BC/BU OCI 2014 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Figure we get a thread going...

Anyone know when we hear about preselects?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

1.) Do you know of any people who had an IP background? If so, how did they fair at OCI?
2.) Did being on law review seem to help much? I'm in the top 10-15% + LR, and am curious what I can expect at OCI.
3.) Did any firms stand out during the OCI process in your interviews? If so, could you comment on any unusual experiences or any unique impressions you got from firms?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

1.) Do you know of any people who had an IP background? If so, how did they fair at OCI?
2.) Did being on law review seem to help much? I'm in the top 10-15% + LR, and am curious what I can expect at OCI.
3.) Did any firms stand out during the OCI process in your interviews? If so, could you comment on any unusual experiences or any unique impressions you got from firms?

1) Yes. I know some IP people at my school who definitely outperformed their numbers. I'm pretty sure that the IP boost is very dependent on what your background is in (some types of engineering, etc. are more in demand than others), and that you're more likely to get a boost if you are patent bar eligible and want to do patent prosecution/patent licensing. I don't think you're going to get as much of a boost if you want to do the soft IP that people without a science background can do. I am not IP though, so I'll defer to any IP-types in here who can speak more to what's in demand.
2) LR definitely helps IMO, though mostly because it shows that you had really good grades
3) Not sure what your target markets are - if you have specific firms you know you'll be interviewing with and want impressions, post them, and I'll see what I remember from last year

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know when we hear about preselects?

BC Law* students can expect to start hearing about pre-selects early next week. The window for scheduling those interviews is -- according to Symplicity -- 7/24-25.

(* I would expect that BU is on the same schedule, or justabouts.)

[Anonymous User]

f you have specific firms you know you'll be interviewing with and want impressions, post them, and I'll see what I remember from last year

Not OP but will take you up on the offer ...

Thoughts on Mintz Levin? More to the point, any idea how they might respond to a candidate with:
1) Decent but unspectacular grades (top 1/3); 2) Secondary journal; 3) Considerable 'relevant' work experience; 4) White skin and a pecker

[Anonymous User]

3) Not sure what your target markets are - if you have specific firms you know you'll be interviewing with and want impressions, post them, and I'll see what I remember from last year

Boston--Wilmerhale, Proskauer, Goodwin Proctor, Fish & Richardson, Wolf Greenfield?
SF--Kirkland & Ellis?

[Anonymous User]

f you have specific firms you know you'll be interviewing with and want impressions, post them, and I'll see what I remember from last year

Not OP but will take you up on the offer ...

Thoughts on Mintz Levin? More to the point, any idea how they might respond to a candidate with:
1) Decent but unspectacular grades (top 1/3); 2) Secondary journal; 3) Considerable 'relevant' work experience; 4) White skin and a pecker

I think you have a decent shot. Network if you can though, the importance of someone being able to make a call for you just can't be emphasized enough. I don't work there but great firm with really, really nice people.

[Anonymous User]

3) Not sure what your target markets are - if you have specific firms you know you'll be interviewing with and want impressions, post them, and I'll see what I remember from last year

Boston--Wilmerhale, Proskauer, Goodwin Proctor, Fish & Richardson, Wolf Greenfield?
SF--Kirkland & Ellis?

I'm assuming from the fact WG is on the list that you're hard IP?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

1.) Do you know of any people who had an IP background? If so, how did they fair at OCI?

I was IP (MechE), top 25%, and no LR, and got either offers or callbacks that I turned down from almost all the firms in Boston. Other relevant considerations are that I'm from Boston and went to undergrad here, and had three years work experience. Note: I wasn't sure I wanted to do IP, and was upfront about that, but I think having the hard science background still opens doors.

2.) Did being on law review seem to help much? I'm in the top 10-15% + LR, and am curious what I can expect at OCI.
3.) Did any firms stand out during the OCI process in your interviews? If so, could you comment on any unusual experiences or any unique impressions you got from firms?

Most of the reputations that you've read about are fairly accurate, from my callback experiences (e.g. Ropes is stuffy and pretentious, Choate and foley hoag are a little more bookish, Goodwin and WH a little more intense). IME, you can't get a good feel for fit until you go on a callback and/or offer dinner.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

1.) Do you know of any people who had an IP background? If so, how did they fair at OCI?

I was IP (MechE), top 25%, and no LR, and got either offers or callbacks that I turned down from almost all the firms in Boston. Other relevant considerations are that I'm from Boston and went to undergrad here, and had three years work experience. Note: I wasn't sure I wanted to do IP, and was upfront about that, but I think having the hard science background still opens doors.

2.) Did being on law review seem to help much? I'm in the top 10-15% + LR, and am curious what I can expect at OCI.
3.) Did any firms stand out during the OCI process in your interviews? If so, could you comment on any unusual experiences or any unique impressions you got from firms?

Most of the reputations that you've read about are fairly accurate, from my callback experiences (e.g. Ropes is stuffy and pretentious, Choate and Foley Hoag are a little more bookish, Goodwin and WH a little more intense). IME, you can't get a good feel for fit until you go on a callback and/or offer dinner.

Yah, I guess I'll just out myself as being a patent-bar eligible CS major top 10-15% at BU/BC (no engineering work experience). My question for you is whether those firms were looking for specifically patent prosecution or if they were more looking for someone to do patent lit or some mix of both..

[Anonymous User]

Network if you can though, the importance of someone being able to make a call for you just can't be emphasized enough.

Is the importance of having someone on the inside to make a call on your behalf related to getting one's foot in the door (i.e .securing the initial interview) or to moving past the interview and on to callbacks? Or both?

[Anonymous User]

I'm a rising 3L at one of these schools and happy to answer qs about the process

1.) Do you know of any people who had an IP background? If so, how did they fair at OCI?

I was IP (MechE), top 25%, and no LR, and got either offers or callbacks that I turned down from almost all the firms in Boston. Other relevant considerations are that I'm from Boston and went to undergrad here, and had three years work experience. Note: I wasn't sure I wanted to do IP, and was upfront about that, but I think having the hard science background still opens doors.

2.) Did being on law review seem to help much? I'm in the top 10-15% + LR, and am curious what I can expect at OCI.
3.) Did any firms stand out during the OCI process in your interviews? If so, could you comment on any unusual experiences or any unique impressions you got from firms?

Most of the reputations that you've read about are fairly accurate, from my callback experiences (e.g. Ropes is stuffy and pretentious, Choate and Foley Hoag are a little more bookish, Goodwin and WH a little more intense). IME, you can't get a good feel for fit until you go on a callback and/or offer dinner.

Yah, I guess I'll just out myself as being a patent-bar eligible CS major top 10-15% at BU/BC (no engineering work experience). My question for you is whether those firms were looking for specifically patent prosecution or if they were more looking for someone to do patent lit or some mix of both..

It seemed like they were mostly just looking for smart, capable people, and the engineering background was a signal of that experience. I didn't get the sense that these general practice-type firms were only looking for prosecution folks. I didn't end up going on any callbacks with IP-only firms, so I can't speak to them. Generally though, I think firms don't have folks do a mix of prosecution and lit, it's okay to be undecided going into your summer, but I think they want to put you in a department once you start.

I think the primary effect of no work experience is that it makes the interviews tougher-- there's not as much substance to talk about.

[Anonymous User]

Network if you can though, the importance of someone being able to make a call for you just can't be emphasized enough.

Is the importance of having someone on the inside to make a call on your behalf related to getting one's foot in the door (i.e .securing the initial interview) or to moving past the interview and on to callbacks? Or both?

Both - though it helped me more in the interview to callback conversions. Also, being able to bring up your conversations with attys at the firm shows a lot of direct interest.

[Anonymous User]

Network if you can though, the importance of someone being able to make a call for you just can't be emphasized enough.

Is the importance of having someone on the inside to make a call on your behalf related to getting one's foot in the door (i.e .securing the initial interview) or to moving past the interview and on to callbacks? Or both?

Both - though it helped me more in the interview to callback conversions. Also, being able to bring up your conversations with attys at the firm shows a lot of direct interest.

Boston firms are at this very moment reading and selecting resumes for BLG and BC OCI. If you have an associate/partner whatever at a firm that knows you, now is the time to send that email/get that coffee/reach out. A 2 minute email from a Sr. Associate or Partner could absolutely change everything.

I had a preliminary screener this week because of a Sr. Associate who took a few moments to speak up for me. Boston is a very close and tight-knit market. Reach out - people want to help you, give them a reason to be able to do it.

[Anonymous User]

Here we go, preselects are out for BC

[Anonymous User]

Here we go, preselects are out for BC

BU over here... just twiddling my thumbs. -sigh-

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if the BLG job fair selections preclude selections through a school's Symplicity site? What I'm trying to ask is, "Did I get all those rejections because they picked me for the BLG job fair?"

Also, is foley hoag known to take a shot on people with not-so-stellar GPAs? I was preselected and can't really figure out why, but I'm ecstatic.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if the BLG job fair selections preclude selections through a school's Symplicity site? What I'm trying to ask is, "Did I get all those rejections because they picked me for the BLG job fair?"

Also, is Foley Hoag known to take a shot on people with not-so-stellar GPAs? I was preselected and can't really figure out why, but I'm ecstatic.

To a certain extent the whole process is random...I got 23 preselects so far this year (BC OCI), but didn't get even an alternate at firms like Sullivan & Worcester, who is suppose to be less competitive w/r/t resume (grades, etc.)

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if the BLG job fair selections preclude selections through a school's Symplicity site? What I'm trying to ask is, "Did I get all those rejections because they picked me for the BLG job fair?"

Also, is Foley Hoag known to take a shot on people with not-so-stellar GPAs? I was preselected and can't really figure out why, but I'm ecstatic.

From what I hear from past years, BLG and OCI selections don't preclude one another (though at least BU advises you to only take 1 if you're offered an interview at both).

[Anonymous User]

BU results are in by the way. Seems to have gone okay. I have around 6 interviews. How did others do?

[Anonymous User]

25 now over here at BC. Going to decline one and give to alternate.

[Anonymous User]

25 now over here at BC. Going to decline one and give to alternate.

Dang. High class rank/LR/crazy other factor?

[Anonymous User]

What were your bid lists?

[Anonymous User]

25 now over here at BC. Going to decline one and give to alternate.

Dang. High class rank/LR/crazy other factor?

Top 10-15% + LR + IP.

I applied to 48 firms. In an ideal word, I wouldn't work at about half of them (the CT, NH, ME, NY firms). But I applied to them in case I don't get my preference Boston biglaw firms.