Choosing a Firm

I've had a few angry moments during this job search. Despite those experiences, I've done very well overall and am now in the exciting but difficult position of having to decide which offer to take for next summer (though I still stand by the "bullshit grade-whoring crapshoot" label). Right now I've narrowed it down to 2 D.C. offices, with one callback in Chicago still to go.

The 2 D.C. offices could not be more different, as far as firms go. One is among the very top firms in D.C., a big main office with 300+ attorneys. The other is a much smaller (<100) branch office of a non-D.C. firm. The former has a better reputation in D.C., and probably everywhere but the latter's home base. The former has a much broader practice, but the latter is stronger in the areas that most interest me, trial litigation and white collar crime. The people at the former were friendly, the people at the latter were just plain fun to be around. I feel like the former have decided I'm "good enough" to work for them, whereas the latter see me as a potentially exceptional candidate.

I'm not yet sure whether I want to work in the firms after law school (if the Army lets me go reserve) or whether I just want to do my 4 years active and go from there. As such, it's a tough decision. On the one hand, the bigger office would probably look better on my resume, and might be the better place to go "two years and out". On the other hand, if you told me I had to pick a place I'd work for 10-20 years, I'd take the smaller in a second. I'm trying to narrow it down to one D.C. firm before I go to Chicago, but it's not easy.