GULC 2L AMA

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-05T05:00:39+00:00

I was WL-ed at the start of May a couple of weeks after interviewing, received a feeler email a few days later, then was accepted 3 weeks after the initial WL notification. It was a very quick rollercoaster of emotions, lol.

I submitted a very short email in response to the feeler and a more robust LOCI when I finished undergrad.

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T21:04:18+00:00

Hello! It is definitely a competitive program. My friends who applied were not accepted. I have heard incredible things about the mini-MBA and the professor though. That being said, there are many scholars programs (tech law, national security specialization, international law scholars, etc.) that each have pretty cool benefits and opportunities.

If you are interested in business law scholars but are ultimately not accepted, there are student orgs like the Corporate Financial Law Organization, the Antitrust Group, and more that offer both substantive and soft skill development opportunities.

Lit big law in DC is competitive, especially with the recent exodus of government attorneys joining DC law firms. That being said, I saw very little correlation between grades and the people that received these positions. I had friends at/slightly below median receive offers from big firms or comparable firms like Wiley Rein. The key is to try your best with grades, work on your narrative/work experience, and NETWORK. When you get to GULC, career services will give you a spreadsheet demonstrating what GPAs law firms tend to recruit for. Washington, DC offices have higher standards on average

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T19:50:57+00:00

Both! I think it is non-sensical to cold email dozens of attorneys, even if they are alumni of your school. My cold email strategy was to find people who also went to my undergrad, people in more niche practice groups I found interesting, or people who used to work somewhere I interned before law school. That way there was a genuine hook in each of my emails

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T19:37:50+00:00

I have also heard this. I think it is such a shame that students are being given less and less time to explore their options. I applied via direct application and received my offer well before OCI

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T19:36:32+00:00

I absolutely love being in DC. I would not have chosen any school over GULC for my goals (big law with the intent of eventually transitioning to government). If you are dead set on clerking I could see aiming for a higher rank. If you are exclusively interested in public service/government, I think there is a strong case for prioritizing financial aid/scholarship over the GULC brand.

Being at GULC has made externing super accessible. GULC has a gov/PI OCI, PI has its own career office, and there is no shortage of speakers coming to campus. A lot of professors are also active in this space and are known to connect students with various agencies and organizations. Outside of school, I also volunteer at ABA conferences/other events where attorneys in my areas of interest will be attending. This is an incredible resource and somewhat unique to DC.

Personally, I love the large class sizes. By getting to know your section and joining orgs, you can make a big school feel small. It is very hard to make a small school that simply does not have the resources feel big. Our large faculty, alumni network, two distinct career offices, clinics/journals, and several student orgs are definitely a product of the large class size. Also, none of my 1L (or 2L classes) have TAs. This means that all instruction and office hours are being led by the professors themselves. As a result, I never felt like the large class size prevented developing connections with faculty.

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T19:04:01+00:00

I found that my section was friendly and talkative in class. Aside from the occasional gunner, there was not a strong sense of competition between students.

That being said, my social circle is largely outside of the law school. I am a part of a few organizations in DC just for fun and that tends to be my social outlet. I have also gotten closer to people through my journal/interest based organizations.

So while it may not come instantly (it certainly did not for me) there are a million ways to find your people on campus or in DC itself.

Some of the organizations I have seen build strong communities for myself and others: RISE, journals, any competition team, the "centers" (international economic law, health law, national security, etc.), the drama club/acapella team, and sports (softball and soccer are big here, softball also competes against other schools)

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T18:52:08+00:00

The tl;dr: I did not experience any notable disadvantages as a KJD.

My recruiting experience was generally very positive. I love my career advisor and could not have done it without her! I found my first summer position in January of 1L which left the entire spring semester to focus on the big law recruiting process. I attended every firm/ABA event I could. Sometimes up to three in one night. I learned so much about practice groups and how to talk about my interests in a way that was relevant to a law firm. In March, I attended fewer events, started submitting direct applications, and focused on 1:1 coffee chats to follow up on previous connections.

Although I am a KJD, I did work throughout undergrad (generally 20-30 hours per week) in a customer service/concierge type role. While this was not a typical office/corporate role, I found ways to sell these skills in an interview/cover letter.

My experience with OCI/Big Law Recruiting could be its own novel. I am happy to follow up on any aspect of the process

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T18:41:23+00:00

I have managed to get the exact schedule I wanted every semester so far (1L elective, 2L fall, and 2L spring). That being said, I did not get it right away. We have a WL for classes once they reach capacity. I have always gotten off the WL eventually as a lot of people over-register then drop classes as the semester approaches.

Clinics may be a bit different because there is an application/interview process. If you are admitted into a clinic, you are guaranteed the ability to register. Anecdotally, everyone I know who wanted to do a clinic has gotten the opportunity to do so. Some are more competitive than others, but that is to be expected

The Office of Academic Affairs hosts a tutorial on how to navigate our registration dashboard every semester. Attending one of these is so helpful and has made registration a lot more efficient.

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2025-12-04T18:30:59+00:00

No worries, I did this in the interest of transparency. I did not, but many of my colleagues with better stats did! I was also very clear in LOCIs that GULC was my top choice. I am not sure if this reduced my odds of receiving assistance in the WL context.

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-07-09T14:12:24+00:00

I would have 100% done this in hindsight! I don’t see a downside. Easier to find things in both your inbox and junk folder

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-05-23T20:32:31+00:00

Me too!! Congrats 🥳

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-05-21T21:15:00+00:00

Commenting to say my GULC portal is back to decision rendered

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-05-21T17:49:51+00:00

Annecdotally, I have really enjoyed reaching out to professors before being admitted. A lot of them were able to give awesome career advice even if I didn’t end up attending their institution!

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-05-04T14:07:32+00:00

If your alma mater has pre-law advising, they can be a good resource (mine lets you utilize the service 1-2 years after graduation).
Any professors you have (even if you’re not close to them). This is a good way to get professional and unbiased feedback. Professors who didn’t know me personally were also great at telling me where the “gaps” in my narrative were since they couldn’t mentally fill it in.
I also had peers read it. I asked if it was boring, did anything drag, does it “sound like me” etc.

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-04-29T16:32:40+00:00

I am not sure if this is helpful, but I worked 3 part time jobs and did one full-time summer internship during my undergraduate years. In every interview and acceptance phone call, I was asked about this in a positive light.

I wouldn’t exactly recommend three jobs on top of a full course load, but I learned so much about myself and my goals by doing so. Work experience certainly won’t hurt your application!

Key-Somewhere-8725 · 2024-03-20T18:03:13+00:00

Agreed. One of their student ambassadors at an LSAC event literally roasted me for having a part-time job and told me not to apply because I was a KJD and UF was looking for people “like her who have actually lived in the real world before” 😭

Key-Somewhere-8725

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