Avoiding the next Dewey Forum

[Anonymous User]

What's wrong with White and Case? I know they laid a bunch of people off before and there are rumors of layoffs now, but it doesn't sound like they are going to collapse.

[Anonymous User]

What's wrong with White and Case? I know they laid a bunch of people off before and there are rumors of layoffs now, but it doesn't sound like they are going to collapse.

FWIW, my firm has recently received quite a few resumes from WC. Dunno if that means anything.

[Anonymous User]

What's wrong with White and Case? I know they laid a bunch of people off before and there are rumors of layoffs now, but it doesn't sound like they are going to collapse.

FWIW, my firm has recently received quite a few resumes from WC. Dunno if that means anything.

Heard this as well. They're making a very aggressive push for recruiting because people are lateraling out like CRAZY.

[Anonymous User]

Winston. Winston. Winston.

Look. This is the firm where large numbers of lateral groups from pretty much every recent failed biglaw firm (note -- I didn't say attorneys. These are laterals who move from firm to firm). Heller. Thelen. Howrey. Dewey.

Plus, considering their horrific offer rates and well-known, common practice of stealth layoffs of associates (and apparently it is a horrid working environment for associates), you would literally be crazy to choose this firm to start your career if you have other options. If you don't have other options, you better plan on finding some whenever your career finds itself derailed suddenly, fyi.

Disagree with regards to the stealth layoff as a sign of firm weakness. It is simply Winston’s business model, particularly in litigation. They hire way more than they expect to keep and then cut 3-5 years in. It’s not necessarily a sign of weakness. Also, if you don’t think stealth layoffs are common at every firm, you are absolutely delusional.

[Anonymous User]

Which is why Winston would be a horrific place to work. Even if it stuck around, you won't. And those 1-3 years, which will be spent trying to avoid the ever moving ax, would be just horrible. If you can land at Winston, you can go better places. I wouldn't start my career at a place that has an institutional model of fucking junior attorneys over. Also, the amount of stealthing Winston does is pretty horrific and that's if you're lucky enough to get an offer (which you have a 1/3 chance of not doing). Gross.

[somewhatwayward]

When, after the mass layoffs, did Latham hire huge summer classes? A timeline would be helpful. It sounds like some folks are saying that they had a lot of associates during the boom (true), laid off a bunch (true), hired a bunch of summers?, laid off more associates?, and are hiring more summers again?

From what I understand they have changed their hiring philosophy since the mass layoffs, and they've especially committed to lean summer classes. But I could be way off. Thoughts?

No, you're dead on. The other post is clearly from someone that has no clue what they are talking about--most likely from someone upset they didn't get a callback there.

LOL what is with this persistent suggestion that bitter people who didn't get CBs are making up rumors about firms? Where there's smoke, there's fire. It takes more than one bitter 2L to get these rumors going. Plus, most people don't get CBs from most firms they interview with. How come these bitter people repeatedly choose Latham out of all their rejections?

FTR, I got a CB from Latham but did not accept it, mostly bc I didn't want to spend the first three to five years of my career worried about avoiding the ax at every turn.

[Anonymous User]

I heard from attorneys on callbacks that Kaye Scholar, Hogan Lovells, Goodwin Proctor, Winston & Strawn and White & Case were the firms to stay away from.

I SA'd at Kaye Scholer and everything seemed fine. I do know they had problems in the past, but from what I was able to see and talk to people about during my summer was that everything was pretty stable and fine at this point. There was definitely not a shortage of work or anything like that.

However, I'm curious if anyone has more information, since I was only a SA and likely don't know the real deal.

[Anonymous User]

I heard from attorneys on callbacks that Kaye Scholar, Hogan Lovells, Goodwin Proctor, Winston & Strawn and White & Case were the firms to stay away from.

I SA'd at Kaye Scholer and everything seemed fine. I do know they had problems in the past, but from what I was able to see and talk to people about during my summer was that everything was pretty stable and fine at this point. There was definitely not a shortage of work or anything like that.

However, I'm curious if anyone has more information, since I was only a SA and likely don't know the real deal.

Hogan? Really? Why?

[Anonymous User]

As offer decision deadlines loom, I thought having a thread about the financial stability (or instability) of law firms would be helpful. Anyone have any insight into which firms are financially unstable or on the other hand, firms that are shining stars in terms of financial stability. Also, it would probably be useful to say why (if you know) in addition to sharing firm names.

Fulbright and Jaworski (Dallas) is not doing well financially.

As someone who is interested in that firm I'd like to know where this information is coming from. I've seen it posted around TLS without much to support it or reasoning behind it. Anyone care to share?

This is bull. Fulbright Dallas is the most profitable office.

Is this true? How do you know this?

[Anonymous User]

I heard from attorneys on callbacks that Kaye Scholar, Hogan Lovells, Goodwin Proctor, Winston & Strawn and White & Case were the firms to stay away from.

Why Goodwin Procter?

And any office specifically?

[dixiecupdrinking]

ITT: Anonymous law students sequentially claim that every firm in the V100 is one to "stay away from."

[bjsesq]

ITT: Anonymous law students sequentially claim that every firm in the V100 is one to "stay away from."

No shit, dude.

[09042014]

ITT: Anonymous law students sequentially claim that every firm in the V100 is one to "stay away from."

This happened last year. 80% of the v100 were mentioned except Dewey. It's pretty lulzy.