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I've heard that NY big law acts quickly to give out CBs and offers after interviews, while the South moves slowly and Chicago is somewhere in the middle. What's the conventional wisdom for California?

On a market-wide level, California is probably generally slower than NY. But other than that, it varies too much by office/ practice group to say. Some places will move faster than others depending on how their recruiting is set up internally, when meetings are, partners' powers to unilaterally give out offers, etc.