Mildaw or Government in DC Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just finished 1L at GW, was below median first semester and right at the median second. Finished the year with a 3.1

I expect to do at or above the median the rest of the way through school, but thats never guaranteed.

BigLaw is realistically out of the picture so I'm looking for advice on what specific practice areas I can start focusing on to give myself a fighting chance at a medium sized firm or government agency after graduation.

Any information about places to intern/classes to take/ etc. would be greatly appreciated

[zot1]

If you mean government in DC as in government honors program, most of those programs are quite competitive and require top 20-30% class standing. So this is something you'd want to keep in mind.

Local and state agencies are less competitive but you might still run into some trouble if you're just top 50%. Maybe extracurriculars, pro bono work, and continued government work through law school would help you---specially if you intern with specific agencies.

Mid-law will have a lot to do with networking. So go to all the events you can and meet people and put yourself out there. I hate networking so I don't have very much help for you there.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, thanks for the info

Any idea about what fields of law seem to be hiring at that mildaw level? I had been planning to do environmental/energy but I recently learned that there isn't as much work there as I thought

[mi-chan17]

Like the first response said, government honors programs can be tough. DOJ Honors in particular is known to be grade/rank conscious. That said, some of the non-DOJ entities will dip down to median if you have experience and demonstrated interest in their agency's subject-matter area. DOL I think has hired down near median, and I think USACE has done so, as well. Like I said, they'll both require some level of interest/knowledge regarding their niche areas of law.

For local government, it's going to come down to demonstrated interest, experience, networking, and ties. Depending on the state/locality and the agency, I think selectiveness will vary.

I think the previous poster was spot-on for midlaw.