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Between Davis NY and Covington DC, which litigation practice is "better" and "more prestigious" overall? It depends on the practice, I know -- Covington is better for regulatory lit, and Davis is better for financial lit. Apples and oranges, different cities, different industries; terrible question.

But let's say that you're indifferent between the practice areas and the cities, and you were forced to pick one ...

(I'm a clerk. I didn't like my summer firm, so I'm considering other options. I like DC and NY equally. Because I've never really practiced law, I have no idea if I'll prefer either DC-type litigation or NY-type litigation.)

Covington is better for regulatory lit, and Davis is better for financial lit. Apples and oranges, different cities, different industries; terrible question.

thesealocust wrote:Covington is better for regulatory lit, and Davis is better for financial lit. Apples and oranges, different cities, different industries; terrible question.

Also oddly-timed question. Clerk?

Do you have any preferences as to long-term career path? Was there anything in particular you disliked about your summer firm?

The reason ask even though you mentioned you don't have a preference between types of practice or cities, is you can't really say that one is "better" or "more prestigious." But there are differences in exit options and culture. In particular:

-Obviously, if you go to Covington it's more likely you would exit to regulatory / government agency type work, whereas in-house at a bank / financial agencies like the SEC are more likely from DPW. Both will probably get you exit options to other law firms, but again with different practice focuses. Both will give you more or less as good exit options as possible (but obviously not guaranteed) to AUSA positions, particularly if you manage to do white collar work (which both do).

-DPW is more highly leveraged than Covington. Two implications: First, all else equal, you may work on bigger teams / work less directly with partners / get less substantive work early on at DPW. Second, it might arguably be easier to make partner at Covington, if you're into that sort of thing. The flipside is PPP at DPW are >2x Covington, so take that for what it's worth.

I really have a hard time believing you are indifferent between DC and New York because they are so starkly different (DC is much more politics-focused, much more going on in terms of culture / restaurants / nightlife in NY), but I guess if you truly are indifferent I would probably pick Covington because (1) COL is cheaper, and (2) leverage is lower.

The real answer is suck it up and have a think about what type of work you prefer. They're very different.

IAFG wrote:

thesealocust wrote:Covington is better for regulatory lit, and Davis is better for financial lit. Apples and oranges, different cities, different industries; terrible question.

Also oddly-timed question. Clerk?

Yep.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a clerk.

thesealocust wrote:

IAFG wrote:

thesealocust wrote:Covington is better for regulatory lit, and Davis is better for financial lit. Apples and oranges, different cities, different industries; terrible question.

Also oddly-timed question. Clerk?

Yep.

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a clerk.

[quote="imchuckbass58"]Do you have any preferences as to long-term career path? Was there anything in particular you disliked about your summer firm? ]

OP here. Great advice. Long-term: After working in Big Law for a few years, I'd like to have a stint as an AUSA or at Main Justice, but I'd like to end up back in private practice somewhere I could make partner. I realize I'm not the first litigation-focused recent grad to come up with this plan.

I disliked the culture at my summer firm; DP and Covington fit my personality. I am indifferent between the cities (I've lived in both). I've talked to countless attorneys at DC and NY firms to get a sense of their day-to-day work, but I still have no idea what type of law I'd enjoy practicing more.

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Morning crew bump.

DPW is a better lit firm. It doesn't just do securities litigation, but also internal investigations, white collar, etc. That said, your early career responsibility and partnership prospects will be higher at Covington.

One final bump.

C'mon, dude. Seriously?

You're asking a bunch of people who've probably never worked at either firm, and who know little to nothing about you, to make a life-altering decision for you?

If you seriously are completely indifferent between both firms and cities (which, by itself, is rather hard to believe and says quite a bit about you), then pick the one with the best offices or the hottest chicks, or both.

Just FYI, Davis Polk, not "Davis." Just so you don't sound like a newbie
Not sure what you should pick for litigation.

You're asking a bunch of people who've probably never worked at either firm

You're wrong.

Sorry to hijack, OP, but can you clarify whether your clerkship started in fall 2012, and assuming you already received offers from these two firms, when you applied/interviewed? I may be interested in following your path in connection with a fall 2013 clerkship.