Central Valley (Sac/Fresno/Stockton) associate taking ?s Forum

[Anonymous User]

The Central Valley is out of the way so most people on TLS aren't interested, but I am an associate at a firm in this region and know a lot about the legal market there, so I'm happy to take questions if anyone on here has a decision to make.

[eav1277]

Anyway u could pm me? Also are you from the area? I feel like it's easier to enjoy life in the Central Valley if you were raised there. Not so much when you move there

[Anonymous User]

Anyway u could pm me? Also are you from the area? I feel like it's easier to enjoy life in the Central Valley if you were raised there. Not so much when you move there

PMd

[Yukos]

I really like Sacto but I've never lived there. Do you think there's any chance to get there without ties or will they immediately assume you're a flight risk?

(I've lived a decent amount in Northern and Southern California but never the Central Valley.)

[Anonymous User]

I really like Sacto but I've never lived there. Do you think there's any chance to get there without ties or will they immediately assume you're a flight risk?

(I've lived a decent amount in Northern and Southern California but never the Central Valley.)

If you want to work in Sac without ties, your best hope is to do well at Davis or really well at McGeorge. Coming from another school without ties is going to be a huge uphill battle. The only way I see it working out is if you are able to articulate some reason why you want to be in the state capital. Maybe try and articulate an interest in regulatory or lobbying work. Also I would email people at firms in your practice area of choice and just straight up explain the situation. Be prepared to speak about Sac in a way that makes it clear you've spent significant time there (talk about your favorite spots in Midtown and so forth).

[Anonymous User]

Bump in case anyone is out there.

[brewery33]

Stockton has a lot of McG grads practicing. Ties are essential in this area, as it still has a small town feel. Huge agricultural client base. Nice developer clients too. Lots of multi-generational clients.

It is not as bad as most say. I am a lifelong Stockton resident and plan to practice in Stockton upon graduation. I already have a job, and also happen to have strong ties to the area.

[Anonymous User]

Bump. This is OP. Here for the people. I am a man of the people.

[Anonymous User]

Stockton has a lot of McG grads practicing. Ties are essential in this area, as it still has a small town feel. Huge agricultural client base. Nice developer clients too. Lots of multi-generational clients.

It is not as bad as most say. I am a lifelong Stockton resident and plan to practice in Stockton upon graduation. I already have a job, and also happen to have strong ties to the area.

You at (Don't one to out you but the one semi-sizable firm based in that city)?

[eav1277]

Any central valley firm experts? Since most post anonymous it's hard to reach out (also I know this is an old thread but hopefully people will see the city names and respond)

[crumpetsandtea]

I graduated from Davis and my best friend still lives there. Wouldn't hate going back to sac. Pm me?

[Anonymous User]

Resurrecting this threat b/c I'm doing a 2L SA at one of the "larger" firms in Fresno/Bakersfield/Stockton. Anyone have any info/experiences on the quality of life for central valley associates? I know it's starting to rain more. That's good.

[Anonymous User]

Resurrecting this threat b/c I'm doing a 2L SA at one of the "larger" firms in Fresno/Bakersfield/Stockton. Anyone have any info/experiences on the quality of life for central valley associates? I know it's starting to rain more. That's good.

On the off-chance this anon will see this reply, feel free to post specific questions. I would invite you to PM but I don't want to out myself. Quality of life is going to be pretty good, but this is very firm specific. A couple of the mid-sized (for the region) ones are known to be sweatshops, but most of the big guys (again, for the region) are pretty humane. The best advice I have is to really use the summer to get to know people if you didn't grow up in that city. Central Valley towns have pretty un-glamorous reputations, so most of the people who end up there grew up there, which can make them socially isolating places to move as an adult. The best way to get around this is just to be really outgoing and make a big effort to get to know people where you can. It took me about a year, but I have a great group of friends and love where I live now.

[Anonymous User]

I see you. Thanks for responding! I know you don't want to out yourself but can you name some of the firms with the sweatshop reputations? Given the limited amount of SAs, I too don't want to out myself. But I'll be working at one of the 20-75 person firms in the Valley.

Also what do you mean by mid-sized? less than 25? And what are bonus structures like?

[Anonymous User]

I see you. Thanks for responding! I know you don't want to out yourself but can you name some of the firms with the sweatshop reputations? Given the limited amount of SAs, I too don't want to out myself. But I'll be working at one of the 20-75 person firms in the Valley.

Also what do you mean by mid-sized? less than 25? And what are bonus structures like?

If you're headed somewhere with 25+ you should be OK. The one I hear sweatshop rumors about is a Fresno office that's a bit smaller than that. There are pretty much three firms that match your description, and I think all of them are pretty good places to work. If you're headed to a firm that rhymes with Schmickmormick Schmarstow, I'd steer away from the insurance coverage group if you can, just because I am informed and believe that the bonuses there are smaller than the rest of the firm. Bonuses vary by firm and by individual, so I really can't give you a meaningful answer. This is probably telling you what you already know, but first year associate salaries and bonuses in the Valley aren't earth shattering. The good news, though, is that you are likely to get regular raises once you prove yourself, and the cost of living is extremely low. My salary is already significantly higher than it was when I started, ditto bonuses.

[Anonymous User]

Any central valley firm experts? Since most post anonymous it's hard to reach out (also I know this is an old thread but hopefully people will see the city names and respond)

Go for it

[Anonymous User]

I see you. Thanks for responding! I know you don't want to out yourself but can you name some of the firms with the sweatshop reputations? Given the limited amount of SAs, I too don't want to out myself. But I'll be working at one of the 20-75 person firms in the Valley.

Also what do you mean by mid-sized? less than 25? And what are bonus structures like?

If you're headed somewhere with 25+ you should be OK. The one I hear sweatshop rumors about is a Fresno office that's a bit smaller than that. There are pretty much three firms that match your description, and I think all of them are pretty good places to work. If you're headed to a firm that rhymes with Schmickmormick Schmarstow, I'd steer away from the insurance coverage group if you can, just because I am informed and believe that the bonuses there are smaller than the rest of the firm. Bonuses vary by firm and by individual, so I really can't give you a meaningful answer. This is probably telling you what you already know, but first year associate salaries and bonuses in the Valley aren't earth shattering. The good news, though, is that you are likely to get regular raises once you prove yourself, and the cost of living is extremely low. My salary is already significantly higher than it was when I started, ditto bonuses.

That is all super helpful, thank you. Are you referring to Wanger Jones Helsley as the sweatshop? I'm not working there, but I did have an interview, and they seemed really aggressive, and somewhat intimidating. Needless to say the interview did not go well haha.

[Anonymous User]

I see you. Thanks for responding! I know you don't want to out yourself but can you name some of the firms with the sweatshop reputations? Given the limited amount of SAs, I too don't want to out myself. But I'll be working at one of the 20-75 person firms in the Valley.

Also what do you mean by mid-sized? less than 25? And what are bonus structures like?

If you're headed somewhere with 25+ you should be OK. The one I hear sweatshop rumors about is a Fresno office that's a bit smaller than that. There are pretty much three firms that match your description, and I think all of them are pretty good places to work. If you're headed to a firm that rhymes with Schmickmormick Schmarstow, I'd steer away from the insurance coverage group if you can, just because I am informed and believe that the bonuses there are smaller than the rest of the firm. Bonuses vary by firm and by individual, so I really can't give you a meaningful answer. This is probably telling you what you already know, but first year associate salaries and bonuses in the Valley aren't earth shattering. The good news, though, is that you are likely to get regular raises once you prove yourself, and the cost of living is extremely low. My salary is already significantly higher than it was when I started, ditto bonuses.

That is all super helpful, thank you. Are you referring to Wanger Jones Helsley as the sweatshop? I'm not working there, but I did have an interview, and they seemed really aggressive, and somewhat intimidating. Needless to say the interview did not go well haha.

I'm probably not going to discuss specific firms because there aren't a whole lot here and it would be pretty easy to narrow down who I am when I start ruling them out, but they weren't who I was thinking of.

[Anonymous User]

any chance you could just give your general impression of the larger firms in the central valley? Or even SUPER general if that makes you uncomfortable? Not necessarily even need to say you're the OP, I would appreciate just getting the general impression from anyone at all.

A bunch of my cousins live in Sac and I've considered living there at different times. I'm not there at the moment, but norcal thru and thru... I know I've seen a couple of job opportunities in my practice area (tech/IP/patent) in Sac, but mostly from the large ass firms. Do you know if any of the "regional" firms around Sac/the san Juaquin valley have these kinda practices?

I went to school on the east coast at a highly ranked school but wasn't about all that prestige life. Still at a relatively "prestigious" firm but would love to be at a more lifestyle kinda place. Either that or I go solo, but with lotsa my boys around Stockton specially round the south side, modesto, n Turlock I figure is worth a look

[Anonymous User]

I think the Sacramento market is far different than the Fresno (and other San Joaquin cities) market being discussed in this thread. And I have no experience with the Sacramento legal market. I don't think it's helpful to have a thread that includes Fresno/Stockton and then also Sacramento, as they cannot be grouped together as similar legal markets. You might want to try starting a new thread specifically about the Sac area. Also, I'm sure there are older threads that talk about that specific location.

The "larger" firms in Fresno are definitely more lifestyle-like, than firms in major CA cities.

[Anonymous User]

Are you essentially saying that Fresno firms (even the larger firms) have a much better work life balance than firms in big CA cities? I'm posting anon because I'm going to a Fresno firm this summer and because it is a small legal community I fear being known somehow.

[Anonymous User]

Are you essentially saying that Fresno firms (even the larger firms) have a much better work life balance than firms in big CA cities? I'm posting anon because I'm going to a Fresno firm this summer and because it is a small legal community I fear being known somehow.

My impression is the billables are closer to 1800 for new associates at the 25-75 person firms. But it still depends on the firm.

[Anonymous User]

Are you essentially saying that Fresno firms (even the larger firms) have a much better work life balance than firms in big CA cities? I'm posting anon because I'm going to a Fresno firm this summer and because it is a small legal community I fear being known somehow.

My impression is the billables are closer to 1800 for new associates at the 25-75 person firms. But it still depends on the firm.

1800 is a good estimate for a first year workload

[Anonymous User]

I think the Sacramento market is far different than the Fresno (and other San Joaquin cities) market being discussed in this thread. And I have no experience with the Sacramento legal market. I don't think it's helpful to have a thread that includes Fresno/Stockton and then also Sacramento, as they cannot be grouped together as similar legal markets. You might want to try starting a new thread specifically about the Sac area. Also, I'm sure there are older threads that talk about that specific location.

The "larger" firms in Fresno are definitely more lifestyle-like, than firms in major CA cities.

Eh, there is barely enough interest on here to keep this thread alive. As far as TLS is concerned any city in E.D. Cal. Is basically in the Yukon. If we split it up it would fade to obscurity quickly. I figure the target here is people who went to Davis or McGeorge for the most part and most of them interview around the valley

[Trig]

I think the Sacramento market is far different than the Fresno (and other San Joaquin cities) market being discussed in this thread. And I have no experience with the Sacramento legal market. I don't think it's helpful to have a thread that includes Fresno/Stockton and then also Sacramento, as they cannot be grouped together as similar legal markets. You might want to try starting a new thread specifically about the Sac area. Also, I'm sure there are older threads that talk about that specific location.

The "larger" firms in Fresno are definitely more lifestyle-like, than firms in major CA cities.

Eh, there is barely enough interest on here to keep this thread alive. As far as TLS is concerned any city in E.D. Cal. Is basically in the Yukon. If we split it up it would fade to obscurity quickly. I figure the target here is people who went to Davis or McGeorge for the most part and most of them interview around the valley

Will you PM me OP?