How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia Forum

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TheNavigator

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How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by TheNavigator » Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:07 pm

How difficult would it be to land D.C. biglaw from Columbia at or around median? I’m interested in international trade, so particularly wondering about the likes of Hogan Lovells, Sidley, and Steptoe.

Thanks!

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:09 am

Can't speak to those individual firms or to international trade practices, but 1) Neither Hogan nor Sidley did EIP for their DC office this year, 2) Conventional wisdom is that DC at median is a pretty big reach and even at low/mid Stone is far from a safe bet.
Don't count yourself out entirely if you have a specific reason to be there and have great experience in your niche (i.e. something more than just being interested), just don't count on it. And again - not sure at all how selective those firms or practice groups are which is all that really matters, so any advice on DC as a whole may be pretty limited.

All that said - take advantage of applying to DC firms ahead of EIP (esp. those that don't come anyway) so that if nothing pans out you can focus bidding on NYC (or wherever else) and make sure you land *a* job.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:33 am

New_Englander wrote:
Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:07 pm
How difficult would it be to land D.C. biglaw from Columbia at or around median? I’m interested in international trade, so particularly wondering about the likes of Hogan Lovells, Sidley, and Steptoe.

Thanks!
I went to NYU and got the sense that everyone who landed DC BL was either from the DMV area or vaguely well connected.

Out of my five callbacks, one was for a DC firm. I had spent two semesters interning in DC. Everyone I spoke with, partners and associates. was unusually hostile toward me. IDK.

Have very high grades and some ties to the area, I'd say.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by TheNavigator » Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:36 pm

Thank you both, I’ll definitely try my hardest to get DC but I will be sure to bid heavily in other markets as well.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:35 am

New_Englander wrote:
Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:36 pm
Thank you both, I’ll definitely try my hardest to get DC but I will be sure to bid heavily in other markets as well.
Are you even a 1L or are you still deciding on a school? If you are a 0L, don't worry about this at all and focus on enjoying life before 1L. Answering the question though for posterity, if you aren't a URM, you'd need to be Kent or very-high Stone to have a decent shot, and even that isn't remotely a guarantee.

Additionally, International Law isn't really a thing in DC, as you'll quickly learn in law school. International Trade law is a super niche practice.

From the DC guide, "International Law is not a practice area in DC law firms. The firm’s clients may be international, or the matters they handle may have international issues, but international law is not—in itself—a practice area. Instead, for example, you will find corporate attorneys who handle cross-border transactions, project finance for international clients, or litigators who
focus on international trade disputes. Similarly, international clients do not automatically mean
an international law practice."

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by TheNavigator » Fri Mar 11, 2022 12:35 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:35 am
New_Englander wrote:
Fri Mar 04, 2022 6:36 pm
Thank you both, I’ll definitely try my hardest to get DC but I will be sure to bid heavily in other markets as well.
Are you even a 1L or are you still deciding on a school? If you are a 0L, don't worry about this at all and focus on enjoying life before 1L.
I am an 0L trying to decide on a school, my apologies if I was misleading. I’ll certainly try to enjoy life before starting in the fall, hopefully it will be easier once I have a decision made. It seems from your post and everything else I have heard that DC will be difficult regardless of where I attend.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:41 am

Not OP, but I have a related question.

How much can soft factors help? Post-1L GPA at CLS is 3.23 (how bad is this?). I already have a foreign law degree, am fluent in a globally relevant second language, and am interested in a practice area that is generally considered "hot" and DC-centric. Also have relevant (though non-legal) prior work experience in this field. I can also check one of the diversity boxes firms ask about (though not race/ethnicity-based URM).

Any insights as to whether these soft factors could move the needle in my favor at all?

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:30 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:41 am
Not OP, but I have a related question.

How much can soft factors help? Post-1L GPA at CLS is 3.23 (how bad is this?). I already have a foreign law degree, am fluent in a globally relevant second language, and am interested in a practice area that is generally considered "hot" and DC-centric. Also have relevant (though non-legal) prior work experience in this field. I can also check one of the diversity boxes firms ask about (though not race/ethnicity-based URM).

Any insights as to whether these soft factors could move the needle in my favor at all?
Your grades aren't good enough for the selective DC biglaw firms. Your soft factors would help if you were a borderline case in terms of grades but you are lower than borderline. No harm in applying though. If you apply everywhere, you'll probably land at some place that you don't hate. Down the road, you can lateral.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:57 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:30 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:41 am
Not OP, but I have a related question.

How much can soft factors help? Post-1L GPA at CLS is 3.23 (how bad is this?). I already have a foreign law degree, am fluent in a globally relevant second language, and am interested in a practice area that is generally considered "hot" and DC-centric. Also have relevant (though non-legal) prior work experience in this field. I can also check one of the diversity boxes firms ask about (though not race/ethnicity-based URM).

Any insights as to whether these soft factors could move the needle in my favor at all?
Your grades aren't good enough for the selective DC biglaw firms. Your soft factors would help if you were a borderline case in terms of grades but you are lower than borderline. No harm in applying though. If you apply everywhere, you'll probably land at some place that you don't hate. Down the road, you can lateral.
Thanks! I see in the career office's data that firms such as Dechert and King & Spalding had a zero percent offer by honors rate in DC in the past 4 OCI periods. Would I, accordingly, be competitive at those?

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 17, 2022 2:58 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:57 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:30 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jun 17, 2022 11:41 am
Not OP, but I have a related question.

How much can soft factors help? Post-1L GPA at CLS is 3.23 (how bad is this?). I already have a foreign law degree, am fluent in a globally relevant second language, and am interested in a practice area that is generally considered "hot" and DC-centric. Also have relevant (though non-legal) prior work experience in this field. I can also check one of the diversity boxes firms ask about (though not race/ethnicity-based URM).

Any insights as to whether these soft factors could move the needle in my favor at all?
Your grades aren't good enough for the selective DC biglaw firms. Your soft factors would help if you were a borderline case in terms of grades but you are lower than borderline. No harm in applying though. If you apply everywhere, you'll probably land at some place that you don't hate. Down the road, you can lateral.
Thanks! I see in the career office's data that firms such as Dechert and King & Spalding had a zero percent offer by honors rate in DC in the past 4 OCI periods. Would I, accordingly, be competitive at those?
I don't know if I would say "competitive" but yeah, those are the types of firms you should be targeting. Definitely play up the soft factors. So many applicants have no relevant work experience so it should distinguish you from others in your grade range.

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Re: How Difficult is D.C. Biglaw from Columbia

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:21 pm

I agree that grades are relevant, but from what I observed ties are equally important.

I.e., you can be low-Stone and get multiple DC offers if you're from the area or worked there, while someone with Kent strikes out

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