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Anonymous User wrote:Have an honest conversation about the strength and weaknesses of your resume with career services, and use the data Kevin Donovan sent you on your band's placement at DC firms the past two years instead of relying on we TLS anons.

That being said, I know people in my class (rising 3L) below median who got DC biglaw jobs. Work experience, URM status, and networking ability will all help you. If you are in DC this summer go to every firm event possible. Find UVA alums at firms the band data tells you are realistic targets, and ask them to coffee. If you're not in DC, make email contact with these people. Follow the bid strategy career services will give you at webinars: sprinkle in the non-top-tier DC firms with big summer classes with a healthy amount of NY and other firms. If you're interested in NY, you will have a good shot at the firms with big classes there assuming you can interview well. Look at firms in NoVa as well. For secondary markets, consider places you have ties as well as any southeastern markets (since UVA places well in just about all of them) where you could see yourself happy. Remember that you'll also get supplemental bids that can be used anywhere except DC/NY.

Br3v wrote:If you want to just maximize your chances at BL, I would do almost all NY bids (with secondary markets you have ties to) and then hustle to pick up mass mail/vacant interview slots for DC. You are right 3.2 for DC is going to be a little low, but you have WE which helps some.

If you heart is set on DC though, I think that matters, and would say that a 35/15 split is a good call.

Take advantage of all the help career services provides. Have them look over your bids, do mock interviews, solid resume, etc.

Anonymous User wrote:

Br3v wrote:If you want to just maximize your chances at BL, I would do almost all NY bids (with secondary markets you have ties to) and then hustle to pick up mass mail/vacant interview slots for DC. You are right 3.2 for DC is going to be a little low, but you have WE which helps some.

If you heart is set on DC though, I think that matters, and would say that a 35/15 split is a good call.

Take advantage of all the help career services provides. Have them look over your bids, do mock interviews, solid resume, etc.

Thanks for the advice here. Yeah, it's a tough call. I think NY is much more doable with 3.2. However, DC is where I want to be. I'd rather have a job somewhere, anywhere, than no offer though. From your experience, how much would WE help? Again, nothing phenomenal. Just some unrelated office gig for three years.

Br3v wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Br3v wrote:If you want to just maximize your chances at BL, I would do almost all NY bids (with secondary markets you have ties to) and then hustle to pick up mass mail/vacant interview slots for DC. You are right 3.2 for DC is going to be a little low, but you have WE which helps some.

If you heart is set on DC though, I think that matters, and would say that a 35/15 split is a good call.

Take advantage of all the help career services provides. Have them look over your bids, do mock interviews, solid resume, etc.

Thanks for the advice here. Yeah, it's a tough call. I think NY is much more doable with 3.2. However, DC is where I want to be. I'd rather have a job somewhere, anywhere, than no offer though. From your experience, how much would WE help? Again, nothing phenomenal. Just some unrelated office gig for three years.

I think firms like WE a lot actually. Hard to quantify though. I would totally be mass-emailing DC firms though, and working the lunch rooms at OGI/vacant interview slots.

North wrote:Just throw Covington somewhere near the bottom of your bid list and you'll be fine

Emma. wrote:

North wrote:Just throw Covington somewhere near the bottom of your bid list and you'll be fine

Anonymous User wrote:

Br3v wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Br3v wrote:If you want to just maximize your chances at BL, I would do almost all NY bids (with secondary markets you have ties to) and then hustle to pick up mass mail/vacant interview slots for DC. You are right 3.2 for DC is going to be a little low, but you have WE which helps some.

If you heart is set on DC though, I think that matters, and would say that a 35/15 split is a good call.

Take advantage of all the help career services provides. Have them look over your bids, do mock interviews, solid resume, etc.

Thanks for the advice here. Yeah, it's a tough call. I think NY is much more doable with 3.2. However, DC is where I want to be. I'd rather have a job somewhere, anywhere, than no offer though. From your experience, how much would WE help? Again, nothing phenomenal. Just some unrelated office gig for three years.

I think firms like WE a lot actually. Hard to quantify though. I would totally be mass-emailing DC firms though, and working the lunch rooms at OGI/vacant interview slots.

That's good to hear. Question about mass-emailing. So I understand that I should absolutely mass mail these firms. Is right now a good time to start? Or wait until July or so?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Have an honest conversation about the strength and weaknesses of your resume with career services, and use the data Kevin Donovan sent you on your band's placement at DC firms the past two years instead of relying on we TLS anons.

That being said, I know people in my class (rising 3L) below median who got DC biglaw jobs. Work experience, URM status, and networking ability will all help you. If you are in DC this summer go to every firm event possible. Find UVA alums at firms the band data tells you are realistic targets, and ask them to coffee. If you're not in DC, make email contact with these people. Follow the bid strategy career services will give you at webinars: sprinkle in the non-top-tier DC firms with big summer classes with a healthy amount of NY and other firms. If you're interested in NY, you will have a good shot at the firms with big classes there assuming you can interview well. Look at firms in NoVa as well. For secondary markets, consider places you have ties as well as any southeastern markets (since UVA places well in just about all of them) where you could see yourself happy. Remember that you'll also get supplemental bids that can be used anywhere except DC/NY.

Thanks for this! Yeah, as long as the general advice is that I'm not wasting my bids by going anywhere near DC, I'm planning to give it a shot by doing 35 NY-15 DC mix-and-match. I'm just afraid that 3.2 is way too low for DC, and I'd hate to waste my bids knowing that I'm already facing an uphill climb. Not sure how well I interview, but I have a few years of experience in the private sector (nothing amazing), so hopefully that'll help.

Anonymous User wrote:

Emma. wrote:

North wrote:Just throw Covington somewhere near the bottom of your bid list and you'll be fine

LOL, I have no shot at Covington.