V15 Partner/OCI Interviewer Answering Questions... Forum

[riku33090]

Hi there,

Some people might be mentally prepared for BigLaw, but not physically prepared.

With that being said, how do you keep your body healthy (weight gain, hair loss, bad skin tone) with the lack of sleep and the amount of stress?

For example, how often do you exercise and are you taking any supplements to make up for the lack of nutrition?

Thank you.

[Anonymous User]

Hello,

Very interesting thread, thanks OP for your time.

I have one question : how should an in-house counsel (with 1.5 years practice) approach returning to private pratice (corprate law, M&A). More specifically, how are in-house counsels applications to biglaw firms perceived?

Thank you a lot.

[pancakes3]

Hi there,

Some people might be mentally prepared for BigLaw, but not physically prepared.

With that being said, how do you keep your body healthy (weight gain, hair loss, bad skin tone) with the lack of sleep and the amount of stress?

For example, how often do you exercise and are you taking any supplements to make up for the lack of nutrition?

Thank you.

[itbdvorm]

Hi there,

Some people might be mentally prepared for BigLaw, but not physically prepared.

With that being said, how do you keep your body healthy (weight gain, hair loss, bad skin tone) with the lack of sleep and the amount of stress?

For example, how often do you exercise and are you taking any supplements to make up for the lack of nutrition?

Thank you.

Probably should. Nutrition seems solved; problem is too much of it.

[itbdvorm]

Hello,

Very interesting thread, thanks OP for your time.

I have one question : how should an in-house counsel (with 1.5 years practice) approach returning to private pratice (corprate law, M&A). More specifically, how are in-house counsels applications to biglaw firms perceived?

Thank you a lot.

Totally doable - just need good answers for why you left and why you're coming back.

Likely take a bit of a ding on seniority depending on what you were doing. But if a good skillset and an in-demand practice totally doable.

[Bach-City]

.

[itbdvorm]

I've been reading this thread start to finish over the last couple days. It's so wonderful you made partner. Thank you for all the work you've done for this community over the last 5 years.

Somewhere in the first half of the thread, you described the cut-offs for your firm as perhaps median at HYS, top third for CCN, top 25% or even higher as you go down the rest of the T14s, and being absolutely exceptional at anything less.

My question is this: as law school enrollment has declined, even in the T14s, and the economy has picked up, have firms such as yours lowered their grade cutoffs compared to where they were in 2011/2012?

Thanks for the kind words

In answer to your question - not really. If anything might be vaguely the opposite (if you assume that the quality of student is theoretically lower due to less competition). Also, I think schools have changed their curves during this period, so all a jumble. But this still feels vaguely correct

[1styearlateral]

I've been reading this thread start to finish over the last couple days. It's so wonderful you made partner. Thank you for all the work you've done for this community over the last 5 years.

Somewhere in the first half of the thread, you described the cut-offs for your firm as perhaps median at HYS, top third for CCN, top 25% or even higher as you go down the rest of the T14s, and being absolutely exceptional at anything less.

My question is this: as law school enrollment has declined, even in the T14s, and the economy has picked up, have firms such as yours lowered their grade cutoffs compared to where they were in 2011/2012?

Thanks for the kind words

In answer to your question - not really. If anything might be vaguely the opposite (if you assume that the quality of student is theoretically lower due to less competition). Also, I think schools have changed their curves during this period, so all a jumble. But this still feels vaguely correct

Can work experience, department needs, and/or partner recommendation compensate for low grades/class rank/LS rank? Pure conjecture, but I can totally see a hiring committee chucking my resume and transcript in the trash, but if I could get in front of them and show my work product I'm confident that I would impress.

[Bach-City]

.

[1styearlateral]

Lateraling.

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed to a V15 firm. I have the school/grades to clerk if I were so inclined, but not sure of my chances of landing a clerkship in NYC.

In terms of partnership prospects, do you think it's a disadvantage if a litigation associate chooses not to clerk? Because of my spouse, I'd prefer not to uproot my life to go clerk somewhere for a year. I've already been long-distance for all of law school.

I guess another way of asking the same question: does clerking simply correlate with partnership or does it actually help?

Correlation not causation.

But no real chance of appellate work without an appellate clerkship

Lots of people work for a couple years then clerk, then return. Also AUSA/DOJ then return.

What is the ideal time to come back from AUSA. I am a double clerk heading to a big firm. Would like to do a few years there, possibly AUSA, then see what happens. Are you coming back with a class year cut? How are partnership chances if so.

[itbdvorm]

Lateraling.

You'd need some pretty unusual circumstances lateralling at a junior level (partner moves and you go with him/her, you wow the firm on the other side of the table, etc.).

As you get more senior, objective standards lower a bit.

[itbdvorm]

I'm headed to a V15 firm. I have the school/grades to clerk if I were so inclined, but not sure of my chances of landing a clerkship in NYC.

In terms of partnership prospects, do you think it's a disadvantage if a litigation associate chooses not to clerk? Because of my spouse, I'd prefer not to uproot my life to go clerk somewhere for a year. I've already been long-distance for all of law school.

I guess another way of asking the same question: does clerking simply correlate with partnership or does it actually help?

Correlation not causation.

But no real chance of appellate work without an appellate clerkship

Lots of people work for a couple years then clerk, then return. Also AUSA/DOJ then return.

What is the ideal time to come back from AUSA. I am a double clerk heading to a big firm. Would like to do a few years there, possibly AUSA, then see what happens. Are you coming back with a class year cut? How are partnership chances if so.

Do the math on what you're suggesting. So graduate, 2 years clerking, 2 years at a firm, then you go to be an AUSA. So now you're 5 years out of law school as an AUSA, right? If you assume that at a minimum a firm is going to want to see you work for 2 years at a senior level before elevating you from the associate ranks, hard to make that transition make that much sense as an associate. I think you're much better off staying a little longer as an AUSA and try to go straight to partner. Often an easier sales pitch

[PeanutsNJam]

In all your experience working with and/or against lawyers from other firms, would you say there are any firms that clearly have better attorneys (by better I don't just mean smarter, I mean ethical or cooperative/respectful, etc.), or is everybody somewhat the same? Are there firms with clearly worse attorneys?

[itbdvorm]

In all your experience working with and/or against lawyers from other firms, would you say there are any firms that clearly have better attorneys (by better I don't just mean smarter, I mean ethical or cooperative/respectful, etc.), or is everybody somewhat the same? Are there firms with clearly worse attorneys?

Kirkland falls into the "worse" category - they're generally good at their jobs, but big attitude. Paul Weiss Apollo team is pretty rough too.

I have generally enjoyed my interactions with Debevoise, Cleary and Latham people. STB has some highs and some lows.

[advogadobr]

What is your firm's policy regarding foreign JD students? Is it a deal breaker? When is the best time to talk about the fact that I need my firm to sponsor my working visa?

[Anonymous User]

T25 at the cutoff for top 10% but probably no journal. What should I expect, any advice?

[delusional]

Thoughts on what Partners' meetings will look like after the Cravath announcement? Will firms convene in a panic, or have they known this was coming and were resigned to deal with it when it does? Are partners bitter about the hit, or happy the old scale lasted so long? How, if at all, do you expect firms ultimately to react?

[WhiteCollarBlueShirt]

In all your experience working with and/or against lawyers from other firms, would you say there are any firms that clearly have better attorneys (by better I don't just mean smarter, I mean ethical or cooperative/respectful, etc.), or is everybody somewhat the same? Are there firms with clearly worse attorneys?

Kirkland falls into the "worse" category - they're generally good at their jobs, but big attitude. Paul Weiss Apollo team is pretty rough too.

I have generally enjoyed my interactions with Debevoise, Cleary and Latham people. STB has some highs and some lows.

Interesting. Aside from Cleary (no experience to speak of), I've had similar interactions with the above. As a relatively junior non-V15 associate, I'm surprised how consistent those groups are in their approach. Then again, it is not that shocking since it's the same repeat performances with the same people all of the time.

[Anonymous User]

I've been asking this around but haven't on your thread yet:

I graduated from a TT in NYC last year. Median grades, but was on a journal, published, and president of a student org. Through a ton of interning and even more networking, I managed to land a gov job that, given my school rank and grades, I probably "shouldn't have." That being said, I'm making sure I make the most of my time here and really beefing up my resume, basically making sure I'm involved in a lot of what my agency does. Plenty of my colleagues came from big firms or have left the agency to go to big firms and in house positions, although their academic pedigree has been better than my own. I've only been with the agency for a about 18 months and while I enjoy the work, I'd like to move to a firm as my next career step. Do you think I would be competitive for NYC biglaw if I start applying now? How about in a year or two from now? Thanks

[itbdvorm]

Thoughts on what Partners' meetings will look like after the Cravath announcement? Will firms convene in a panic, or have they known this was coming and were resigned to deal with it when it does? Are partners bitter about the hit, or happy the old scale lasted so long? How, if at all, do you expect firms ultimately to react?

I am confident we and our peer firms will match. Will be fairly quick. By OCI all peer firms should be at this scale.

[itbdvorm]

I've been asking this around but haven't on your thread yet:

I graduated from a TT in NYC last year. Median grades, but was on a journal, published, and president of a student org. Through a ton of interning and even more networking, I managed to land a gov job that, given my school rank and grades, I probably "shouldn't have." That being said, I'm making sure I make the most of my time here and really beefing up my resume, basically making sure I'm involved in a lot of what my agency does. Plenty of my colleagues came from big firms or have left the agency to go to big firms and in house positions, although their academic pedigree has been better than my own. I've only been with the agency for a about 18 months and while I enjoy the work, I'd like to move to a firm as my next career step. Do you think I would be competitive for NYC biglaw if I start applying now? How about in a year or two from now? Thanks

18 months - no.

A year or two - maybe.

Best bet is going to be recs from co-workers who have moved on to firms.

[Anonymous User]

do firms look favorably upon grade improvement between first and second semester? I obviously understand that raising my GPA is good and all, but will a significantly better second semester performance outweigh first semester and cause firms to look favorably upon the trend?

CCN btw

[Anonymous User]

I've been asking this around but haven't on your thread yet:

I graduated from a TT in NYC last year. Median grades, but was on a journal, published, and president of a student org. Through a ton of interning and even more networking, I managed to land a gov job that, given my school rank and grades, I probably "shouldn't have." That being said, I'm making sure I make the most of my time here and really beefing up my resume, basically making sure I'm involved in a lot of what my agency does. Plenty of my colleagues came from big firms or have left the agency to go to big firms and in house positions, although their academic pedigree has been better than my own. I've only been with the agency for a about 18 months and while I enjoy the work, I'd like to move to a firm as my next career step. Do you think I would be competitive for NYC biglaw if I start applying now? How about in a year or two from now? Thanks

18 months - no.

A year or two - maybe.

Best bet is going to be recs from co-workers who have moved on to firms.

thanks so much for the response. as a follow up, aside from keeping up with former co-workers, is there anything i can do personally that might move that "maybe" to a "yes" ?

[Anonymous User]

I'm headed to a V15 firm. I have the school/grades to clerk if I were so inclined, but not sure of my chances of landing a clerkship in NYC.

In terms of partnership prospects, do you think it's a disadvantage if a litigation associate chooses not to clerk? Because of my spouse, I'd prefer not to uproot my life to go clerk somewhere for a year. I've already been long-distance for all of law school.

I guess another way of asking the same question: does clerking simply correlate with partnership or does it actually help?

Correlation not causation.

But no real chance of appellate work without an appellate clerkship

Lots of people work for a couple years then clerk, then return. Also AUSA/DOJ then return.

What is the ideal time to come back from AUSA. I am a double clerk heading to a big firm. Would like to do a few years there, possibly AUSA, then see what happens. Are you coming back with a class year cut? How are partnership chances if so.

Do the math on what you're suggesting. So graduate, 2 years clerking, 2 years at a firm, then you go to be an AUSA. So now you're 5 years out of law school as an AUSA, right? If you assume that at a minimum a firm is going to want to see you work for 2 years at a senior level before elevating you from the associate ranks, hard to make that transition make that much sense as an associate. I think you're much better off staying a little longer as an AUSA and try to go straight to partner. Often an easier sales pitch

What is that sales pitch? I assume coming over from AUSA you are generally not going to be able to bring in a ton of business right away. Or is coming over from the government (after, say, 5 years) a good enough reason for the firm to give you a chance at partner.