Top Law Schools

First, background: I'm a clueless 0L, I am attending a T14, hoping for NYC BigLaw, interested in business-related law (in order of interest, M&A > PE > Securities > Finance > Corporate Governance).

My question is, how is it that people learn about the substantive differences between firms? I read ATL every day, and see stuff like "Sullivan Cromwell's legendary M&A practice," or "Cleary is the coolest firm to work at." I see people on TLS helping others with lists of where to bid if they want something specific from their career. How do you get a feel for the differences in culture and reputation between hundreds of firms? Just from talking to lawyers/reading stuff like ATL? As a 0L, I feel like I didn't know anything about the different firms before I started dicking around on blogs, and even now, I might be able to list off the biggest firms in the world, but not about the real differences between them.

http://www.chambersandpartners.com/USA is your friend. Enter a market and a practice area (in some cases no market is needed, for instance with several national practices), and voila, you get info on which firms are best in that field.

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I think the best way to get the scoop on firm culture is to talk to the people who are actually working there/have worked there.

thesealocust wrote:1) ATL every day
2) Run a search on XO. Terms to use: The name of a firm (e.g., cravath, skadden, fried frank, hogan), the type of practice (e.g., m&a, litigation, transactional), the name of your school. You'll find threads of extremely legit advice
3) Chambers & Partner, chambers & associate
4) Vault premium membership - it is very likely your school has this for you somehow
5) Firm receptions, word of mouth, discussion
6) Pop culture / news reports - "oh look, Clinton hired Williams & Connolly to defend him", etc. to at least get a sense for the big players

But not necessarily in that order.

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TTT-LS wrote:http://www.chambersandpartners.com/USA is your friend. Enter a market and a practice area (in some cases no market is needed, for instance with several national practices), and voila, you get info on which firms are best in that field.

This is credited. I have the Chambers Guide to Firms for law students and it is golden.

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what exactly do people mean when they say a firm is fratty? do they just mean that it's a work hard/play hard kind of place, a place where people regularly socialize, what? i just have a hard time believing that the firm is going to wake me up with a handle of whiskey to notify me that i've been offered a job.

enygma wrote:what exactly do people mean when they say a firm is fratty? do they just mean that it's a work hard/play hard kind of place, a place where people regularly socialize, what? i just have a hard time believing that the firm is going to wake me up with a handle of whiskey to notify me that i've been offered a job.

More clique-ish and good ol' boy, less "professional" relationships. Oh, and less gays and women-folk to ruin the party.

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bump. tres interesting.

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