V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

[itbdvorm]

This might be difficult to answer but...

Provided I had the qualifications to receive an offer at a biglaw firm in the first place, would it be feasible to lateral (or get interviews at least) into biglaw after one year of experience working for a solo practitioner (if it makes any difference, he/she is an HYS grad who worked at a highly regarded biglaw firm/boutique for 10 years)?

I don't really know how to compare my experience to that of other associates so what would you be looking for?

Feasible, sure...but you need a convincing story and this is a wacky path.

Really appreciate your answer.

Ah I see.
Basically I struck out at OCI due to various reasons, including poor bidding/interviewing. Drastically improved interviewing skills but a little too late. Couldn't find a job post-grad for decent transactional work. Family friend does solo startup/VC corp work and offered to take me in and seemed like a good opportunity to get my hands dirty and learn one-on-one in an area I'm interested in. Great training so far but was wondering what my options are.

Hopefully this isn't too wacky. Thoughts?

So that's a different story/question

Go do that, as best you can. Then try to see if you get good at it / like it. Then pitch yourself to a growing firm interested in that area and volunteer to drop a year. Win.

[itbdvorm]

How does management determine which incoming associates get their top choice of practice group/rotation? If there are 100 incoming associates in a class and 80 of them want M&A, how does the firm decide which associates get their top choice and which are shunted off into Credit or Capital Markets? Is it lottery based? If not, what qualities/accomplishments does the firm look at? School, grades, work done during the summer?

The firm i'm going to next summer is top notch at the practice i'm interested in, but i hear it can be difficult to break into. Just wondering how these decisions are made in a general sense.

I am sure it goes by preference / performance in practice group

[itbdvorm]

Would it be crazy to take Schulte over multiple V20s? Interested in fund work, but also worried about prestige/perception and how they may affect my options down the line.

Thanks!

Honestly, yeah. You aren't actually interested in fund work.

[itbdvorm]

I have been working at a firm for a month and have interviews lined up. I am looking to switch because hours are market but the pay is half and I also have out of pocket costs to work here. I am still a junior who quit about 2 months ago before getting this new gig a month ago. When interviewing, Is it better to act like I am still looking for a job (for 1.5 months) or can I tell them I have been working at a firm for a month? If the latter, what can I say that wont make me look like a job hopper? Thank you for your help.

Sorry, really don't know here. I always say be honest though.

[itbdvorm]

What are your thoughts on corporate attorneys providing business advice and strategy along with the legal work on an acquisition? Presuming, of course, that the attorney is senior enough and tuned in enough to business matters to actually know what they are talking about.

Happens all the time

[itbdvorm]

any thoughts on Kramer Levin?

Obviously top-tier white collar group. Corp guys are solid, though a step or two down from the big boys. Seems like a good culture.

[Danger Zone]

Would it be crazy to take Schulte over multiple V20s? Interested in fund work, but also worried about prestige/perception and how they may affect my options down the line.

Thanks!

Honestly, yeah. You aren't actually interested in fund work.

What's wrong with fund work

[stego]

I have been working at a firm for a month and have interviews lined up. I am looking to switch because hours are market but the pay is half and I also have out of pocket costs to work here. I am still a junior who quit about 2 months ago before getting this new gig a month ago. When interviewing, Is it better to act like I am still looking for a job (for 1.5 months) or can I tell them I have been working at a firm for a month? If the latter, what can I say that wont make me look like a job hopper? Thank you for your help.

Sorry, really don't know here. I always say be honest though.

Does any firm that pays market expect job-seekers to show loyalty to another firm that pays half of market?

[itbdvorm]

Would it be crazy to take Schulte over multiple V20s? Interested in fund work, but also worried about prestige/perception and how they may affect my options down the line.

Thanks!

Honestly, yeah. You aren't actually interested in fund work.

What's wrong with fund work

Nothing's wrong with it. Just very compliance, forms, etc. It's not like you're talking to Steve Cohen and telling him what to buy and sell.

[Anonymous User]

Starting next week at a V60 as a staff attorney in a specific practice group, what is your advice on how to become an associate? I'm 1 year out of law school. This firm does have somewhat of a history of promoting staff attorneys into associates. They also utilize a LOT of staff attorneys in this particular practice group, nationwide. One of the associates I will be working with started as an associate, then became a staff attorney, and is now a senior associate and will be a partner very soon. On the other hand there is a staff attorney that has been there for 15 years. From what I've gathered, the staff attorneys do exactly the same work as the associates, the sole difference is they do not have the no non-billable hour requirements that associates do. The salary/benefits is good, but not as high as the associate scale obviously. The staff attorneys are listed on the firms websites as associates. From what I've been told, the reason why they use so many staff attorneys is because of the sheer volume of work in this practice area and client demand for a lower hourly price point. Any insight on how to best position myself to be promoted to an Associate? obviously, work hard and do good work, but anything particular that I should prioritize?

Thank you very much! We all appreciate your time and help

[itbdvorm]

Starting next week at a V60 as a staff attorney in a specific practice group, what is your advice on how to become an associate? I'm 1 year out of law school. This firm does have somewhat of a history of promoting staff attorneys into associates. They also utilize a LOT of staff attorneys in this particular practice group, nationwide. One of the associates I will be working with started as an associate, then became a staff attorney, and is now a senior associate and will be a partner very soon. On the other hand there is a staff attorney that has been there for 15 years. From what I've gathered, the staff attorneys do exactly the same work as the associates, the sole difference is they do not have the no non-billable hour requirements that associates do. The salary/benefits is good, but not as high as the associate scale obviously. The staff attorneys are listed on the firms websites as associates. From what I've been told, the reason why they use so many staff attorneys is because of the sheer volume of work in this practice area and client demand for a lower hourly price point. Any insight on how to best position myself to be promoted to an Associate? obviously, work hard and do good work, but anything particular that I should prioritize?

Thank you very much! We all appreciate your time and help

Honestly wish I knew on this front.

I would talk to that senior associate (after a bit of time - not immediately) about his/her progression

But frankly you should assume to have a shot you'll need to be the best one. Act like an associate from day one (fully responsible for everything you should be and trying to chip in elsewhere). Do the job you want to have.

[Anonymous User]

How many matters do M&A associates at your firm get staffed on at any given time? I was just staffed on an activist-defense assignment, and while I'm excited about it I'm hoping to get some actual deal experience, too (at my firm, associates are only in M&A for a year before rotating, though they eventually go back if they want to commit to either of their rotations full-time).

[Anonymous User]

is it ever acceptable to send emails with questions listed after a failed interview, the recipients of the email are one head partner of the department of v15 and one junior partner of the department. I truly want the feedback and have a finely worded list of questions for them.

[Anonymous User]

or, is it ever acceptable to reach out to partner level people at biglaw to ask them to tell me what's wrong with me during an interview. I hate to take this personally but I have missed so many opportunities- I seem to hit so close everytime and getting some great interviews with great fit department and just miss it eventually. My plan is to ask them, throughout chit-chat in an interview-setting , would he be willing to work with me and if not, what was that.

[1styearlateral]

or, is it ever acceptable to reach out to partner level people at biglaw to ask them to tell me what's wrong with me during an interview. I hate to take this personally but I have missed so many opportunities- I seem to hit so close everytime and getting some great interviews with great fit department and just miss it eventually. My plan is to ask them, throughout chit-chat in an interview-setting , would he be willing to work with me and if not, what was that.

I'm going to take a shot and say that this is never acceptable and I would be very surprised if you received a serious response.

[Anonymous User]

or, is it ever acceptable to reach out to partner level people at biglaw to ask them to tell me what's wrong with me during an interview. I hate to take this personally but I have missed so many opportunities- I seem to hit so close everytime and getting some great interviews with great fit department and just miss it eventually. My plan is to ask them, throughout chit-chat in an interview-setting , would he be willing to work with me and if not, what was that.

I'm going to take a shot and say that this is never acceptable and I would be very surprised if you received a serious response.

not partner who just interviewed and dinged me but partners of my own ethnicity and (I thought) would be willing to help me out. out of compassion. Hell if I aint desperate i wouldn't even ask- career service at this point really is useless

[Anonymous User]

deleted

[1styearlateral]

or, is it ever acceptable to reach out to partner level people at biglaw to ask them to tell me what's wrong with me during an interview. I hate to take this personally but I have missed so many opportunities- I seem to hit so close everytime and getting some great interviews with great fit department and just miss it eventually. My plan is to ask them, throughout chit-chat in an interview-setting , would he be willing to work with me and if not, what was that.

I'm going to take a shot and say that this is never acceptable and I would be very surprised if you received a serious response.

not partner who just interviewed and dinged me but partners of my own ethnicity and (I thought) would be willing to help me out. out of compassion. Hell if I aint desperate i wouldn't even ask- career service at this point really is useless

Not sure what ethnicity has to do with anything, unless you think that somehow amplifies your inability to interview well.

But I guess my point is that I can't see a partner giving serious criticism to some law student they don't even know. I don't think you'd get a lot of genuine responses. You're better off speaking to someone you're close with who might be a partner or senior associate at a law firm. If you don't know any, then reach out to other people you know who might have been in charge of hiring at other businesses (doesn't have to be a law firm).

The bottom line is partners at big law firms are too busy to be doing mock interviews for each and every student. What you're asking for is above and beyond the normal call of duty. It's hard to get most partners to even grab a coffee or answer an e-mail let alone critique your awkwardness.

That's my 2 cents. Good luck.

[stego]

Not sure what ethnicity has to do with anything, unless you think that somehow amplifies your inability to interview well.

I think anon was implying that they are from a minority group that's underrepresented in the field of law and that a partner from the same background might be more interested in helping them out.

[Anonymous User]

What does it mean when a 3L interviewee doesn't hear back from a firm post-CB within the timeframe that they stated? What about when the firm's recruiter doesn't respond to an e-mail (politely) requesting an update? Is this typically a waitlist situation or upcoming rejection?

[itbdvorm]

How many matters do M&A associates at your firm get staffed on at any given time? I was just staffed on an activist-defense assignment, and while I'm excited about it I'm hoping to get some actual deal experience, too (at my firm, associates are only in M&A for a year before rotating, though they eventually go back if they want to commit to either of their rotations full-time).

often more than 1

right now definitely more than 1

[itbdvorm]

Not sure what ethnicity has to do with anything, unless you think that somehow amplifies your inability to interview well.

I think anon was implying that they are from a minority group that's underrepresented in the field of law and that a partner from the same background might be more interested in helping them out.

if this is the case, maaaaybe. but I would first reach out and ask if they might be willing to provide any tips I guess.

really tread carefully and don't expect much though

[itbdvorm]

What does it mean when a 3L interviewee doesn't hear back from a firm post-CB within the timeframe that they stated? What about when the firm's recruiter doesn't respond to an e-mail (politely) requesting an update? Is this typically a waitlist situation or upcoming rejection?

depends

[Anonymous User]

I clerked for 2 years (fed dist ct and COA) and am headed to a major market to litigate. I eventually want to move back to the smaller market where I clerked. Is there a "sweet spot" for making this move? Is lateralling as a 6th or 7th year associate "too late" usually without some sort of career reset like government work?

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for doing this. Do you have any insights into the current demand for junior tax laterals at the usual NY corporate shops?