Jones Day Forum

[Anonymous User]

Has the Pitt office started making offers yet?

Yes.

How long after CB? And how long ago did they start rolling out?

[Anonymous User]

If anyone has questions about the firm, I'm happy to answer. I spent last summer in NY office, and had a wonderful experience. Can't wait to get started next fall as an associate.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone worked in the DC office? Looking for information on culture, hours, and which groups seem to be doing the strongest.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have any experience/thoughts about JD Atlanta?

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone worked in the DC office? Looking for information on culture, hours, and which groups seem to be doing the strongest.

I summered in the D.C. office this year. Culture-wise, the office (reflecting the firm as a whole) makes a big deal about collaboration--the lack of origination credits and opaque salary decisions, whatever you think of them for other reasons, do attract and retain a certain kind of partner, and I don't think it's marketing BS that senior associates and partners really are warmer toward one another than at many firms. People are friendly toward one another at the office and people do hang out outside of work, but there are also a ton of people who get their work done and go home to see their families. The lunch culture--JD has a pretty solid subsidized cafeteria that makes a natural gathering place--is probably stronger than the happy hour culture, as evidenced by decreased attendance at Friday rooftop happy hours.

The office would be pretty dead after 6:30 or so and almost no one was in the office on the 2-3 weekends that I came in, but people were definitely logging back in at home. So there's definitely not much face time pressure, but it's hard to say how many hours most people were putting in remotely. I got to know mostly young litigation associates, and they seemed to indicate that heavy weekend work was rare, although they would often put in a few hours, as were super-late nights. Nobody gushed about low hours, but most people seemed to think that they worked a little less than many of their peers. With the caveat that this is largely a guess, I think 9-6:30 at the office with another 2-3 hours from home most nights was pretty standard, with the amount of weekend work varying by group/matter.

I have even less information on which groups were doing the strongest, but generally people felt very positive about the firm's financial health. There were no attorney layoffs during the recession, and even in a weak recovery the firm has been hiring tons of laterals and I never encountered someone who didn't have enough work. Labor & Employment seemed particularly busy, as did Issues & Appeals.

[Anonymous User]

If anyone has questions about the firm, I'm happy to answer. I spent last summer in NY office, and had a wonderful experience. Can't wait to get started next fall as an associate.

Why'd you go to JD? (As opposed to anywhere else). And how did you find your summer there?

How difficult is is to work in a free-market system? Does it get very competitive as people seek out the best work, best partners to work for, etc.?

What sort of exit options are available for corporate work in NY?

What is your sense of the partners' (and sr. associates') willingness to teach and be mentors to young(er) associates?

Are all young associates' offices inside? (No windows)...the 2 associates I interviewed with during my CB were, so I'm curious.


Any other thoughts re: the firm, pertinent info re: your summer, or anything else you think may be relevant, please post as well.

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone worked in the DC office? Looking for information on culture, hours, and which groups seem to be doing the strongest.

I summered in the D.C. office this year. Culture-wise, the office (reflecting the firm as a whole) makes a big deal about collaboration--the lack of origination credits and opaque salary decisions, whatever you think of them for other reasons, do attract and retain a certain kind of partner, and I don't think it's marketing BS that senior associates and partners really are warmer toward one another than at many firms. People are friendly toward one another at the office and people do hang out outside of work, but there are also a ton of people who get their work done and go home to see their families. The lunch culture--JD has a pretty solid subsidized cafeteria that makes a natural gathering place--is probably stronger than the happy hour culture, as evidenced by decreased attendance at Friday rooftop happy hours.

The office would be pretty dead after 6:30 or so and almost no one was in the office on the 2-3 weekends that I came in, but people were definitely logging back in at home. So there's definitely not much face time pressure, but it's hard to say how many hours most people were putting in remotely. I got to know mostly young litigation associates, and they seemed to indicate that heavy weekend work was rare, although they would often put in a few hours, as were super-late nights. Nobody gushed about low hours, but most people seemed to think that they worked a little less than many of their peers. With the caveat that this is largely a guess, I think 9-6:30 at the office with another 2-3 hours from home most nights was pretty standard, with the amount of weekend work varying by group/matter.

I have even less information on which groups were doing the strongest, but generally people felt very positive about the firm's financial health. There were no attorney layoffs during the recession, and even in a weak recovery the firm has been hiring tons of laterals and I never encountered someone who didn't have enough work. Labor & Employment seemed particularly busy, as did Issues & Appeals.

Do you know what the offer rate was?

[Anonymous User]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

[Anonymous User]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

Interested in this as well

[Stanford4Me]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

Not sure how common it is, but I know it happens. I know of two summers in my previous office who summered in one office but accepted a FT position in another office.

[Old Gregg]

There were no attorney layoffs during the recession

Ohhh yes there were.

[Anonymous User]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

Not sure how common it is, but I know it happens. I know of two summers in my previous office who summered in one office but accepted a FT position in another office.

You were in the Dallas office, right? Did you get a sense of what sort of exit options the associates there were looking at?

[Stanford4Me]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

Not sure how common it is, but I know it happens. I know of two summers in my previous office who summered in one office but accepted a FT position in another office.

You were in the Dallas office, right? Did you get a sense of what sort of exit options the associates there were looking at?

Lots of in-house, others went to smaller firms with more "lifestyle" hours. There was a lot of turnover though, so it was hard to keep up with everything.

[Anonymous User]

Is it common for people to start out in one office then move to another?

Interested in this as well

Not sure how common it is after starting but, given the whole "one cost center" thing, I was told during my CB that it isn't uncommon for people to work out of other offices when they're in the area (i.e. taking a vacation to NY, work a few days out of NY office first). I also know of one SA who summered in midwest, but early on said they'd prefer offer to be in a different market for family reasons, JD offered them into that second market...very cool about the whole thing.

[Anonymous User]

If anyone has questions about the firm, I'm happy to answer. I spent last summer in NY office, and had a wonderful experience. Can't wait to get started next fall as an associate.

Why'd you go to JD? (As opposed to anywhere else). And how did you find your summer there?

How difficult is is to work in a free-market system? Does it get very competitive as people seek out the best work, best partners to work for, etc.?

What sort of exit options are available for corporate work in NY?

What is your sense of the partners' (and sr. associates') willingness to teach and be mentors to young(er) associates?

Are all young associates' offices inside? (No windows)...the 2 associates I interviewed with during my CB were, so I'm curious.


Any other thoughts re: the firm, pertinent info re: your summer, or anything else you think may be relevant, please post as well.

1. I chose JD for a few reasons. First off, I really love the team-based and collaborative environment of the firm. They try so hard to make the firm a cohesive whole, rather than a collection of offices. This is evident from both the macro and micro levels. Unlike other firms, partners don't fight over origination fees for clients, no partner "owns" his/her particular clients, etc. so it leads to a much more friendly and amicable environment. And through my experience, they more than lived up to their billing. Everyone was immensely supportive, approachable, respectful, etc. since people self-select into this environment. Its the kind of firm where they are honest with you from the outset: if you are willing to put the team before the individual, your experience here would be very rewarding. The lack of competition between attorneys, the lack of infighting between partners for client origination, etc. leads to tangible results. The firm is near the top of every client satisfaction survey, along with surveys of client recognition of firm "brands". That meant a lot to me coming in, especially since I want to keep the door open to in-house work one day.

I also loved that you can essentially go "undeclared" throughout your entire first year as an associate. The firm has its hand in every practice group there is, and they give you the flexibility to organically find your niche. Thats going to lead to much more long-term satisfaction. JD was very strong in my prospective area of interest (labor and employment), and I wanted to work with the largest, most national clients on the biggest L&E matters (ex. the Verizon strike a few years ago).

Finally, the firm was among the most stable throughout the recession. They had no mass rounds of attorney layoffs (I believe that any layoffs were very limited), didn't defer any summer classes, etc. It is conservatively managed, and that serves the firm well. Sure, they never go to the extravagant highs that some other firms do, because they want to avoid the downward fall that inevitably comes along with such a high. Thus, I felt that JD could offer me a level of job security that few other firms can.

2. I found it very easy to work in a free-market system. I would say that it actually takes away competition, since everyone can go off and do their own thing. There is no "best work" or "best partners" that everyone is shooting for. Some people are dying for M&A, I was big into L&E, some really wanted private equity work, etc. so it lets you chart your own course, make connections, and form a true foundation at the firm, as opposed to something superficial and forced. What made it so easy is that people just tend to be very approachable here. You can send emails to attorneys you never met, and in most cases they would be happy to go to lunch, speak about what they do, and perhaps get you involved. You don't need to be super aggressive. You just have to be inquisitive, enthusiastic, and friendly, and people will be happy to work with you.

3. Exit options will likely be excellent for corporate work. Again, Jones Day always finishes right toward the top of the annual client survey listing out the most well known firm "brands". Last year, Skadden was 1, and JD was 2. That means that the JD name is always fresh in the minds of clients when they think of top firms. Additionally, the firm's relatively unique structure and procedures allow for an extremely high level of client service, so we always finish super high in satisfaction surveys among clients. So if you are applying in-house to a company that not only knows the JD name, but knows how good their service is, it absolutely gives you a leg up.

4. I think that, if you are enthusiastic, intellectually curious, and friendly, there will be no shortage of mentorship opportunities. The firm assigns you an associate buddy and a partner mentor during the summer, but you will always develop mentor-mentee relationships beyond those assigned. If you express a sincere interest in the work, ask good questions, and become more friendly with a partner/sr. associate, you would be surprised how often they "take you under their wing" so to speak, at least to some extent.

5. The summers all have their own individual interior offices (the building was just renovated so these are some of the newest and largest offices). As for actual 1st year associates, I know a number with window offices, so no, not all 1st years get put in interior offices.

Its just an all around great place to practice law. Again, its a self-selecting thing. There are many people who will be excellent lawyers who would dislike JD. But to those who value a team-based collaborative environment, and don't put all their emphasis on individual achievements, then its an amazing place.

[r6_philly]

^ Thanks for the insight! Do you think it holds true for other offices?

[Anonymous User]

^ Thanks for the insight! Do you think it holds true for other offices?

Rings very much true for the DC office as well.

[Anonymous User]

I feel like deciding between law firms is a Catch-22. You can't really know if you're a good fit and actually want to be at a place until you've been there. And you can't go there without, for all intents and purposes, excluding your chances of ending up somewhere else (no more 3L OCI to fall back on if you find that you don't really like the place).

It's a good problem to have, but stressful.

[Anonymous User]

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, clifford chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

[Anonymous User]

I've been waiting for almost a month to hear back from JD Dallas. Should I call/email the recruiter at this point? I had a great CB and really enjoyed the firm/people.

[OutCold]

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

[Anonymous User]

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

Like all Vault lists, take it with a grain of salt - but I found this list very helpful as a guide for which firms are considered most prestigious in NYC: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/ran ... gYear=2013

[Anonymous User]

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

Like all Vault lists, take it with a grain of salt - but I found this list very helpful as a guide for which firms are considered most prestigious in NYC: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/ran ... gYear=2013

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

Like all Vault lists, take it with a grain of salt - but I found this list very helpful as a guide for which firms are considered most prestigious in NYC: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/ran ... gYear=2013

Ugh, that would suggest it's the least prestigious of my options. I've been assuming it was the most prestigious (based on the V100). It is the best fit though, for a number of reasons. Should I really care about those rankings?

[homestyle28]

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

Like all Vault lists, take it with a grain of salt - but I found this list very helpful as a guide for which firms are considered most prestigious in NYC: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/ran ... gYear=2013

In NY, from a pure prestige perspective for someone who wants to go into the transactional side, how would you compare JD to Cahill, Clifford Chance, Proskauer or Cadwalader?

Interested in this as well.

Like all Vault lists, take it with a grain of salt - but I found this list very helpful as a guide for which firms are considered most prestigious in NYC: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/ran ... gYear=2013

Ugh, that would suggest it's the least prestigious of my options. I've been assuming it was the most prestigious (based on the V100). It is the best fit though, for a number of reasons. Should I really care about those rankings?

If you ask people at JD, they'd argue that they don't fare as well on V rankings as they should, due largely to the things that make them different: black box compensation, clients not owned by partners, thinking long term instead of maximizing profits-per-partner,etc. I suspect if all one cares about in choosing a firm is V-rankings, they won't be happy at JD.

[Anonymous User]

If you ask people at JD, they'd argue that they don't fare as well on V rankings as they should, due largely to the things that make them different: black box compensation, clients not owned by partners, thinking long term instead of maximizing profits-per-partner,etc. I suspect if all one cares about in choosing a firm is V-rankings, they won't be happy at JD.

I'm the anon who posted the NYC Vault ranking...

How exactly does being a V20 on the Vault 100 = not faring well on Vault rankings? We're just talking about a regional subset of those rankings. Also, no one said all OP should care about is Vault ranking.

By all means, pick the firm with the best fit for you, but the original question I was trying to help with is how the firms fare from a "pure prestige perspective."