chances are of landing a big-firm gig in Boston or NY? and where should I be bidding?

Everywhere. At least last year, they capped your bids at 50 or something with only 46 employers interviewing (same with the NY program). Why would you not just bid everywhere and then reevaluate once you get pre-selects? It's a bit scummy to your classmates, but this is the Wild West ITE. You're probably a coinflip to end up with an offer.

OP: so sorry to hear! That really sucks. But journal is really better than no journal, and I think your grades and general experiences with a journal will still make you competitive. My mentor didn't make it on any journal, but she ended up with a big law job still through OCI.

I'm still waiting for a phone call. Following your post, I'm staring at my cell phone.

So they call about journals? I have three missed calls from random phone numbers today (I'm at the beach) but no voicemails. Should I just wait for another call, or will they email?

I received a phone call from Law Review at around 3 PM this afternoon. It was from a 573 area-code number in my case. If it were me, I would just answer for personal peace of mind. I think they'll be following up later at some point....

Anonymous User wrote:I received a phone call from Law Review at around 3 PM this afternoon. It was from a 573 area-code number in my case. If it were me, I would just answer for personal peace of mind. I think they'll be following up later at some point....

Congrats, broseph. I'll see you at the socials next year. I'll be the one who shows up late, doesn't talk to anybody, pounds three free drinks, and then leaves.

nevdash wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I received a phone call from Law Review at around 3 PM this afternoon. It was from a 573 area-code number in my case. If it were me, I would just answer for personal peace of mind. I think they'll be following up later at some point....

Congrats, broseph. I'll see you at the socials next year. I'll be the one who shows up late, doesn't talk to anybody, pounds three free drinks, and then leaves.

Haha, thanks. Though you can call me sista. I'm really curious to see these socials....

Seffer15 wrote:So they call about journals? I have three missed calls from random phone numbers today (I'm at the beach) but no voicemails. Should I just wait for another call, or will they email?

I had a few missed calls from a random phone number today. Didn't get the news until I finally picked up. They said they would send an e-mail later in the week.

OP again, quick question about "ties" and listing multiple/alternative offices. I'm originally from CA, came to Boston for school/extended family. Close family is still back in CA. Honestly I'd be happy to be in Boston or SF, even LA if it came right down to it.

How do I express this in interviews/cover letters? As a BU student who's not actually from New England, is it dangerous for me to express a preference for anything other than Boston? The last thing I want is to list SF as either my 1st or 2nd choice and then get passed over (especially if the firm in question has a substantially smaller SF office than their Boston office).

How recently did you move to Boston? I think I read somewhere in the CDO materials that you can list your high school to show ties to a geographic region that wouldn't otherwise be apparent. You can mention it in a cover letter. If you're worried about bidding, I would try to do mix and match of geographic regions based on firms you love, this way you don't sell yourself short anywhere.

I'm also another California applicant (originally from Bay Area). There are so few SF firms (I think only Latham and Cooley, unless you qualify for IP) that I don't think you should worry too much.

half-joking: tell people you are gay and bid on the SF market.

there's this Lgbt guy who barely hit upper half at our T30 who got an offer from a SF office