Do firms yield protect? Forum

[imchuckbass58]

For 3Ls or alums who have been through OCI - did you get the impression at all that some firms were "yield protecting" - i.e., not giving callbacks or offers to people with high grades because the firms did not think they would accept?

I realize it's not like law school admissions where schools publish their yields, but I could imagine firms not wanting to spend time and expense on a callback if they thought a student would go to a "better" firm.

The reason I ask is I'm looking at CLS EIP statistics, and there are tons of "middle tier" firms that gave zero offers to Kent/Stone Scholars (top 30%). I understand that fewer Kent/Stone scholars probably bid on these firms, but you'd expect that at least a few would (1) bid on the firm, and (2) have decent enough personalities to get an offer.

[Anonymous User]

Recent alum here. My experience comes from fall 2008 OCI. Not clear if firms are more into cost-cutting by limiting the # of callbacks now as compared with prior years. That possible change aside, my experience was that firms did not yield protect.

Specifically, I did about 30 screening interviews with a top 1% GPA at a T14. I ended up with callbacks from all but three. Some of the less elite firms among those 30, like Hunton & Williams, acted fairly surprised that I was interested in them during the screening interview. I prepared more than average for my screening interviews, however, and mentioned firm-related specific interests (usually particular practice groups) whenever a firm pushed back like that. One or two of my dings might have been YP (Reed Smith, for example), but another was probably just based on a bad interview. Once a firm had extended a callback offer, nearly all of the time it pressed pretty hard for me to go on the callback, even if it was a firm that really never snagged top students from my school. When I cancelled or declined callbacks, some firms gave me a bit of a guilt trip about it. Same at the offer stage.

[steve_nash]

I didn't get the impression that firms yield protected last year. If anything, one of the firms actually told me that it was excited about the interview season because they figured they would get candidates (top 10%, LR) that they would normally never have a shot at. And it was true.

[270910]

I didn't get the impression that firms yield protected last year. If anything, one of the firms actually told me that it was excited about the interview season because they figured they would get candidates (top 10%, LR) that they would normally never have a shot at. And it was true.

I'm only going into the OCI process myself, but based on what I've heard 'on the ground' and from career services, this is the case.

[imchuckbass58]

Great, thanks for the thoughts guys.

[rando]

The above is interesting to me because my initial inclination would be, to some extent, yes. At least at the initial screening interview stage.

Out of 25 bids, the only firms that did not offer a screening interview were small firms that gave interviews to students without LR and much lower grades.

However, after the initial interviewing stage, I don't think there was much of this, I got callbacks from a wide variety of firms.

[LawSchoolWannaBe]

The above is interesting to me because my initial inclination would be, to some extent, yes. At least at the initial screening interview stage.

Out of 25 bids, the only firms that did not offer a screening interview were small firms that gave interviews to students without LR and much lower grades.

However, after the initial interviewing stage, I don't think there was much of this, I got callbacks from a wide variety of firms.

This seems similar to my experience. Places I bid on, but probably would have only taken out of desperation, dinged me off the bat.

[Jarndyce]

This seems similar to my experience. Places I bid on, but probably would have only taken out of desperation, dinged me off the bat.

Ditto.