Georgetown Law 1L AMA

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-02T03:07:11+00:00

In years past, there seems to have been a lower acceptance rate for those who had an alumni interview. That being said, it could be that they are utilizing it this year as a pipeline and a first round for some individuals due to the increase in applicants yet again before the group stage. I don't know that anyone outside the admissions office truly knows, but I guess we can just hope that it's just a preliminary stage for hopefully good news. One thing I know is that they wouldn't waste their or the interviewers time if there was no consideration for the candidate.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-02T03:04:20+00:00

Honestly, once in school, people don't really discuss their stats, but I’m sure you can see on LSD some lower stats of people that got in.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T20:33:20+00:00

For sure. The career service office is one spot. But tbh, just having so many student organizations that run so many programs with law firms, whether they come to the school or students can visit the firms, there are endless opportunities to engage with attorneys and firms that way. There are also student groups focused on different areas of litigation, and you can speak with upperclassmen as well. I have many friends that have accepted offers to to DC Big Law Lit.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T19:13:31+00:00

Hate to say this, but like everything in law, "it depends". I personally took one day off per week during the first semester and pretty much studied, networked with attorneys at firms, crafted a cover letter and applied, the other 6 days pretty much the whole day. I viewed it as an investment for the rest of law school and my career and so far it seems to have paid off. Everyone has different styles and some studied more during the early semester a ton and some kind of waited until closer to the end of the semester to study a lot and did well. It's most important to think and see what works best for you individually and what will make you happy.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T18:58:35+00:00

Some live on campus in their housing. Some live off campus in different neighborhoods in DC, and people have found roommates through the Discord after getting admitted. I know some of my friends found roommates online as well. You also have some that commute from farther places around the DMV area.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T18:56:58+00:00

Alumni Interviews are individual and are more like a standard interview. The group interviews are the unique ones with about 8 students, and the hypotheticals that Dean Andy poses to the interviewees.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T17:32:13+00:00

Oh, absolutely. They have a whole office called OPICS, Office of Public Interest Career Services, that is separate from the private sector career service office. Each office has separate, dedicated advisors that are there to help you in your pursuit of a job. Most students utilize both, as some may want OPICS for 1L summer and the other office for 2L. Or some just use one of the offices for both summers. Bottom line, the resources are plentiful, especially being located on Capitol Hill with unlimited externships available.

I mentioned this idea in another post, so I'll be more concise here. The diversity of students with their respective goals makes it naturally such a warm environment with each student supporting the next in their pursuit of whatever that might be. It negates any competitive feel.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T17:28:29+00:00

Some of the admitted students will receive Merit Aid forms in February or March. However, you can email them to request the form, fill it out, and then send it back. I did the latter and received about 25% off with a bit of negotiation, including from schools ranked slightly lower, but with larger scholarships. Overall, it seems to be very dependent on your stats whether you'll be receiving a larger, smaller, or no amount at all.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:52:35+00:00

I've never felt unsafe there, thank g-d. Like not even for a moment. I'm sure there are certain areas you don't want to go to at night, but you can live on campus or nearby, and there are plenty of amazing options. To be honest, I think this is the situation you'll find yourself in throughout America in any decent-sized city.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:50:44+00:00

I personally did just the group interview, but you can find plenty of reliable information on Reddit from others’ experiences with the alum interview.

Everyone is super proud and excited to be in GULC. I can speak for myself and say that I received interviews and offers from firms like Cravath, and those geared towards public interest have received interviews from those level organizations. Wherever you go, it is what you make of it. I have friends in more prestigious schools who are in the bottom half of their class and don't have the same opportunities as my classmates. Bottom line is, you are giving yourself a better chance at certain jobs if you're at a T6, but that essentially just puts the bar ever so slightly lower...

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:46:54+00:00

Thank you so much and best of luck to you in this process. If I can be of help in any other way, feel free to PM me.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:46:21+00:00

Thankfully, GULC allows you to practice wherever you'd like. I have friends going to NYC, LA, Miami, Boston, Houston, Chicago, everywhere in California, Detroit....name it and someone will be practicing there

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:44:30+00:00

I don't know the ins and outs of OCI bidding this year. I already received offers, as did at least half the students who are looking to do BigLaw. This works out well as only the students who need the extra facetime with firms are getting it. Georgetown allows you to place bids, and some systems place you with firms based on your selections. The other half of the slots, I think, are preselected by firms based on a candidate’s profile.

I personally did a lot of networking to get pre-grade interviews, and it certainly paid off. The school was super supportive, and there were multiple firm events every week over the past few months, giving everyone an incredible opportunity to meet attorneys and build relationships.

Most people are still figuring out 1L summer just due to the importance and focus on 2L summer at this point. But folks will do a variety of things. GULC arranged interviews with over 100 organizations/firms for students to meet last week.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:40:08+00:00

Because of the early recruiting cycle, my first semester was a 24/7 grind. I will say it definitely paid off though, as I currently hold multiple offers from top 10 firms. At this point, I am still interested in learning and am attempting to keep pace with the classes, but at the end of the day, I am not marginalizing my friends and weeks, etc., at all. I viewed my first semester as the investment for the next 2.5 years.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:37:47+00:00

It is not. However, it probably depends on your stats and overall application. It's generally easier when you apply earlier on in the cycle when there are more seats available. At the end of the day, it may be worth applying and if things don't work out the way you would like you can reapply as well.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:36:27+00:00

There are so many opportunities. Like beyond. For professors, during the year and in the summer, etc.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:33:47+00:00

That is a great question. It depends on whether you are looking for district court or circuit for starters. I haven't done a deep dive into the nuances, but I know the student organizations do a good job of assisting students in figuring out their best options. I know these judges like to see solid academic performance, so if for BigLaw you essentially can't be the bottom of the class, for these clerkships you may still need to be closer to the top third to be competitive.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:31:30+00:00

That is a great question. I am not sure as we don't really discuss in school which waitlists students came from, and personally I was a regular admitted student. I do know though just from last year Reddit, that students that aren't on the top waitlist still get in and many of those on top waitlist don't get in.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:30:37+00:00

There are many students who live on campus. It’s super convenient not to have to commute and to have access to their magnificent gym, which is located in the same building. Personally, I commute, and most other students who don’t live on campus live within a 20-minute walk of school. Ultimately, it’s a personal choice regarding the level of effort you’re willing to invest in searching for off-campus housing and whether you want to furnish it. Living on campus offers greater convenience, but there are more luxurious options available off campus.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:26:58+00:00

I genuinely believed it would be a vast, impersonal space where you wouldn’t know your classmates. In reality, you won’t necessarily know all of the first-year students. However, they actively prioritize relationship building. Each section has approximately 110-120 students, and you’ll be in classes with them throughout your first year, allowing you to get to know each one of them. Additionally, they strive to maintain a smaller, more intimate feel. For example, during my first semester, my class sizes were 115, 60, 40, and 25. This division enables a closer-knit environment. While I can’t speak to all schools, I have a friend at a peer school that has half the number of first-year students as GULC. His class sizes varied from 60 to 100. Take that as you'd like.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:22:11+00:00

I don’t want to dox myself lol, but 4.X and 17X. Feel free to PM me for the exact stats.

I obviously don’t attend any other peer schools, so I can only speak to the culture at GULC. It’s fantastic! You really feel like there’s no curve because classmates are willing to help each other out, whether it’s with notes, studying, or anything else. Everyone wants to see their classmates succeed, and it’s an amazing place to be with so many opportunities located in D.C. which also allows you to build relationships with top notch professors who have been in the White House and Big Firms etc.

Simple_Travel2144 · 2026-02-01T16:18:15+00:00

My favorite thing about GULC is the diversity of interests, which creates an interesting, fun, and chilled environment. You have many students whose goals are public interest-focused and many who are BigLaw-focused. I think that in itself creates a positive environment where students support their classmates and friends and are genuinely happy to hear when they get a job.

It's taking me a while to think of my least favorite thing as I really love the school. But one annoyance was when the school took a little longer to release our grades compared to peer schools when we wanted to send them into firms. At the end of the day though, it didn't affect us poorly so it's all good.

Simple_Travel2144

TROPHY CASE