Best DC Firms w/Trial Practices Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am deciding between DC firms and want to ensure I am at a place where I have access to trials. Can anyone speak to trial opportunities at firms like Covington, Hogan, Skadden, W&C, K&E, A&P, Cleary, Akin, Ropes & Gray, MoFo, Paul Hastings, Weil, Cooley, Perkins, etc.? Trying to get a general survey of some of the top firms.

[Anonymous User]

W&C is likely the best of the firms you've listed in D.C. for trial practice, although there are the lit boutiques (Wilkinson Walsh is a good example) that are probably better.

[Anonymous User]

W&C is likely the best of the firms you've listed in D.C. for trial practice, although there are the lit boutiques (Wilkinson Walsh is a good example) that are probably better.

Thank you! What is in the next tier? I don't think I am likely to get an offer from W&C based off my grades - OCI is ongoing so one can wish, but trying to be realistic.

[seraph9]

W&C is likely the best of the firms you've listed in D.C. for trial practice, although there are the lit boutiques (Wilkinson Walsh is a good example) that are probably better.

Thank you! What is in the next tier? I don't think I am likely to get an offer from W&C based off my grades - OCI is ongoing so one can wish, but trying to be realistic.

I think K&E is probably second best after W&C, but honestly, most big law firms go to trial incredibly rarely so it is very hard to say.

[Anonymous User]

I am deciding between DC firms and want to ensure I am at a place where I have access to trials. Can anyone speak to trial opportunities at firms like Covington, Hogan, Skadden, W&C, K&E, A&P, Cleary, Akin, Ropes & Gray, MoFo, Paul Hastings, Weil, Cooley, Perkins, etc.? Trying to get a general survey of some of the top firms.

Are you not considering Wilmer or Gibson because of grade selectivity or something? They are both undeniably at the very top of the lit market in DC.

In my mind - and I'm at one of the firms listed - the top 1(a) tier of DC lit firms is, in no particular order: Connolly, Kirkland, Gibson, Wilmer, Covington. Within that tier, there is no question that Connolly will give you the best trial (incl. early stand-up) experience. That is what they are known for, and they deserve their rep. The rest are all broadly similar in that they generally have a range of lit work including top-notch trial work, investigations, and appellate (except Cov, they really don't do high-quality appeals work). Wilmer and Covington skew more regulatory + investigations than trial though, so Gibson / Kirkland might get the edge if you're really looking for trial work. Gibson probably with the edge in work/mentorship/rep over K&E.

The next 1(b) tier is: Sidley, Hogan, Skadden, A&P. I don't know much about specifically trial - versus general lit - at most of these firms. Skadden has been building its DC office and does mostly general commercial (less regulatory/appellate outside of Political Law + energy than peers) so that's probably a great option. Sidley has a really solid lit practice - particularly appellate - but I know they have excellent trial work. Hogan has been sliding a lot recently in terms of lit rep/work, and people talk about financial trouble at the firm; but they still have a good legacy rep and some solid partners. A&P is massive, and they have some solid work - a good option.

Everyone else listed is pretty far down in the DC world at least where I come from. Ropes and Akin probably have the best rep of the remaining firms unless you really want to work for the DNC/in left-leaning political law, in which case Perkins Coie and the absolute killer Marc Elias would be your best pick. I didn't even know most of the rest had DC offices...

[Anonymous User]

Latham DC has some trial lawyers, like Abid Qureshi, but like at most biglaw firms, trials are very much the exception. Trials are like appeals in that if you really want to do them, you should probably go to a smaller firm, smaller market, or government. You're probably best-served at a boutique like Kellogg Hansen or Wilkinson Walsh (if it's stable) if you're competitive for them.

[Anonymous User]

This sounds mostly right. I wouldn't bank on doing many trials, and certainly wouldn't bank on getting any stand up experience at a trial until you're partner. None of these large firms are sending 3rd or 4th year associates to do depositions on paid matters, let alone examine witnesses in federal court.

Regarding Williams & Connolly: I had several friends who worked there while I was in DC Big Law and, while it's a good firm, the upside isn't what it's cracked up to be. 20 years ago it was like Quinn -- a place where junior lawyers got to do more than their peers in Big Law. Now, I gather it's more like the other Big Law firms (with even more insane hours). Perhaps the people I talked to had bad experiences, or weird cases, but none of them got close to a courtroom. Instead they got a few hundred more hours of document review or depo prep for roughly equivalent pay. It's still a great firm, great exit options, etc. But if your aim is to trade lifestyle for stand up experience, I don't think W&C is going to get you there. These days, you need to be a true boutique to do that as an associate.