Davis Polk & Wardwell · Superday
Davis Polk & Wardwell's superday is the final round. Reported as 1.5 to 5 hours of back-to-back interviews depending on the source and office; expect roughly 2-5 hours including lunch. of back-to-back interviews, case work and exercises with senior staff. Below: what the day looks like, what each exercise tests, and how to rehearse the full sequence before you walk in.
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The day
The callback (called a "Superday" by candidates with banking backgrounds) is the second and final round, immediately downstream of the 20-minute screening interview.
Reported as 1.5 to 5 hours of back-to-back interviews depending on the source and office; expect roughly 2-5 hours including lunch.
No structured group cohorts - bespoke individual schedules; on a peak day 10-25 candidates may pass through the office independently.
Callback-to-offer conversion is reported between roughly 25-35% in some sources and 40-55% in others, depending on practice group and office.
Format. Four back-to-back interviews of 20-30 minutes each with a mix of partners and senior associates, plus a lunch or coffee chat. In person at 450 Lexington Avenue (or DC / Menlo Park) or virtual on Flo Recruit or Zoom, with identical weight.
Decision timing. Same-day offer calls are common for standouts; standard window is 3-5 business days, and a delay past a week usually means an internal hold.
The schedule
What you do, when you do it. Built from past attendee accounts so you know what is coming and can pace yourself.
Arrival and document verification with legal recruiting; they confirm your schedule and practice interests. Decorum is expected from the moment you enter the building.
Round 1 - mid-level or senior associate. Breaks the ice; evaluates collaborative stamina for deal teams or trial prep.
Round 2 - junior or mid-level partner. Stress-tests your narrative, long-term commitment and analytical clarity.
Round 3 - practice-group specialist partner. Explores practice-specific alignment and your understanding of Davis Polk's market position.
Round 4 - senior partner / hiring-committee member. Conversational but rigorous; gauges gravitas, culture fit and client-readiness.
Debrief and next steps with the recruiting coordinator; reimbursement and timeline confirmed.
Informational lunch or coffee with two associates. Officially unassessed, but practically an extension of the interview - any lapse in manners triggers a negative report.
The exercises
Each exercise has its own scorecard. Consistency across all of them, not heroics in any single one, is what produces offers.
Format. One-on-one, repeated across rounds for consensus
Duration. 30 minutes each
Panel. Mid-level to senior associates and junior partners
Assessed on. Institutional fit, resilience, collaboration, intellectual humility
Common failure modes. Robotic, over-rehearsed answers; an arrogant demeanor
Tactical advice. Use a modified STAR with about 80% on your specific actions and the collaborative outcome, not the setup.
Format. Integrated into behavioral or practice rounds
Duration. 10-15 minutes of a 30-minute block
Panel. A partner or senior associate with relevant expertise
Assessed on. Command over past work, clarity, intellectual honesty under cross-examination
Common failure modes. Cannot explain technical terms on the resume; defensive about the writing sample
Tactical advice. Review the writing sample and every resume line the morning of; know why each item mattered to the client.
Format. Specialized by self-selected path (Corporate vs Litigation)
Duration. 30 minutes
Panel. Partners or senior counsel in the relevant group
Assessed on. Market mechanics, commercial awareness, interest in Davis Polk deal flow
Common failure modes. Claiming interest in an advanced group (Tax, Financial Institutions) without knowing what it does day-to-day
Tactical advice. Read recent Chambers or Legal 500 profiles; know two high-profile matters and the firm's structural role.
Format. One-on-one or occasional two-on-one
Duration. 30 minutes
Panel. Practice chairs, senior partners, firm leadership
Assessed on. Long-term leadership potential, client-readiness, career durability
Common failure modes. Treating it as casual chat and letting your guard down; weak questions
Tactical advice. Pivot questions to strategy - how the firm is positioning a practice for the next five years, not daily billable tracking.
Format. Two-on-one casual dining, or a 15-20 min coffee chat
Duration. 60-75 minutes (lunch); 15-20 minutes (coffee)
Panel. Two junior or mid-level associates
Assessed on. Social intelligence, workplace compatibility, authentic culture fit
Common failure modes. Excessive alcohol, complaining about other firms or professors, treating associates as peers not evaluators
Tactical advice. Treat every comment as if the hiring partner will read it; frame questions positively and stay energized.
The scoring
Immediately after each 30-minute interview, the interviewer completes a standardized digital scorecard rating Substantive Capability, Communication Skills, Firm Alignment & Fit, and Professional Integrity on a 1-5 scale, with written commentary answering: "Would you comfortably staff this candidate on an urgent, high-stakes matter for our most important client?"
Aggregation. The hiring committee reviews the full file by consensus, not a simple mathematical average.
Veto mechanic. A single weak round can end a candidacy - three enthusiastic endorsements plus one note of arrogance or an undefendable resume bullet typically leans the committee toward rejection to preserve the cohesive culture.
Senior-round weighting. Partner evaluations carry more structural weight, but associate feedback is highly valued for authentic cultural fit.
Consistency check. Recruiting compares notes across all four rounds; a deal-focused persona for a partner but a dismissive tone with a junior associate signals a strategic performance, usually resulting in rejection.
Decision timing. Same-day to 3-5 business days; longer usually signals an internal hold list.
The simulator
Rehearse the superday free on Intervyo. Multi-stage scenarios mirror the real day's exercises in order, case work, technicals, behavioural rounds, lunch.
Why candidates fail
Specific failure patterns drawn from past attendee accounts. The day is a marathon, not a sprint, and most failures are about consistency across panels.
Fading energy across back-to-back rounds
Candidates who shine in rounds one and two often flag by round four. A drop in listening, posture or energy signals an inability to handle BigLaw stamina.
Behavioral inconsistency across interviewers
Adjusting your demeanor by perceived seniority - peer-casual with associates, performance mode for partners - reads as a lack of genuine professionalism.
Failing to prepare partner-level questions
Asking a senior partner about basic logistics. Partners expect questions about market strategy, practice development and institutional trends.
Poor lunch or coffee behavior
Treating casual segments as unassessed - oversharing, complaining about law school, poor manners - prompts a negative report to recruiting.
Inability to explain your own work product
Stumbling over your own writing sample or resume bullets makes interviewers doubt you can draft for clients.
Generic, firm-agnostic motivation
A "why Davis Polk" that fits any Vault 10 firm signals shallow research; you must show command of the firm's specific structure and strengths.
What works
Concrete moves drilled by candidates who clear the day, drawn from accounts of recent offer-holders.
The three-anchor-stories strategy
Prepare three versatile, real narratives - one on complex problem-solving, one on resilience through conflict, one on initiative and collaborative leadership - refined to address many prompts.
High-yield, firm-specific references
Across every round, mention the balanced corporate-and-litigation strength, the lockstep model that eliminates origination rivalries, and specific recent matters (restructuring, tech IPOs, cross-border litigation).
Interviewer-tailored questions
Ask associates about day-to-day workflow, mentorship and professional development; ask partners about practice-group strategy, market changes and client development.
Smart energy management
Sit forward, maintain steady eye contact, and treat each round as a fresh opportunity to connect across the full 2-5 hour block.
Seamless senior-partner delivery
Shift from Q&A into an active professional dialogue, comfortably discussing market trends and regulatory shifts as you would with an institutional client.
From past attendees
Anonymised accounts from offer-holders. Preparation, the day itself, what worked, what did not.
Corporate track (2L, Columbia Law School)
Prep. Read recent client alerts on the Davis Polk website to speak intelligently about liability-management trends; leaned on an undergraduate finance background.
Experience. Four rounds across M&A and Capital Markets - two partners, two senior associates. The early round felt like an extension of OCI, but a Capital Markets partner pushed on how debt-market volatility affects PE clients looking to exit. Lunch with two junior associates was friendly but stayed sharp, focused on training and deal assignments.
Outcome. Offer call from the hiring partner at 5:30 PM that same day.
Litigation focus (2L, University of Virginia School of Law)
Prep. Prepared to defend a 1L appellate brief on constitutional standing under challenge.
Experience. Met a White Collar Defense member and a general commercial litigation partner. The litigation partner challenged core arguments and a specific case citation; rather than getting defensive, the candidate acknowledged the counterpoint and walked through the strategic reasoning. The conversational tone tempted over-comfort, so answers stayed structured and professional.
Outcome. Formal offer letter via email four days later.
Davis Polk & Wardwell quirks
Format conventions, debrief mechanics, and unwritten rules that come up across cycles. These do not appear on the careers site but they shape the day.
Fully conversational, unstructured openings
Interviews often begin with an open prompt like "Your resume speaks for itself; tell me what you want to talk about today," testing whether you can drive a professional meeting without an agenda.
Deep focus on the writing sample
Interviewers frequently print the writing sample and ask you to explain complex footnotes or defend strategic choices in the text.
The balanced-firm paradigm
Davis Polk prides itself on top-tier strength in both corporate and litigation; candidates are expected to understand that dual strength and why it is a better career foundation.
Names withheld in advance
Interviewer names are deliberately not shared beforehand, so prepare around the firm and your own resume rather than LinkedIn research on individuals.
On the day
FAQ
Legal recruiting coordinates and covers all reasonable travel for out-of-area candidates - Amtrak or flights plus overnight lodging at a preferred hotel near the office. Keep itemized receipts for travel, meals and transit, and submit the standard NALP reimbursement form to your recruiting coordinator within about 30 days of completing the cycle.
Strict business formal: a well-tailored suit in a neutral color (navy, charcoal or black) with a professional shirt or blouse and dress shoes. For an in-person callback, bring a portfolio with about five printed resume copies, your official transcript, a clean writing sample, a list of references, and a pen.
Yes. Associates do not fill out numeric scorecards, but they give direct feedback to recruiting. Any lapse in manners, professional boundaries or collegiality is reported and can sink your candidacy. Treat the lunch as an extension of the interview - frame questions positively and stay engaged.
Very fast. Standout candidates can receive an offer call from a partner late on the afternoon of their interview or within 24 hours; the standard processing window is 3-5 business days. A delay past one week typically means you are on an internal hold list while the firm tracks its yield against available summer slots.
A thank-you note rarely reverses a negative decision, but sending brief, tailored emails to each interviewer within 24 hours reinforces professionalism. Mention a specific topic you discussed to show genuine engagement.
The other rounds
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Intervyo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Davis Polk & Wardwell. Exercise details are sourced from past attendees and the firm's published guidance; verify on the firm's careers site before attending. Sector: Commercial Law.
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