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I'm median at HLS and can't decide between NY and DC. I have listed numerous firms I am interested in in two lists. I will either be going all in for NY, going all in for DC, or mixing up the bid lists. (Yes, I know it seems strange that my options are so open at this point, but I have good personal reasons for being undecided.)

That said, I have pasted both lists below and am hoping I can get feedback. I am K-JD and, again, median at HYS. Did I list any firms I have no shot at? (Firms like Wachtell for instance.) Should I consider any firms that are missing? I have very broad and flexible practice interests. Thank you, TLS.

Bid list-DC

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
O’Melveny & Myers
paul hastings llp
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Williams & Connolly LLP
Willkie Farr & Gallgher LLP
White & Case
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton
Arnold & Porter
cooley llp
Bingham McCutchen
Baker & McKenzie
Debevoise & Plimpton
Fish & Richardson
Foley & Lardner
Covington & Burling LLP
Epstein Becker & Green
Alston & Bird
Goodwin Procter
Jones Day
Latham & Waktins LLP
McKinsey & Company
WilmerHale
Ropes & Gray
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison


Bid list—NYC

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
White & Case LLP
WilmerHale
paul hastings llp
O’Melveny & Myers
clifford chance US LLP
Shearman & Sterling LLP
Porskauer Rose LLP
goodwin procter llp
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Orrick, Herrington, & Sutcliffe LLP
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
cooley llp
clifford chance
Cahill Gordon & Reindel
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Arnold & Porter
Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
Jones Day
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

You should be in range for all of the NYC firms, maybe a struggle for S&C and Cleary but not out of reach. Good mix of more conservative and ambitious. Note that you have Orrick Herrington twice on your list.

DC will be more challenging and firms like Williams & Connoly and Covington are out. Others are grade sensitive too just less so depending on whether you're at Harvard or Yale (I'm guessing H since Y isn't really 'median' driven) might want to have a few NY in there either way. Also a few of those are IP firms: do you have patent qualifications?

I think you've set pretty reasonable firms (other than W&C).

Anonymous User wrote:You should be in range for all of the NYC firms, maybe a struggle for S&C and Cleary but not out of reach. Good mix of more conservative and ambitious. Note that you have Orrick Herrington twice on your list.

DC will be more challenging and firms like Williams & Connoly and Covington are out. Others are grade sensitive too just less so depending on whether you're at Harvard or Yale (I'm guessing H since Y isn't really 'median' driven) might want to have a few NY in there either way. Also a few of those are IP firms: do you have patent qualifications?

I think you've set pretty reasonable firms (other than W&C).

Thanks for the quick feedback. I also realized after posting this that I didn't exactly post a "bid" list, just a list of firms I am interested in. I'll be removing W&C...included it because of wishful thinking. And as for the IP firms, I have patent qualifications but not nearly as high as most others; I will be seriously thinking about whether or not to include the IP firms in the coming days (and will likely remove them).

Thanks again for the informative and kind response,

OP

Edit: So it looks like I should be confident in my NY options from what the anon above and advisors have told me. But what firms on my list do I have a good shot at in DC with median grades from HLS? Everyone talks about how competitive DC is, and it scares me off, but I would like to know if there are any options. Thanks!

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wert3813 wrote:Might get more of a response if you posted in the EIP thread that's what it is there for.

You are right. Moving this to the EIP thread. Feel free to let it die.