Jenner Chicago Forum

[Anonymous User]

I am hesitant about accepting an offer from Jenner Chicago. I did not get a great vibe at the office (the people were not my favorite at all and it seemed very intense) and I hear from people who have worked there that the culture is pretty cut-throat. Does anyone else have that impression or am I mis-reading?

[Anonymous User]

I am hesitant about accepting an offer from Jenner Chicago. I did not get a great vibe at the office (the people were not my favorite at all and it seemed very intense) and I hear from people who have worked there that the culture is pretty cut-throat. Does anyone else have that impression or am I mis-reading?

What are your other options?

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

It is a litigation-heavy firm so the bit about being cut throat would seem to follow. I didn't get a CB there but Chicago based lawyers I spoke with about them all think highly of the firm. If you got a bad vibe, go somewhere else. The interview is not just about whether they like you but also whether you like them.

[Anonymous User]

Same here. Most of the people I talked to were very "different", I had a lot of dead silence during my interviews there and still ended up with an offer. I declined my offer down as well for the same reasons that you just noted. Ironically enough, Jenner Chicago was my top firm going in to OCI. I guess what you read on vault/get from the screening interviewers doesn't always hold true after an office visit.

I also had Jenner as a top choice for OCI, but was really disappointed during the callback. I thought they were going to kind of different than the other big firms in a good way (maybe more liberal or non-conformist), but they just turned out to be weird and uncomfortable.

[Anonymous User]

I am hesitant about accepting an offer from Jenner Chicago. I did not get a great vibe at the office (the people were not my favorite at all and it seemed very intense) and I hear from people who have worked there that the culture is pretty cut-throat. Does anyone else have that impression or am I mis-reading?

What are your other options?

Mid-sized firms that pay 125k-145k. I am hesitant because Jenner has a better reputation and pays more, but I honestly did not really like the place.

[Anonymous User]

.

[Anonymous User]

I am hesitant about accepting an offer from Jenner Chicago. I did not get a great vibe at the office (the people were not my favorite at all and it seemed very intense) and I hear from people who have worked there that the culture is pretty cut-throat. Does anyone else have that impression or am I mis-reading?

What are your other options?

Mid-sized firms that pay 125k-145k. I am hesitant because Jenner has a better reputation and pays more, but I honestly did not really like the place.

Above poster here. I turned down $160 @ Jenner for another boutique (not IP) in Chicago. There was no way I was going to make it more than 3 years at Jenner, and I want to enjoy my time after law school, not suffer for an additional 10% increase in pay. My loans are massive, but I have no doubt about my decision, FWIW. Also, I'm waiting on a few V20's in Chi .

do you think jenner is worse than other big litigation firms or are they really all the same?

[Anonymous User]

My Jenner callback was the worse that I had. I mean, it's not uncommon for there to be one or two awkward interviews. But at Jenner, EVERY interview was awkward. They basically just sat there as I pulled questions out of my butt. There really was not any "conversation." It was just me asking questions and them giving stilted answers. I was tremendously disappointed because I really liked the firm before going to the callback. I left the interview shaking my head at how terribly the callback had gone. For unknown reasons, they gave me an offer, which I declined.

That being said, I met two people (out of eight) that were cool. They were both in the corporate department.

[Anonymous User]

This thread is very strange... I greatly enjoyed my Jenner callback (and still got rejected).

[Anonymous User]

My Jenner callback was the worse that I had. I mean, it's not uncommon for there to be one or two awkward interviews. But at Jenner, EVERY interview was awkward. They basically just sat there as I pulled questions out of my butt. There really was not any "conversation." It was just me asking questions and them giving stilted answers. I was tremendously disappointed because I really liked the firm before going to the callback. I left the interview shaking my head at how terribly the callback had gone. For unknown reasons, they gave me an offer, which I declined.

That being said, I met two people (out of eight) that were cool. They were both in the corporate department.

where did you accept an offer?

[Anonymous User]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

[Anonymous User]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

Yes. If you want litigation, I personally think Jenner is one of the top 2 big firms (Kirkland being the other).

[Anonymous User]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

Yes. If you want litigation, I personally think Jenner is one of the top 2 big firms (Kirkland being the other).

This is not the case. Jenner does very interesting litigation, but they are definitely not one of the top 2 big firms. I would say Kirkland and Sidley would be the top 2. I would put Jenner more on the level of a Jones Day or McDermott.

[Anonymous User]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

Yes. If you want litigation, I personally think Jenner is one of the top 2 big firms (Kirkland being the other).

This is not the case. Jenner does very interesting litigation, but they are definitely not one of the top 2 big firms. I would say Kirkland and Sidley would be the top 2. I would put Jenner more on the level of a Jones Day or McDermott.

Chambers disagrees with you.

[bigben]

You probably already realize this, but all law firms are like this to a significant extent. This is not to say that there is no variation among firms.

[Anonymous User]

No way! I loved the people at Jenner and it has ranked highly in many satisfaction surveys. I ended up accepting elsewhere but it was difficult. They have such a neat culture, very socially conscious and the building is fantastic. I would have taken them over all but one firm (got an offer from K&E). Just my opinion, but I hear it is great there.

[Anonymous User]

No way! I loved the people at Jenner and it has ranked highly in many satisfaction surveys. I ended up accepting elsewhere but it was difficult. They have such a neat culture, very socially conscious and the building is fantastic. I would have taken them over all but one firm (got an offer from K&E). Just my opinion, but I hear it is great there.

I agree. Jenner is great. You get pounded at any big litigation firm (which is a good thing in this economy) and there will be good and bad people everywhere. I have a jenner offer that I will most likely accept. Just because you had a couple weird interviews doesn't mean you should write them off.

As a side note, does anyone else ever question the motivations of posters who trash a great firm like jenner? Maybe they didn't hear back after their cb and are hoping that people with offers will not accept and then clear the way for them to get an offer later on. Just a thought.

[Anonymous User]

No way! I loved the people at Jenner and it has ranked highly in many satisfaction surveys. I ended up accepting elsewhere but it was difficult. They have such a neat culture, very socially conscious and the building is fantastic. I would have taken them over all but one firm (got an offer from K&E). Just my opinion, but I hear it is great there.

I agree. Jenner is great. You get pounded at any big litigation firm (which is a good thing in this economy) and there will be good and bad people everywhere. I have a jenner offer that I will most likely accept. Just because you had a couple weird interviews doesn't mean you should write them off.

As a side note, does anyone else ever question the motivations of posters who trash a great firm like jenner? Maybe they didn't hear back after their cb and are hoping that people with offers will not accept and then clear the way for them to get an offer later on. Just a thought.

Really? The whole, 'sour grapes' routine? Maybe a better answer is that the commenter genuinely feels the way she says she does. The fact is, in my successful Jenner and Block callback (which did not occur this year), I had many interviews with associates (I really enjoyed the partners) who seemed either (a) very weird and anti-social or (b) plain unhappy. My last interview began with the associate talking about how he'd rather be back in California not even practicing law and lamenting what a mistake he'd made. He then went through the directory, counting how many of his classmates had left. Cheery picture, that.

I have no bones to pick with JB. Like I said, I loved the partners there. I don't wish them failure as a firm or anything like that. However, the OP stated that he felt a little uncomfortable with some of the associates and I am writing to say that he is not alone. Some are very weird--as in, the majority of those I interviewed with (i.e., not all). I have a few friends who practice there. Some of them really like it; some of them don't. It's a biglaw firm. But people should know what they're getting into when they begin.

On a side note, you're not even a lawyer--you're a law student with an offer. Congratulations, but what do you know about the nature of litigation work in general and litigation work at Jenner in particular? Good luck, but it would be wise of you to dig a little deeper into your summer experience next summer than what your comments so far reflect.

[Unemployed]

No way! I loved the people at Jenner and it has ranked highly in many satisfaction surveys. I ended up accepting elsewhere but it was difficult. They have such a neat culture, very socially conscious and the building is fantastic. I would have taken them over all but one firm (got an offer from K&E). Just my opinion, but I hear it is great there.

I agree. Jenner is great. You get pounded at any big litigation firm (which is a good thing in this economy) and there will be good and bad people everywhere. I have a jenner offer that I will most likely accept. Just because you had a couple weird interviews doesn't mean you should write them off.

As a side note, does anyone else ever question the motivations of posters who trash a great firm like jenner? Maybe they didn't hear back after their cb and are hoping that people with offers will not accept and then clear the way for them to get an offer later on. Just a thought.

Let's not get carried away please. This post is way too defensive/insecure.

[Anonymous User]

I find this thread really interesting because I felt the exact same way. I met with one associate from Jenner through networking this summer who gave me great advice about working at Jenner, how to approach interviews, what to say at a Jenner interview, etc. And I walked away from that wanting more than ever to work at a firm and specifically Jenner. But then the day of interview came and I had been doing relatively well in my previous interviews, but Jenner was completely different. My interviewer was an extremely disheveled associate who said some really offensive/questionable things straight off the bat. She also barely made eye contact with me, so I was extremely disappointed with that interview, which made me question the firm. I thought mine was an isolated incident, but apparently not.

[Anonymous User]

My Jenner callback was the worse that I had. I mean, it's not uncommon for there to be one or two awkward interviews. But at Jenner, EVERY interview was awkward. They basically just sat there as I pulled questions out of my butt. There really was not any "conversation." It was just me asking questions and them giving stilted answers. I was tremendously disappointed because I really liked the firm before going to the callback. I left the interview shaking my head at how terribly the callback had gone. For unknown reasons, they gave me an offer, which I declined.

That being said, I met two people (out of eight) that were cool. They were both in the corporate department.

where did you accept an offer?

I would rather not say. But I had an offer to Katten Muchin, which I would have taken over my Jenner offer.

[enygma]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

Yes. If you want litigation, I personally think Jenner is one of the top 2 big firms (Kirkland being the other).

This is not the case. Jenner does very interesting litigation, but they are definitely not one of the top 2 big firms. I would say Kirkland and Sidley would be the top 2. I would put Jenner more on the level of a Jones Day or McDermott.

no, it is the case. you're wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Would anyone accept a Jenner offer over other big law firms?

Yes. If you want litigation, I personally think Jenner is one of the top 2 big firms (Kirkland being the other).

This is not the case. Jenner does very interesting litigation, but they are definitely not one of the top 2 big firms. I would say Kirkland and Sidley would be the top 2. I would put Jenner more on the level of a Jones Day or McDermott.

no, it is the case. you're wrong.

LOL, your shtick's better on ATL.

[enygma]

LOL, your shtick's better on ATL.

i don't really do ATL. I also don't do anon when it's completely superfluous.