Median at GW - which of these firms are possible? Forum

[Anonymous User]

ETA: Sorry, meant to also say this is my bid list and I have just under a year real WE and a few good legal internships/clinics under my belt (including a small law firm this summer). No journal.

Alston & Bird
Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider
Baker & McKenzie
Ballard Spahr
Bernstein Shur
Beveridge & Diamond
Bracewell & Giuliani
Bricker & Eckler
Bryan Cave
Christie Parker Hale
Clifford Chance
Dechert
Dorsey & Whitney
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Epstein Becker & Green
Foley & Lardner
Foster Pepper
Fox Rothschild
Hollingsworth
Ice Miller
Jones Day
Kelley Drye & Warren
Mayer Brown
McCandlish & Lillard
mcguirewoods
Merchant & Gould
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
MoFo
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
O'Melveny & Myers
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
Potter Anderson & Corroon
powers pyles sutter & verville
Pullman & Comley
Richards Layton & Finger
Schiff Hardin
Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker
Sidley Austin
Smith Pachter McWhorter
Thompson Coburn
Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Young Conaway Stargat & Taylor

[sambeber]

What city? DC?

[oblitigate]

Flame

[MrProhibition]

Here is initial crossing out. I'll let others talk about others.

Alston & Bird
Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider
Baker & McKenzie
Ballard Spahr
Bernstein Shur
Beveridge & Diamond
Bracewell & Giuliani
Bricker & Eckler
Bryan Cave
Christie Parker Hale
Clifford Chance
Dechert
Dorsey & Whitney
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Epstein Becker & Green
Foley & Lardner
Foster Pepper
Fox Rothschild
Hollingsworth
Ice Miller
Jones Day
Kelley Drye & Warren
Mayer Brown
McCandlish & Lillard
mcguirewoods
Merchant & Gould
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
MoFo
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
O'Melveny & Myers
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
Potter Anderson & Corroon
powers pyles sutter & verville
Pullman & Comley
Richards Layton & Finger
Schiff Hardin
Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker
Sidley Austin
Smith Pachter McWhorter
Thompson Coburn
Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Young Conaway Stargat & Taylor

[Anonymous User]

Flame

wish I was

[Anonymous User]

What city? DC?

I was going to put the cities in but they vary - DC, NY, VA, MD, DE, NJ, CT and a few random ones in MA, ME, and OH/IN. I limited DC as much as possible.

[Anonymous User]

Here is initial crossing out. I'll let others talk about others.

Alston & Bird
Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider
Baker & McKenzie
Ballard Spahr
Bernstein Shur
Beveridge & Diamond
Bracewell & Giuliani
Bricker & Eckler
Bryan Cave
Christie Parker Hale
Clifford Chance
Dechert
Dorsey & Whitney
Drinker Biddle & Reath
Epstein Becker & Green
Foley & Lardner
Foster Pepper
Fox Rothschild
Hollingsworth
Ice Miller
Jones Day
Kelley Drye & Warren
Mayer Brown
McCandlish & Lillard
McGuireWoods
Merchant & Gould
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
MoFo
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
O'Melveny & Myers
Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
Potter Anderson & Corroon
powers pyles sutter & verville
Pullman & Comley
Richards Layton & Finger
Schiff Hardin
Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker
Sidley Austin
Smith Pachter McWhorter
Thompson Coburn
Watt Tieder Hoffar & Fitzgerald
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Young Conaway Stargat & Taylor

GW alum, V50 associate, OCI interviewer here. BTW, I am answering questions in the GW-specific thread all cycle.

I added several more strikes to MrProhibition's post. The fact is, median at GW means you're virtually guaranteed not to get any biglaw offers (unless you're an engineer going into IP or have very close personal connections). You could get some interviews at the midlaw firms listed above, but offers will be difficult. To the extent that you're applying to smaller firms in smaller markets -- Hartford? Baltimore? Newark? etc. -- you may lose out to top 20% students on law reviews at local schools. Your best chances are looking for firms that currently have GW grads. See if any of them graduated without honors. Those places are at least a realistic shot for you.

[Anonymous User]

Here is initial crossing out. I'll let others talk about others.

*a much shorter list than it used to be*

GW alum, V50 associate, OCI interviewer here. BTW, I am answering questions in the GW-specific thread all cycle.

I added several more strikes to MrProhibition's post. The fact is, median at GW means you're virtually guaranteed not to get any biglaw offers (unless you're an engineer going into IP or have very close personal connections). You could get some interviews at the midlaw firms listed above, but offers will be difficult. To the extent that you're applying to smaller firms in smaller markets -- Hartford? Baltimore? Newark? etc. -- you may lose out to top 20% students on law reviews at local schools. Your best chances are looking for firms that currently have GW grads. See if any of them graduated without honors. Those places are at least a realistic shot for you.

OP here, did you happen to strike off your firm from that list haha Thank you for the reply. I'll look into that as well. What is the best way for me to get in touch with more of the mid-sized firms in other markets? mass-mail? any suggestions on what type of stuff you would want to hear in an email that would make you (as a recruiter - if you were recruiting for mid-law firms that is) want to give a median t20 student an interview? Thanks.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, did you happen to strike off your firm from that list haha Thank you for the reply. I'll look into that as well. What is the best way for me to get in touch with more of the mid-sized firms in other markets? mass-mail? any suggestions on what type of stuff you would want to hear in an email that would make you (as a recruiter - if you were recruiting for mid-law firms that is) want to give a median t20 student an interview? Thanks.

V50 alum here. To preserve anonymity, I'd rather not say if my firm was on your list or not. I will say it's very unlikely that my firm would extend you an interview. I don't mean to be harsh, and I actually don't want to discourage you from applying everywhere on this list. You never know if something on your resume will jump out at a recruiter (biglaw or otherwise), and once you get your foot in the door at an interview, anything can happen. Don't let a few people on TLS, myself included, deter you from shooting for the moon. Just be realistic in your expectations.

Here's what should drive your expectations: 22% of the GW Class of 2013 placed in the NLJ250. The way OCI works at GW is that GW Scholars are presumed to get offers, TM Scholars are a coin flip, and non-ranked students are presumed not to get offers. These presumptions are "rebuttable" in the sense that some GW Scholars with terrible social skills won't get offers, and some non-ranked students with extraordinary soft factors and interview skills will get offers. You might be in that latter camp. It's worth trying. But don't count on it.

The good thing is that midlaw hiring tends to be a little bit later than biglaw hiring. The strategies are all the same, but you can take a shot at biglaw first before midlaw really gets going. Mass mailing and networking are great strategies. There is plenty of material on this board about how to do both. Check Symplicity and other public online job sites frequently for postings, and get ready to do the Small/Medium Employer Interview Program in late Spring. Another strategy that I've seen work for some people is to take an interesting government position during 2L summer, get your GPA into the honors range, and re-apply to midsize firms as a 3L. It's a serious grind, but all you can do is hustle until you get an offer.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, did you happen to strike off your firm from that list haha Thank you for the reply. I'll look into that as well. What is the best way for me to get in touch with more of the mid-sized firms in other markets? mass-mail? any suggestions on what type of stuff you would want to hear in an email that would make you (as a recruiter - if you were recruiting for mid-law firms that is) want to give a median t20 student an interview? Thanks.

V50 alum here. To preserve anonymity, I'd rather not say if my firm was on your list or not. I will say it's very unlikely that my firm would extend you an interview. I don't mean to be harsh, and I actually don't want to discourage you from applying everywhere on this list. You never know if something on your resume will jump out at a recruiter (biglaw or otherwise), and once you get your foot in the door at an interview, anything can happen. Don't let a few people on TLS, myself included, deter you from shooting for the moon. Just be realistic in your expectations.

Here's what should drive your expectations: 22% of the GW Class of 2013 placed in the NLJ250. The way OCI works at GW is that GW Scholars are presumed to get offers, TM Scholars are a coin flip, and non-ranked students are presumed not to get offers. These presumptions are "rebuttable" in the sense that some GW Scholars with terrible social skills won't get offers, and some non-ranked students with extraordinary soft factors and interview skills will get offers. You might be in that latter camp. It's worth trying. But don't count on it.

The good thing is that midlaw hiring tends to be a little bit later than biglaw hiring. The strategies are all the same, but you can take a shot at biglaw first before midlaw really gets going. Mass mailing and networking are great strategies. There is plenty of material on this board about how to do both. Check Symplicity and other public online job sites frequently for postings, and get ready to do the Small/Medium Employer Interview Program in late Spring. Another strategy that I've seen work for some people is to take an interesting government position during 2L summer, get your GPA into the honors range, and re-apply to midsize firms as a 3L. It's a serious grind, but all you can do is hustle until you get an offer.

Thank you so much for all this info. No worries, I didn't really want you to tell me your firm, I was just trying (failing) to be funny haha. And don't worry about the discouragement, I am usually good about not letting insurmountable odds bog me down. I actually already have set up some stuff outside oci. Don't expect anything from the fairs though. Already struck out from a couple of regionals (they didn't ask for covers so probably very grade heavy criteria). I'm going to have to go mass mail route and I will be using the info you gave me, especially for the mid-law firms. Would love any more insight or help you could offer to rock the interviews I have.
If you would be willing to give more specific information/advice to my particular situation, I can give more details over email. I set up an email in case you would be willing and the address is: toplawschooladvice@yahoo.com - just reply on here and say you emailed me and i'll check it. Alternatively, you've already given me some valuable advice and I appreciate it even if I don't hear from you again. Thanks either way.