NY/Chicago biglaw prospects out of WUSTL? Forum

[kinge]

No ties to either city, though I am originally from the Midwest.

What level of firms recruit at OCI? v10? v50? AmLaw200 or whatever the cutoff for "barely biglaw" is?

How far down the class do they recruit? What kind of firms are hiring median students?

[trebekismyhero]

Probably slightly better shot at Chicago than NY. Decent at both, but far from guaranteed. Besides the Wachtells and Cravaths, I think the vast majority of big firms in both cities recruit at WashU. The class rank is going to be very firm specific, at my old law firm (V40), a candidate at WashU needed to be top 1/4 to get consideration and most were top 15%. If you are median, you aren't going to be that competitive with most big law firms unless you have an impressive resume and are a great networker/interviewer.

[decimalsanddollars]

I know Kirkland, Latham, and other very large V10-V20 firms do recruit there (less so, as trebek indicated, for firms like Cravath, Wachtell, Davis Polk, PW with intense concentration on NYC office and t6 schools). I think they also have a NYC job fair thing; contact their career office about it. Current washU students and recent alumni would have a better read on what kind of cutoffs, preferences, and recruitment energy a particular firm or tier of firms will have, but you'd be dealing with cutoffs geared at non-t13 schools: more likely top quarter (or even top 10%) than top half/median OK.

[bajablast]

In my experience, WashU does not have much play in Chicago. The market is a lot smaller than New York and is dominated by Northwestern/UChicago with the remainder of summer classes filled by other t13 students + top students at the local & Big 10 schools.

I have friends who go to WashU and say most people who get big law either go to New York or stay in St. Louis, which probably only has 5-7 Amlaw 200 offices. You'll need to at least be in the top half of your class to be competitive for these job.

[antelope]

I met a 2L who got big law in Chicago, but went to undergrad in that city, so you can say she has ties. She got the SA offer after completing a 1L diversity fellowship at the same firm. She shared that classmates who really wanted Chicago have been getting interviews/offers, but big law isn't guaranteed if you don't have the grades or can't get into a diversity fellowship

[64Fl]

For Northwestern, Kirkland Chicago had a higher median callback GPA than Cravath when I was there. Maybe that has changed, but I remember all of the major Chicago firms (outside of Katten, Baker McKenzie, and some small satellite offices) having higher GPA medians than most NY V10s. Getting biglaw in Chicago is an absolute bloodbath. As the other user pointed out, the Chicago market is much smaller and UChicago/Northwestern mostly dominate it. For the remaining spots, Michigan sends 10% to Illinois, WashU sends 10%, Notre Dame sends 20%, and then all the local schools, Big Ten schools, and other random T13 grads are attempting to crack the market. At Northwestern, landing at a Chicago mid law shop was harder than landing at almost every NY V50 (by median callback GPA). When I saw Chicago mid law, I'm referring to places like Vedder Price and Husch Blackwell, not prestigious small/mid-sized shops like Eimer Stahl, Barack Ferrazzano, and Bartlit Beck. If you're median at WashU, you're dead in the water in Chicago for Chicago biglaw absent (1) insane luck, (2) great connections, or (3) an odd specialty that happens to be really hot in the market or at a particular firm (see also: insane luck).

[chilover691]

Current WUSTL student, but some of these comments are way off on how many students at WashU actually target Chicago and who get it. Being median is definitely not going to prevent you from getting Chicago BigLaw. I know a lot of students going to Chicago and have talked to a lot of alum, it's possible. Even people below median are going, but networking is probably what got them those. It's possible and I would recommend if you end up at WUSTL to talk to other students and utilize the Career Center.

[BobLoblaw18]

Current WashU 2L. NYC is a bit easier than Chicago but neither is a given unless you're top 15%ish.

[chilover691]

Current WashU 2L. NYC is a bit easier than Chicago but neither is a given unless you're top 15%ish.

This doesn't seem true based on the 2Ls and 3Ls I know going to NYC/Chicago

[BobLoblaw18]

Current WashU 2L. NYC is a bit easier than Chicago but neither is a given unless you're top 15%ish.

This doesn't seem true based on the 2Ls and 3Ls I know going to NYC/Chicago

Sorry I should clarify: neither is a given outside top 15%ish although it's certainly possible. Shouldn't go to WashU assuming that if you're above median you'll get NYC/Chi V100 was my point.

[bluedolphin]

Also I missed NY when I recruited from WashU and I know a few others who missed as well who moved there in 6 monthes-2 years after graduation for firms, in house, non legal etc.

All relatively sick opportunities as well (2 V5s) unicorn in-house, PE). Most/all came from good midwest regional firms.

'17 grad.