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So, I go to a Boston school, and there is a good possibility I can get an SA position here. However, I really want to be in SF/SV where I am originally from. However, my job search in SF/SV isn't going well despite having great grades and law review. Does anyone know of big firms that would be open to letting me transfer after I get an offer?

It's not going to be easy from any Boston firm. Of the big ones that do have offices out there (Ropes, Goodwin, Wilmer, Bingham), the SF/SV offices range in size from 50-100 or so. I think Ropes always talks about how easy it is to switch offices, though I don't know if that actually bears out or not. Goodwin likes people to have a year at the home office before switching after an SA, though I know at least one first-year who moved out to SV in less time than that. Not sure about internal transfer policies of the other big firms here.

Thanks. Do you know how people are able to transfer after a year given that you have to take two bar exams? I imagine big law hours are long, and the CA bar exam is no walk in the park.

If it was MA to NY, I know a lot of people take them at the same time in July after graduating and before starting. CA is tougher, because I don't think the schedule lets you take any other bar at the same time. I've heard some firms will give time to let you study if they approve your transfer, but I'm getting out of my level of first hand knowledge and into more speculation here. Someone else on here probably knows more.

I had a bit of side question to this, and I feel bad that I can't add substantively to the conversation occurring, but my question doesn't warrant a new thread.

When people talk about transferring offices, do they mean immediately? For instance, I would like to eventually transfer back to Southern California (though its unlikely I'll get an offer there, if I get one at all) but I have no problem waiting 5, 10 or even twenty years. Its just sort of where I would like to rest my head, ultimately.