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There have been two of these already and I planned on starting a third so I figured I'd create a thread for it.

3.65, 1L SA...shot at Sidley/KandE? DC out of play?

Anonymous User wrote:There have been two of these already and I planned on starting a third so I figured I'd create a thread for it.

3.65, 1L SA...shot at Sidley/KandE? DC out of play?

Some DC firms should be in play. You probably will not get LR with that GPA, unless your writing comp submission was amazing. So the high end DC offices are out (e.g., W&C, Wilmer). But with DC ties and strong interview skills, middle-to-upper tier DC firms like Hogan and Jones Day are a pretty good bet.

Sorry to glom onto this one, but I'm 3.75 at NU shooting for DC. Basics: WE in DC prior to law school, government internship in DC this summer. I presume that Covington, WilmerHale, W&C are out (tear), but how high could I be shooting? Sidley? Arnold & Porter?

DC is insanely competitive, and nobody outside top 10%+LR is a lock for any DC firm. If you bid DC, bid NYC as well as a backup. DC firms can be bid pretty low (I think I got Hogan with a 20+ bid two years ago), because they're not a popular market at NU.

That said, Sidley DC is possible with a 3.65 if you're otherwise a superstar. I'm talking substantive experience in relevant areas sort of qualifications, plus a top 5% personality. Do not underestimate the competitiveness of "middle to upper" tier DC firms. Places like Hogan or A&P are harder to get than NYC V5's. The branch offices of Kirkland, Latham, Jones Day, etc, are also extremely selective, certainly the most selective of any of these firms' offices.

With a 3.65-3.75, places like Sidley, Hogan, and A&P are reaches. Your targets are places like Patton Boggs, Wiley Rein, etc. Realize that DC is much less consolidated than NYC or Chicago, so there are a lot of firms like these that are not highly ranked by Vault but have leading practice areas in their particular niche. You need to parlay your background into a connection with these firms. It's also important to mass-mail, because not all of these smaller firms are coming to OCI.

Anonymous User wrote:Sorry to glom onto this one, but I'm 3.75 at NU shooting for DC. Basics: WE in DC prior to law school, government internship in DC this summer. I presume that Covington, WilmerHale, W&C are out (tear), but how high could I be shooting? Sidley? Arnold & Porter?

Wilmer is a reach but I wouldn't rule it out. Sidley is a pretty good target. A&P too, though their hiring can be erratic.