. Forum

(Rankings, Profiles, Tuition, Student Life, . . . )
allmodcons

New
Posts: 71
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:57 pm

.

Post by allmodcons » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:02 pm

.
Last edited by allmodcons on Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
ThreeRivers

Silver
Posts: 1139
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:54 am

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by ThreeRivers » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:09 pm

As someone who is highly conflicted about W&L right now I'm very interested

MrAnon

Gold
Posts: 1610
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:08 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by MrAnon » Sat Jan 07, 2012 1:03 am

Its no different than any other state, cities and small towns. UVA + several fungible law schools. There is nothing unique about its legal market. Most law school grads end up in smaller firms. I dont think W&L has much sway in the northern end of the state and I dont think GMU has much sway in the south.

btw384

Bronze
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:03 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by btw384 » Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:38 pm

bump

User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:07 pm

Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


game6

New
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:15 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by game6 » Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:35 pm

MrAnon wrote:Its no different than any other state, cities and small towns. UVA + several fungible law schools. There is nothing unique about its legal market. Most law school grads end up in smaller firms. I dont think W&L has much sway in the northern end of the state and I dont think GMU has much sway in the south.
Any evidence of this? Seems like a pretty arbitrary conclusion.

And W&L has the highest bar passage rate in VA.

silenttimer

Bronze
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:13 am

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by silenttimer » Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:42 pm

BruceWayne wrote:Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.
I'm just curious, are you currently working in Ricmond as a lawyer? Or are you just a speculating 1L? Your statement is not particularly true.

User avatar
somewherewarm

New
Posts: 87
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 6:28 am

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by somewherewarm » Fri Jan 13, 2012 3:16 pm

I'm also very interested in this. Any information would be much appreciated!

User avatar
Flappy Scribbleneck

Bronze
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:53 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by Flappy Scribbleneck » Sun Jan 15, 2012 6:26 pm

This website is filled to the brim with garbage information presented as knowledge

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Sun Jan 15, 2012 10:38 pm

silenttimer wrote:
BruceWayne wrote:Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.
I'm just curious, are you currently working in Ricmond as a lawyer? Or are you just a speculating 1L? Your statement is not particularly true.

I'll bite; which part do you think is untrue? The part about caring about Virginia ties or the part about being grade focused? So in your experience ties aren't important and neither are grades?

silenttimer

Bronze
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:13 am

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by silenttimer » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:40 am

BruceWayne wrote:
silenttimer wrote:
BruceWayne wrote:Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.
I'm just curious, are you currently working in Ricmond as a lawyer? Or are you just a speculating 1L? Your statement is not particularly true.

I'll bite; which part do you think is untrue? The part about caring about Virginia ties or the part about being grade focused? So in your experience ties aren't important and neither are grades?
"Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw." I know many people without "sky high grades" from W&M, W&L, George Mason, and Richmond that work at what you would refer to as "Richmond biglaw" (Hunton Williams, williams mullen, McGuire Woods, Troutman Sanders, Reed Smith, LeClair Ryan, Hirschler Fleischer, etc).

While I agree that ties and grades matter, as they do in any midsize cities, "sky high grades" from non UVA requirement is pretty offbase. Again, I go back to my original question: Are you currently working in Richmond as a lawyer or are you a speculating 1L, or worse, 0L?

User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:43 pm

silenttimer wrote:
BruceWayne wrote:
silenttimer wrote:
BruceWayne wrote:Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.
I'm just curious, are you currently working in Ricmond as a lawyer? Or are you just a speculating 1L? Your statement is not particularly true.

I'll bite; which part do you think is untrue? The part about caring about Virginia ties or the part about being grade focused? So in your experience ties aren't important and neither are grades?
"Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw." I know many people without "sky high grades" from W&M, W&L, George Mason, and Richmond that work at what you would refer to as "Richmond biglaw" (Hunton Williams, Williams Mullen, McGuire Woods, Troutman Sanders, Reed Smith, LeClair Ryan, Hirschler Fleischer, etc).

While I agree that ties and grades matter, as they do in any midsize cities, "sky high grades" from non UVA requirement is pretty offbase. Again, I go back to my original question: Are you currently working in Richmond as a lawyer or are you a speculating 1L, or worse, 0L?

I'm a UVA 2L with a firm job who knows several classmates with Richmond firm jobs. I applied to many (if not most) of them myself.

And let me guess, some of the people you know from those schools with Richmond biglaw are top 20 percent? Thus that's "proof" that one doesn't need sky high grades from those schools to get Richmond biglaw right? Since they weren't top 5 percent that means that you don't need very good grades from those schools right?

MrAnon

Gold
Posts: 1610
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:08 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by MrAnon » Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:02 pm

game6 wrote:
MrAnon wrote:Its no different than any other state, cities and small towns. UVA + several fungible law schools. There is nothing unique about its legal market. Most law school grads end up in smaller firms. I dont think W&L has much sway in the northern end of the state and I dont think GMU has much sway in the south.
Any evidence of this? Seems like a pretty arbitrary conclusion.

And W&L has the highest bar passage rate in VA.
What exactly is it that you want to hear? Prestigious firms all over the state are just in awe of W&L grads because of the high bar passage rate? wrong. firms fully expect their hires will pass the bar, they arent concerned with a particular schools bar passage rate when at the margins it is slightly better than UVA or W&M.

Is there any evidence that it is anything other than what I say? Again, its like any other state with large metro areas, medium metro areas, and small metro areas. Ties can play in, just like any other market. Again, there is no magic formula to Virginia.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:42 pm

MrAnon wrote:
game6 wrote:
MrAnon wrote:Its no different than any other state, cities and small towns. UVA + several fungible law schools. There is nothing unique about its legal market. Most law school grads end up in smaller firms. I dont think W&L has much sway in the northern end of the state and I dont think GMU has much sway in the south.
Any evidence of this? Seems like a pretty arbitrary conclusion.

And W&L has the highest bar passage rate in VA.
What exactly is it that you want to hear? Prestigious firms all over the state are just in awe of W&L grads because of the high bar passage rate? wrong. firms fully expect their hires will pass the bar, they arent concerned with a particular schools bar passage rate when at the margins it is slightly better than UVA or W&M.

Is there any evidence that it is anything other than what I say? Again, its like any other state with large metro areas, medium metro areas, and small metro areas. Ties can play in, just like any other market. Again, there is no magic formula to Virginia.
Apparently he and silenttimer do want to hear that. They're dreaming. It's damn hard to get major firm jobs in any market right now if you don't attend a top school, and even then it's still difficult. I'm sorry people don't want to face that reality but it's a fact. It's not all doom and gloom but it's not 2007 either folks.

MrAnon

Gold
Posts: 1610
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:08 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by MrAnon » Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:44 pm

Yeah don't get sucked into W&L because its a "tier 1" or whatever. You see the peer schools around it in the rankings? Ohio state? Univ of Washington? Would you consider attending them? None of these schools are legal powerhouses or a ticket to anything in particular. You shouldn't attend these schools unless you are from the area they service. they are not national schools.

silenttimer

Bronze
Posts: 186
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:13 am

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by silenttimer » Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:24 pm

BruceWayne wrote:
silenttimer wrote:
BruceWayne wrote: I'll bite; which part do you think is untrue? The part about caring about Virginia ties or the part about being grade focused? So in your experience ties aren't important and neither are grades?
"Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw." I know many people without "sky high grades" from W&M, W&L, George Mason, and Richmond that work at what you would refer to as "Richmond biglaw" (Hunton Williams, Williams Mullen, McGuire Woods, Troutman Sanders, Reed Smith, LeClair Ryan, Hirschler Fleischer, etc).

While I agree that ties and grades matter, as they do in any midsize cities, "sky high grades" from non UVA requirement is pretty offbase. Again, I go back to my original question: Are you currently working in Richmond as a lawyer or are you a speculating 1L, or worse, 0L?

I'm a UVA 2L with a firm job who knows several classmates with Richmond firm jobs. I applied to many (if not most) of them myself.

And let me guess, some of the people you know from those schools with Richmond biglaw are top 20 percent? Thus that's "proof" that one doesn't need sky high grades from those schools to get Richmond biglaw right? Since they weren't top 5 percent that means that you don't need very good grades from those schools right?
[/quote]


Take it for for it's worth, I currently practice in one of the Richmond Biglaws, and I would never shun a resume that comes accross my desk from a student that is top 50 percent from UVA, W&M, W&L, and Richmond. I've been involved in interview committees, and if we like two candidates from different schools, the conversation rarely centers on where the candidates went to school. Typically, the conversation centers on fit and needs. That same sentiment goes for most of my colleagues as well.

User avatar
Br3v

Gold
Posts: 4290
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:18 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by Br3v » Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:26 pm

How does UVA place in DC?

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:34 pm

silenttimer wrote:Take it for for it's worth, I currently practice in one of the Richmond Biglaws, and I would never shun a resume that comes accross my desk from a student that is top 50 percent from UVA, W&M, W&L, and Richmond. I've been involved in interview committees, and if we like two candidates from different schools, the conversation rarely centers on where the candidates went to school. Typically, the conversation centers on fit and needs. That same sentiment goes for most of my colleagues as well.
Then 1. You must be rejecting a ton of students from W&M, W&L, and Richmond for "fit". And 2. Accepting students who pull off a 3.3 or better from UVA (and only those that "fit" at that) hardly counters the sentiment that grades are very important to Richmond firms.

The other problem with what you're saying is that I, and many others, were rejected by Richmond firms at the preselect stage. Meaning that we were rejected purely off of grades/resume--we weren't even given the chance to interview to begin with. They didn't know (or obviously care) about how we "fit" into the firms. I know someone from Richmond (which their resume clearly showed) who got 1 preselect from Richmond firms at UVA OGI. Meanwhile people with 3.5+ GPAs, many of them not even from the state of Virginia, were loaded with preselects from Richmond firms.

How does UVA place in DC?
Fine if you are in the top 30 percent of the class. Excellent if you're top 10 percent.

User avatar
Br3v

Gold
Posts: 4290
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:18 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by Br3v » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:11 pm

BruceWayne wrote:
silenttimer wrote:
How does UVA place in DC?
Fine if you are in the top 30 percent of the class. Excellent if you're top 10 percent.
Top 10 percent it is

User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:26 pm

Br3v wrote:Top 10 percent it is
Welcome to ITE friend. In fairness the only schools that will give you a significantly better shot are HYS.

MrAnon

Gold
Posts: 1610
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 9:08 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by MrAnon » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:32 pm

Take it for for it's worth, I currently practice in one of the Richmond Biglaws, and I would never shun a resume that comes accross my desk from a student that is top 50 percent from UVA, W&M, W&L, and Richmond. I've been involved in interview committees, and if we like two candidates from different schools, the conversation rarely centers on where the candidates went to school. Typically, the conversation centers on fit and needs. That same sentiment goes for most of my colleagues as well.
Misleading. You get top 50% resumes at your desk that your firm provides you with for Richmond kids? I doubt that. More like top 25% at worst. Anyway there are all kinds of screening mechanisms that prevent crappy resumes from TTT schools even reaching the members of the hiring committee, so yes, its likely no one would debate merits of certain schools in the meetings. It would look tacky.

Communicate now with those who not only know what a legal education is, but can offer you worthy advice and commentary as you complete the three most educational, yet challenging years of your law related post graduate life.

Register now, it's still FREE!


User avatar
Flappy Scribbleneck

Bronze
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:53 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by Flappy Scribbleneck » Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:12 pm

Silenttimer, you graduated from a T30 in virginia in the top third, in 2010, and you work Richmond biglaw, correct?

User avatar
BruceWayne

Gold
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:36 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by BruceWayne » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:02 pm

Flappy Scribbleneck wrote:Silenttimer, you graduated from a T30 in virginia in the top third, in 2010, and you work Richmond biglaw, correct?
Please tell me this was sarcasm in response to my post. Because if it's not, you're making his response look pretty ridiculous.

User avatar
Flappy Scribbleneck

Bronze
Posts: 164
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:53 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by Flappy Scribbleneck » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:03 pm

BruceWayne wrote:Very ties centric. Surprisingly grades centric. Will need sky high grades from the non UVA schools to get Richmond biglaw. At UVA will depend on the strength of your ties and other softs. Still surprisingly difficult.
BruceWayne wrote:And let me guess, some of the people you know from those schools with Richmond biglaw are top 20 percent? Thus that's "proof" that one doesn't need sky high grades from those schools to get Richmond biglaw right? Since they weren't top 5 percent that means that you don't need very good grades from those schools right?
BruceWayne wrote:
Flappy Scribbleneck wrote:Silenttimer, you graduated from a T30 in Virginia in the top third, in 2010, and you work Richmond biglaw, correct?
Please tell me this was sarcasm in response to my post. Because if it's not, you're making his response look pretty ridiculous.
If Silenttimer is not from UVA, and is working is Richmond Biglaw, and he graduated in one of the worst legal hiring years in recent history, then that is evidence against your original comment. Unless you consider top third "sky high"?
FWIW, I am not sure either of you are totally correct. I am trying to get closer to the truth because I am interested in W&M, W&L

User avatar
YourCaptain

Silver
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 11:26 pm

Re: Virginia legal market

Post by YourCaptain » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:08 pm

w&m over w&l unless w&l comes w/ full ride

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Choosing a Law School”