V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

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itbdvorm

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Fri Apr 21, 2017 7:08 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Does 1L summer experiences matter much at all during OCIs?
Great experience helps, but unless really wacky or extremely political unlikely to hurt (i.e., not "worked for someone running for congress", "worked for the Rent Is Too Damn High guy")

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 21, 2017 8:07 pm

itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:If an interviewee had to take a year off from school after 1L because of a psychiatric condition but eventually improved, how would you view that? Is there anyway that that particular gap year can be mitigated in an interview?
A little tough, but probably doable. I guess the issue is when you open up that can of worms people are going to wonder what happened and how confident they can be that it wouldn't return. This job triggers stress, and I would encourage you to consider triggers - obviously I am not a medical professional but would hate to put someone in a horrible position.
That's good to know. I was planning on keeping my gap year vague and saying that I had to deal with some personal issues. I also did a few things like learn basic programming and Portuguese. Would that be a useful thing to bring up to mitigate the gap year?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Alive97 » Fri Apr 21, 2017 9:59 pm

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Last edited by Alive97 on Mon Apr 24, 2017 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:00 am

itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Does 1L summer experiences matter much at all during OCIs?
Great experience helps, but unless really wacky or extremely political unlikely to hurt (i.e., not "worked for someone running for congress", "worked for the Rent Is Too Damn High guy")
Speaking of which, and I apologize if you've answered elsewhere in the thread, how risky is it in general to put political work on your resume for OCI- for example, working on a campaign or being on the board of law school's ACS/Fed-Soc chapter? Are there certain firms that would lean heavily towards one direction or the other?

Thanks!

itbdvorm

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Sat Apr 22, 2017 2:15 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:If an interviewee had to take a year off from school after 1L because of a psychiatric condition but eventually improved, how would you view that? Is there anyway that that particular gap year can be mitigated in an interview?
A little tough, but probably doable. I guess the issue is when you open up that can of worms people are going to wonder what happened and how confident they can be that it wouldn't return. This job triggers stress, and I would encourage you to consider triggers - obviously I am not a medical professional but would hate to put someone in a horrible position.
That's good to know. I was planning on keeping my gap year vague and saying that I had to deal with some personal issues. I also did a few things like learn basic programming and Portuguese. Would that be a useful thing to bring up to mitigate the gap year?
Not hugely - remember, you have to find a way to demonstrate you'll be willing/able/capable of focusing 100% on work and nothing else?

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itbdvorm

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Sat Apr 22, 2017 2:18 pm

Alive97 wrote:How much weight would you give to someone being in a subject matter scholars program (say the school takes 20 or so students per year) that's relevant to the practice area you're interested in?
Not so relevant for my area, but I could see it helping for specialities

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Sat Apr 22, 2017 2:20 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Does 1L summer experiences matter much at all during OCIs?
Great experience helps, but unless really wacky or extremely political unlikely to hurt (i.e., not "worked for someone running for congress", "worked for the Rent Is Too Damn High guy")
Speaking of which, and I apologize if you've answered elsewhere in the thread, how risky is it in general to put political work on your resume for OCI- for example, working on a campaign or being on the board of law school's ACS/Fed-Soc chapter? Are there certain firms that would lean heavily towards one direction or the other?

Thanks!
I think most firms are flexible - undoubtedly some are more right- or left-leaning than others...

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by lawpotato » Tue Apr 25, 2017 2:52 pm

I understand that some firms have a pretty strong expectation that applicants be involved in the Law Review, but how is something like Honors Moot Court involvement viewed? If you can't do both, are you really disadvantaging yourself by choosing to forego Law Review for Moot Court?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Tue Apr 25, 2017 3:22 pm

lawpotato wrote:I understand that some firms have a pretty strong expectation that applicants be involved in the Law Review, but how is something like Honors Moot Court involvement viewed? If you can't do both, are you really disadvantaging yourself by choosing to forego Law Review for Moot Court?
I think the expectation is more the associated grades and school performance than the journal itself.

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4LTsPointingNorth

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by 4LTsPointingNorth » Tue Apr 25, 2017 6:30 pm

What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Tiny Rick! » Tue Apr 25, 2017 6:36 pm

4LTsPointingNorth wrote:What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?
Take a chill. Be normal.

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4LTsPointingNorth

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by 4LTsPointingNorth » Tue Apr 25, 2017 6:39 pm

Tiny Rick! wrote:
4LTsPointingNorth wrote:What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?
Take a chill. Be normal.
I think you misread the tone of my question. But either way, better to ask seemingly neurotic questions here than to live them out in practice there.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Tiny Rick! » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:05 pm

4LTsPointingNorth wrote:
Tiny Rick! wrote:
4LTsPointingNorth wrote:What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?
Take a chill. Be normal.
I think you misread the tone of my question. But either way, better to ask seemingly neurotic questions here than to live them out in practice there.
That you're asking this question means you need to chill.

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Pragmatic Gun

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Pragmatic Gun » Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:08 pm

I mean, can't you talk to the person who assigns you to your department? Legal recruiting?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by trebekismyhero » Wed Apr 26, 2017 2:08 am

4LTsPointingNorth wrote:
Tiny Rick! wrote:
4LTsPointingNorth wrote:What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?
Take a chill. Be normal.
I think you misread the tone of my question. But either way, better to ask seemingly neurotic questions here than to live them out in practice there.
Most big law firms have summer associate committees that handle assignments. Talk to them first about work. Asking associates or partners to lunch in the area that you are interested in is perfectly normal though

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:02 am

How important are grades after 1L? Assume you hire a candidate at OCI from a lower T13 with stellar grades in the 3.9 range. If he/she ends up with a 3.4 or so for 2L is this a big deal? It has to be pretty obvious that there was some slacking off involved, but is this a major problem from the firm's perspective? If slacker 2L comes in and is an earnest, sociable and hardworking summer can that mitigate the damage?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:20 am

trebekismyhero wrote:
4LTsPointingNorth wrote:
Tiny Rick! wrote:
4LTsPointingNorth wrote:What's your preferred method to be cold-contacted by a summer associate at your firm interested in work in your practice area? Would you prefer communication in the first instance to be via email? Phone call? Casual office visit? Or coordinated through recruiting or an associate who works for you?
Take a chill. Be normal.
I think you misread the tone of my question. But either way, better to ask seemingly neurotic questions here than to live them out in practice there.
Most big law firms have summer associate committees that handle assignments. Talk to them first about work. Asking associates or partners to lunch in the area that you are interested in is perfectly normal though
I'd agree. But also, I don't think it hurts at all to email someone that you'd be interested in working with just to let him/her know.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:21 am

Anonymous User wrote:How important are grades after 1L? Assume you hire a candidate at OCI from a lower T13 with stellar grades in the 3.9 range. If he/she ends up with a 3.4 or so for 2L is this a big deal? It has to be pretty obvious that there was some slacking off involved, but is this a major problem from the firm's perspective? If slacker 2L comes in and is an earnest, sociable and hardworking summer can that mitigate the damage?
That sort of drop is usually OK, though depends on the firm. In general, absent an even more precipitous drop, I see grades being more of a justification for a no-offer than the reason in and of itself.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Apr 30, 2017 4:18 pm

itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:How important are grades after 1L? Assume you hire a candidate at OCI from a lower T13 with stellar grades in the 3.9 range. If he/she ends up with a 3.4 or so for 2L is this a big deal? It has to be pretty obvious that there was some slacking off involved, but is this a major problem from the firm's perspective? If slacker 2L comes in and is an earnest, sociable and hardworking summer can that mitigate the damage?
That sort of drop is usually OK, though depends on the firm. In general, absent an even more precipitous drop, I see grades being more of a justification for a no-offer than the reason in and of itself.
Thank you. When considering a lateral candidate, would such a drop raise eyebrows? Or rather, since it would surely be noted, how much do you personally care about a drop in grades from 1L to 2L when evaluating a potential lateral?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Tue May 02, 2017 10:52 am

Anonymous User wrote:
itbdvorm wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:How important are grades after 1L? Assume you hire a candidate at OCI from a lower T13 with stellar grades in the 3.9 range. If he/she ends up with a 3.4 or so for 2L is this a big deal? It has to be pretty obvious that there was some slacking off involved, but is this a major problem from the firm's perspective? If slacker 2L comes in and is an earnest, sociable and hardworking summer can that mitigate the damage?
That sort of drop is usually OK, though depends on the firm. In general, absent an even more precipitous drop, I see grades being more of a justification for a no-offer than the reason in and of itself.
Thank you. When considering a lateral candidate, would such a drop raise eyebrows? Or rather, since it would surely be noted, how much do you personally care about a drop in grades from 1L to 2L when evaluating a potential lateral?
Think we usually look at combined GPA relative to our standards.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Tue May 02, 2017 12:28 pm

How do you review lateral candidates from YLS? Do you calculate a rough GPA based on credit hours or do you just kind of glance at the transcript and note how many Hs how many Ps?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Tue May 02, 2017 1:21 pm

Anonymous User wrote:How do you review lateral candidates from YLS? Do you calculate a rough GPA based on credit hours or do you just kind of glance at the transcript and note how many Hs how many Ps?
Grade sensitive firms have standards for what their lower bound YLS grade range would be. It's less precise than other T6 schools due to the lack of first semester grades and lack of an above-honors demarcation (DS/A/ect.), but the recruiting comittee still figures it out.

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Wed May 03, 2017 6:57 pm

For a current student, do you think that one will be better off in terms of career development and skill acquisition at a firm's headquarters or at a brand new office of that firm? Assuming the firm is very reputable (v15) and isn't Latham (or has any history similar to that of Latham's layoffs), and that the new office is projected to have about 10 or so partners at its inception, is going to one a mistake over the other?

I'm thinking that the new office would have more leverage for juniors and opportunities for leadership, being there at ground zero, but you gave some cautionary advice regarding tiny outposts earlier.

Thoughts?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by Anonymous User » Wed May 03, 2017 7:05 pm

I have two questions regarding post clerkship hiring. I am about to be a SA at a big NYC firm. Since getting the SA at OCI, I secured a D.Ct. and COA clerkship for two years following graduation. If I am considering applying to boutique litigation firms now that I have the clerkships, when should that process start? Assuming I get into another firm, at what point do I disclose it to the firm I am summering at? Any general insight on post COA opportunities in litigation?

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Re: V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions...

Post by itbdvorm » Wed May 03, 2017 7:14 pm

Anonymous User wrote:For a current student, do you think that one will be better off in terms of career development and skill acquisition at a firm's headquarters or at a brand new office of that firm? Assuming the firm is very reputable (v15) and isn't Latham (or has any history similar to that of Latham's layoffs), and that the new office is projected to have about 10 or so partners at its inception, is going to one a mistake over the other?

I'm thinking that the new office would have more leverage for juniors and opportunities for leadership, being there at ground zero, but you gave some cautionary advice regarding tiny outposts earlier.

Thoughts?
a) every V15, excepting Wachtell, has a history similar to that of Latham's layoffs

b) I view a brand new office differently than a tiny outpost. presumably, the entrance into the market is viewed as a long-term strategic growth opportunity. still, a risk - not all of those last 10 years - and many of those 10 or so partners will be bringing along their favorite associates. so really can't say for certain.

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