W&C v Gibson (DC) v Sidley (DC) Forum

[Anonymous User]

I’m lucky to be weighing offers from some great DC firms. I’m interested in appeals work, but not 100% committed to it. Also interested in general litigation.

I’m torn. I think Williams & Connolly is the best for general litigation, Gibson is the best for appeals work, and I loved the people / culture at Sidley. The prestige at W&C is a plus for them, but I’m wary of their below-market compensation.

I’m unsure whether I want to be in biglaw long term, so exit opportunities are important.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

[JFrench]

I’m also a 2L FWIW, but I would choose W&C. You likely won’t get another bite at the apple; and if you get the type of clerkship that makes you competitive for appellate work, then you’ll be able to switch firms after your clerkship should you not want to return to W&C.

[Anonymous User]

This is the OP. Would any of the voters mind sharing their reasoning? It would be good to know if there are any factors I haven't yet thought about. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Prestige aside...if you loved the people and culture at Sidley maybe pick them. This goes farther than you may think. Great to have prestige but enjoying where you do your time is better.

[Anonymous User]

Per a good friend who made a similar choice: Choose W&C. It is a nice prestige bump and you are a hugely competitive DC lateral candidate with W&C (and a clerkship, which I assume most W&C candidates have) on your resume, whereas you can't lateral into W&C. I can't speak to DC, but she was convinced that W&C > basically anywhere else in DC except for Kellogg as a mark of prestige. The W&C network is also quite helpful, again per her.

[Anonymous User]

Williams & Connolly. the combination of the free market system and one office will allow you to truly work on a wide variety of cases, and then pick what you like the best and focus on it (say, appellate work). Not as easy at the DC office of a California firm.

The prestige bump is also pretty significant. I've had more than one judge comment on the quality of the firm in a clerkship interview. It's much easier to spend a summer at W&C and go elsewhere than vice versa.

[hdivschool]

I'd probably choose W&C for the same reasons that above posters have mentioned. The pay difference is a big issue, but my understanding is that there is not a significant difference until you are more senior, which shouldn't matter if you don't intend to stay for that long.

FYI, You can't count on doing appellate work at any of these places, and it is not easy to lateral into any elite DC firm, absent a speciality that is in demand.