Boston Law Firms Forum

[Anonymous User]

anyone else with wilmer cbs have info on cb --> offer/rejection turnaround time?

[Anonymous User]

anyone else with wilmer cbs have info on cb --> offer/rejection turnaround time?

No idea, but I informed them about an upcoming offer deadline a while ago, that deadline has since passed, and have heard no news either way. Same deal with Ropes. Just grateful I have had more success in another market...

[Anonymous User]

Boston has been a disaster for me. Rock-solid ties, top 15% and LR at T10, great work experience (in Boston), and I've been dinged from all but one Boston firm, where I'm still waiting for a post-callback response. I have offers from top firms in several other markets, but nothing in Boston.

[Anonymous User]

Boston has been a disaster for me. Rock-solid ties, top 15% and LR at T10, great work experience (in Boston), and I've been dinged from all but one Boston firm, where I'm still waiting for a post-callback response. I have offers from top firms in several other markets, but nothing in Boston.

It's crazy. I'm the above anon, and have very similar stats to yours and am in the same boat. I really got my parents' hopes up that I would move back to the area when I had success getting callbacks, but only one has resulted in an offer. Everyone, including my CDO, thought I would have no problems with Boston and that my other target market might be tougher to crack, but it has been completely the opposite. I'm wondering if maybe I was too complacent in relying on the strength of my ties and maybe didn't sell myself as well in Boston as I did elsewhere. More likely it just has something to do with "fit" and I no longer really "fit" in the Boston scene.

[Anonymous User]

Boston has been a disaster for me. Rock-solid ties, top 15% and LR at T10, great work experience (in Boston), and I've been dinged from all but one Boston firm, where I'm still waiting for a post-callback response. I have offers from top firms in several other markets, but nothing in Boston.

It's crazy. I'm the above anon, and have very similar stats to yours and am in the same boat. I really got my parents' hopes up that I would move back to the area when I had success getting callbacks, but only one has resulted in an offer. Everyone, including my CDO, thought I would have no problems with Boston and that my other target market might be tougher to crack, but it has been completely the opposite. I'm wondering if maybe I was too complacent in relying on the strength of my ties and maybe didn't sell myself as well in Boston as I did elsewhere. More likely it just has something to do with "fit" and I no longer really "fit" in the Boston scene.

Well those firms may assume if you are from Boston, and chose to go to school elsewhere, you weren't serious about coming back. In the interview you should have stressed that Boston is where you will be, and be as prepared as everywhere else.

Also, to the person with an offer from Boston---all you need is one.

[Anonymous User]

Boston has been a disaster for me. Rock-solid ties, top 15% and LR at T10, great work experience (in Boston), and I've been dinged from all but one Boston firm, where I'm still waiting for a post-callback response. I have offers from top firms in several other markets, but nothing in Boston.

Another individual in a similar boat. Grew up and went to undergrad in the area, top 20% at a CCN, and had trouble converting callbacks in Boston despite having no problem getting offers in a Chicago/New York market. Still waiting on one firm but it's been a few weeks and I'm not optimistic. I agree that I thought my ties were strong enough that I wouldn't have to hard sell my desire to stay in Boston as much and that maybe my personality was a little too type-A for Boston.

[Anonymous User]

Boston has been a disaster for me. Rock-solid ties, top 15% and LR at T10, great work experience (in Boston), and I've been dinged from all but one Boston firm, where I'm still waiting for a post-callback response. I have offers from top firms in several other markets, but nothing in Boston.

Another individual in a similar boat. Grew up and went to undergrad in the area, top 20% at a CCN, and had trouble converting callbacks in Boston despite having no problem getting offers in a Chicago/New York market. Still waiting on one firm but it's been a few weeks and I'm not optimistic. I agree that I thought my ties were strong enough that I wouldn't have to hard sell my desire to stay in Boston as much and that maybe my personality was a little too type-A for Boston.

Its not necessarily anything wrong with you all as candidates. It is very difficult to convert callbacks in Boston because they have a tendency to do a lot of callbacks per offer. Im at HYS and lucky enough to have a few offers from the big Boston firms (Ropes/Wilmer/Goodwin/Bingham) but I have been rejected post-CB at most of the smaller Boston-based firms and big firm satellite offices. Thats just the way Boston firms do their recruiting. A lot is based on fit and they seem to get unusually offended about people not accepting offers.

[Anonymous User]

Similar boat. Did well in the more competitive market I tried that is actually known for being *more* insular with no ties, struck out in Boston despite going to law school here and undergrad nearby.

[Anonymous User]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with who I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

[onionz]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with whom I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

Maybe it's details like that which you consider "luck."

[Anonymous User]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with who I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

LR? Journal? I mean sometimes it is luck of the draw, but sometimes firms just won't take people without a journal of some sort or good previous work experience.

Did you get anything in NY or DC?

[Anonymous User]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with who I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

My experience is sometimes you can say something off-putting to a screener. For example, I heard the canned response for lit vs. corp is well known in the law firm universe. They want you to say what you have to offer for each, and why you are interested in both. None of that "Law school is LIT based, but I want to explore corp" Know what corp, employment, lit, p.e., real estate etc. is for that firm. What kind of deals do they do?

[Anonymous User]

Have Boston WG&M and ProskRos offers (and a few others but this what it is narrowed down to now). Anyone have any inside knowledge about these places? Quality of life, exit options, how they're doing etc.?

[Anonymous User]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with whom I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

Maybe it's details like that which you consider "luck."

Recent poster: dude, that's kind of mean. It's just an online forum, not an interview where you are detail-focused. OP is struggling with a tough situation and could probably care less about difficult grammar rules.

OP: Really sorry to hear. Have my fingers crossed that something will work out for you. There are still lots of good things out there. I'm convinced that everything happens for a reason. Maybe biglaw just wasn't in the stars for you, and there's something out there that you will enjoy even more. Best of luck.

[Anonymous User]

Similar boat. Did well in the more competitive market I tried that is actually known for being *more* insular with no ties, struck out in Boston despite going to law school here and undergrad nearby.

Any idea why Boston is so hard to crack? Someone told me it's because it's very insular. I constantly get grilled about my lack of ties, even though I go to law school in the city. Also, I'm top 10% at BU with Law Review, and a bunch of Boston firms wouldn't even do screeners with me (e.g. Bingham, K&L Gates).

[Anonymous User]

Have Boston W,G&M and ProskRos offers (and a few others but this what it is narrowed down to now). Anyone have any inside knowledge about these places? Quality of life, exit options, how they're doing etc.?

whats G&M?

[Anonymous User]

Top of my class at BU/BC and stuck out out at OCI. Not even a bad interviewer, just had some bad luck with whom I interviewed with. Seems like the market is just luck to be honest

Maybe it's details like that which you consider "luck."

Recent poster: dude, that's kind of mean. It's just an online forum, not an interview where you are detail-focused. OP is struggling with a tough situation and could probably care less about difficult grammar rules.

OP: Really sorry to hear. Have my fingers crossed that something will work out for you. There are still lots of good things out there. I'm convinced that everything happens for a reason. Maybe biglaw just wasn't in the stars for you, and there's something out there that you will enjoy even more. Best of luck.

Thanks for the support. For the record, I meant "luck" in that a lot of firms have small class sizes and all it takes is a few bad interviews to sink you. I have a solid resume and top grades, and even at the callback stage, some partners wouldn't even give me the time of day.

[Anonymous User]

Have Boston W,G&M and ProskRos offers (and a few others but this what it is narrowed down to now). Anyone have any inside knowledge about these places? Quality of life, exit options, how they're doing etc.?

whats G&M?

WelGotshl&Mangs

[Anonymous User]

Have Boston W,G&M and ProskRos offers (and a few others but this what it is narrowed down to now). Anyone have any inside knowledge about these places? Quality of life, exit options, how they're doing etc.?

whats G&M?

WelGotshl&Mangs

When was your callback with Weil? And are you BU/BC? Curious -- Had a callback with them recently and really loved the firm. Seemed like great work with great people.

[Anonymous User]

Similar boat. Did well in the more competitive market I tried that is actually known for being *more* insular with no ties, struck out in Boston despite going to law school here and undergrad nearby.

Any idea why Boston is so hard to crack? Someone told me it's because it's very insular. I constantly get grilled about my lack of ties, even though I go to law school in the city. Also, I'm top 10% at BU with Law Review, and a bunch of Boston firms wouldn't even do screeners with me (e.g. Bingham, K&L Gates).

The market I'm going to is more insular than Boston and my ties are much weaker there (as in, I have none at all. I had actually never physically been there until my callback). I go to HLS, above median, good 1L summer internship, good undergrad. I had screeners with Ropes, Wilmer, Bingham, foley hoag, and Foley & Lardner (dumped all my other bids into the other market). Callbacks at the first three, dinged quickly by Wilmer and Bingham, Ropes put me on hold and contacted me 2 weeks later to ask where I was at re: offers and I responded by withdrawing. Harvard return rates are high at these places--something like 70% at Wilmer, 45% at Bingham, and 90% of callbacks at Ropes convert into offers. OCS was stunned and shocked that I struck out in Boston, esp. when I did well in the other market (so it wasn't like I was a terrible interviewer). The boston legal recruiter I talked to said he expected me to lock down Ropes & Wilmer no problem. My guess, and this is just a guess, is that I want to do a specific practice area (and the firms knew this) and while Boston is strong in this practice area, the other market is stronger. I was pressed very heavily for where else I was interviewing--and Boston probably figured out that they were a backup market (which they were).

[Anonymous User]

anyone else with wilmer cbs have info on cb --> offer/rejection turnaround time?

been 4 weeks+ for me, still no word

[Anonymous User]

Anybody do a CB with Brown Rudnick and hear anything?

[Anonymous User]

Interesting. People at BU were really surprised about who Wilmer was picking this year. Everyone in my study group doing OCI had top grades, Law Review, and good work experience, and none of us got callbacks at Wilmer.

[Anonymous User]

Have Boston W,G&M and ProskRos offers (and a few others but this what it is narrowed down to now). Anyone have any inside knowledge about these places? Quality of life, exit options, how they're doing etc.?

whats G&M?

WelGotshl&Mangs

When was your callback with Weil? And are you BU/BC? Curious -- Had a callback with them recently and really loved the firm. Seemed like great work with great people.

Don't want to out myself, because the classes are so small. I received my offer within a few days of the CB. I'm not from BU/BC/Harvard, but am from another school in the region.

[Anonymous User]

Interesting. People at BU were really surprised about who Wilmer was picking this year. Everyone in my study group doing OCI had top grades, Law Review, and good work experience, and none of us got callbacks at Wilmer.

Same situation here (although no real WE besides summer jobs) and didn't get a Wilmer callback