Does location matter more these days? Forum

[Miranda 18]

As I am applying to schools this cycle I couldn't help but notice a trend in the legal employment....ties to the city.

If you already have a strong idea of where you want to practice should you try to work in that city despite getting into a better school? For example, it seems as though DC was a very hard market to get into unless people had ties. If you have the choice to go to GW or Georgetown and feel as though you know you would like to end up in DC to work should they be your target schools? It seems like everyone including those in the T14 struggled to get into DC and those who did break in were either in the very top of their class or had some tie to the city.

Is Chicago the same? I know the rule of thumb is to get into the best school you can but now that it seems markets are tougher to break should you put more of a focus on schools in cities you would like to work in, rather than rank? Boston and DC are two cities I would love to work in but it seems like they are the toughest areas to find employment if you do not go to school in the area (I have lived in Boston but have no ties to DC).


Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[MrAnon]

the answer is common sense. Pretend you are an employer at a local yocal firm in D.C. Two grads show up to interview. One has a Boston University degree and has lived in Maine all his life. The other is a GW grad who grew up in the area and went to UCLA for undergrad. After the excitement of the first day in the office wears off which one do you think is going to stick around? Which one do you think the employer will hire?

[D. H2Oman]

the answer is common sense. Pretend you are an employer at a local yocal firm in D.C. Two grads show up to interview. One has a Boston University degree and has lived in Maine all his life. The other is a GW grad who grew up in the area and went to UCLA for undergrad. After the excitement of the first day in the office wears off which one do you think is going to stick around? Which one do you think the employer will hire?

You don't need ties to DC bro.

[Miranda 18]

the answer is common sense. Pretend you are an employer at a local yocal firm in D.C. Two grads show up to interview. One has a Boston University degree and has lived in Maine all his life. The other is a GW grad who grew up in the area and went to UCLA for undergrad. After the excitement of the first day in the office wears off which one do you think is going to stick around? Which one do you think the employer will hire?

Well what I was thinking more like a situation if someone where to get into both Georgetown and Northwestern. If you would like the chance to work in DC, would it better to go to the better ranked school or Georgetown because of the ties you will have to the city? I love DC and would like to go to a school that offers a good chance of obtaining a job there.

[2014]

While more Georgetown kids might go to DC, also consider that probably 75% of GULC's class is going to be bidding for that market. If you go to Northwestern, or whatever higher ranked school, people are going to be bidding for Chicago and New York for the most part. That means you might have less opportunity overall, but you are competing against far fewer peers for slots. That being said, I don't know which would be better on average.

[rayiner]

While more Georgetown kids might go to DC, also consider that probably 75% of GULC's class is going to be bidding for that market. If you go to Northwestern, or whatever higher ranked school, people are going to be bidding for Chicago and New York for the most part. That means you might have less opportunity overall, but you are competing against far fewer peers for slots. That being said, I don't know which would be better on average.

I think if you have some connection to the city or some specialization (IP, lobbying, etc) of interest to DC firms, its easier to get DC out of Northwestern than out of GULC. UVA is more highly regarded in DC, but there is almost nobody interested in DC out here.

[kpuc]

Can you establish ties to a certain city/region through summer internships during your law school years?

[Grizz]

Can you establish ties to a certain city/region through summer internships during your law school years?

Yep.

[tea_drinker]

While more Georgetown kids might go to DC, also consider that probably 75% of GULC's class is going to be bidding for that market. If you go to Northwestern, or whatever higher ranked school, people are going to be bidding for Chicago and New York for the most part. That means you might have less opportunity overall, but you are competing against far fewer peers for slots. That being said, I don't know which would be better on average.

I think if you have some connection to the city or some specialization (IP, lobbying, Hill experience, etc) of interest to DC firms, its easier to get DC out of Northwestern than out of GULC. UVA is more highly regarded in DC, but there is almost nobody interested in DC out here.

[MrAnon]

the answer is common sense. Pretend you are an employer at a local yocal firm in D.C. Two grads show up to interview. One has a Boston University degree and has lived in Maine all his life. The other is a GW grad who grew up in the area and went to UCLA for undergrad. After the excitement of the first day in the office wears off which one do you think is going to stick around? Which one do you think the employer will hire?

You don't need ties to DC bro.

I specified that he would be looking at smaller firms, and yes you do need ties for those. (Hogan & Hartson would not be classified as local yocal.) It otherwise makes no sense for you to be there. It seems suspicious that an individual would show up in a town out of the blue to desire to work in the meandering rungs of legal employment. The partner is going to wonder if the new candidate is going to stick around for his DWI and slip and fall cases or if he is going to bolt back home when he see how unglamorous law can be.