University of Maryland c/o 2016 Forum

[Tier2Allstar]

Officially withdrew today. 8k back into the pot!

Good Luck guys.

Dibs!

[phimu03]

I hear there is a deadline today (August 1st) for those offered a seat, is that a deposit deadline? Is that true?

[Diceman102]

Preferably in the DC market

I am a MD resident and have worked in law (paralegal & contract management) for over 8 years. I also spent 3 years working in DC doing policy stuff and I can, with confidence, tell you that if DC is your goal, you will have an uphill battle coming out of MD. It is a great regional school and I will be applying there next cycle. I am rooted in MD so I am OK if I don't get a second look from DC firms. I will be trying my luck though. A girl can dream. However, most UMD graduates end up working in MD. Those who graduate top (very top) of their class have a decent shot at DC but with the overall legal and non-legal employment market being in the toilet right now, you will not be cream of crop to employers when you are competing with GULC, GW, American and even CUA grads. Let's not forget UVA, W&L, and GMU right down the road from DC and of course Howard. And, of course, there will be the HYS folks who have always dreamed of professional life inside the beltway who will also throw their hats into the employment ring.

It is not impossible to end up in DC from UMD. It is just a very difficult journey.

UMD does place quite well in Baltimore and there are a few big firms downtown. And despite what you may hear, those B'More firms do recruit from UMD. T1/T14 grads generally don't want to slum it in Charm City unless they have to. And many of the partners in the B'More firms are UMD alums or have ties to the UMD System. There are also a few large financial firms that have some UMD law grads in their ranks (T. Rowe Price, Brown Advisory come to mind). They also place extremely well in MD government if that interests you.

If Biglaw is your end all be all, UMD is not your golden ticket. If you are just looking to work in the DC legal market, you might be fine if you keep a stellar GPA, journal maybe moot court. Just explore your professional options now. And research ALL firms in the DC area not just the Vault 100. And know you will have to network and put some work into finding employment you enjoy. There are a shit ton of law firms in the DMV. It is pretty ridiculous how many law firms there are here.

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I echo most of what you said. Just finished my first year at UMLAW. Heading into the second in a few weeks. Congrats to those accepted. Ok, wanted to address this employment issue. I know some of you are concerned with the employment stats, but it's not as bad as you might think. I'm not at the top of my class, I'm in the middle and I was able to secure a paid government legal internship this summer in New York City. This coming week we have OCI and i'm going to be interviewing with two 500+ firms and one federal agency. And hopefully there will be more OCI interviews at the end of August and beginning of Sept. So, If you want to work outside Baltimore or DC, it's not that impossible coming out of UMLAW. Big law is also not impossible, even though we have a strong public interest law focus. All you have to do is keep average grades (top 10% even better), get on a journal, and try attend the various networking events. Big firms focused on Health care, IP, and also Labor law recruit at UM. For those coming in a few weeks, be prepared for new and exciting experience. Baltimore can be a little rough around the edges at times, but you can still have a fun learning experience.

[ach24]

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[ach24]

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