Targeting NY/LA/DC for White-Collar. Remotely Advisable? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm top 20-30% at CLS. I want to do white collar work, ideally become an AUSA someday. Will not find out about journals for a while. The problem's that I'm torn between NY, LA (where I grew up), and DC (where I worked for a year and a half but no other ties).

Can I do it? I'm thinking of 20 NY firms, 4-5 LA firms, and 4-5 DC firms. I'd be happy with a good firm in either of the cities, I'm hoping to base my choice more on opportunities at the firm than anything geographic past what I've already limited. I know the firms I've selected in the non-NY cities are brutal and I may not get them, and certainly not expect to, but if I want white-collar I think those are the couple I may be able to get that could offer me comparable opportunities to what I can get in NY. I don't think I'm interested in Manatt or OMM, etc. for white-collar.

Los Angeles
Gibson Dunn
Latham
Skadden
Irell
(No MTO because I don't think I qualify. If I get LR, I think I'll bid.)

Washington, DC
WilmerHale
Skadden
hogan lovells
Kirkland & Ellis
(I think Covington's out, and probably Wilmer too, as in not even reaches. Worth a shot?)

I know much less about DC than I do CA. Is there anything I do have a good shot at? I know Sidley and A&P are equally competitive as some of the other top DC firms, but again, my focus is on a long-term career... I'd be happy to stay in NY if I thought my best shot of getting good criminal defense work was there. A great white-collar place in NY's probably easier than landing any of the DC firms listed, I suspect.

Also, what happens if I bid two separate offices of the same firm, i.e. Skadden for starters? Will I get called out? Do I need to prepare an answer for that?

More than anything, please let em know if I've missed crucial firms I may be competitive for. Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

Anything at all helps! - OP

[m079]

You might want to consider Akin Gump in DC for white collar crime. (They represented Raj Rajaratnam, if I remember correctly.) I think they hire more DC SAs than a lot of the DC firms since DC is their biggest office.

[Anonymous User]

If you're willing to do SF instead of LA, look at Keker, though that might be mission impossible with your grades.

[NYSprague]

How large are the white collar practices at these firms? Are you sure you aren't being too restrictive in your search?

[rayiner]

How large are the white collar practices at these firms? Are you sure you aren't being too restrictive in your search?

Top 30% at CLS is not secure enough to bid so aggressively in three markets. I'd forget about LA, cover your V25 bases in NYC, then bid DC firms where you can fit them in. All of the DC ones you mentioned are doable, but reaches.

[Anonymous User]

If you're willing to do SF instead of LA, look at Keker, though that might be mission impossible with your grades.

I thought the same way. I'll try to mass mail, maybe, I can do that at no extra cost.

How large are the white collar practices at these firms? Are you sure you aren't being too restrictive in your search?

Large enough that there's a good stream of quality work, though I definitely may be too restrictive. I was hoping I could cover the board on New York white-collar, and the 5-10 non-NY firms from the first post'd be alternates that I'd be happy to go to.

How large are the white collar practices at these firms? Are you sure you aren't being too restrictive in your search?

Top 30% at CLS is not secure enough to bid so aggressively in three markets. I'd forget about LA, cover your V25 bases in NYC, then bid DC firms where you can fit them in. All of the DC ones you mentioned are doable, but reaches.

Got it. The few DC firms I mentioned (plus maybe Akin Gump, as an earlier poster mentioned) are probably the few I'll stick to bidding, since I'm not married so much to the location as I am to its firms. I don't mind which of the three cities I end up in as long as the firm does solid white-collar work.

Would you say LA's still out? Is 21-22 bids enough to spread myself over the New York firms well enough?

If I somehow make Law Review, what changes?

[Tiago Splitter]

Large enough that there's a good stream of quality work, though I definitely may be too restrictive. I was hoping I could cover the board on New York white-collar, and the 5-10 non-NY firms from the first post'd be alternates that I'd be happy to go to.

I don't know a lot about white collar options, but the big NYC offices tend to be gone in the first 10-15 bids, and places like Sidley, Kirkland, and Shearman need to go in the top 3-4. You'll be fine if you're getting these DC and LA offices with bids in the 20's or in add/drop, but if you have to use up spots in the top 15 for non-NYC you might need to re-think your strategy.

The truth is you're better off using those spots in the second half of your bid list on offices outside of NYC, but there is a lot of random fluctuation from year to year with some of the smaller offices. If you really want to land Skadden LA, for example, you might have to bid it in the top half, and that might cost you too many other interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Large enough that there's a good stream of quality work, though I definitely may be too restrictive. I was hoping I could cover the board on New York white-collar, and the 5-10 non-NY firms from the first post'd be alternates that I'd be happy to go to.

I don't know a lot about white collar options, but the big NYC offices tend to be gone in the first 10-15 bids, and places like Sidley, Kirkland, and Shearman need to go in the top 3-4. You'll be fine if you're getting these DC and LA offices with bids in the 20's or in add/drop, but if you have to use up spots in the top 15 for non-NYC you might need to re-think your strategy.

The truth is you're better off using those spots in the second half of your bid list on offices outside of NYC, but there is a lot of random fluctuation from year to year with some of the smaller offices. If you really want to land Skadden LA, for example, you might have to bid it in the top half, and that might cost you too many other interviews.

Thanks for this. That's a really good point.

The New York firms I want to make sure I get by bidding:
Akin Gump
Cleary
Covington (NY)
Davis Polk
Debevoise
Gibson Dunn
Kramer Levin
Latham
Paul Weiss
Skadden
SullCrom...?

Cravath's out, and Kirkland doesn't really do white-collar. I haven't made a bid list yet, but hopefully I won't have too much that I'll have to bid top 5, like Shearman, Kirkland, or Proskauer. Skadden I'll probably have to throw up there and I don't know much about Sidley yet.

Will think this over...

[dixiecupdrinking]

I agree that you should forget LA. And I wouldn't sell yourself short on Covington or Wilmer DC or W&C for that matter. Not super likely but worth bids.

[2014]

Most big firms send different interviewers for each office so it won't be an auto-ding, but be careful about what you say when asked "Are you only bidding DC or......?" because those can/will most likely be corroborated. If there is an office you want way more than the other, I'd consider dropping the less desired one since bidding on 2 offices is at best a neutral and could be a negative to some firms/interviewers.

[EijiMiyake]

Kirkland may have a much stronger WCC practice by the time you graduate given the relatively recent hiring of Khuzami.

BTW, clerking is highly desired by USAOs in major cities - so you may want to think about how to position yourself for that process. Obviously people make it in without clerking but it's rare. I would also think about exploring your options with some of the white collar boutiques in NY or DC - Morvillo Abramowitz, Lankler Siffert Wohl, Kostelanetz - they occasionally have summer programs and hire right out of school (but I think they also hire mostly clerks).