Making partner: Skadden vs. S&C Forum

[nothingtosee]

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the incoherence of your posts but I didn't come here to anonymously argue about someone's mistaken assumptions. I never said I have knowledge of anything regarding partnership. I said you couldn't be more wrong about me being a 1L who is asking for the sake of asking.

If you can't think of the many logical reasons someone would pose the question I asked in the way I asked it then you are beyond my help.

I don't need your help, buddy.

I'm just making fun of you.

Of course you are. And your willingness to admit that you are actually spending your time making fun of an anonymous poster on an internet message board for what would be a perfectly reasonable question if you didn't vomit your own fantastical and completely false assumptions about it all over the place really speaks for itself. You're doing all of my work for me.

Anyway thanks all for the replies.

You're def an S&C kind of guy.

[JackDaniels^]

Difficult to say for a lot of reasons:
1. Most people on this board are still in law school. They are busy landing a summer internship, not making partner. For this reason, they have no idea how to make partner.
2. Most 1st - 6th year lawyers have no idea how to make partner. It is often a combination of multiple skills, but hardly anybody know what is emphasized upon - and those who truly know a few tricks will be hesitant to share them.
3. A lot of luck is involved.

If you are indeed a law student, pick the firm that appeals most to you, not the firm that has a bigger chance of making partner. If there is one thing that will increase your chances of making partner, it is working at a firm that you actually enjoy.

[Anonymous User]

Having experience with both firms: I'm not sure the stereotype of "S&C serves institutional clients, Skadden doesn't" is correct. Yes, S&C has some very strong institutional clients (like AT&T, Goldman Sachs, Barclays) that have been with the firm for years. But it's not like Skadden doesn't have institutional clients as well (Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Citibank). Skadden isn't going out and poaching clients/partners (or groups of partners) on the scale that Kirkland or other very aggressive new-new-money firms are. The consequence is that being a partner at S&C or Skadden isn't going to be that different--a combination of serving existing clients and looking out for new ones.

One key difference, though, is that Skadden's 8-year partner track is so rigid that you're done at the firm if you don't make partner. Skadden has some 8+ year associates who stick around. At S&C, if you don't make partner, I think the writing on the wall is to leave. At Skadden, that might not be true to the same extent.

[jimmythecatdied6]

If you are a law student that is posting about partnership possibilities at Skadden or S&C, you will not make partner, ever.

[hellojd]

Couple things because I care about you anon internet poster. i wouldnt post at all, because this is bad juju to talk about, but i think you need this:

1) you're wrong about Skadden's nyc partner track. 8 Years. If you don't scoop it, you may still make counsel. Some people make partner after 8 years, but that's rare. You may want to look at some firm bios.
.

Umm no, you're wrong. Their M&A group doesn't put people up for partner until AT LEAST 10 years. Even in most other groups, you can't make partner in 8 years at all - you might get the counsel bump in some groups at 8, which is taken to be a favorable sign, but at Skadden almost no one makes partner in under a decade anymore.

[Cobretti]

He's probably a prospective lateral, relax guys

[rpupkin]

He's probably a prospective lateral, relax guys

And what better place to get advice on partnership prospects than on a forum that consists mostly of know-nothing law students? Almost anyone in a position to lateral to Skadden and S&C will know attorneys who work at those firms. If you're looking to lateral, ask those attorneys.

[Anonymous User]

One key difference, though, is that Skadden's 8-year partner track is so rigid that you're done at the firm if you don't make partner. Skadden has some 8+ year associates who stick around. At S&C, if you don't make partner, I think the writing on the wall is to leave. At Skadden, that might not be true to the same extent.

This isn't true. Counsel were just announced today and during the ceremony the managing partner at our office explained Counsel was treated as a non equity partner, and was where the firm primarily drew from to make partners. There has been at least one partner promoted straight from associate in the last 2 years, but the more common pipeline is associate -> counsel -> partner.

ETA: Reading this again it looks like you might have just meant to say S&C instead of Skadden at the beginning, if so just ignore me.

[RodneyRuxin]

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the incoherence of your posts but I didn't come here to anonymously argue about someone's mistaken assumptions. I never said I have knowledge of anything regarding partnership. I said you couldn't be more wrong about me being a 1L who is asking for the sake of asking.

If you can't think of the many logical reasons someone would pose the question I asked in the way I asked it then you are beyond my help.

I don't need your help, buddy.

I'm just making fun of you.

Of course you are. And your willingness to admit that you are actually spending your time making fun of an anonymous poster on an internet message board for what would be a perfectly reasonable question if you didn't vomit your own fantastical and completely false assumptions about it all over the place really speaks for itself. You're doing all of my work for me.

Anyway thanks all for the replies.

You're def an S&C kind of guy.

Logged in to post this

[Anonymous User]

One key difference, though, is that Skadden's 8-year partner track is so rigid that you're done at the firm if you don't make partner. Skadden has some 8+ year associates who stick around. At S&C, if you don't make partner, I think the writing on the wall is to leave. At Skadden, that might not be true to the same extent.

This isn't true. Counsel were just announced today and during the ceremony the managing partner at our office explained Counsel was treated as a non equity partner, and was where the firm primarily drew from to make partners. There has been at least one partner promoted straight from associate in the last 2 years, but the more common pipeline is associate -> counsel -> partner.

ETA: Reading this again it looks like you might have just meant to say S&C instead of Skadden at the beginning, if so just ignore me.

Yes--I meant to say that S&C has a markedly more rigid partner track than Skadden.

[Anonymous User]

One key difference, though, is that Skadden's 8-year partner track is so rigid that you're done at the firm if you don't make partner. Skadden has some 8+ year associates who stick around. At S&C, if you don't make partner, I think the writing on the wall is to leave. At Skadden, that might not be true to the same extent.

This isn't true. Counsel were just announced today and during the ceremony the managing partner at our office explained Counsel was treated as a non equity partner, and was where the firm primarily drew from to make partners. There has been at least one partner promoted straight from associate in the last 2 years, but the more common pipeline is associate -> counsel -> partner.

ETA: Reading this again it looks like you might have just meant to say S&C instead of Skadden at the beginning, if so just ignore me.

Yes--I meant to say that S&C has a markedly more rigid partner track than Skadden.

I'm not sure how rigid. Not saying it's not more rigid than Skadden's--but it's definitely not up or out. If you don't make partner at 8 years at S&C it appears you have no shot, but I do know of a number of people who didn't make partner and stayed on as counsel.

It also seems beneficial as I'd imagine you have a better sense of your partnership prospects earlier and may be able to lateral before your "best by" date if you don't seem on track.