Washington and Lee Forum

[Spaceman Spiff]

How many people did they put in ATL/DC this past year?

Out of 138, 11 went to DC, and 5 went to Georgia (presumably mostly in ATL). The full stats are here:

http://law.wlu.edu/deptimages/Career%20 ... %20WEB.pdf

[GordonBombay]

Hmm, I had hoped the DC number was higher. And I've definitely looked at that before. I guess everything just seems small, even if it isn't percentagewise

[primusux]

Dang...only 3 in CA.

[itzbouttime]

Dang...only 3 in CA.

Don't forget...

1. You don't know where people wanted to practice (maybe only 3 wanted to go to CA)

2. The economy wasn't the best this year (by the time we graduate things should be totally different (cross fingers)

3. It also depends on how hard you work (grades + networking)

I know W&L is a great school with a wonderful reputation. As long as I do my part I'm sure I will be able to land the job I want 3 years from now. If I can't I'll only have myself to blame not W&L. I went to the ASW in March and was impressed with what the school has to offer. They do seem to ’bend over backwards’ for their students - especially when it comes to employment prospects.

Also the majority of the current students did say that they found their summer internships/jobs from the Alumni connection. So, just because the list of onsite recruiters wasn't long doesn't mean anything.

[primusux]

Dang...only 3 in CA.

Also the majority of the current students did say that they found their summer internships/jobs from the Alumni connection. So, just because the list of onsite recruiters wasn't long doesn't mean anything.

I disagree somewhat. While I did get the impression that alums try to help out recent graduates, the current students I spoke with stated they found their jobs without any connection to the school at all. One woman found hers through her mom, who is a lawyer, in DC. The other lived at some judge's house who offered him a position. And yet another obtained his through someone that was in his same UG fraternity but was not a W&L law grad.

I understand networking is part of life, you get what you put in etc. However, I would strongly caution against this belief that W&L alums are placing recent graduates to any special degree. Just my opinion though. I still greatly enjoyed my visit.

[itzbouttime]

Dang...only 3 in CA.

Also the majority of the current students did say that they found their summer internships/jobs from the Alumni connection. So, just because the list of onsite recruiters wasn't long doesn't mean anything.

I disagree somewhat. While I did get the impression that alums try to help out recent graduates, the current students I spoke with stated they found their jobs without any connection to the school at all. One woman found hers through her mom, who is a lawyer, in DC. The other lived at some judge's house who offered him a position. And yet another obtained his through someone that was in his same UG fraternity but was not a W&L law grad.

I understand networking is part of life, you get what you put in etc. However, I would strongly caution against this belief that W&L alums are placing recent graduates to any special degree. Just my opinion though. I still greatly enjoyed my visit.

I hear you. I apologize if I made it seem like Alumni were the reason why the majority of law students had summer jobs/internships. I just want people to realize that, even though onsite recruiting is important, just because the list for this year wasn't 'long' doesn't mean that there are not other avenues for obtaining those desired positions. I might be wrong, but I honestly think that job placement was difficult this year because of the economy. Ask other schools to provide you with a list of onsite recruiting firms and then we’ll be able to compare.

[Jaggles]

If you look at the 2008 recruiting list, its very impressive. I suspect last year was an aberration.

[GordonBombay]

If you look at the 2008 recruiting list, its very impressive. I suspect last year was an aberration.

Do you have this? I noticed the 09 list to be short as well

[jmhendri]

They also seemed to be involved in quite a few off site recruiting events, including UVA's OCI.

[GordonBombay]

Also worth considering, which you may not have if you're not familiar with the DC/ NOVA area is that tons of firms that deal in DC, as well as some government agencies are located in Northern VA (Arlington, Reston, Herndon, Tysons Corner etc). So the number may be a little skewed away from DC and towards VA in that sense. If you live in Arlington and work for the Feds in Tysons Corner...that's technically VA and not DC. The insane cost of real estate and their (in my opinion ridiculous) policy that no building is taller than the Capital/ 12 stories pushes a lot of companies out of the district.

Below is a list of Fed Govt agencies with offices in NoVA
http://www.northernva.com/usgov.html

[GordonBombay]

They also seemed to be involved in quite a few off site recruiting events, including UVA's OCI.

I don't think that was technically "UVA's OCI" if you're referring to what I think you are. I think they have interviews in C-ville to appeal to employers who don't want to make the trip. Similar, in that they are probably in town for UVA but its not like you can just sign up along with the UVA students

[Jaggles]

If you look at the 2008 recruiting list, its very impressive. I suspect last year was an aberration.

Do you have this? I noticed the 09 list to be short as well

I am hoping my memory is correct. I think they may have updated. My recollection is it included several more DC area entities including governmental agencies, another Charlotte firm and one or more California firms. I will look around and see if I have the information elsewhere.

[Spaceman Spiff]

If you look at the 2008 recruiting list, its very impressive. I suspect last year was an aberration.

Do you have this? I noticed the 09 list to be short as well

I am hoping my memory is correct. I think they may have updated. My recollection is it included several more DC area entities including governmental agencies, another Charlotte firm and one or more California firms. I will look around and see if I have the information elsewhere.

Also, look at the firms on the list. What they lack in quantity may be made up in quality. Skadden, Covington & Burling, Jones Day, etc.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Also worth considering, which you may not have if you're not familiar with the DC/ NOVA area is that tons of firms that deal in DC, as well as some government agencies are located in Northern VA (Arlington, Reston, Herndon, Tysons Corner etc). So the number may be a little skewed away from DC and towards VA in that sense. If you live in Arlington and work for the Feds in Tysons Corner...that's technically VA and not DC. The insane cost of real estate and their (in my opinion ridiculous) policy that no building is taller than the Capital/ 12 stories pushes a lot of companies out of the district.

Below is a list of Fed Govt agencies with offices in NoVA
http://www.northernva.com/usgov.html

This definitely makes sense. There's no way NY outplaces D.C. I suspect this is the reason for the disparity.

[cpboy77]

Also, a few of the ones listed under Maryland could be DC-related. A lot of federal agencies, etc. have their offices in Rockville, Bethesda.

[GordonBombay]

Also worth considering, which you may not have if you're not familiar with the DC/ NOVA area is that tons of firms that deal in DC, as well as some government agencies are located in Northern VA (Arlington, Reston, Herndon, Tysons Corner etc). So the number may be a little skewed away from DC and towards VA in that sense. If you live in Arlington and work for the Feds in Tysons Corner...that's technically VA and not DC. The insane cost of real estate and their (in my opinion ridiculous) policy that no building is taller than the Capital/ 12 stories pushes a lot of companies out of the district.

Below is a list of Fed Govt agencies with offices in NoVA
http://www.northernva.com/usgov.html

This definitely makes sense. There's no way NY outplaces D.C. I suspect this is the reason for the disparity.

Yea and I agree with the poster above regarding MD. However, at the ASW weekend someone asked where most people took the bar. The 3L's said NY was probably second to VA. Of course nobody takes the DC bar because that's ridiculous, so I cant see who else would be #2

[Doodsmack]

Of course nobody takes the DC bar because that's ridiculous...

Huh?

[GordonBombay]

Of course nobody takes the DC bar because that's ridiculous...

Huh?

My information has been all second hand, so maybe I shouldn't have worded it like that. However, everyone I know or have met that practices in DC told me that no one takes the DC bar as you can be "grandfathered in" so to speak after being admitted in another state. Most people practicing in DC take VA, MD, NY or DE. For example the state most GW grads take the bar in is NY.

Below is a description of the rule that I found.

DC Bar Exam MBE Reciprocity

Candidates for admission may be admitted without sitting for the exam if candidate received a scaled MBE score of 133 or higher on an exam upon which candidate was admitted in another jurisdiction, achieved a scaled score of at least 75 on the MPRE, and has a JD from an ABA accredited law school. If a candidate received a 133 on the MBE but was not admitted in that jurisdiction, candidate may waive in MBE score and take only the essay portions of the exam. A candidate must then score a 133 on the essay portion to pass the exam.

EDIT: Thread about it here: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 23&t=95693

[Jaggles]

If you look at the 2008 recruiting list, its very impressive. I suspect last year was an aberration.

Do you have this? I noticed the 09 list to be short as well

I am hoping my memory is correct. I think they may have updated. My recollection is it included several more DC area entities including governmental agencies, another Charlotte firm and one or more California firms. I will look around and see if I have the information elsewhere.

I emailed the placement office and they have recently updated the list. Here is a very impressive list from 2008:

Alston & Bird LLP (Atlanta, GA)
Alston & Bird LLP (Washington, DC)
Arnold & Porter LLP (Washington, DC)
Bailey & Glasser (Charleston, WV)
Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
(Birmingham, AL)
Balch & Bingham LLP (Birmingham, AL)
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP (Washington, DC)
Bass Berry & Sims PLC (Nashville, TN)
Bayard Firm P.A. (Wilmington, DE)
Bernstein Shur (Portland, ME)
Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP (Atlanta, GA)
Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP (Birmingham, AL)
Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard
(Greensboro, NC)
Central Intelligence Agency Office of General Counsel
(Washington, DC)
Christian & Barton LLP (Richmond, VA)
Clement & Wheatley (Danville, VA)
Covington & Burling (Washington, DC)
Dechert LLP (Charlotte, NC)
Delaware Superior Court (Wilmington, DE)
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP (Cincinnati, OH)
dla piper US LLP (Atlanta, GA)
Doerner Saunders Daniel & Anderson LLP (Tulsa, OK)
Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (Washington, DC)
Dunton Simmons & Dunton LLP (White Stone, VA)
Faegre & Benson (Minneapolis, MN)
Fairfax County Circuit Court (Fairfax, VA)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Bureau of Competition
(Washington, DC)
Frith Anderson & Peake PC (Roanoke, VA)
Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore (Roanoke, VA)
goodwin procter llp (Washington, DC)
Greenebaum Doll & McDonald PLLC (Louisville, KY)
hancock daniel Johnson & Nagle PC (Richmond, VA)
Hirschler Fleischer (Richmond, VA)
Hogan & Hartson LLP (McLean, VA)
Fall 2008
On‐Campus/Charlottesville Recruitment
Holland & Knight LLP (Washington, DC)
Howrey LLP (Washington, DC)
Hunton & Williams LLP (Charlotte, NC)
Jones Day (Atlanta, GA)
K&L Gates (Washington, DC)
K&L Gates LLP (Charlotte, NC)
Kaufman & Canoles (Norfolk, VA)
Kaye Scholer LLP (Washington, DC)
King & Spalding (Atlanta, GA)
King & Spalding (Washington, DC)
LeClair Ryan (Richmond, VA)
Lightfoot Franklin & White (Birmingham, AL)
lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, PA (Orlando,
FL)
Martin & Raynor PC (Charlottesville, VA)
mayer brown llp (Charlotte, NC)
mccandlish holton pc (Richmond, VA)
McDermott Will & Emery LLP (Washington, DC)
mcguirewoods LLP (Atlanta, GA)
mcguirewoods LLP (Richmond, VA)
McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC (Harrisburg, PA)
Miles & Stockbridge (Baltimore, MD)
Miller & Martin PLLC (Chattanooga, TN)
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (Charlotte, NC)
Moran Brown PC (Richmond, VA)
Morrison & Foerster LLP (McLean, VA)
Morrison & Foerster LLP (San Francisco, CA)
Norfolk Circuit Court (Norfolk, VA)
Norfolk Southern Corporation (Norfolk, VA)
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein (Charlotte, NC)
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP (Atlanta, GA)
Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP (Washington, DC)
Pepper Hamilton LLP (Philadelphia, PA)
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (McLean, VA)
Public Defender Service for DC (Washington, DC)
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP (Los
Angeles, CA)
Reed Smith LLP (Falls Church, VA)
Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson (Charlotte, NC)
Ropes & Gray LLP (Washington, DC)
Seward & Kissel LLP (Washington, DC)
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom (Washington, DC)
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom (Wilmington, DE)
Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett Mitchell & Jernigan LLP
(Raleigh, NC)
Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP (Greensboro, NC)
Spilman Thomas & Battle (Charleston, WV)
Steptoe & Johnson LLP (Phoenix, AZ)
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC (Charleston, WV)
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young (Philadelphia, PA)
Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth (Newport Beach,
California)
Sutherland (Washington, DC)
thompson coburn llp (St. Louis, MO)
troutman sanders llp (Richmond, VA)
United States Air Force JAG Corps (Langley AFB, VA)
United States Army JAG Corps (Fort Lee, VA)
United States Department of Housing & Urban
Development (HUD) - Office of General Counsel
(Richmond, VA)
United States Department of Labor - Office of
Administrative Law Judges (Washington, DC)
United States Internal Revenue Service (Washington, DC)
United States Navy JAG Corps (Norfolk, VA)
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
(Rockville, MD)
United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
(Washington, DC)
venable llp (Washington, DC)
Vinson & Elkins (Houston, TX)
Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (Richmond, VA)
vorys sater seymour and pease llp (Washington, DC)
Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver (Harrisonburg, VA)
Willcox & Savage (Norfolk, VA)
Williams & Connolly LLP (Washington, DC)
williams mullen (Richmond, VA)
WilmerHale LLP (Washington, DC)
Woods Rogers PLC (Roanoke, VA)

[nol607]

When you consider the class size that actually seems very impressive.

[GordonBombay]

Thanks for posting that, that is awesome. I had a similar concern about the fall 09 list but that is impressive. When you consider only 130 people per class that's great IMO

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

It's like, everyone gets their own firm!

[GordonBombay]

It's like, everyone gets their own firm!

can't everyone agree to just pick one? maybe some sort of raffle....

[nol607]

hahaha W&L: 100% Biglaw

[T14_Scholly]

I wonder if that list is of the employers who hired W&L graduates, not the ones that did OCI? Either way it's still good.