Top Law Schools

Anonymous User wrote:Hey guys,

It would be a huge help if I could get some feedback on this bid list. Happy to offer my thoughts on someone else's as well if they'd like to exchange thoughts.

Relevant info: At Columbia/NYU, GPA is 3.49 which I believe puts me at top 25%ish (although if anyone has better data around this I'd love to hear it), strong upward trend in grades (top 10% 2nd semester), strong 3-4yrs WE / finance undergrad degree, and strong interviewing skills. I'm hoping the WE + interviewing allows me to contend for some of the firms that GPA alone makes an uphill battle (Cravath, S&C).

Goal is corporate. Secondly interested in tech (hence a few Bay Area firms). I've bolded the firms that are my top choices.

Thanks in advance!

1 Kirkland & Ellis NYC
2 Cooley Palo Alto
3 Cooley NYC
4 Skadden, Arps NYC
5 Latham & Watkins NYC
6 Gibson, Dunn NYC
7 Weil, Gotshal & Manges NYC
8 Debevoise & Plimpton NYC
9 Linklaters NYC
10 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe Menlo Park, CA
11 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe NYC
12 Allen & Overy NYC
13 Proskauer Rose NYC
14 Sullivan & Cromwell (reach) NYC
15 Morrison & Foerster San Fran
16 Simpson Thacher & Bartlett NYC
17 Boies, Schiller (Corporate) NYC
18 Morrison & Foerster NYC
19 White & Case NYC
20 Baker & McKenzie NYC
21 Milbank, Tweed NYC
22 Cleary, Gottlieb NYC
23 Davis Polk NYC
24 Shearman & Sterling NYC
25 Paul, Weiss NYC
26 Sidley Austin NYC
27 Paul Hastings NYC
28 Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (yes I realized I probably have 0 shot at this but let a guy dream) NYC
29 Clifford Chance NYC
30 Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer NYC
31 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (again, I realize this is a reach) NYC
32 Covington & Burling NYC
33 Akin Gump NYC
34 Fried, Frank, Harris NYC
35 Cadwalder, Wickersham NYC
36 Arnold & Porter NYC
37 O’Melveny & Myers NYC
38 Jones Day NYC

Anonymous User wrote: I'm going to assume you are at NYU..
Based on what I heard, you won't get Proskauer and Sidley that low. Same with Akin Gump I think.
IMO, I would lower Cleary, STB, Wachtell, S&C and maybe Debevoise (though not sure about that one). I hear Cleary cleared last year at around 45 or even 50, at NYU at least. A lot of these firms may clear much lower and I don't think S&C and STB need to be in your teens (though you might want to keep them if you really want them. After all, you got a good shot). I might be wrong though so if someone can echo this, that would be great.


I'm a rising 2L so take this witha grain of salt.

Anonymous User wrote:I've a similar GPA. What's the school's median?

Anonymous User wrote:I read somewhere on this forum that it's closer to 3.33. I was curious because I have a similar GPA at M. Since NYU's median is just a bit lower than M (maybe .03), I think it's safe to conclude that a 3.5 is top %30ish.

Anonymous User wrote: Thank you for your input (and happy to try and help out if you need it as well). Yes, I am at NYU, I guess since I'm anon might as well say so.

Good catch on Sidley - I think you're right and I will move that up. Only reason I put Debevoise so high was I heard that the firm's oddly popular at NYU, though that's very anecdotal. And I didn't know that Cleary clears so low, that's interesting to hear.

Thanks again!

Anonymous User wrote:I read somewhere on this forum that it's closer to 3.33. I was curious because I have a similar GPA at M. Since NYU's median is just a bit lower than M (maybe .03), I think it's safe to conclude that a 3.5 is top %30ish.

aces wrote:Bid S&C, Simpson Thacher, Cleary, Davis Polk, Wachtell, Cravath lower. You should easily be able to get all of those in the 30s, if not lower. A few years ago, I got interviews with all of these firms when I bid them in the 32-40 range. They are both grade-selective (and so below-median folks don't bid on them) but also have a million interview slots (Davis Polk, for instance, interviews more than half the class). Plus, these are the kinds of firms where even if you don't get a screener with them through the lottery, you can usually get one by going to the hospital suite and claiming that you got scheduled out. After all, they have a dozen+ interviewers milling around and so can easily find room to fit in an extra screener.

All bidlists involve "throwing away" some of the bids towards the end of your list, but just know that you aren't going to get firms like Akin or Fried Frank or Paul Hastings or OMM where you've bid them. Those firms have relatively low GPA cutoffs, so tons of median/slightly below-median folks bid them really high. The same is true to a lesser extent for firms like White & Case, Shearman, Sidley, Jones Day, etc. that are a little more selective but remain very popular (as reach firms for median folks and match firms for above-median folks) and don't have tons of interview slots. I would move these firms up and move down the V10 firms mentioned above.

Otherwise, it looks fine.

aces wrote:Bid S&C, Simpson Thacher, Cleary, Davis Polk, Wachtell, Cravath lower. You should easily be able to get all of those in the 30s, if not lower. A few years ago, I got interviews with all of these firms when I bid them in the 32-40 range. They are both grade-selective (and so below-median folks don't bid on them) but also have a million interview slots (Davis Polk, for instance, interviews more than half the class). Plus, these are the kinds of firms where even if you don't get a screener with them through the lottery, you can usually get one by going to the hospital suite and claiming that you got scheduled out. After all, they have a dozen+ interviewers milling around and so can easily find room to fit in an extra screener.

All bidlists involve "throwing away" some of the bids towards the end of your list, but just know that you aren't going to get firms like Akin or Fried Frank or Paul Hastings or OMM where you've bid them. Those firms have relatively low GPA cutoffs, so tons of median/slightly below-median folks bid them really high. The same is true to a lesser extent for firms like White & Case, Shearman, Sidley, Jones Day, etc. that are a little more selective but remain very popular (as reach firms for median folks and match firms for above-median folks) and don't have tons of interview slots. I would move these firms up and move down the V10 firms mentioned above.

Otherwise, it looks fine.