Any insight on Steptoe DC? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Median applicant from T14. My partner works in DC area, so heavily targeting DC firms. They also are strong (according to chambers) in my desired practice areas.

my stats are not looking great for their firm based on law school’s database. They were one of the only DC firms that invited me to a callback. I’m excited but would be curious to know
1.) reputation (does it make sense to take them IF i get an offer over some v20 pre-OCI offers in NY (think debevoise, sidley, skadden)
2.) what is the grade selectiveness for the firm according to your schools database?

[Anonymous User]

They don't seem that selective but they also have tiny summer classes. I know they have strong regulatory practices in a couple of areas, and unlike other regulatory-focused firms in DC (eg Crowell, Wiley) they pay market. While overall I don't think they're on par with the likes of Covington, Wilmer or Hogan, that probably matters a lot less if you end up in their strongest practices.

I can't tell you more without knowing what your practice area of interest is or your long term goals.

[Anonymous User]

Most of the current associates from Columbia were Stone scholars based off their website so take that as you will. But if you got a callback, I’d forget about that.

[Anonymous User]

What group? Some of Steptoe's practices are at a different level. They have a phenomenal tax practice, for example.

(I am a biglaw tax partner but not at Steptoe.)

[Anonymous User]

OP here: International Trade/WTO law. Also interested in international tax or white collar. Just did a search and found some recent trade threads- apologies. Seems like trade is more popular nowadays. Though I’m still curious about grades.

[Anonymous User]

OP here: International Trade/WTO law. Also interested in international tax or white collar. Just did a search and found some recent trade threads- apologies. Seems like trade is more popular nowadays. Though I’m still curious about grades.

Same tax partner anon as above. There is no such thing as an "international tax" position. Just as a gentle FYI. At the accounting firms you can specialize in the application of the US rules to multinational groups, but tax people at law firms do not hyper-specialize in that way. You'll deal with those rules in any biglaw tax practice but, at the end of the day, the only meaningful tax practice distinctions in the law firm are are transactional assistance (what the vast majority of places focus on), controversy, and transaction planning (very few law firms have any meaningful footprint here, Steptoe does some of it, Baker is the law firm that does the most of it, it's more in the account firms' realm).

[mvp99]

From what I recall they have a strong lobbying practice whatever that entails

[Anonymous User]

I worked there a few years ago -

It's a great firm. For certain practice areas (export control, tax, etc) as other posters have said, you can't get better in DC. Would not be silly to take Steptoe over a generic NYC V20 if you want one of those practice groups.

The people are also really nice. Very mild-mannered, smart people. The office is very nice (really cool art collection) and in a good location.

[CLS2023A]

Most of the current associates from Columbia were Stone scholars based off their website so take that as you will. But if you got a callback, I’d forget about that.

Columbia rising 3L here. Minor technicality - it's much easier to get Stone as a 2L/3L (take bullshit seminars, write your Note for a grade and get an A, more generous curve etc.) so plenty of people who didn't get honors in 1L get them in 2L/3L and then you're Stone Scholar forever for your law firm bio lol. It's gotten so out of hand and "honors" have lost their true meaning that the faculty is reviewing a proposal to tighten the number of upper-year students who get honors (and rename them too, but I digress). Though I know DC is super competitive and it's highly likely these associates made Stone/Kent honors as 1Ls anyway.

[Anonymous User]

I don’t work there but have known a number of people who do/did. Steptoe has always struck me as underrated. The people I knew got good experience, and my sense is that it’s got a good culture, for whatever that’s worth.

[Anonymous User]

OP here: International Trade/WTO law. Also interested in international tax or white collar. Just did a search and found some recent trade threads- apologies. Seems like trade is more popular nowadays. Though I’m still curious about grades.

WTO law really isn't all that popular nowadays since the death of the appellate body, but having worked in DC trade Steptoe's WTO lit practice is quite well regarded - maybe not as good as Sidley which is probably the top but still up there. But outside of WTO, they're still very good in the other aspects of trade. If you want them for trade you can't go wrong.

[Anonymous User]

I get the sense that people who go to Steptoe are more intentional about their OCI process. They don't care about vault rankings or being able to tell classmates they got offers from Skadden or Simpson or whatever other generic NY law (coming from someone who just lateralled out of one of those to a v100). They either go because they want a particular practice group, or really like the culture/not-sweatshoppy feel. If it's anything like my current firm, I'm sure some didn't have the grades for "bigger name" DC firms, and I'm sure others did. Either way, you want to be above median for DC pretty much no matter where you go.

[Anonymous User]

As close to a good QOL firm you'll get in biglaw