How would you handle these interview questions? Forum

[Veyron]

What about boutique firms? or are those considered mid law?

They are in a category of their own. I tend to rate firms based on pay, not size. However, I suppose that boutique firms in general have worse exit options than biglaw, though certainly not as bad as smallaw.

[ggocat]

Even ITE, I don't know anyone taking smallaw who could get biglaw or midlaw.

Edit: Besides, how do you jump ship for more $. Usually the only way you can jump is down or sideways.

Small and mid law firms all pay differently. An associate can move to a different firm for slightly higher pay. I've never known anyone to move from one small or mid sized firm for lower pay... (quite the opposite). I knew some people who took small law and later interviewed with biglaw and moved to other jobs (usually government).

I think ITE, there were (are) plenty of people who could get biglaw/midlaw who ended up in small law. They interviewed with plenty of biglaw, and biglaw chose some people with lower grades. It happens at every school--some smart people just don't interview well or don't apply broadly enough. They end up missing the biglaw train.

[Veyron]

Even ITE, I don't know anyone taking smallaw who could get biglaw or midlaw.

Edit: Besides, how do you jump ship for more $. Usually the only way you can jump is down or sideways.

Small and mid law firms all pay differently. An associate can move to a different firm for slightly higher pay. I've never known anyone to move from one small or mid sized firm for lower pay... (quite the opposite). I knew some people who took small law and later interviewed with biglaw and moved to other jobs (usually government).

I think ITE, there were (are) plenty of people who could get biglaw/midlaw who ended up in small law. They interviewed with plenty of biglaw, and biglaw chose some people with lower grades. It happens at every school--some smart people just don't interview well or don't apply broadly enough. They end up missing the biglaw train.

And hence, they could not get biglaw - as you said, being biglaw material isn't all about grades.