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I will be spending half of my summer at firm A in a non-DC market. I intend to return to firm A after graduation.

I've always wanted to live in DC, and now, I have an opportunity to do so. Between Gibson (DC) and Davis Polk (DC), were will I have a better experience if I'm primarily interested in commercial litigation? I'm indifferent about appellate and regulatory work, and I'm not interested in corporate. My goal is just to have a fun 6-8 weeks in DC. In case anyone is concerned, whether or not I'm allowed to make the split is not an issue. Thanks!

If I'm not mistaken, Davis Polk has a rather tiny DC office. It's also not got the great reputation Gibson has in D.C. for lit. At least from the people I know who did it, Gibson has a pretty fun summer program.

Both for summer enjoyment and for work after LS if firm A doesn't work, I'd pick Gibson.

Davis Polk DC is a tiny shop. Don't know too much about them beyond that, but I don't see much of any reason to go there over GDC when you're interested in lit.

ETA scooped by the above, but yes, seems like a pretty clear call.

OP here.

Thanks for the responses! Should I be concerned that Gibson DC is rather conservative if I'll only be there for a few weeks?

Anonymous User wrote:OP here.

Thanks for the responses! Should I be concerned that Gibson DC is rather conservative if I'll only be there for a few weeks?

Why would that worry you if you're only there to have fun? Even if they are slightly on the conservative side, they run their summer program like a big law firm, which means lots of cool social events and opportunities for fun. Put on top of that GDC having a stellar lit rep. in DC should be all you need to worry about.

Enjoy GDC.

UVA2B wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:OP here.

Thanks for the responses! Should I be concerned that Gibson DC is rather conservative if I'll only be there for a few weeks?

Why would that worry you if you're only there to have fun? Even if they are slightly on the conservative side, they run their summer program like a big law firm, which means lots of cool social events and opportunities for fun. Put on top of that GDC having a stellar lit rep. in DC should be all you need to worry about.

Enjoy GDC.

I'm worried that being forced to interact with attorneys and summers who are very conservative may not necessarily be "fun."

At least when I was interviewing, DP didn't even have a full summer program. They'll let you were there if you really want but there might only be 1 or 2 other summers so you'll basically be treated like first years. i.e. no fun big events planned every week.

Anonymous User wrote:

UVA2B wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:OP here.

Thanks for the responses! Should I be concerned that Gibson DC is rather conservative if I'll only be there for a few weeks?

Why would that worry you if you're only there to have fun? Even if they are slightly on the conservative side, they run their summer program like a big law firm, which means lots of cool social events and opportunities for fun. Put on top of that GDC having a stellar lit rep. in DC should be all you need to worry about.

Enjoy GDC.

I'm worried that being forced to interact with attorneys and summers who are very conservative may not necessarily be "fun."

These worries are misplaced.

I just want to say I'm surprised that GD or DP in DC is allowing splitting.

sparkytrainer wrote:I just want to say I'm surprised that GD or DP in DC is allowing splitting.

They typically don't. I'm in a unique situation.

Anonymous User wrote:

sparkytrainer wrote:I just want to say I'm surprised that GD or DP in DC is allowing splitting.

They typically don't. I'm in a unique situation.

In 2015, there were two Gibson Dunn (DC) summers who split with Kellogg, one who split with Boies, and a fourth who split with Hogan. I haven't cared enough to check since, but I'm pretty certain the office regularly allows split summers.

Between these two DC offices, choose Gibson Dunn. There are fed soc summers, but in no greater proportion than you'd typically find in law school. The "conservative" vibe doesn't extend to summers and junior associates, just the famous partners (Olson, Estrada, Scalia, etc). And most of the conservative attorneys are amazing people who aren't defined by their judicial philosophies (read: they're "fun" people).

A summer's work rarely, if ever, leans significantly in either direction on the ideological spectrum. The biggest way the conservative culture might affect your life is the expectation that you wear a full suit to work every day of the summer.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

sparkytrainer wrote:I just want to say I'm surprised that GD or DP in DC is allowing splitting.

They typically don't. I'm in a unique situation.

In 2015, there were two Gibson Dunn (DC) summers who split with Kellogg, one who split with Boies, and a fourth who split with Hogan. I haven't cared enough to check since, but I'm pretty certain the office regularly allows split summers.

Between these two DC offices, choose Gibson Dunn. There are fed soc summers, but in no greater proportion than you'd typically find in law school. The "conservative" vibe doesn't extend to summers and junior associates, just the famous partners (Olson, Estrada, Scalia, etc). And most of the conservative attorneys are amazing people who aren't defined by their judicial philosophies (read: they're "fun" people).

A summer's work rarely, if ever, leans significantly in either direction on the ideological spectrum. The biggest way the conservative culture might affect your life is the expectation that you wear a full suit to work every day of the summer.

This. I summered at Gibson and this is accurate -- it's a conservative place, sure, but there are a lot of liberal associates too. By no means will you be an outcast if you're not conservative.

Another GDC DC summer. 80% of my summer class was liberal. One of the big events of the summer was a presentation where the firm celebrated its work challenging Prop 8. Any fears that the firm is somehow in the bag for Trump are totally misplaced.

Anonymous User wrote:Any fears that the firm is somehow in the bag for Trump are totally misplaced.

Unlike some other firms that shall remain nameless

I work at GDC DC. I'm also liberal. It's not a big deal. The only time it might be an issue is if you want to work on appeals and would have a moral aversion to the side the firm was representing.

Anonymous User wrote:

UVA2B wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:OP here.

Thanks for the responses! Should I be concerned that Gibson DC is rather conservative if I'll only be there for a few weeks?

Why would that worry you if you're only there to have fun? Even if they are slightly on the conservative side, they run their summer program like a big law firm, which means lots of cool social events and opportunities for fun. Put on top of that GDC having a stellar lit rep. in DC should be all you need to worry about.

Enjoy GDC.

I'm worried that being forced to interact with attorneys and summers who are very conservative may not necessarily be "fun."

Get over it. If you can't be around people with different political views than yourself then you're in the wrong profession.

I don't even understand what liberal or conservative means in this context. All these firms represent the same kinds of companies. There's literally no meaningful difference besides which administrations the partners revolving-door into

I'm kind of bothered that someone can be so successful and still so afraid of professionally interacting with someone who doesn't share their political views.

I have a Yale friend and a Michigan friend who summered at GDC DC last year, and they're fairly conservative (i.e. FedSoc-friendly). They're also brilliant, fun, lovely people who would be good co-workers.

To the OP: If you would categorically dismiss them out of fear that "being forced to interact" with them in the workplace "may not necessarily be 'fun,'" then I'd encourage you to try to open your mind to whether someone's human decency or capacity for friendship is really contingent on their beliefs about statutory and constitutional interpretation. The world may have more to offer you than you're currently willing to entertain.

(And fwiw, one of my friends said the office was not really that conservative. Like someone else pointed out in this thread, she said that the handful of Miguel Estrada/Ted Olson figures attract some conservative summers, but like all biglaw firms, most of the lawyers are pretty progressive. Which seems to be the trend in labeling both law schools and firms — a "conservative" institution means it has a conservative presence, not majority).

OP: Grow up.

starrydreamz3 wrote:At least when I was interviewing, DP didn't even have a full summer program. They'll let you were there if you really want but there might only be 1 or 2 other summers so you'll basically be treated like first years. i.e. no fun big events planned every week.

They're planning to take 6-10 summers this year, with plans to grow that office not insubstantially in the near future.

.

Everyone seems to be assuming that OP thinks conservatives just aren't good people or fun. He's probably referring to the firm handling conservative matters, especially as to appellate practice, and whether that'll cause cognitive dissonance for him or something along those lines.

Op don't let these folks guilt you into thinking you're wrong for feeling strongly about political views. a lot of these folks are insulated from the very real impact politics has on life.


That said...if you're the kind of person who does care that deeply, you won't be happy at biglaw I predict

OP here.

Thanks for the responses (and overblown allegations lol), all of which I've seriously considered. I'll likely be choosing Gibson (DC).