Northwestern OCI 2017 Forum

[Anonymous User]

You should double check symplicity. I don't think Gibson Dunn or Wachtell are coming to OCI.

ETA - or Jenner & Block DC

[Anonymous User]

[/quote] Your bidlist looks fine in the abstract but it would be helpful for you (and everyone else who posts after you) to include the number of screener spots. I have a general idea but some of them change year to year and it might impact where you bid certain firms.[/quote]

Ok, here's an amended list, with a new format: [Bid #] [Firm Name] ([City])(["estimated 2L slots"])([average GPA for cb]). There are duplicates for firms that allow you to bid on multiple cities.

1 Baker McKenzie (Chi)(20)
2 sidley austin llp (Chi)(80)
3 Latham & Watkins LLP (Chi)(60)
4 Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chi)(80)
5 Jones Day (Chi)(40)
6 Jenner & Block LLP (Chi)(60)
7 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates (Chi)(60)
8 mayer brown llp (Chi)(60 (20 lit., 40 transact.))
9 Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (NYC)(60)
10 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates (NYC)(20)
11 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (NYC)(40)
12 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (NYC)(40)
13 Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (NYC)(40)
14 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (NYC)(40)
15 Jenner & Block LLP (NYC)(20)
16 paul hastings llp (NYC)(20)
17 sidley austin llp (DC)(20)
18 Jones Day (DC)(20)
19 WilmerHale (DC)(20)
20 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (DC)(20)
21 Covington & Burling LLP (DC)(20)
22 Baker Botts LLP (DC)(20)
23 Latham & Watkins LLP (DC)(20)
24 O'Melveny & Myers LLP (DC)(20)
25 Williams & Connolly LLP (DC)(20)
26 Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP (Chi)(17)
27 Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (Chi)(40)

[Anonymous User]

Anyone get calls from any journal today? Also, have any 2ndary journals made offers?

[Anonymous User]

You should probably redact those gpas. I don't think the school wants that information published outside the internal document.

On a substantive note maybe you should bump Mayer Brown up if they are only interviewing for 20 lit spots? Fellow rising 2L though so 3Ls/alums might have a better sense.

[star fox]

Mayer's definitely too low

[Anonymous User]

You should probably redact those gpas. I don't think the school wants that information published outside the internal document.

On a substantive note maybe you should bump Mayer Brown up if they are only interviewing for 20 lit spots? Fellow rising 2L though so 3Ls/alums might have a better sense.

Good point, I didn't think about the fact that that info is sensitive. Redacted.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Mullens]

Your bidlist looks fine in the abstract but it would be helpful for you (and everyone else who posts after you) to include the number of screener spots. I have a general idea but some of them change year to year and it might impact where you bid certain firms.[/quote]

Ok, here's an amended list, with a new format: [Bid #] [Firm Name] ([City])(["estimated 2L slots"])([average GPA for cb]). There are duplicates for firms that allow you to bid on multiple cities.

1 Baker McKenzie (Chi)(20)
2 sidley austin llp (Chi)(80)
3 Latham & Watkins LLP (Chi)(60)
4 Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Chi)(80)
5 Jones Day (Chi)(40)
6 Jenner & Block LLP (Chi)(60)
7 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates (Chi)(60)
8 mayer brown llp (Chi)(60 (20 lit., 40 transact.))
9 Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (NYC)(60)
10 Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates (NYC)(20)
11 Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (NYC)(40)
12 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (NYC)(40)
13 Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (NYC)(40)
14 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (NYC)(40)
15 Jenner & Block LLP (NYC)(20)
16 paul hastings llp (NYC)(20)
17 sidley austin llp (DC)(20)
18 Jones Day (DC)(20)
19 WilmerHale (DC)(20)
20 Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (DC)(20)
21 Covington & Burling LLP (DC)(20)
22 Baker Botts LLP (DC)(20)
23 Latham & Watkins LLP (DC)(20)
24 O'Melveny & Myers LLP (DC)(20)
25 Williams & Connolly LLP (DC)(20)
26 Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP (Chi)(17)
27 Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP (Chi)(40)[/quote]

Yeah you need to reorder this based on class sizes. Mayer Chi and Jones Day Chi probably need to be higher. Can you bid both offices for Skadden (same Q for Jenner)? If so, Skadden NY should be higher than Weil. You'll get Kirkland Chi and Sidley Chi with 80 interview spots if they're at like 5 and 6.

No McDermott Chi? No Davis Polk NY? No Debevoise NY? Davis Polk and Debevoise make more sense for your goals than some of the other NY firms.

Also, how much do you want to work at Baker & McKenzie? I had a high GPA at OCI and was essentially targeting the same markets. I dropped Baker because I figured I wouldn't work there other pretty much anything else in my top 20 so I could move up every other firm and tbh you're gonna get at least one offer unless you're really really weird.

[Anonymous User]

Deleted. Wasn't attempting to get someone in trouble, was just trying to point out that was pretty identifiable. OP -- apologies.

[Anonymous User]

Then why would you quote it?...
Is this journal calling process really supposed to last over two weeks?

[bk1]

Posting this seems like a good way to get kicked off Law Review.

2 warnings:

1. To this anon: there is no need to anon here.
2. To the OP who reported this person as "attempting to get someone in trouble with the administrators": you posted it, that's on you (not on people who decide to quote the things you post). Don't report others for your own mistakes.

[Anonymous User]

Have a GPA & LR & Moot Court.

Posting this seems like a good way to get kicked off Law Review.

2 warnings:

1. To this anon: there is no need to anon here.
2. To the OP who reported this person as "attempting to get someone in trouble with the administrators": you posted it, that's on you (not on people who decide to quote the things you post). Don't report others for your own mistakes.

My deepest apologies, I was in autopilot when submitting this and was simply not thinking. Would everyone involved please be willing to edit their postings to redact the gpa? Much appreciated!

[Mullens]

Have a GPA & LR & Moot Court.

Posting this seems like a good way to get kicked off Law Review.

2 warnings:

1. To this anon: there is no need to anon here.
2. To the OP who reported this person as "attempting to get someone in trouble with the administrators": you posted it, that's on you (not on people who decide to quote the things you post). Don't report others for your own mistakes.

My deepest apologies, I was in autopilot when submitting this and was simply not thinking. Would everyone involved please be willing to edit their postings to redact the goa? Much appreciated!

You'll be fine. No one will be so petty as to kick you off law review for seeking advice anonymously. I edited my posts

[Anonymous User]

3.6, using networks for secondary markets, so OCI is just Chicago. Targeting mostly litigation. Culture matters much more to me than prestige/pay. Very preliminary list, but thinking of cutting out one or two of the "elite" firms to make room for more of the work-life balance firms.

1 SKADDEN - 60
2 SIDLEY AUSTIN - 80
3 JENNER & BLOCK - 60
4 WINSTON & STRAWN - 60
5 MAYER BROWN - 20 
6 FOLEY - 20
7 ROPES & GRAY - 20
8 KIRKLAND & ELLIS - 80
9 LATHAM & WATKINS - 60
10 MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY - 80
11 EIMER STAHL - 20
12 JONES DAY - 40
13 mcguirewoods - 20
14 DLA PIPER - 60
15 BAKER & MCKENZIE - 20
16 REED SMITH - 20
17 THOMPSON COBURN - 20
18 PAUL HASTINGS - 20
19 BRYAN CAVE LLP - 20
20 HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP - 20
21 FOX ROTHSCHILD - 20
22 QUARLES & BRADY - 20
23 NIXON PEABODY - 20
24 SHOOK HARDY & BACON - 17
25 FAEGRE BAKER DANIELS - 20
26 STEPTOE & JOHNSON - 20
27 BANNER & WITCOFF - 11
28 MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS - 20
29 SCHIFF HARDIN - 40
30 BARNES & THORNBURG - 9

[Anonymous User]

I have a 3.51, am targeting mostly NY transactional. Do not care much about prestige, just want to make sure I have a job coming out of law school. I got some screeners already through a minority fair so I did not list those. Does this list make sense? I was mostly trying to target firms with largish classes that were in my GPA range.

1-Cahill (NY) 20
2-Milbank (NY) 40
3-Fried (NY) 40
4-DLA Piper (Chi) 60
5-Proskauer (NY) 20
6-Clark Hill (Chi) 11
7-Dechert (NY) 20
8-Baker Botts (NY) 14 20
9-Cadwalader (NY) 20 40
10-Quarles (Chi) 20
11-Cooley (NY) 3 40
12-Allen & Overy 20
13-Goodwin (NY) 20
14-Cleary (NY) 40
15-Sidley (NY) 20
16-Kirkland & Ellis (NY) 20
17-Cravath (NY) 40
18-Wilkiie Farr 40
19-Davis (NY) 20
20=Ropes Gray (NY) 40
21-Schiff Hardin (Chi) 40
22-Shearman (NY) 40
23-Simpson (NY) 3 40
24-Baker & McKenzie (NY or Chi) 20, 20
25-Latham (NY) 3 20
26-McDermott (Chi) 80
27-Duane Morris (Chi) 20
28-Fox 20
29-Paul Hastings (NY) 3 20
30-Winston 20
31- Weil (NY) 60
32-Jenner (Chi, NY) 60, 20
33-Pillsbury (NY) 20
34-Pircher (Chi) 20
35-Reed Smith (Chi) 20
36-Wilmer Hale 20
37-Arnold & Porter (NY) 20-site says I can send in materials if we bid and don't get them
38-Mayer Brown (NY) 20-affinity group got a letter saying to send in things if we bid and don't get them

[Mullens]

I have a 3.51, am targeting mostly NY transactional. Do not care much about prestige, just want to make sure I have a job coming out of law school. I got some screeners already through a minority fair so I did not list those. Does this list make sense? I was mostly trying to target firms with largish classes that were in my GPA range.

1-Cahill (NY) 20
2-Milbank (NY) 40
3-Fried (NY) 40
4-DLA Piper (Chi) 60
5-Proskauer (NY) 20
6-Clark Hill (Chi) 11
7-Dechert (NY) 20
8-Baker Botts (NY) 14 20
9-Cadwalader (NY) 20 40
10-Quarles (Chi) 20
11-Cooley (NY) 3 40
12-Allen & Overy 20
13-Goodwin (NY) 20
14-Cleary (NY) 40
15-Sidley (NY) 20
16-Kirkland & Ellis (NY) 20
17-Cravath (NY) 40
18-Wilkiie Farr 40
19-Davis (NY) 20
20=Ropes Gray (NY) 40
21-Schiff Hardin (Chi) 40
22-Shearman (NY) 40
23-Simpson (NY) 3 40
24-Baker & McKenzie (NY or Chi) 20, 20
25-Latham (NY) 3 20
26-McDermott (Chi) 80
27-Duane Morris (Chi) 20
28-Fox 20
29-Paul Hastings (NY) 3 20
30-Winston 20
31- Weil (NY) 60
32-Jenner (Chi, NY) 60, 20
33-Pillsbury (NY) 20
34-Pircher (Chi) 20
35-Reed Smith (Chi) 20
36-Wilmer Hale 20
37-Arnold & Porter (NY) 20-site says I can send in materials if we bid and don't get them
38-Mayer Brown (NY) 20-affinity group got a letter saying to send in things if we bid and don't get them

What kind of transactional? Cahill pretty much only does high-yield debt work and is by all accounts and awful place to work. I found it odd that they would be your #1 even if you're doing if because of interview spots/GPA data. You should look at the Chambers bands get a better idea of the relative strength of these firms transactional practices. I know you just want a job but at 3.51 and NY you should get something if you're an average interviewer.

I haven't seen the GPA data in a while, but I think you should have Weil, Latham NY, Kirkland NY, Sidley NY, Wilkie, and Shearman way higher. From my recollection, you should be competitive for all of them and they all have better transactional practices than the rest of your top 15.

Why is Clark Hill on there at all? Or Quarles?

[Mullens]

3.6, using networks for secondary markets, so OCI is just Chicago. Targeting mostly litigation. Culture matters much more to me than prestige/pay. Very preliminary list, but thinking of cutting out one or two of the "elite" firms to make room for more of the work-life balance firms.

1 SKADDEN - 60
2 SIDLEY AUSTIN - 80
3 JENNER & BLOCK - 60
4 WINSTON & STRAWN - 60
5 MAYER BROWN - 20 
6 FOLEY - 20
7 ROPES & GRAY - 20
8 KIRKLAND & ELLIS - 80
9 LATHAM & WATKINS - 60
10 MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY - 80
11 EIMER STAHL - 20
12 JONES DAY - 40
13 MCGUIREWOODS - 20
14 DLA PIPER - 60
15 BAKER & MCKENZIE - 20
16 REED SMITH - 20
17 THOMPSON COBURN - 20
18 PAUL HASTINGS - 20
19 BRYAN CAVE LLP - 20
20 HOLLAND & KNIGHT LLP - 20
21 FOX ROTHSCHILD - 20
22 QUARLES & BRADY - 20
23 NIXON PEABODY - 20
24 SHOOK HARDY & BACON - 17
25 FAEGRE BAKER DANIELS - 20
26 STEPTOE & JOHNSON - 20
27 BANNER & WITCOFF - 11
28 MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS - 20
29 SCHIFF HARDIN - 40
30 BARNES & THORNBURG - 9

You need to order this better based on # of spots so you don't miss screeners at firms you should be targeting. If you want an interview at Baker, it should be #1. Jones Day needs to be above the firms with more spots. So does Schiff Harden. I don't think you're competitive for Eimer Stahl based on my recollection of the OCI data but it also falls because so few people are competitive so bump it down. Paul Hastings Chicago has 3 litigation associates total so they might not take any litigation summers (they didn't my year and explicitly said they were not hiring for litigation). Might as well put Barrack at the bottom of your list even though it's a hail mary.

All of these firms have roughly similar work-life balance so don't fall for that kool-aid.

[Anonymous User]

I have a 3.51, am targeting mostly NY transactional. Do not care much about prestige, just want to make sure I have a job coming out of law school. I got some screeners already through a minority fair so I did not list those. Does this list make sense? I was mostly trying to target firms with largish classes that were in my GPA range.

1-Cahill (NY) 20
2-Milbank (NY) 40
3-Fried (NY) 40
4-DLA Piper (Chi) 60
5-Proskauer (NY) 20
6-Clark Hill (Chi) 11
7-Dechert (NY) 20
8-Baker Botts (NY) 14 20
9-Cadwalader (NY) 20 40
10-Quarles (Chi) 20
11-Cooley (NY) 3 40
12-Allen & Overy 20
13-Goodwin (NY) 20
14-Cleary (NY) 40
15-Sidley (NY) 20
16-Kirkland & Ellis (NY) 20
17-Cravath (NY) 40
18-Wilkiie Farr 40
19-Davis (NY) 20
20=Ropes Gray (NY) 40
21-Schiff Hardin (Chi) 40
22-Shearman (NY) 40
23-Simpson (NY) 3 40
24-Baker & McKenzie (NY or Chi) 20, 20
25-Latham (NY) 3 20
26-McDermott (Chi) 80
27-Duane Morris (Chi) 20
28-Fox 20
29-Paul Hastings (NY) 3 20
30-Winston 20
31- Weil (NY) 60
32-Jenner (Chi, NY) 60, 20
33-Pillsbury (NY) 20
34-Pircher (Chi) 20
35-Reed Smith (Chi) 20
36-Wilmer Hale 20
37-Arnold & Porter (NY) 20-site says I can send in materials if we bid and don't get them
38-Mayer Brown (NY) 20-affinity group got a letter saying to send in things if we bid and don't get them

What kind of transactional? Cahill pretty much only does high-yield debt work and is by all accounts and awful place to work. I found it odd that they would be your #1 even if you're doing if because of interview spots/GPA data. You should look at the Chambers bands get a better idea of the relative strength of these firms transactional practices. I know you just want a job but at 3.51 and NY you should get something if you're an average interviewer.

I haven't seen the GPA data in a while, but I think you should have Weil, Latham NY, Kirkland NY, Sidley NY, Wilkie, and Shearman way higher. From my recollection, you should be competitive for all of them and they all have better transactional practices than the rest of your top 15.

Why is Clark Hill on there at all? Or Quarles?

tbh idk about the last two. That's why I posted it, don't know much about what I am doing or how to set it up so lol, I appreciate the feedback.I will put the other firms higher like you said then. Cahill is kinda high because I've talked with a couple people there and they seemed to like the place, I will reconsider that then. Thanks again for your feed back.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know if K&E scholar notices have gone out?

Idk if they send them out all at once but fwiw I just got the email.

[Anonymous User]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

[urbanist11]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

Did you look at the gpa by callbacks sheet? Also this is going to depend on office - for example the data shows Latham Chicago as more selective than Latham NYC.

[Anonymous User]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

Did you look at the gpa by callbacks sheet? Also this is going to depend on office - for example the data shows Latham Chicago as more selective than Latham NYC.

I did, and they're barely at or above my GPA so I'm just not sure if I should waste the bid if there is a hard cut off. I've been told in the past that some firms do have hard cut-offs w/o excellent softs, but I don't know if that's actually true.

[urbanist11]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

Did you look at the gpa by callbacks sheet? Also this is going to depend on office - for example the data shows Latham Chicago as more selective than Latham NYC.

I did, and they're barely at or above my GPA so I'm just not sure if I should waste the bid if there is a hard cut off. I've been told in the past that some firms do have hard cut-offs w/o excellent softs, but I don't know if that's actually true.

Well, it shows on the sheet that several (if not all) of those places gave callbacks to people with sub-3.5s, so it's not totally out of the running. Whether or not you use a bid on them I think is based on how conservative you want to be. Personally, I think it probably couldn't hurt to throw a couple "reaches" in, but obviously you won't want to flood your bidlist with places that want 3.7s+.

[gatorade_potato]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

Did you look at the gpa by callbacks sheet? Also this is going to depend on office - for example the data shows Latham Chicago as more selective than Latham NYC.

I did, and they're barely at or above my GPA so I'm just not sure if I should waste the bid if there is a hard cut off. I've been told in the past that some firms do have hard cut-offs w/o excellent softs, but I don't know if that's actually true.

You should not be afraid to throw in a few of the top firms in both NY and Chicago in your bidlist—I'd say you have a good shot at Skadden NY/Chi and NY firms like Weil, Debevoise, OMM. Latham Chicago has historically been the only firm in the city with a "hard" cut-off (3.5 is correct), but given that you're at a 3.49 and you're transactional (much easier to land in Chicago), I would say you have a chance there too provided you're a decent interviewer.

[Anonymous User]

I'll be posting my bidlist soon, but with a 3.49/transactional do I even bother with Latham or is 3.5 their hard cut off? Open to any market (preferably NY or Chicago.) What other firms should I definitely exclude from my bidlist? Obviously not the top-tier/boutiques but do I have a shot at Cleary, Skadden, OMM, etc.?

Did you look at the gpa by callbacks sheet? Also this is going to depend on office - for example the data shows Latham Chicago as more selective than Latham NYC.

I did, and they're barely at or above my GPA so I'm just not sure if I should waste the bid if there is a hard cut off. I've been told in the past that some firms do have hard cut-offs w/o excellent softs, but I don't know if that's actually true.

You should not be afraid to throw in a few of the top firms in both NY and Chicago in your bidlist—I'd say you have a good shot at Skadden NY/Chi and NY firms like Weil, Debevoise, OMM. Latham Chicago has historically been the only firm in the city with a "hard" cut-off (3.5 is correct), but given that you're at a 3.49 and you're transactional (much easier to land in Chicago), I would say you have a chance there too provided you're a decent interviewer.

Awesome. Thanks for the help.