big law exit poll Forum

[Anonymous User]

My firm's summer class talked about this informally.
Thought I'd make a TLS poll about it.

[Anonymous User]

90% poll want to be partner
10% not

10% make partner
90% not

[dixiecupdrinking]

Bunch of 0Ls out today I guess.

[ph14]

Probably 4-6 years. Isn't that kind of the sweet spot in terms of most exit options?

[nealric]

Bunch of 0Ls out today I guess.

Biglaw second year here. I picked the "gun for partner" option.

My personal feeling is that going into biglaw with the assumption that it will be a temporary gig is a recipe for failure. Sure, odds are against making partner, but doing everything you can towards that goal will also increase the odds that you will have good exit options if partnership is not in the cards. That doesn't mean billing 3,000 hours of doc review. It means approaching the job with a positive attitude, doing the best work you can, and becoming involved with the firm.

[Anonymous User]

2-3 years then try and lateral overseas somewhere. If possible obviously. Otherwise wait until that becomes possible.

[dailygrind]

My personal feeling is that going into biglaw with the assumption that it will be a temporary gig is a recipe for failure. Sure, odds are against making partner, but doing everything you can towards that goal will also increase the odds that you will have good exit options if partnership is not in the cards. That doesn't mean billing 3,000 hours of doc review. It means approaching the job with a positive attitude, doing the best work you can, and becoming involved with the firm.

This was my assumption as well. Everything I think of as temporary I do a worse job at.

[keg411]

Probably 4-6 years. Isn't that kind of the sweet spot in terms of most exit options?

Also picked this option, just because it seems like most realistic.

ETA: I never think of any job as temporary -- and in BigLaw, even if you plan on exiting, your exit options will be better the better job you do and the better connections you make anyway.

[Anonymous User]

My personal feeling is that going into biglaw with the assumption that it will be a temporary gig is a recipe for failure. Sure, odds are against making partner, but doing everything you can towards that goal will also increase the odds that you will have good exit options if partnership is not in the cards. That doesn't mean billing 3,000 hours of doc review. It means approaching the job with a positive attitude, doing the best work you can, and becoming involved with the firm.

This was my assumption as well. Everything I think of as temporary I do a worse job at.

Partners sure as heck think of first years as temps. At least at my old firm.

[Anonymous User]

90% poll want to be partner
10% not

10% make partner
90% not

90% of people in any given class do not want to be partner. I'd say at my SA at least 1 in 3 people openly admitted they were only looking to be in big law for a few years.

[Anonymous User]

I spent my law school career thinking I was gunning for partner. I still will, if it's possible, but it's 80%+ certain that my wife's job (writing her dissertation now) will require me to relocate to a non-major market in biglaw year 2 (year 3 out of law school). That already includes a year of long-distance, so blah.