How bad IS it at WashUStl?

[RVP11]

Pre-law school work experience. People who come straight from undergrad flip out over this and worry whether it will keep them from being hireable at OCI.

Well with people like rayiner saying, "Every person I know who came straight out undergrad underperformed their numbers," it gives us a reason to be worried.

Plus people with W/E can still make themselves stand out without great grades. But if you are a straight from UG person and your grades are mediocre, then what?

In my experience, everyone well below median (bottom thirdish) who got a big firm job was either A) LR write-on, B) HYP undergrad, or C) had significant WE.

You can outperform your grades without WE. After grades, market choice and "personality" were by far the most important factors.

[Stephanie13]

Pre-law school work experience. People who come straight from undergrad flip out over this and worry whether it will keep them from being hireable at OCI.

Well with people like rayiner saying, "Every person I know who came straight out undergrad underperformed their numbers," it gives us a reason to be worried.

Plus people with W/E can still make themselves stand out without great grades. But if you are a straight from UG person and your grades are mediocre, then what?

In my experience, everyone well below median (bottom thirdish) who got a big firm job was either A) LR write-on, B) HYP undergrad, or C) had significant WE.

You can outperform your grades without WE. After grades, market choice and "personality" were by far the most important factors.

I'd like to know what you mean by market choice. Care to elaborate?

[RVP11]

I'd like to know what you mean by market choice. Care to elaborate?

Markets that are very popular among students at your school = bad

Markets you don't have real connections to = bad

DC = bad

SF = bad

Chicago = bad to decent

LA = decent

NY = good

Markets you have real connections to = great

[Anonymous User]

I'm a 2L at Wash. U. in the top 5%, on Law Review. Speaking only for myself, things are great, as I had 5+ V100 offers plus a number of offers from government and PI orgs. Ended up taking an offer from a V50 in DC for next summer.

As for the broader student body, it's hard to say for sure how folks are doing, since most people don't really talk about their job prospects. I certainly know a number of fellow LR folks who are doing just fine, as well as some others who I have to imagine are probably top 1/3 who also have jobs lined up for next summer.

That being said, you do hear a good deal of general discontent from many as well. Again, its hard to be precise, but if I had to guess I'd say that over half of my class is still looking for something for next summer.

Overall I'd say that students at Wash. U. are doing about as one would expect ITE given the school's ranking. It is not some cesspool where law students go to die penniless and broken, but neither is it a T14 school.

[Grizz]

But if you are a straight from UG person and your grades are mediocre, then what?

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[thexfactor]

i think that applies to anyone below top 1/3 with no W/E

[Anonymous User]

Well..I am a 3L from Wash. U.
It seems from this thread, class 2012 does much better than class 2011.
I know quite a few folks in top 15% to 25% do not secure big law SA position this past summer.
They have even a hard time locating big law associate position as a 3L.

[stratocophic]

3.5 days before Property. Yes, I really needed to see this thread again to remind me not to be worried at all about finals.