Skadden (Wilmington, DE) vs. Paul Hastings (Atlanta, GA)
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:05 pm
Trying to decide. Thanks guys!
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I heard Paul Hastings ATL was on the chopping block just a few years ago when ITE struck. Not sure if it's really "top notch" in ATL.Anonymous User wrote:Out of curiosity what rank/grades do you have?
Also those are two very different locales. I'd go Atlanta; 150K in ATL goes incredibly far. You will be living a life of luxury. Not to mention it's a really fun city. But I have heard that Paul Hastings can be a hell hole. But it's top notch for corporate in Atlanta.
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/USA/Editorial/42913Anonymous User wrote:I heard Paul Hastings ATL was on the chopping block just a few years ago when ITE struck. Not sure if it's really "top notch" in ATL.Anonymous User wrote:Out of curiosity what rank/grades do you have?
Also those are two very different locales. I'd go Atlanta; 150K in ATL goes incredibly far. You will be living a life of luxury. Not to mention it's a really fun city. But I have heard that Paul Hastings can be a hell hole. But it's top notch for corporate in Atlanta.
Only if you can stand the South. Don't underestimate the culture shock if you aren't from around here. It's a different planet. And don't buy the "Atlanta is different" stuff---only natives say that. Also, the legal market in Atlanta is very parochial and traditional (i.e. fratty white boys club). If it's your scene, go for it, but get ready. Think this is more about geography and less about firms.Anonymous User wrote:Out of curiosity what rank/grades do you have?
Also those are two very different locales. I'd go Atlanta; 150K in ATL goes incredibly far. You will be living a life of luxury. Not to mention it's a really fun city. But I have heard that Paul Hastings can be a hell hole. But it's top notch for corporate in Atlanta. You'll be working like a slave at either place, but when you get off of work at PH Atl you'll be able to afford practically whatever you want in a very active city.
I lived in Atlanta for 8 years, after having grown up in DC, and am now living in Chicago for the last 3 years. Didn't have much of a culture shock moving between the three. After three weeks in New York, however, I was literally curled up in bed from the culture shock.Anonymous User wrote:Only if you can stand the South. Don't underestimate the culture shock if you aren't from around here. It's a different planet. And don't buy the "Atlanta is different" stuff---only natives say that. Also, the legal market in Atlanta is very parochial and traditional (i.e. fratty white boys club). If it's your scene, go for it, but get ready. Think this is more about geography and less about firms.Anonymous User wrote:Out of curiosity what rank/grades do you have?
Also those are two very different locales. I'd go Atlanta; 150K in ATL goes incredibly far. You will be living a life of luxury. Not to mention it's a really fun city. But I have heard that Paul Hastings can be a hell hole. But it's top notch for corporate in Atlanta. You'll be working like a slave at either place, but when you get off of work at PH Atl you'll be able to afford practically whatever you want in a very active city.
Not only that, but Atlanta has lost a lot of its Southern flavor. It's definitely Southern, but more in comparison to a place like NYC than in comparison to the rest of the country. In addition, Atlanta is becoming a city of transplants. Honestly, when I hear people say things like "the South is a different planet" and they're talking about Atlanta, I start wondering if they've ever been to Atlanta. If they were talking about Nashville, Raleigh, Memphis, Columbia, Jacksonville or Birmingham that would be one thing, but Atlanta? ATL is really no different from any other major metro US area (notwithstanding NYC) except for its above average number of Blacks--particularly affluent Blacks. Now that part of Atlanta may shock you if you are from California or NYC. I can't think of another major city where Blacks make up such a large percentage of the professional white collar class. Not to mention that Atlanta is one of the "gayest" cities in the country. Frankly, very few young people are going to have more fun in Wilmington, Delaware than in Atlanta. Keep that in mind.rayiner wrote: I lived in Atlanta for 8 years, after having grown up in DC, and am now living in Chicago for the last 3 years. Didn't have much of a culture shock moving between the three. After three weeks in New York, however, I was literally curled up in bed from the culture shock.
ATL is still the capital of the south. BBQ, SEC football and southern drawl flow heavy. Midtown is very gay friendly but stray too far and you'll be subject to prejudice and bigotry. There is a celebrated confederate mass grave site at Oakland cemetery. I've been to Atlanta, Chicago, CA, NYC and I think ATL is a different planet. Sure there are pockets of normalcy but would you rather have to demarcate OK parts of a metro area (and never leave the perimeter), or just be somewhere that didn't try to secede from the union? Again, this is only a consideration if the South bothers you. If it doesn't--sure, ATL is a mecca.Anonymous User wrote:Not only that, but Atlanta has lost a lot of its Southern flavor. It's definitely Southern, but more in comparison to a place like NYC than in comparison to the rest of the country. In addition, Atlanta is becoming a city of transplants. Honestly, when I hear people say things like "the South is a different planet" and they're talking about Atlanta, I start wondering if they've ever been to Atlanta. If they were talking about Nashville, Raleigh, Memphis, Columbia, Jacksonville or Birmingham that would be one thing, but Atlanta? ATL is really no different from any other major metro US area (notwithstanding NYC) except for its above average number of Blacks--particularly affluent Blacks. Now that part of Atlanta may shock you if you are from California or NYC. I can't think of another major city where Blacks make up such a large percentage of the professional white collar class. Not to mention that Atlanta is one of the "gayest" cities in the country. Frankly, very few young people are going to have more fun in Wilmington, Delaware than in Atlanta. Keep that in mind.rayiner wrote: I lived in Atlanta for 8 years, after having grown up in DC, and am now living in Chicago for the last 3 years. Didn't have much of a culture shock moving between the three. After three weeks in New York, however, I was literally curled up in bed from the culture shock.
f0bolous wrote:I'd think that Atlanta would be much less of a culture shock to anyone coming from any major city than Wilmington. Yeah, it's southern, but at the end of the day, it's still a global city. Wilmington? Not so much.
You're right; I think it's pretty well known that the place is a sweatshop. But the problem is that his other option is Skadden...this guy's in for a sweatshop no matter what. However, at least when he does have a bit of free time, at Paul Hastings he'll be in a huge metro area with a ton to do. Not so much in Wilmington.Anonymous User wrote:I have a friend who works at Paul Hastings in Atlanta. It's a sweatshop.
Seriously, he actually sounds more xenophobic than the people who he's accusing of being "backwards".Aqualibrium wrote:Is this guy really arguing against Atlanta when Wilmington, Delaware is the city on the other side of the coin? I'm not a huge fan of Atlanta, but I hate hate hate Wilmington. No matter how "Southern" Atlanta is (I like that you equated being Southern with being prejudiced, bigoted, and abnormal btw) it will always be better than freaking Wilmington.
Lol I'm definitely with you on that. But in fairness to the anti Atlanta people, if you are from certain parts of the NE you may be shocked at the high number of Blacks in Atlanta. Hell, a lot of my non Southern Black friends are shocked at the number of Blacks in Atlanta.Sandro wrote:lol @ culture shock in Atlanta. lol.
Anonymous User wrote:Lol I'm definitely with you on that. But in fairness to the anti Atlanta people, if you are from certain parts of the NE you may be shocked at the high number of Blacks in Atlanta. Hell, a lot of my non Southern Black friends are shocked at the number of Blacks in Atlanta.Sandro wrote:lol @ culture shock in Atlanta. lol.
Having lived in ATL for a long time:Anonymous User wrote:ATL is still the capital of the south. BBQ, SEC football and southern drawl flow heavy. Midtown is very gay friendly but stray too far and you'll be subject to prejudice and bigotry. There is a celebrated confederate mass grave site at Oakland cemetery. I've been to Atlanta, Chicago, CA, NYC and I think ATL is a different planet. Sure there are pockets of normalcy but would you rather have to demarcate OK parts of a metro area (and never leave the perimeter), or just be somewhere that didn't try to secede from the union? Again, this is only a consideration if the South bothers you. If it doesn't--sure, ATL is a mecca.Anonymous User wrote:Not only that, but Atlanta has lost a lot of its Southern flavor. It's definitely Southern, but more in comparison to a place like NYC than in comparison to the rest of the country. In addition, Atlanta is becoming a city of transplants. Honestly, when I hear people say things like "the South is a different planet" and they're talking about Atlanta, I start wondering if they've ever been to Atlanta. If they were talking about Nashville, Raleigh, Memphis, Columbia, Jacksonville or Birmingham that would be one thing, but Atlanta? ATL is really no different from any other major metro US area (notwithstanding NYC) except for its above average number of Blacks--particularly affluent Blacks. Now that part of Atlanta may shock you if you are from California or NYC. I can't think of another major city where Blacks make up such a large percentage of the professional white collar class. Not to mention that Atlanta is one of the "gayest" cities in the country. Frankly, very few young people are going to have more fun in Wilmington, Delaware than in Atlanta. Keep that in mind.rayiner wrote: I lived in Atlanta for 8 years, after having grown up in DC, and am now living in Chicago for the last 3 years. Didn't have much of a culture shock moving between the three. After three weeks in New York, however, I was literally curled up in bed from the culture shock.
Atlanta is one of the few places with enough black yuppies that they have a culture independent of whites and other blacks. Some of the old-money Atlanta suburbs are exclusively black.Anonymous User wrote:Lol I'm definitely with you on that. But in fairness to the anti Atlanta people, if you are from certain parts of the NE you may be shocked at the high number of Blacks in Atlanta. Hell, a lot of my non Southern Black friends are shocked at the number of Blacks in Atlanta.Sandro wrote:lol @ culture shock in Atlanta. lol.
Atlanta I'd an awesome city, but it is a bubble of progressivism in the deep south. That's just he nature of the place. It's not very limiting in practice, because there is really nothing outside that 20 mile radius that would be interesting. It's not like the Bay where you might take a weekend trip to the valley for something. If you live in Atlanta, the only place you go is to savannah/jekyll island/etc to get to the beach (which is amazing, btw, like a warm bath in summer).Anonymous User wrote:Wow. Totally didn't think the diversity would be what Atlanta defenders thought I was talking about. No clue if the NYC not integrated thing is true, but comparing ATL to California (SF, Oakland, Long Beach, etc.), the diversity is exactly the same---that wasn't the implied criticism. The differences are in WHITE southern culture. Maybe Wilmington is worse. Just saying if OP is from Cali, ATL is gonna be a culture shock. The idea that you have to stay in a 20 mile metro area to avoid the "deep south" doesn't seem that appealing.