Best timing for Pre-OCI apps? Forum

[Anonymous User]

1L at HYS, median to above median depending to how grades come in. Debating pre-OCI applications into V10s in a major secondary market (Chicago/Dallas/Houston) since I have ties and these firms don't interview for these offices at our OCI. I'd be interested in living in the secondary market, but I'm most interested in NY. If I want to maximize my chances at picking up a pre-OCI slot while still remaining okay for OCI into NY, when should I send in apps? I was thinking that the NALP 28 day rule would mean that I'd want to apply by the 4th of July so that once the whole timeline completed I'd be less than 28 days from OCI callbacks (and presumably offers). Is that realistic, or should I apply later in case the firms speed through the process?

I'd pre-OCI all the offices, but apparently our school enforces our anti-pre-OCI rules for offices that are interviewing with us.

[Anonymous User]

as soon as your grades drop in june just submit. i had an offer in hand by mid/late june last year

[Anonymous User]

Start getting those apps ready right now and apply as soon as your grades hit unless a firm's site says otherwise

[Anonymous User]

How much credence should I give to OCS threatening to cut people from OCI who pre-apply to firms? I know one person who's gunning for a very specific firm that comes to OCI who was advised to pre-apply, but that may be a special case. I'm very willing to go go go with apps as soon as spring grades hit, but I don't want to lose out on OCI options if the threat is serious.

[Anonymous User]

How much credence should I give to OCS threatening to cut people from OCI who pre-apply to firms? I know one person who's gunning for a very specific firm that comes to OCI who was advised to pre-apply, but that may be a special case. I'm very willing to go go go with apps as soon as spring grades hit, but I don't want to lose out on OCI options if the threat is serious.

sad that your ocs is willing to potentially hurt their own students (in quite literally the most important aspect of going to law school) just to save their oci. embarrassing, frankly.

to answer your question: it depends. i’d ask 2Ls/3Ls their thoughts (e.g., empty threat?). i would also say if there’s a way you can just not report your interviews/jobs, do that.

[haldren2198]

Start getting those apps ready right now and apply as soon as your grades hit unless a firm's site says otherwise

Does this apply even if grades won't come out for around a week after applications open? Career services says to apply and then update firms when grades come out but it seems a little off to email them just a week later with (likely lower for me at least) new grades.

[Anonymous User]

I call BS on any HYS banning students from their OCI; it’s a veiled threat to scare you into pumping their numbers. My school had the same “policy” but many students did pre-OCI and the school was none the wiser. Received a V10 offer well before OCI which helped tremendously. It’s worth the ego boost alone going into OCI knowing that you’ll be employed. Ask around and upperclassmen will know which firms/offices aggressively hire pre-OCI.

[Anonymous User]

Immediately upon receipt of grades. The only firm to be weary of (that I know of, perhaps there are others) is Latham, because they put a two-week clock on the offer.

In my experience, everyone else held offers open through the end of OCI - even the firms that gave me offers in late June.

[Anonymous User]

Immediately upon receipt of grades. The only firm to be weary of (that I know of, perhaps there are others) is Latham, because they put a two-week clock on the offer.

In my experience, everyone else held offers open through the end of OCI - even the firms that gave me offers in late June.

[Anonymous User]

Start getting those apps ready right now and apply as soon as your grades hit unless a firm's site says otherwise

Does this apply even if grades won't come out for around a week after applications open? Career services says to apply and then update firms when grades come out but it seems a little off to email them just a week later with (likely lower for me at least) new grades.

I would just wait. Applying early is good, but there's no material difference if you're applying June 1 vs June 6th - odds are they're just going to sit on your application until they get the grades anyway.

[Res Ipsa Loquitter]

Fine to send whenever you get grades or whenever your resume is ready, for any job regardless of your school’s phony rules. Pre-OCI tends to be more competitive — or at least pre Covid it was — because it’s typically straight to an in-person callback, which is a large investment of attorney time (including partner time) + potentially airfare / hotel / expenses. Nice if you can get offers pre-OCI but wouldn’t take it as a preview of how OCI will go for you

[Anonymous User]

Start getting those apps ready right now and apply as soon as your grades hit unless a firm's site says otherwise

Does this apply even if grades won't come out for around a week after applications open? Career services says to apply and then update firms when grades come out but it seems a little off to email them just a week later with (likely lower for me at least) new grades.

I would just wait. Applying early is good, but there's no material difference if you're applying June 1 vs June 6th - odds are they're just going to sit on your application until they get the grades anyway.

What if you're quarter system and so grades probably won't be out until mid/late june? Should you still wait or apply w/o spring quarter grades?

[Anonymous User]

Immediately upon receipt of grades. The only firm to be weary of (that I know of, perhaps there are others) is Latham, because they put a two-week clock on the offer.

In my experience, everyone else held offers open through the end of OCI - even the firms that gave me offers in late June.

Cleary has a very specific timeline as well, the offer is only open for 1-2 weeks in July.

[Anonymous User]

Do PW/DPW/K&E do much in the way of pre-OCI? If so, do they have the Latham/Cleary policies or will they hold for a while?

[Anonymous User]

Do PW/DPW/K&E do much in the way of pre-OCI? If so, do they have the Latham/Cleary policies or will they hold for a while?

I know DPW and K&E do pre-OCI. I don't think they play Lathamesque games but I'm not sure.

[Anonymous User]

Anon at a K&E satellite here; I know in the past there have been instances where ~50%+ of our summer class was from pre-OCI interviews. Not sure if firms are continuing their past trends, but our office in specific loves pre-OCI and gladly considers applications before the formal OCI process.

Honestly, the worst a firm can say is that they abide by your school's OCI policies and that they "look forward to seeing you on campus." And when you ultimately see them at OCI, they'll know that you showed a genuine interest prior to the formal process.

^ This is from personal experience fwiw

[Anonymous User]

DPW does do pre-OCI. I applied directly first week of June after grades dropped and had my interview scheduled in mid-June. They (and some others I’ve heard) tend to do their pre-OCI stuff on a rolling basis, whereas others (Latham, Weil, Skadden I can say from personal experience) have set interview dates in mid-July for pre-OCI applicants. For the firms in the latter category, it doesn’t really matter when you apply since the dates are set (though it can’t hurt to apply early I suppose), whereas for the former you’d definitely want to apply ASAP.

[Anonymous User]

Reflecting on my pre-OCI process in 2021

DPW, Skadden, S&C, Simpson, Paul, Weiss, K&E, Latham, Weil, Cleary, Debevoise, Gibson, and Willkie do pre-OCI.

Of those, all but Cleary and Latham adhered to HLS' policy of holding offers open until 3 weeks after EIP.

[Anonymous User]

Reflecting on my pre-OCI process in 2021

DPW, Skadden, S&C, Simpson, Paul, Weiss, K&E, Latham, Weil, Cleary, Debevoise, Gibson, and Willkie do pre-OCI.

Of those, all but Cleary and Latham adhered to HLS' policy of holding offers open until 3 weeks after EIP.

Sidley (NY) gave out offers too.

[Anonymous User]

What about the SV firms (and Goodwin)?

[The Lsat Airbender]

What about the SV firms (and Goodwin)?

What about them? Just apply.

[Anonymous User]

When will we start to see movements (NY)?