DC market especially though this year? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I know DC is a very hard market to break into in the best of years. This year seems to be even tougher. At my CCN, I know of many students who have struggled to get DC CBs, while having top grades and all the other trappings. Have people from other schools found this to be an especially tough DC year as well? Mostly just a curiosity at this point, but I figured I would throw the question out there.

[ExpOriental]

Impressively poor choice of words for that title

[Anonymous User]

Impressively poor choice of words for that title

Oh Lord. Thanks for telling me. I guess my brain is fried.

[Anonymous User]

Impressively poor choice of words for that title

Oh Lord. Thanks for telling me. I guess my brain is fried.

[Anonymous User]

DC’s hard every year, I know at least three people who will graduate with law review board + high honors + a COA clerkship at Chicago who came one offer away from striking out. They all ended up at top DC firms too, not weirdos or anything, it’s just hard.

[Anonymous User]

I was top 20% at a bottom half T-14 with law review and I got one offer from one of the “good” DC firms that isn’t either less respected or a total satellite. It’s easy not to realize how small DC offices are compared to NY. Lots of DC summer classes are in the teens and if you’re outside of the T6/GULC your school is sending about one person per year. If you aren’t T-14 or GW and are trying to get DC you’re going to have to pound the ground.

[Anonymous User]

Lots of DC summer classes are in the teens and if you’re outside of the T6/GULC your school is sending about one person per year.

You’re right in general, but you should add UVA to your exceptions list - they send plenty of people to DC BigLaw too.

[Anonymous User]

I was top 20% at a bottom half T-14 with law review and I got one offer from one of the “good” DC firms that isn’t either less respected or a total satellite. It’s easy not to realize how small DC offices are compared to NY. Lots of DC summer classes are in the teens and if you’re outside of the T6/GULC your school is sending about one person per year. If you aren’t T-14 or GW and are trying to get DC you’re going to have to pound the ground.

What exactly do you mean by less respected or "total" satellite? How do you make that distinction?

I'm curious if people that think they're striking out on DC only tried for tippy top DC firms or if they dipped in lower into the rankings/prestige for screeners.

[Anonymous User]

I was top 20% at a bottom half T-14 with law review and I got one offer from one of the “good” DC firms that isn’t either less respected or a total satellite. It’s easy not to realize how small DC offices are compared to NY. Lots of DC summer classes are in the teens and if you’re outside of the T6/GULC your school is sending about one person per year. If you aren’t T-14 or GW and are trying to get DC you’re going to have to pound the ground.

What exactly do you mean by less respected or "total" satellite? How do you make that distinction?

I'm curious if people that think they're striking out on DC only tried for tippy top DC firms or if they dipped in lower into the rankings/prestige for screeners.

Not the same anon as above, but I'm an associate at one of the "good" DC firms they were referring to. The "total" satellite is likely referring to big-name NYC firms that don't have a significant DC presence. For example, Cleary's DC office is almost exclusively an antitrust practice group, and they take very few summers. And DPW has a tiny presence in DC. Both of those firms hire huge NYC classes, but they will be much more selective (and in weirdly idiosyncratic ways that aren't all about grades/journals) about hiring associates into their DC locations.

[Anonymous User]

I was top 20% at a bottom half T-14 with law review and I got one offer from one of the “good” DC firms that isn’t either less respected or a total satellite. It’s easy not to realize how small DC offices are compared to NY. Lots of DC summer classes are in the teens and if you’re outside of the T6/GULC your school is sending about one person per year. If you aren’t T-14 or GW and are trying to get DC you’re going to have to pound the ground.

What exactly do you mean by less respected or "total" satellite? How do you make that distinction?

I'm curious if people that think they're striking out on DC only tried for tippy top DC firms or if they dipped in lower into the rankings/prestige for screeners.

Not the same anon as above, but I'm an associate at one of the "good" DC firms they were referring to. The "total" satellite is likely referring to big-name NYC firms that don't have a significant DC presence. For example, Cleary's DC office is almost exclusively an antitrust practice group, and they take very few summers. And DPW has a tiny presence in DC. Both of those firms hire huge NYC classes, but they will be much more selective (and in weirdly idiosyncratic ways that aren't all about grades/journals) about hiring associates into their DC locations.

Thanks for answering! Do you think it's somehow a bad career move to take an offer from one of those smaller DC offices of big-name NYC firms like Cleary/DPW or say a Magic Circle firm?

Despite how desirable and competitive people see DC, I still get the sense on TLS that many at top schools still only consider the top DC firms to be worth going to.

[Elston Gunn]

Thanks for answering! Do you think it's somehow a bad career move to take an offer from one of those smaller DC offices of big-name NYC firms like Cleary/DPW or say a Magic Circle firm?

Despite how desirable and competitive people see DC, I still get the sense on TLS that many at top schools still only consider the top DC firms to be worth going to.

Also previously worked at one of the “good” DC firms. I think to answer the question, we need to know why you want to be in DC, what your career goals are, and what kind of work the particular DC offices you have offers at do.

If you want to be in DC for family reasons and want to do general commercial lit, then, yeah, you’ll be fine going to Mayer Brown or whatever (not that I consider MB DC a lesser firm or anything, my understanding is just that they don’t have a traditional DC practice outside a hard-to-get appellate group). Or if you want to do antitrust and you have an offer from Cleary DC, that’s wonderful.

But if you're indifferent between NY and DC, and you, say, have offers at the equivalent of both Fried Frank NY and Fried Frank DC—which are probably in the same ballpark of selectivity—I think you’re probably better off being at the NY office. Or if the thing that attracts you to DC is regulatory or other government-facing work, make sure the firm you have an offer at actually does that work before going there. The problem with the satellites isn’t a lack of prestige, but just that you may get pigeonholed into whatever random practice that office specializes in.