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Meyer5

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New Orleans Market

Post by Meyer5 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:59 am

What is the market like? What are the best firms? Any info or experience about New Orleans would be great!

Bubbles1012

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Bubbles1012 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 12:31 pm

Feel free to PM me. I am a 3L at Tulane, local to New a orleans and going to one of the top firms in the market.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 17, 2018 1:53 pm

Jones Walker, Phelps Dunbar, McGlinchey Stafford. All depends on what type of law

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:57 pm

Proskauer Rose

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:59 pm

If you have the choice between atlanta and new orleans choose atlanta. Way more money

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Bubbles1012

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Bubbles1012 » Mon Feb 19, 2018 3:47 pm

People don’t live in New Orleans for the money. They live here for the food, culture, people, and charm. New Orleanians make a lot of sacrifices to live where they do. Atlanta, while a cool town, doesn’t even compare.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Feb 19, 2018 4:04 pm

Bubbles1012 wrote:People don’t live in New Orleans for the money. They live here for the food, culture, people, and charm. New Orleanians make a lot of sacrifices to live where they do. Atlanta, while a cool town, doesn’t even compare.
I’d be interested in hearing some perspectives on the NOLA market. 5th year big law in a major market that has been considering making a move to NOLA for some time. To the extent I’d want to stay at firm, I just can’t get over the pay disparity to bigger markets. Billables are of course lower, but at the end of the day billables are drudgery and clients are stressful. Any practicing attorneys willing to share their thoughts on the pros and cons of practicing in NOLA?

Bubbles1012

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Bubbles1012 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:52 am

I am not practicing yet, so I can’t give you as much insight as you want, but New Orleans in general is just a more laid back, relaxed place than almost anywhere else in the country. I saw almost all the practicing lawyers I know, even those who work for NOLA satellites of larger firms in costume on the streets on Mardi Gras day. There didn’t seem to be any concern that a client would call, etc. they were just off, on a random Tuesday everywhere else. The culture here is just less demanding, and that’s reflected in the pay.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 20, 2018 2:36 pm

I have practiced in both major markets and NOLA, the latter of which I left within a couple of years of arriving. Associate salaries and PPP are far lower in NOLA than they are in Texas, NY, DC, etc., when comparing firms of similar caliber in their respective markets. The economy simply isn’t particularly good. Also, though a minor point, the Louisiana bar was considerably harder than my first bar (though I can’t say if it’s harder to pass), and there is no reciprocity. I bring that up only because plenty of folks come down for Jazz Fest, get the idea of a move to escape NYC in their heads, and are surprised to learn they would have to take the bar. IME, great town, lots of fun to visit, not necessarily the best place to practice law.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:03 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I have practiced in both major markets and NOLA, the latter of which I left within a couple of years of arriving. Associate salaries and PPP are far lower in NOLA than they are in Texas, NY, DC, etc., when comparing firms of similar caliber in their respective markets. The economy simply isn’t particularly good. Also, though a minor point, the Louisiana bar was considerably harder than my first bar (though I can’t say if it’s harder to pass), and there is no reciprocity. I bring that up only because plenty of folks come down for Jazz Fest, get the idea of a move to escape NYC in their heads, and are surprised to learn they would have to take the bar. IME, great town, lots of fun to visit, not necessarily the best place to practice law.
How would you rank the firms in New Orleans?

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:29 pm

In my view, while the question is understandable, there’s no useful way to “rank” firms generally. There are some fine regional all-purpose firms, as there are in most mid-sized/smaller cities, but otherwise it’s highly practice-dependent. This sort of question is precisely what Chambers is for. Look at your practice areas of interest, and you’ll get an idea of the better firms in the city.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:56 pm

Anonymous User wrote:I have practiced in both major markets and NOLA, the latter of which I left within a couple of years of arriving. Associate salaries and PPP are far lower in NOLA than they are in Texas, NY, DC, etc., when comparing firms of similar caliber in their respective markets. The economy simply isn’t particularly good. Also, though a minor point, the Louisiana bar was considerably harder than my first bar (though I can’t say if it’s harder to pass), and there is no reciprocity. I bring that up only because plenty of folks come down for Jazz Fest, get the idea of a move to escape NYC in their heads, and are surprised to learn they would have to take the bar. IME, great town, lots of fun to visit, not necessarily the best place to practice law.
How much do the partners average around? A friend of mine told me they make 2x as more in Houston

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Feb 20, 2018 4:13 pm

So, as you probably know, PPP varies considerably by firm, and parners’ shares vary considerably within individual firms. There’s no particular ratio. But, yes, other things being equal, salaries and PPP are considerably higher in Houston.

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Mar 04, 2018 11:22 pm

Just checked the Vault 100 and all I saw was Proskauer Rose and Locke Lorde. Surprised at the low number

pbr123

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Re: New Orleans Market

Post by pbr123 » Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:19 pm

I'm from NOLA and have been practicing at a well regarded NOLA-based regional firm for the last 3 years but am transitioning to ATL later this year due to SO matching for medical residency there. Would be happy to provide my perspective on the two markets, and particular firms, if you'd like and want to PM me. In general, Biglaw is essentially nonexistent in NOLA. Most of the competition for top talent is centered around certain prestigious boutiques and some mid-sized regional firms with NOLA motherships. This can make parsing the NOLA market a bit difficult from the outside, because there is less public data available about these places.

PPP and associate salaries are way below larger cities, but most of the firms offer a far more transparent and achievable path to partnership. At my current firm, it is generally understood that if you finish out your 7 years without screwing up, you will be elevated to non-equity partner with a pretty clear shot at equity partner within 2-3 years thereafter. Work/life balance is pretty decent. The same cannot be said of a lot of larger markets. Unfortunately, the cost of living in NOLA has become quite high when compared against the low salaries, and you receive essentially no services in return. (Think low quality public school options, frequent boil water advisories, dismal roads, etc). That makes NOLA a pretty difficult value proposition outside of the culture, charm, traditions, and community vibes (which I am not minimizing, it's just something each person has to make value judgment about for themselves). For reference, I am being offered nearly twice as much money in ATL, while the lease I just signed is only about $100/mo higher than what I pay in NOLA. The net difference is huge.

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