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During a school's EIW, how long do firms usually wait to bring someone back after the initial screening interview?

feel like most of my callbacks came within 24 hrs of the screener, either later the same day or the next morning.

Our EIW went through Friday, I had callbacks scheduled for Monday. I also had callbacks scheduled as late as late September (generally at my discretion).

The firms that really want you (and not bogged down with internal bureaucracy) will give a callback usually in 24 hours, sometimes even earlier. I had one come as late as 3 weeks after the screener. They can come any time in between that range easily, and possibly longer.

Anonymous User wrote:During a school's EIW, how long do firms usually wait to bring someone back after the initial screening interview?

anywhere from hours to weeks. it depends. same with offers.

The biggest NYC firms often strive to give callback invitations within 24 to 48 hours. Smaller firms and firms in other markets often take much longer.

One you receive the invitation, you will have to schedule it. Big firms may have an online reservation system, otherwise you'll be talking to somebody in the recruiting department.

It's advisable to schedule your callbacks as early as possible, since firms are generally more generous with offers early on. As their summer class fills up, they necessarily might need to reduce their rate of offers. Exactly how soon you can go on a callback depends on your schedule, the firms schedule, and your school's OCI - but you can be at a callback within a few days of the interview, or it can wind up scheduled weeks in the future.

If you are looking at a big market and have strong credentials, your process can be wrapped up very quickly. If you are looking at smaller markets or struggle, it can take months. Remember that if a school boasts 60% biglaw numbers, a large percentage of that group only got a single offer, and some may not have gotten it through OCI at all (but instead by their own efforts like massmailing).

When your school's OCI is relevant here too. For school's with later OCI's, even if we are talking one week later, you often call the firm or get on their system and have very few choices until 2 sometimes 3 weeks later.

Capitol_Idea wrote:The firms that really want you (and not bogged down with internal bureaucracy) will give a callback usually in 24 hours, sometimes even earlier. I had one come as late as 3 weeks after the screener. They can come any time in between that range easily, and possibly longer.

This. I had OCI in early August, most of my callbacks came within 24 hours. One came as late as the end of September. I definitely was not high on their list

So should I block off the whole month? I want to visit my brother in a city 3 hours away by plane from where I am in school. Ideally Id go for a week immediately after screeners are done. I don't want to go visit him and inadvertently screw myself over for a callback if I get one...

Anonymous User wrote:So should I block off the whole month? I want to visit my brother in a city 3 hours away by plane from where I am in school. Ideally Id go for a week immediately after screeners are done. I don't want to go visit him and inadvertently screw myself over for a callback if I get one...

I mean most firms that you have a good chance at getting an offer are going to let you know if you have a callback within a week of OCI and then those will probably be scheduled within the two weeks of that. So you probably are safe going away for a couple days

Anonymous User wrote:So should I block off the whole month? I want to visit my brother in a city 3 hours away by plane from where I am in school. Ideally Id go for a week immediately after screeners are done. I don't want to go visit him and inadvertently screw myself over for a callback if I get one...

It's probably a very bad idea to make travel plans anytime within the month after screening interviews. Depending on your school/stats/target market it could be easy to schedule around, but why risk it?

I guess what Im trying to ask is how fast do you do the callback interview after receiving the callback invitation?

If your screener is on a Friday, should you not expect to hear until at least Monday?

Anonymous User wrote:If your screener is on a Friday, should you not expect to hear until at least Monday?

Probably not, though I had a few that were same-day. it varies by firm and interviewer.

thesealocust wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:So should I block off the whole month? I want to visit my brother in a city 3 hours away by plane from where I am in school. Ideally Id go for a week immediately after screeners are done. I don't want to go visit him and inadvertently screw myself over for a callback if I get one...

It's probably a very bad idea to make travel plans anytime within the month after screening interviews. Depending on your school/stats/target market it could be easy to schedule around, but why risk it?

This is the most important period of law school. Don't make it more difficult than it needs to be.

The answer to all this stuff is it depends. Callbacks are usually within a few days (sometimes hours) and usually callbacks are within a week or two or three from the screener.

The it depends part means just don't plan on any trips or anything from the time OCI starts until like late October/early November.

Was previously booked on a family trip leaving the Friday of the week screeners end, and returning Monday afternoon the following week. I was planning on still going and just scheduling cb's for not that Friday or Monday. Shouldn't really affect me right?

Anonymous User wrote:I guess what Im trying to ask is how fast do you do the callback interview after receiving the callback invitation?

If your interview is Monday, it's not impossible your callback interview will be Tuesday. The stars would have to align - same day callback, ready availability, firm in the same city, etc. - but it's hardly impossible.

Our OCI lasted about a week and a half, and I attended some callbacks in the middle of that period before screening interviews were done. On the flip side, I had one of my callbacks more than 3 weeks after my screening interview, because the firm had a tight schedule and their earlier available days all conflicted with callbacks I had already scheduled. It's a high-variance experience, but it can move incredibly quickly.

cyrilfiggis wrote:Was previously booked on a family trip leaving the Friday of the week screeners end, and returning Monday afternoon the following week. I was planning on still going and just scheduling cb's for not that Friday or Monday. Shouldn't really affect me right?

Not a great plan - that Friday and Monday are probably prime days for callback interviews, and the conventional wisdom of getting your callbacks in as early as possible is sound. But if you've already booked the trip and it would be a burden on you or your family to reschedule, you're probably right that you can just not schedule CBs for those days and wind up alright.

cyrilfiggis wrote:Was previously booked on a family trip leaving the Friday of the week screeners end, and returning Monday afternoon the following week. I was planning on still going and just scheduling cb's for not that Friday or Monday. Shouldn't really affect me right?

Yeah, I wouldn't risk it. As SL said, those are likely prime days. My first CB was the monday after OCI

I disagree with folks a little bit about not scheduling anything until end of October. I think a few weeks to a month after OCI, it probably won't hurt you to do a weekend trip.

But not the weekend right after OCI ends.

trebekismyhero wrote:

cyrilfiggis wrote:Was previously booked on a family trip leaving the Friday of the week screeners end, and returning Monday afternoon the following week. I was planning on still going and just scheduling cb's for not that Friday or Monday. Shouldn't really affect me right?

Yeah, I wouldn't risk it. As SL said, those are likely prime days.

I disagree with folks a little bit about not scheduling anything until end of October. I think a few weeks to a month after OCI, it probably won't hurt you to do a weekend trip.

But not the weekend right after OCI ends.

I thought the OP was talking about a weeklong trip?

I would wait until late October for that just in case. I've heard of things dragging into October for some folks (although obviously that's rare). But really the OP should just do it before OCI what with it being summer and all.

BigZuck wrote:

trebekismyhero wrote:
Yeah, I wouldn't risk it. As SL said, those are likely prime days.

I disagree with folks a little bit about not scheduling anything until end of October. I think a few weeks to a month after OCI, it probably won't hurt you to do a weekend trip.

But not the weekend right after OCI ends.

I thought the OP was talking about a weeklong trip?

I would wait until late October for that just in case. I've heard of things dragging into October for some folks (although obviously that's rare). But really the OP should just do it before OCI what with it being summer and all.

Oh, I thought he just meant the weekend. A full week after OCI would be crazy.

I agree that things do sometimes drag into October, but the schedules just aren't as hectic after the first couple weeks at least from what I saw.

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