Lower V100 Exit Options / General Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

My only option may be a lower V100 firm in NY. The firm has some decently regarded corporate specializations in Chambers. But it's unclear to me whether I'll get to choose my group, or even to choose generally between lit and corporate. Is this something I should be asking if I get an offer? I'd assume so, but as I said it might be my only option, so I don't know if asking would be useful anyway.

1. What are the exit options generally like from these firms? Probably not comparable to a V10, but will my career really suffer from not starting out higher? I should probably push for corporate to improve these, yes? I don't care about "prestigious" exit options -- I just don't want to be a K-JD second year litigator who gets laid off.

2. Is there anything I should be doing now to leverage an offer from another firm? I couldn't see how letting a V30 with whom I had a CB know of this offer would persuade them to extend me one, right?

3. My grades/school might be good enough for at least a District Court clerkship - maybe I should either try this, or try to trade up during 3L regardless of whether I get one?

[breakinghigh]

I don't know why you needed to post this anonymously.


But chill out and ignore TLS, vault rankings, etc. 2Ls on TLS covet exit options so much when that factor does not affect them at all on a day-to-day basis.

I don't know what v100 firm you're looking to start at, and it would be helpful to know this. There are variations in firms, and lower v100 firms tend to have smaller summer classes and less leverage. You tend to get more substantive experience a lot earlier. By 6th year you may be running entire cases, compared to many v20 firms where 4th year is standard for doing your first deposition. But this is also affected by what partner you get. If you end up somewhere where you receive a ton of experience, your exit options will be great.

Lower vault ranking is also not a measurement of firm financial health or your likelihood of getting laid off. There are plenty of highly ranked firms that laid-off and no-offered in the downturn.

Go somewhere where
1) You like the people
2) The partners you work under will give you early substantive experience
3) You get invested in by partners and there is a presumption of loyalty

[Anonymous User]

My only option may be a lower V100 firm in NY. The firm has some decently regarded corporate specializations in Chambers. But it's unclear to me whether I'll get to choose my group, or even to choose generally between lit and corporate. Is this something I should be asking if I get an offer? I'd assume so, but as I said it might be my only option, so I don't know if asking would be useful anyway.

1. What are the exit options generally like from these firms? Probably not comparable to a V10, but will my career really suffer from not starting out higher? I should probably push for corporate to improve these, yes? I don't care about "prestigious" exit options -- I just don't want to be a K-JD second year litigator who gets laid off.

2. Is there anything I should be doing now to leverage an offer from another firm? I couldn't see how letting a V30 with whom I had a CB know of this offer would persuade them to extend me one, right?

3. My grades/school might be good enough for at least a District Court clerkship - maybe I should either try this, or try to trade up during 3L regardless of whether I get one?

#3 and your introduction do not square up. Generally, if you can get an Art. III District Court clerkship, you would be able to get a better law firm.

Just do your best 2L year and try to trade up but, as some have been saying in other threads, do not expect to trade up. Be happy with your BigLaw offer. It is still a V100 job that pays $160k.

[Anonymous User]

Posted anon because I have a unique background that I mentioned in my past posts that could make me identifiable when combined with this.

I agree that #3 and my introduction do not square up, but that's the way OCI worked out. I guess I was a poor interviewer with a weak resume, and it's probably part of why I'm making this thread. Believe me, I was incredibly grateful to get this offer.

I don't want to be blinded by the TLS perception of those things -- I just don't want to end up being unmarketable for anything but small firms or other markets a few years from now. I plan to stay in NY, and so this is important to me.

[Anonymous User]

Posted anon because I have a unique background that I mentioned in my past posts that could make me identifiable when combined with this.

I agree that #3 and my introduction do not square up, but that's the way OCI worked out. I guess I was a poor interviewer with a weak resume, and it's probably part of why I'm making this thread. Believe me, I was incredibly grateful to get this offer.

I don't want to be blinded by the TLS perception of those things -- I just don't want to end up being unmarketable for anything but small firms or other markets a few years from now. I plan to stay in NY, and so this is important to me.

If your grades are good enough for you to land a higher ranked firm but not good enough to secure such a firm through grades alone, then I don't understand how you expect to trade up as a 3L or even after possibly working for a District Court. Unless you absolutely kill 2L, if you are a poor interviewer now, you will be a poor interviewer later most likely and will be back in this same situation - underperforming your numbers.

[Anonymous User]

I suspect (and was told by interviewers) that there were particular factors that made me not a good fit for BigLaw. I don't think I would have the same problem in clerkship interviews.

-OP

[Anonymous User]

But then you would have the same problems post-clerkship? So, unless it is a very prestigious clerkship, I don't understand how your situation would be different. You would just be delaying the same result by a year.

[Anonymous User]

Fair enough. I thought the resume boost might be sufficient to overcome that. Thanks for your thoughts, though.

-OP