Atlanta placement Forum

[youinterrobangingme‽]

What are the Best Schools for Big Law in Atlanta? The statistics I'm reading for Georgia schools like Emory and UGA aren't very specific, and Emory especially seems like it's a TTT the way recent grads are talking. From Northwestern down, which would be the top 5 or so schools that have the best shot at placement in firms like Alston & Bird, King & Spalding, or Troutman Sanders? What kind of strong ties would be beneficial there?

[badaboom61]

For Atlanta you either need strong ties to the city and go to a T14 or ties to the south in general and go to UVA / Duke / Vandy. Atlanta is a very difficult market to crack in general, and class sizes are for the most part very small (with a couple of exceptions, and even those are mid size classes at best).

You could also get there from UGA or Emory if you do very well grade wise, but this would be more of a crapshoot than anything.

For what its worth, I have a solid grades from CCN and strong ties to the south (but not the city of Atlanta). I didn't get a peep from mass mailing any of the firms in the city, but got several responses from firms in the cities I actually do have ties to.

[youinterrobangingme‽]

Thanks. That makes sense. Is somewhere like Georgetown or NU more distant from the south or ATL than Duke or UVA other than geographically?

[badaboom61]

Thanks. That makes sense. Is somewhere like Georgetown or NU more distant from the south or ATL than Duke or UVA other than geographically?

What do you mean 'other than geographically'? NU and Georgetown will not be as respected as Duke or UVA by southern firms. It will also be both logistically more difficult to interview with them and more difficult to show geographic dedication, although that's more true at NU than GULC.

[AllTheLawz]

There are hardly any SA positions in ATL. The estimate for this year was ~120 2L SAs total and ~60 2L SAs at AmLaw 100 firms. If you want ATL you need to be thinking either HYS or doing very, very well at a lower-ranked school. I am from HYS w/ ties to the south, but not ATL, and I only got a couple callbacks and offers in ATL. As a point of comparison, I got like 14 or 15 combined from the other two markets I applied in.

[dcgirl1013]

I am top 10% at Emory & ties to the south and got a SA at one of the firms you mentioned in ATL... ties to the south/ATL are HUGE here

[jrsbaseball5]

What exactly would be considered ties to the South? Does that mean you grew up there or does living there for a couple of years count too?

[OliveBC]

I am also interested to know what exactly qualifies as "strong ties"?

For instance, I grew up in Georgia and North Carolina, but have been in Indiana for the past 7ish years. My mother and entire mother's side lives in NC, and my father and entire father's side live in GA. (moved to Indiana during middle school due to father's job, but he is moving back to ATL) I visit both ATL and Charlotte several times a year to see family and I am completely committed to working and living in the south for my entire career if I can manage it.

Would I have a chance in these markets? Or will the past 7 years in Indiana hurt me? If it helps, once my father moves back to Georgia I will literally have ZERO ties to Indiana/the Midwest and no interest in working in this area whatsoever.

[jrsbaseball5]

Bumped for strong ties answer

[lawhopeful10]

Another question about ties, if your significant other is from the area and you want to settle where she is from, would that constitute ties to the area. If the main reason they want someone from the area is so they know they won't leave for another place after only a few years, it seems this would be relevant.

[BruceWayne]

As someone extremely familiar with the Atlanta market and with extremely strong ties to the market...

People are heavily exaggerating the strength of ties needed to work there--at least for the big firms (i.e Alston, King, Jones Day, and to a lesser extent Troutman). Atlanta is not like the rest of the South in the sense that they are not as focused on ties--especially if you have ties to the South. For example for Alston and King being from say NC, Florida, or even non NOVA VA would probably be enough if you explain that you really want Atlanta. They probably won't even ask if you're from a Southern state like Tenn, Bama, Miss, or LA.

What ATL firms do care a lot about are grades. And I mean A LOT. ATL is one of the most grade conscious markets in the country--more so than they are school focused. Alston, King, Jones Day, Troutman (and even more so the smaller firms in ATL) would FAR rather have someone top 10 or top 5 percent from Emory, UGA, GA State, Mercer, Bama, UNC, Florida, South Carolina, Tenn, LSU etc. than median or below at any non HYS top 14. Honestly, below median from any non HYS top 14 can essentially wipe Atlanta off of their bid list.

That being said they do go deeper into the class at UVA/Duke and to a lesser extent Vandy than they do at the aforementioned schools. But when I say deeper I mean if someone has ties to Atlanta from UVA/Duke and lands top 1/3 they have an OK shot at Alston and K&S. Top 20% likely has a shot at Vandy. Median with strong ties (like people were describing earlier) MAY stand a chance at Troutman and Mckenna from UVA/Duke but honestly it's not good. Personally, "digging down" to students who beat out 70% of their classmates at UVA/Duke isn't that much more lenient than what they do at the local schools considering the competition.

But no ties and median or below from a non HYS top 14 trying to work in ATL= LOL.

One good thing about ATL for people who aren't from there or the South. Because they are so grade focused they don't mind hiring someone with sky high grades from a top 14 with no Southern ties. But again you must have sky high grades at a top 14 (top 10 more like top 5 percent + law review).

Another question about ties, if your significant other is from the area and you want to settle where she is from, would that constitute ties to the area. If the main reason they want someone from the area is so they know they won't leave for another place after only a few years, it seems this would be relevant.

With the big boys (Alston and K&S) yes it will. But it's imperative that you have very high grades and preferably law review.

OliveBC your ties are sufficient. But give me your profile (i.e school and class rank law review or not) and I can give you a better estimate.

And for those wondering I have seen the GPA charts for various schools for Atlanta firms and I've interviewed/mass mailed essentially every major firm in Atlanta...unfortunately

[ctmx]

People are heavily exaggerating the strength of ties needed to work there--at least for the big firms (i.e Alston, King, Jones Day, and to a lesser extent Troutman). Atlanta is not like the rest of the South in the sense that they are not as focused on ties--especially if you have ties to the South. For example for Alston and King being from say NC, Florida, or even non NOVA VA would probably be enough if you explain that you really want Atlanta. They probably won't even ask if you're from a Southern state like Tenn, Bama, Miss, or LA.

So being from/living in Nova would not constitute strong ties for atlanta firms/is this the same for other southern markets?

[rad lulz]

People are heavily exaggerating the strength of ties needed to work there--at least for the big firms (i.e Alston, King, Jones Day, and to a lesser extent Troutman). Atlanta is not like the rest of the South in the sense that they are not as focused on ties--especially if you have ties to the South. For example for Alston and King being from say NC, Florida, or even non NOVA VA would probably be enough if you explain that you really want Atlanta. They probably won't even ask if you're from a Southern state like Tenn, Bama, Miss, or LA.

So being from/living in Nova would not constitute strong ties for atlanta firms/is this the same for other southern markets?

Other non-ATL southern markets are extremely parochial. So no.

[rad lulz]

As someone extremely familiar with the Atlanta market and with extremely strong ties to the market...

People are heavily exaggerating the strength of ties needed to work there--at least for the big firms (i.e Alston, King, Jones Day, and to a lesser extent Troutman). Atlanta is not like the rest of the South in the sense that they are not as focused on ties--especially if you have ties to the South. For example for Alston and King being from say NC, Florida, or even non NOVA VA would probably be enough if you explain that you really want Atlanta. They probably won't even ask if you're from a Southern state like Tenn, Bama, Miss, or LA.

What ATL firms do care a lot about are grades. And I mean A LOT. ATL is one of the most grade conscious markets in the country--more so than they are school focused. Alston, King, Jones Day, Troutman (and even more so the smaller firms in ATL) would FAR rather have someone top 10 or top 5 percent from Emory, UGA, GA State, Mercer, Bama, UNC, Florida, South Carolina, Tenn, LSU etc. than median or below at any non HYS top 14. Honestly, below median from any non HYS top 14 can essentially wipe Atlanta off of their bid list.

That being said they do go deeper into the class at UVA/Duke and to a lesser extent Vandy than they do at the aforementioned schools. But when I say deeper I mean if someone has ties to Atlanta from UVA/Duke and lands top 1/3 they have an OK shot at Alston and K&S. Top 20% likely has a shot at Vandy. Median with strong ties (like people were describing earlier) MAY stand a chance at Troutman and Mckenna from UVA/Duke but honestly it's not good. Personally, "digging down" to students who beat out 70% of their classmates at UVA/Duke isn't that much more lenient than what they do at the local schools considering the competition.

But no ties and median or below from a non HYS top 14 trying to work in ATL= LOL.

One good thing about ATL for people who aren't from there or the South. Because they are so grade focused they don't mind hiring someone with sky high grades from a top 14 with no Southern ties. But again you must have sky high grades at a top 14 (top 10 more like top 5 percent + law review).

TCR