Magnificent wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Magnificent wrote:In LA you can't go wrong with Munger or Susman. Munger is more laid back and chill while Susman is more intense.
In SF you should do Keker although Munger does have a small office up there.
Someone who is top of their class at HYS shouldn't look beyond these 3 firms because they are the only elite firms in California.
Thanks, in the spirit of gathering more information about CA firms, would you mind elaborating a bit on other selective CA firms?
Keker/Susman/MTO only hire folks that are top 5% at HYS and a few other T14s. They are super selective and pretty much require a CoA clerkship before you can get a full-time offer.
In terms of big firms I would say that Irell/Gibson/Quinn are all about the same in selectivity. You need to be top 10-25% at most of the T14s to get offers and they don't have the clerkship rule that the elite boutiques have.
If you are top 5% at HYS then there is no reason to go to the big California firms because you have a chance at Keker/MTO/Susman.
I work in CA (SF specifically). This is silly. You're a silly, silly person.
1. Keker is great - if you want white collar or IP lit. Any other interest means there are tons more lit firms that you should be considering.
2. Munger SF doesn't take summers.
3. Susman hires down below top 1/3 at HYS. Munger and Keker definitely hire below top 5%. Top 5% at HYS can easily go 0-3 with these firms during callback season, especially if they want SF (Keker SF takes 4ish summers, the other 2 only have LA offices).
There are a number of "top" firms in SF. Covington's office has a few terrific partners. Gibson's got some rockstars. Arnold & Porter has a ton of top-notch litigators after the Howard Rice merger. Altshuler is incredible if you want P-side union work. Similarly Lieff Cabraser if you want non-union P-side stuff. MoFo, despite being a sweatshop, has the broadest practice in the city.
None of these are to say that Keker, MTO, and Susman aren't fantastic firms. They undoubtably are. A ton of top students at HYS have made other choices (far more than wound up at one of those 3).