Seattle! Forum

[Anonymous User]

This is a serious question. So I'm tired of the east coast and I want to move to the northwest. Is it possible to break into the market? I have no ties of any kind west of Chicago. I have all Hs at HLS, I've worked at a V3 firm in New York and a litigation boutique, and I have pretty "prestigious" district and circuit clerkships lined up. I know this sounds very dickish - hence the anonymous! - but people talk about the desirable secondary markets in almost mythical terms if you don't have a persuasive reason for moving there other than "I think it would be fun." So I thought I'd ask.

[Anonymous User]

Seattle is a tough market to crack, precisely because of all the people who think it would be cool to live in Seattle but later realize that living in cold rain 3/4 of the year sucks. Your best bet is to try Perkins Coie or Susman Godfrey.

IMHO, Seattle is turning into a shithole. The cost of living has really skyrocketed in the last decade, and violent crime is surging. There have been several random shootings in the past year, even in decent areas. Visit Seattle in January, and if you still like it, then proceed.

I am actually trying to get out of the Pacific NW (so sick of the rain!), and I just landed an interview with a top litigation boutique in a sunny, desirable secondary market with absolutely no connections to the city. The people on this board said it couldn't be done, so don't pay too much heed to the naysayers.

[cantaboot]

i think without ties it'd be difficult to get an offer with a top firm. I know someone with very top grades from Bc/BU who is not a native of seattle and could not get an offer from perkins coie ... but is working with a mid-size firm. nevertheless, you have better credentials and a better chance than most people.

experience twilight

[Campagnolo]

Take a look at the firm bios of associates at NW firms. There are a lot from out of state.

[clintone88]

IMHO, Seattle is turning into a shithole. The cost of living has really skyrocketed in the last decade, and violent crime is surging.

lol, because there was one media covered shooting, "violent crime is surging."

In other news, I think you would probably need a better reason than "I'm tired of the east coast" for firms, since there are a lot of cities that aren't on the east coast other than Seattle. I think it would be possible though, there's another SA at my firm from an east coast T14 with only so-so connections to Seattle (wife once lived in eastern WA, and he's never been here).

[Anonymous User]

Maybe you aren't paying attention to the media, because there have already been more homicides in Seattle so far in 2012 than in all of 2011.

[Anonymous User]

IMHO, Seattle is turning into a shithole. The cost of living has really skyrocketed in the last decade, and violent crime is surging. There have been several random shootings in the past year, even in decent areas. Visit Seattle in January, and if you still like it, then proceed.

I agree 100%. Nothing is being done about gang violence, so the homicide rate has skyrocketed and even strangers in good parts of town have been killed by stray bullets. And traffic there is a nightmare since the local politicians are more concerned about building new bike routes and experimenting with mass transit that no one rides than anything else. As far as the weather goes, June-August are perfect, the rest of the year is awful; get used to never seeing blue sky for months at a time. Just to make it more miserable, the professional sports franchises will never win a championship because (a) they suck, and (b), when they don't suck, the refs will conspire against them.

I'm from Seattle, and I have the credentials and ties to return, but I see absolutely no reason to. In addition to the problems above, cost of living is rapidly increasing yet firms (aside from Susman) don't pay anywhere close to what they pay in primary markets. There are plenty of better places to go to if you are just bored of the east coast and want to try something new.

[Anonymous User]

Would someone with top 40% grades at a T20 who went to UG in the NW have a shot at coming back?

[Anonymous Loser]

Maybe you aren't paying attention to the media, because there have already been more homicides in Seattle so far in 2012 than in all of 2011.

Seattle Times: Despite spike, Seattle murder rate low for a city this size.

There are a lot of reasons to dislike Seattle, but violent crime isn't a serious problem here. Yes, there have been more homicides than usual so far this year, but nearly 25% of the city's homicides in 2012 are attributable to the same incident, which could have happened anywhere. I know the local media devotes hours of coverage to issues related to violent crime, but the fact is that you are less likely to fall victim to violent crime here than most other cities in the country.

The real problem, at least as far as this board is concerned, is that Seattle has a very small and insular legal market that does not pay as well as comparable markets.

[bk1]

Take a look at the firm bios of associates at NW firms. There are a lot from out of state.

They are from out of state or do you mean they went to school out of state?

[rayiner]

This is a serious question. So I'm tired of the east coast and I want to move to the northwest. Is it possible to break into the market? I have no ties of any kind west of Chicago. I have all Hs at HLS, I've worked at a V3 firm in New York and a litigation boutique, and I have pretty "prestigious" district and circuit clerkships lined up. I know this sounds very dickish - hence the anonymous! - but people talk about the desirable secondary markets in almost mythical terms if you don't have a persuasive reason for moving there other than "I think it would be fun." So I thought I'd ask.

Skadden?

[Campagnolo]

Take a look at the firm bios of associates at NW firms. There are a lot from out of state.

They are from out of state or do you mean they went to school out of state?

I look at their profiles, and while it rarely says where a person is from, often you can piece together that they're not locals from the information there.

I also know quite a few people working in Portland who had no ties here. They usually worked in NYC for 1 or 2 years, then jumped ship to the PNW. Firms don't want to take the time to train people who will leave. Much better to let the NYC firms train people up, then bring them on out here. I think that's why new grads are grilled about ties, and laterals rarely are (according to the anecdotal evidence I have).

[Anonymous User]

Any thoughts on the likelihood of an offer to a student from a T10, median-ish grades, and who has significant ties to the city?

[A'nold]

How dare you sir. The Seahawks are going to be contenders from now into the foreseeable future.

I don't know about biglaw, but most of my interviews (botique-ish type good paying firms with good reps and prosecutors offices), including a job I am very much in the mix for, LOVE local ties and many straight up require it. Again though I don't know about biglaw.

[theavrock]

Would love more comments about breaking into Seattle as well. Not big law or bust. Love Seattle, two very good childhood friends live there and I've visited them in summer and winter alike.

[Anonymous User]

This is a serious question. So I'm tired of the east coast and I want to move to the northwest. Is it possible to break into the market? I have no ties of any kind west of Chicago. I have all Hs at HLS, I've worked at a V3 firm in New York and a litigation boutique, and I have pretty "prestigious" district and circuit clerkships lined up. I know this sounds very dickish - hence the anonymous! - but people talk about the desirable secondary markets in almost mythical terms if you don't have a persuasive reason for moving there other than "I think it would be fun." So I thought I'd ask.

If you have no connection to Seattle, why do you want to work there? It's a really small market with a really limited variety of work. The assumption will probably be that you won't stay because the work is generally not HYS+COA type work. No one wants to hire someone who is going to leave shortly.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone familiar with the market talk about state and federal clerkships? What's the competition like? Do judges hire term clerks often? I'm interested in Tacoma and Spokane as well.