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I'm pretty sure I want to do Litigation but probably couldn't say I want to do it 100%. That is really just due to hearing a bunch of stories from attorneys that thought the were 100% litigation but ultimately found their love in another practice area.

I would like to maximize optionality going forward. Also care a little too much about prestige. I really liked the people at both.

Covington does some cool work in a small area that I'm interested in but not sure how wise it would be to bet on this. The fact that I can try out some corporate & reg work there is appealing.

W&C is the go-to Lit shop in DC and I'm sure I'd love working in litigation.

Anyway, TLS braintrust, let your takes fly.

Covington is much better for maintaining practice area optionality, obviously, and imo that should be important.

If you do end up as a litigator, you will work a ton at both places. At W&C the teams will probably be a bit smaller and you will likely get somewhat more good experience. I’m not sure how the W&C pay scale has adapted with recent changes, but last I checked you will make significantly less there, especially as a midlevel.

All in all, I would pick Covington if I thought there was a good chance I would end up doing regulatory work (and you should absolutely try it, it’s much better than litigation), and W&C if I was very confident I wanted to be a litigator. (But that second point depends on how big the financial gap is, if it even still exists.)

W&C pays below market so go to Covington

/thread

Assuming you're a potential summer, if all you're worried about is money (which it sounds like you're not), go to W&C this summer (12 weeks at pro rated 220k base is more than you'll make anywhere else).

For maximum prestige/optionality (of outcomes), I'd also choose W&C--my sense is it's easier to get Covington in the future after having turned them down than W&C.

If you want to try your hand at a range of options like different regulatory practices in addition to litigation, then go to Covington. (Note, that's also a summer-specific suggestion--I *think* Covington has practice groups, so you'd have more ability to try out the range of options at W&C as an associate, albeit not agency-facing regulatory work because that doesn't exist there.)

Both are great firms. They tend to attract somewhat different lawyers (not just in practice area but in personality). Don't be afraid to ask for a second look if still deciding (some firms are even offering those in person). Also, if you're a potential summer, I'd ask the summers from your school how they enjoyed it.

But there's no wrong option between the two firms.

OP here, would love more opinions

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:20 pm

OP here, would love more opinions

Covington gives more flexibility, both in practice area and type of work (e.g., regulatory). It also pays market, which W&C does not after the first couple of years from what I understand. W&C's litigation is generally stronger than Covington's, but Covington does have some litigation practices that are #1/top band (government contracts, CFIUS, insurance prosecution, etc.). There is also a significant amount of cross-pollination between regulatory teams and litigation teams that operate in those spaces (so a regulatory lawyer may advise a litigation team if the case involves that area of law). Covington has offices in different cities/countries, if that could matter down the road.

Both have great reputations. Covington is easier to lateral into than W&C, but that may not be a consideration for you.

Reading the above responses, I think they honestly cover all the main points given your stated considerations. What is giving you pause? It seems like you just need to decide whether you are willing to go all-in on lit or not.

Based on your offers I assume you are in a good position to clerk. Do you want to clerk straight after or soon after graduating? If so maybe you could summer at W&C or spend just a year at W&C and then go somewhere else if it ends up that you aren't a fan of going all in lit.