Getting Hired

Tips from the inside

Before applying at Williams & Connolly, make sure you brush up on “Survivor.” A midlevel associate states “The firm is looking to hire someone who brings the full package: academic achievement at a top notch law school, good grades (top 10% of class), law review, interesting work experiences, articulate, clean cut, mature, etc. Grades are a firm cut off, but good grades can only get you in the door. You have to have something extra. Are you someone with whom I will want to travel to the middle of nowhere and spend several weeks away at trial?” Just hope you don’t get kicked off the island. They are looking for devoted and passionate candidates. “The firm also looks for various ‘x-factors’ like wanting to be in DC for a while, wanting to be a litigator, and wanting to work at the firm with an eye toward the long haul, and not just biding one's time until student loans are paid off,” adds a litigation associate.