Top Law Schools

Looking for the unreported low-down on the following firms' Boston offices. Share what information you have in regards to grade selectivity, geographic openness (ie lacking ties to Boston) and URM boosts. Additionally discuss quality of life at the firms and financial stability (ie are they going to tank in the next few years). Obviously these firms vary in size and I didn't include a few of the IP specific firms, but if you have info on those feel free to share too.

Banner & Witcoff
Bingham
Brown Rudnick
Choate Hall
Cooley
Dechert
dla piper
Edwards Angell
Fish & Richardson
Foley & Lardner
foley hoag
Goodwin Procter
Goulston & Storrs
Hinckley Allen & Snyder
Holland & Knight
K&L Gates
Latham
McDermott Will & Emery
Mintz Levin
Morgan Lewis & Bockius
Nixon Peabody
Nutter, McClennen & Fish
Proskauer
Ropes
Seyfarth Shaw
Skadden
Sullivan & Worcester
Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers
Weil Gotshal
WilmerHale

bump

Here is the URM thing

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=159744

... sorta

For what it's worth I've heard that LGBT is a decent boost in Boston generally but I can't speak to specific firms.

Aston2412 wrote:For what it's worth I've heard that LGBT is a decent boost in Boston generally but I can't speak to specific firms.

I've heard this, too. However, the person I heard it from emphasized that he thought the reason was that being LGBT made it easier for someone without ties to Boston to make the case for Boston. That will be harder now that NYC has gay marriage as well and nondiscrimination laws are more common.

What firms have largest classes?

Headybrah wrote:What firms have largest classes?

Ropes, Wilmer, Goodwin are the big three. Bigham was once in that group but hired around five summers last year (for one of their largest offices).

timbs4339 wrote:

Headybrah wrote:What firms have largest classes?

Ropes, Wilmer, Goodwin are the big three. Bigham was once in that group but hired around five summers last year (for one of their largest offices).

Ropes has ~60 in Boston this summer. I'm not sure about Wilmer or Goodwin. It's my understanding that Bingham had around 20 last summer (but not all got offers) and only has 6 this summer.

I'd bet the rest of the firms on your list have between 0 and 15.

GAIAtheCHEERLEADER wrote:WilmerHale stats

I looked at every associate profile in the Boston office. Almost all had latin honors or a journal position from BC, BU, or other T14 school, but almost none were AA or MexA (I actually don't recall any).

Mattalones wrote:

GAIAtheCHEERLEADER wrote:WilmerHale stats

I looked at every associate profile in the Boston office. Almost all had latin honors or a journal position from BC, BU, or other T14 school, but almost none were AA or MexA (I actually don't recall any).

According to NALP, they have 2 Hispanic associates and 3 black associates in Boston, as well as 3 black partners and 1 Hispanic partner, and 2 black SAs (no Hispanic SAs). Not impressive for an office of 300 lawyers.

Coincidentally, those three also have some of the highest grade requirements. Bingham is pretty up there too, but not quite as high as the others.

I know some of the others on the list have decent class sizes. Brown Rudnick had 20 in 2010 - that's not huge but it's not really small either.

Also, I've heard Wilmer can be law review whores - note that this doesn't pertain to the Boston office but might still be useful. In 2008, for their 09' summer, the only people they interviewed from GW were all Law Review.

Aston2412 wrote:Coincidentally, those three also have some of the highest grade requirements. Bingham is pretty up there too, but not quite as high as the others.

I know some of the others on the list have decent class sizes. Brown Rudnick had 20 in 2010 - that's not huge but it's not really small either.

I heard Brown Rudnick is a sweatshop.

Anonymous User wrote:

Aston2412 wrote:Coincidentally, those three also have some of the highest grade requirements. Bingham is pretty up there too, but not quite as high as the others.

I know some of the others on the list have decent class sizes. Brown Rudnick had 20 in 2010 - that's not huge but it's not really small either.

I heard Brown Rudnick is a sweatshop.

I heard all BigLaw firms are sweatshops.

BenJ wrote:

Mattalones wrote:

GAIAtheCHEERLEADER wrote:WilmerHale stats

I looked at every associate profile in the Boston office. Almost all had latin honors or a journal position from BC, BU, or other T14 school, but almost none were AA or MexA (I actually don't recall any).

According to NALP, they have 2 Hispanic associates and 3 black associates in Boston, as well as 3 black partners and 1 Hispanic partner, and 2 black SAs (no Hispanic SAs). Not impressive for an office of 300 lawyers.

Yeah...black/hispanic associates are just not too populous in Boston. I wouldn't say the dearth of diversity is specific to any one office in particular. Having a lot would be the exception rather than the norm.

Mattalones wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Aston2412 wrote:Coincidentally, those three also have some of the highest grade requirements. Bingham is pretty up there too, but not quite as high as the others.

I know some of the others on the list have decent class sizes. Brown Rudnick had 20 in 2010 - that's not huge but it's not really small either.

I heard Brown Rudnick is a sweatshop.

I heard all BigLaw firms are sweatshops.

We're calling BR BigLaw now? Maybe BigTobacco (fees)...

Anonymous User wrote:
We're calling BR BigLaw now? Maybe BigTobacco (fees)...

They got 200+ attorneys and they pay 160k. That's BigLaw enough for me.