Top Law Schools

So, this isn't a final bidlist as I need to probably move a few firms up and down a few spots here and there. But, generally, this is it. I'm bidding DC and a few firms in my home market. I am top 5% at PMVDN. What are your thoughts? Are there firms I am missing, should be considering higher/lower, etc.? All are DC unless otherwise noted. This process is a little crazy because you don't just rank firms based on actual preference, which is ... interesting.

Comments on D.C. firm life at some of the top shops (W&C, Wilmer, Covington, Hogan, etc. etc. etc.) would be nice as well.

1. Williams & Connolly
2. Venable
3. Wilmer Hale
4. Ropes & Gray
5. Dechert
6. Latham & Watkins
7. Kirkland & Ellis
8. Covington & Burling
9. hogan lovells
10. Gibson Dunn
11. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
12. Crowell & Moring
13. Cleary Gottlieb
14. Goodwin Procter
15. King & Spalding
16. Paul Hastings
17. Jones Day
18. O'Melveny & Myers
19. Sullivan & Cromwell
20. Fried Frank
21. White & Case
22. Moore & Van Allen (CLT)
23. Robinson Bradshaw (CLT)
24. Akin Gump
25. mcguirewoods (CLT)
26. Cadwalader
27. Orrick
28. Baker Botts
29. Allen & Overy
30. Simpson Thacher

You would get much better advice by posting in your T14's OCI thread or disclosing what school you go to. Regardless, my (relatively uninformed opinion) is that you'd probably be able to move Williams & Connolly + Wilmerhale down at least 1, 2, or 3 spaces, while moving up some of the DC firms that are both smaller in class size and popular. Given both firms' selectivity, it would be hard to imagine you striking out on an interview with them if they're still within the 4-6 range. At least that's probably the case at Michigan/NU.

Venable and Dechert seem out of place ranked that highly. Hogan & APKS should probably be in your top 10 -- they take decent sized summer classes and you should have a good shot at both. You should get bites at some of the top DC shops, assuming you interview well -- you certainly have the grades.

Will Cadwalader even have a DC summer class next year? Either way, I'd take them off and bid literally anywhere else. Sidley and Skadden should probably be on your list if you are looking for DC lit.

Otherwise, without knowing your school's historical bid statistics for different firms, I think it looks good.

Yeah, almost anything related to the mechanics of OCI is school-specific. Somebody from a different school isn't going to know how many screeners show up for each firm, or how deep any particular firm goes in your class. The only thing people can tell you here is the general selectivity of firms, which may or may not matter. My hunch is that if you're top 5%, you can just do whatever the hell you feel like anyway. Odd thread.

There's no way that you have to bid W&C or WH top 3 to get interviews.

As other people have said this is very school-specific. It does seem like you need to change your mindset though from thinking only about your preferences and creating a bid list that way to figuring out the best way to game the system to maximize your screeners while making sure you get interviews at your top choices.

existentialcrisis wrote:There's no way that you have to bid W&C or WH top 3 to get interviews.

Maybe, but that's a really school-specific consideration. Folks are right to suggest that OP seeks advice from others who have gone through OCI at his or her law school.

You should read the dechert thread

Dechert is off the list entirely. Thanks for the advice all.

Second, on Dechert being on the list. As a former summer, the summer committee is about 2-3 partners per office because no one else is interested in your l/t development and nothing like the practice groups, which are a revolving door. I wouldn't trust them to not rescind a class in the future. I'd actually put Dechert below beneath market firms as well depending on the circumstances. If they've laid off a large percentage of their first years with below market severance packages, it's not a stretch to think they'd rescind offers. I'd be nervous even if I were an incoming associate for this year.