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Trying to choose a place to spend the next few years.

My main concerns are compensation, not being shoved out in three years, interesting, consistent work, not being stealthed or lathamed, eventual exit options, possibility of partner; and I assume that people/culture will all be roughly the same in that intra-firm variations > inter-firm variation.

thoughts gang?

Pay: Same
Job security: S&C
Exit options: CSM
Possibility of making partner: None

I would argue that exit options are relatively the same and will depend more on the connections you make and the work product you produce than the name on your resume.

CSM is notorious for working you more on average than the other two, but the hours worked will depend on what project you are on and what practice group/partners you work for.

thanks, all

legends159 wrote:I would argue that exit options are relatively the same and will depend more on the connections you make and the work product you produce than the name on your resume.

CSM is notorious for working you more on average than the other two, but the hours worked will depend on what project you are on and what practice group/partners you work for.

S&C will work you just as hard as CSM. Both will work you into the ground.

War Cardinal wrote:

legends159 wrote:I would argue that exit options are relatively the same and will depend more on the connections you make and the work product you produce than the name on your resume.

CSM is notorious for working you more on average than the other two, but the hours worked will depend on what project you are on and what practice group/partners you work for.

S&C will work you just as hard as CSM. Both will work you into the ground.

I'm basing this off of the averyindex http://www.averyindex.com/shortest_hour_law_firms.php which granted is old data and not complete but shows that CSM works Wachtell hours where as S&C works 7 hours less a week.

I will concede that hours has more to do with what project you're staffed on than the firm, but CSM with its rotation system can be notoriously brutal if you get a tough partner who wants you there even when there's no work and then works you all night when there is work. Same can happen at s&c but at least you're not stuck with one partner for 15-18 months.

is there really a prestige difference between S&C and STB? I'm leaning toward those two as I didn't really like cravath much while S&C and STB are more or less equal at the moment.