Fall 2015 OCI Results Forum

[Anonymous User]

Seems like a great school to me. The most important thing about a law school is that it can secure its students good jobs.
I don't get this usual TLS groupthink.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T50
Class rank: Top 15%
Market(s): Chicago
Law review: No
Moot Court: No
Work experience: all throughout undergrad,1 year between UG and law school.
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Interesting work experience
Screening Interviews: 18
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers: 1 (haven't heard back from 3/5, but will be accepting the 1).
Accepted: V100
Thank-you notes sent: If had genuine connection.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: TTT
Class rank: Top 20%
Market(s): KC
Law review: Yes
Moot Court: No
Work experience: 2 yrs selling cars
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Nope
Screening Interviews: 20
Callbacks received: 2
Callbacks accepted: 2
Offers: 2 (1 AmLaw 200, 1 Mid Size) (Obviously no V100, HAHA School Range: TTT)
Accepted: AmLaw 200
Thank-you notes sent: None

[A. Nony Mouse]

^That is right. But, I guess my point is, overall, the gain in the chances of you getting a job should still be in effect even for a transfer here which should make such a transfer potentially worthwhile.

That may be the case, but people who have actually transferred have offered conflicting evidence in this thread, and it seems pretty dependent on where you transfer from, so the blanket statement seemed a little dubious.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Markets: DC, NYC
Approximate class rank: Median
Law review: Secondary journal
Work experience: K-JD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Aiming for a very specific practice area and was upfront about it
Screening Interviews: 30
Callbacks received: 8
Callbacks accepted: 6
Offers w/vault ranges: 1 V35 (top choice, withdrew from firms I was on hold at after this offer came in)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 6
Thank-you notes sent: Sporadically

[Anonymous User]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): LA, NY
Approximate class rank: Top 15%.
Law Review: No
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: K-JD, although full-time retail during UG
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 22
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers w/vault ranges: 1, V50.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 2
Thank-you notes sent: None.

Very unhappy with my results, kind of mulling dropping out & pursuing other career options.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: CCN
Class rank: Top 15-25%
Market(s): NY, LA
Law review: No. Secondary Journal
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: 2 years at a financial institution.
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Very weak connection to LA, strong ties to NY
Screening Interviews: 34
Callbacks received: 16
Callbacks accepted: 14
Offers: 9 (1 V10, 2 V20, 3 V30, 1 V40, 2 V60)
Accepted: None yet, but likely to accept one of the 2 V60s this week.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 1
Thank-you notes sent: A few emails after interviews for firms that took a while to get back to me (these all ended in rejections).

[Nekrowizard]

School Range: MVP
Market(s): LA, NY
Approximate class rank: Top 15%.
Law Review: No
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: K-JD, although full-time retail during UG
IP background: None
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 22
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers w/vault ranges: 1, V50.
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 2
Thank-you notes sent: None.

Very unhappy with my results, kind of mulling dropping out & pursuing other career options.

If, uh, your firm had been more prestigious, would you not have considered dropping out? I can't imagine that your experience as an associate is going to be all that different at your V50 than at a V5.

[Anonymous User]

I think the poster was upset about the number of offers he got, which was 1. His grades were very good and those were achieved at a good school. So I can totally understand his disappointment. The feeling of "I could have, should have done better in the interviews" keeps lingering in your head. It sucks when your outcome is so poor relative to your grades. In such situations, you keep on wondering there may be something very wrong with you as a person. Grades you can improve on. But other factors are generally immutable. That could also signal that perhaps, biglaw may not fit well with the person.

[pancakes3]

160k as a kjd is about as lucrative a career path as anyone can hope for. There are lots of reason to drop out. Butthurt is not one of them as there will be inevitably butthurt in all professional endeavors.

[Anonymous User]

Anon from above, it's mostly location - I only bid NYC as a safety valve, and that's obviously what it came down to and something I didn't come to grips with until it actually happened. All of family and friends are on the west coast, I'm obviously not pleased with the higher COL, and I genuinely dislike being in NYC in general and can't see myself living there. Prestige is maybe a factor at the margins - I might be more inclined to just take the offer and grind it out for a resume line in hopes of lateraling if this firm had a bit more sway in that regard, but this firm doesn't really have that sort of value and it's not really well respected in the practice areas I'm interested in anyways.

I guess what it really comes down to is that I've always been pretty realistic about the fact that BigLaw will likely be very miserable and not something I will necessarily like, it's just a matter of doing it for the obvious financial benefits. But that tradeoff just isn't worth it to me if it means I'm also having to live somewhere I just flat out don't want to be.

[Anonymous User]

Anon from above, it's mostly location - I only bid NYC as a safety valve, and that's obviously what it came down to and something I didn't come to grips with until it actually happened. All of family and friends are on the west coast, I'm obviously not pleased with the higher COL, and I genuinely dislike being in NYC in general and can't see myself living there. Prestige is maybe a factor at the margins - I might be more inclined to just take the offer and grind it out for a resume line in hopes of lateraling if this firm had a bit more sway in that regard, but this firm doesn't really have that sort of value and it's not really well respected in the practice areas I'm interested in anyways.

I guess what it really comes down to is that I've always been pretty realistic about the fact that BigLaw will likely be very miserable and not something I will necessarily like, it's just a matter of doing it for the obvious financial benefits. But that tradeoff just isn't worth it to me if it means I'm also having to live somewhere I just flat out don't want to be.

As someone without an offer but who really wants NYC, I'd trade spots with you in an instant. But I understand your reasoning and values. It's sadly the game we signed up for.

[Anonymous User]

Sounds like you should still hustle and mass mail/network for something that you really want on the west coast.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T3
Class rank: No ranking, but ~top 15% or so
Market(s): DC / NYC
Law review: Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: KJD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 9
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers: 5
Accepted: top DC lit
Thank-you notes sent: yes

[Tiago Splitter]

Keep your head (and your grades) up. NYC is a great place to be a summer associate and plenty of people, myself included, managed to go from summering there to switching to a different market as 3L's.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T3
Class rank: No ranking, but ~top 15% or so
Market(s): DC / NYC
Law review: Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: KJD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 9
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers: 5
Accepted: top DC lit
Thank-you notes sent: yes

interesting

[Companion Cube]

School Range: T3
Class rank: No ranking, but ~top 15% or so
Market(s): DC / NYC
Law review: Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: KJD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 9
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers: 5
Accepted: top DC lit
Thank-you notes sent: yes

interesting

Don't understand the use of anon here. But he may just have fabulous interview or networking skills.

[Nekrowizard]

Anon from above, it's mostly location - I only bid NYC as a safety valve, and that's obviously what it came down to and something I didn't come to grips with until it actually happened. All of family and friends are on the west coast, I'm obviously not pleased with the higher COL, and I genuinely dislike being in NYC in general and can't see myself living there. Prestige is maybe a factor at the margins - I might be more inclined to just take the offer and grind it out for a resume line in hopes of lateraling if this firm had a bit more sway in that regard, but this firm doesn't really have that sort of value and it's not really well respected in the practice areas I'm interested in anyways.

I guess what it really comes down to is that I've always been pretty realistic about the fact that BigLaw will likely be very miserable and not something I will necessarily like, it's just a matter of doing it for the obvious financial benefits. But that tradeoff just isn't worth it to me if it means I'm also having to live somewhere I just flat out don't want to be.

That makes more sense. But don't give up! Like others have said, you can work on your interviewing/keep your grades up and snag something else as a 3L--I know a few people who did so.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: Transfer from T2 to DCNG
Class rank: Top 10% at old school
Market(s): DC
Law review: Yes (at old school) secondary journal at new
Moot Court: No
Work experience: KJD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Prestigious UG?
Screening Interviews: 15 (12 from OCI 3 from MM)
Callbacks received: 4
Callbacks accepted: 3
Offers: 2
Accepted: V50 (DC)
Thank-you notes sent: yes (mix of recruiting coordinators and attorneys)

My old school was in DC so I had some local ties. Transferring obviously buys you access to firms you wouldn't have had otherwise. Some interviewers didn't take materials so I figured I was DOA. I would rate my interviewing skills as above average but nothing special. Once you get the opportunity you have to make the most of it. Feel fortunate to be in the city I want. Only MM DC which I know is risky because fewer firms have SA's and the classes are smaller. Would definitely recommend MMing NYC to relieve some stress.

[Anonymous User]

School Range: T2
Market(s): LA
Approximate class rank: Top 5 students (Top 2%).
Law review: Yes.
Moot court: No
Work experience: 2 years as research librarian
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? Masters degree
Screening Interviews: 23 (21 from OCI, 2 from mass mail)
Callbacks received: 2 (2 from mass mail)
Callbacks accepted: 2
Offers w/vault ranges: 1 (V25)
How many firms just didn't get back with you with a rejection/callback?: 1
Thank-you notes sent: None after screeners. Sent thank-yous after the CB that didn't become an offer. Sent post-offer thank-yous after the other CB (same-day offer).

I talked to my CSO after receiving a slew of rejections. They reached out to some firms that rejected me and were told that my background was too academic. That probably means "awkward nerd."

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Another CCN top 15% here who missed V5. I think we're a lot more common than this thread is making it seem.

Re: the people giving you looks, that's shitty of them, but also it could just be in your head. And the rankings don't really matter much; no one really thinks it's easier to get W&C than Skadden or DPW.

[A. Nony Mouse]

School Range: T3
Class rank: No ranking, but ~top 15% or so
Market(s): DC / NYC
Law review: Yes
Moot Court: Yes
Work experience: KJD
IP background: No
Anything else that might have an impact? No
Screening Interviews: 9
Callbacks received: 5
Callbacks accepted: 5
Offers: 5
Accepted: top DC lit
Thank-you notes sent: yes

interesting

Don't understand the use of anon here. But he may just have fabulous interview or networking skills.

Keep in mind that T3 could mean tier 3 OR top 3.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

Interesting. It's amazing how different cultures are at similarly situated schools.