What's the recruitment process like for these firms? Are they more selective than most biglaw firms?

Would love to get some more info

Yea... But they make bank...

They've done callbacks and rejections at SLS, but I'm not sure if they've made any offers.

By fucking junior lawyers in the ass, and then throwing them on the street before the blood dries

Googling was a bit spotty, but you wouldn't know what their average starting salary info is?

Other than Cohen Milstein, has anyone heard of other plaintiff's firms doing interviews through mass mailing?

Confirmation that they did callbacks already? I interviewed and really wanted a position with them, but I am losing hope.

To the best of my knowledge, they did three days of callbacks and that was it.

Has anyone who had a CB heard back yet?

I've heard nothing. Assuming I was dinged at this point.

I wouldn't be so quick to assume that. I had several partners tell me they often take a really long time to make decisions because members of the recruiting committee travel a lot. Also, they just did the last round of CBs on September 23rd.

Anyone hear anything from MR yet?

Contact said their offers have gone out and that they're waiting to hear back before rejecting the rest of us.

Cohen Milstein, Leiff Cabraser, Motley Rice, and a couple others are the exceptions, rather than the rule, to have any summer program process at all. Robbins Geller just has an email link to their hiring partner. In general, there is no formal process.

If you want a job, gotta show you know their game.

Take a Complex Civil Litigation course or Advanced Civil Procedure if your school offers it and also Pre-Trial Practice. 95% of what a plaintiff firm does is defeat Motions to Dismiss and Motions for Summary Judgment before settling their case. Plaintiff firms like to see good Civ Pro grades.

Study up on multi-district litigation and class action; this is where a Complex Civil Litigation course is key. Unfortunately, not many schools offer one; I got lucky, a T20 school within my reach offered one and I transfered to takek the course (crazy!? crazy like a foxx).

Some demonstration of plaintiff orientation helps. Most plaintiff partners are Left-leaning and anti-hierarchy, they fight for the mythical little guy. Internships and work experience that show a preference for equity can help. However, I think this sort of thing comes out in interviews: either you seem like a plaintiff attorney, or you don't. If you're just some Biglaw shill trying to switch sides to cash in, it'll be obvious to them and they prob won't like the fit. If you're a Biglaw convert, they'll love you.

In terms of process:

For PI firms and other general plaintiff practices, just ask around in your market. There will be 3-15 firms that everyone knows about and fears/loves. Inquire about their individual hiring practices. Some hire summer associates, apply as appropriate and then follow up.

Many do not hire summer associates. Instead, you have to build relationships with the partners. Ask to attend a lunch; if they say yes read up on a couple of their current cases or filed briefs and then talk shop with them for an hour over lunch. If it goes well, they'll ask to stay in touch; maybe have you back for a deposition or a tour of the office or something. Maintain contact, maybe get an interview if they offer, maybe work for them part-time during the school year, and hope they're interested in you when you graduate. If nothing else, you'll have a good law school mentor and reference.

For class action firms, go to the JPML website. Check out some MDL cases that interest you. Get a PACER account from someone. Look up the MDL cases there. Check the Case Conference Orders appointing Class Counsel. See which firms are getting appointed Class Counsel. Then check those firms' websites. Most do not have 2L summer programs advertised. Many don't even have a careers tab. These are small shops packed with dense talent. Send the named partners or a named hiring attorney (super rare to have a named hiring attorney) your re'sume', letter, transcript, and current courses.

I sent stuff to Hagens Berman, Kozyak Tropin, Wolf Haldenstein, Wexler Wallace, and Zwerling Schachter.
Hagens and Kozyak were shocked to have received applications and told me they'd consider my application in the Spring of 2012. The rest didn't respond, not too surprising since I had no real connection to their markets or practice. But it was a start. I ended up getting flown to California to talk with a firm, it went well, and I got an offer.

A couple guys in my Complex Lit class have done the same thing and gotten flown places for interviews. Not sure what their success rate has been. Two other friends from that same class got defensive class action jobs based on a somewhat similar process.

FYI, my list looked like this:

a. Milberg [Weis] Group
b. Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll
c. Leiff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
d. Finkelstein, Thompson & Zwerling
e. Shachter & Zwerling
f. Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton
g. Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro
h. Bartimus Frickleton Robertson & Gorny
i. Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz
j. Motley Rice
k. Doffermyre Shields Canfield Knowles & Devine
l. Whatley Drake & Kallas
m. Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd
n. Korein Tillery
o. Gray Ritter & Graham
p. Simon Passanante
q. Dyer & Berens

but there are many more. Check the NLJ Plaintiff Hotlist for a host of others.

what constitutes plaintiff's firms?
are boies shchiller and quinn emanuel plaintiff's firms since they represent plaintiffs filing suits against banks?

I would like to echo what Reprisal said, and also add a little of what I know from my own experience.

Reprisal is absolutely right that demonstrating an interest in plaintiff's-side work is important. This isn't really like biglaw hiring, where you can write a very generic cover letter - they want people who want to do that type of work.

Secondly, connections are everything. These firms exist in a very small and insular world, and everyone knows each other. Even if you summer at a firm that won't necessarily hire you when you graduate, having a good reference from them may do a lot to helping you secure a job later.

From what I can tell, even a lot of the firms that actually do have summer programs don't necessarily hire their summers when they graduate. Cohen Milstein, for example, is very open about the fact that they don't guarantee offers. From my experience, because a lot of these firms are smaller, they are much more likely to take lateral associates than people straight from law school.

These firms also hire later than bigger firms. They're small, and don't know their needs a year in advance. If you apply early, absolutely make sure to be persistent and follow up (although not too frequently - make sure to toe the line between persistent and annoying).

Finally, don't expect to be wined and dined the way you would by a big firm. I'm actually surprised Reprisal was flown out for a callback - in my experience, most plaintiff's firms won't do that. I had mostly phone interviews, and one video interview "callback."

It can be hard to get a job in a plaintiff's firm right out of school, but if you think it's something you might be interested in, definitely look into it. I personally think there are a lot of advantages to working in this field, and I would be happy to answer any other questions people may have.

Wisdom.


2Ls currently looking, do not give up hope. Plaintiff firms are smaller so don't dedicate as much time or resources to summer searches, and they make their summer decisions later.

There is still time for you to email/send letters and build relationships in anticipation for next summer...but don't slack. If you're serious start the process now.

Can I ask what sort of extracurriculars/experiences 2Ls should highlight?

I'm not looking for something for next summer, but if I were, I wouldn't know where to begin to know how to start tailoring a cover letter to a Plaintiffs firm, or which extracurriculars/courses/interests to mention.

anyone know how much a new or summer associate makes here.

I think I read that Robbins Geller makes around 85k.

For me it was easier to show my interest because I had a background with a plaintiff's firm and civil government agency, but I think that any way you can show an interest in this particular field would be helpful. Things off the top of my head that I can think of are: civil litigation practicum courses or clinics, anything involving discovery, anything involving complex litigation or class actions, anything involving settlements, civil procedure-type classes (particularly what you've taken in addition to required 1L courses), or even something that shows you might have a PI side to you (i.e., criminal defense is procedurally completely different, but still fairly like-minded). The plaintiff's attorneys I know really care about what they do, and it's important to them that applicants believe in that.

Even if you don't have a lot of these, I think a tailored cover letter expressing your interest and pointing to something that shows you're interested in doing plaintiff's-side work could go a long way. Or if you previously did biglaw/work on the defense side, I think that talking about how that made you realize you would rather be on the other side could possibly do the trick.

It's really kind of a gamble, and I'm sure each firm is different, but that is my $.02.

85K starting for labaton surprises me. So many of their associates are ex-biglaw, they have to be paying them alot.

As far as I can tell, plaintiff firms follow a mid-size NALP pay progression for associates. If that's wrong, I'd love to hear about it.

The payoff comes from partner level positions that gross 3-7x than Biglaw partners pull down.

what do people think about small plaintiffs firms? potential offer not sure of pay yet at a really small firm. not all attorneys are posted on website but i think like 5-7 work there. something like this... Schoengold & Sporn