Having been on my former D.C. law firm’s recruiting committee (& not knowing much about your situation), I have to generally agree with the lawyer in your firm. While I have worked with excellent attorneys from lower tier schools, getting a quality job out of law school is harder if you go that route. Snobbish it may be, but many lawyers will automatically dismiss you and your qualifications out of hand no matter how much you wow them in an interview.

Good luck!