Philly OCI 2012 Forum

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 1:58 pm

Any updates on Blank Rome?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:36 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:What abou
Anonymous User wrote:What do you guys think of Morgan Lewis v. Dechert?
Between those two, I'd probably say Dechert for corp, ML for litigation.

FWIW, I'm deciding between Dechert and Ballard, and am strongly leaning toward Ballard.
Why Morgan for lit? More importantly it seems, why NOT Dechert?

Does anyone have an idea of satisfaction at each?

Does anyone know if there's a salary difference after the first year?

SO MANY QUESTIONS
It's not clear to me than Dechert is the obvious choice in Philly. Associates at other firms in the city struck me as being much more satisfied with their work and coworkers. Both Morgan and Dechert are pretty leveraged, so long term prospects aren't as good as other places in town.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 2:55 pm

Anonymous User wrote: It's not clear to me than Dechert is the obvious choice in Philly. Associates at other firms in the city struck me as being much more satisfied with their work and coworkers. Both Morgan and Dechert are pretty leveraged, so long term prospects aren't as good as other places in town.
Yeah I definitely agree, I just meant that the above poster seemed to be avoiding Dechert particularly. At any rate, ML and Dechert are my options, and I'm just trying to choose which is safer/where I'd be less unhappy, lol

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 4:36 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Any updates on Blank Rome?
If they didn't answer you the first three times...

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 4:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Any updates on Blank Rome?
If they didn't answer you the first three times...
...try and try again?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 4:57 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Any updates on Blank Rome?
If they didn't answer you the first three times...
...take the hint.
Blank takes a really small class, nobody wants to out themselves.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:08 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Thoughts on Pepper v. Ballard?
Philly lawyer here.

In terms of prestige, I think they are equal in Philly. Pepper gets some rep in the V100 rankings, though.

In terms of pay, I would give a tie, maybe slight edge to Pepper. Ballard has a lower starting salary but higher bonuses, from what I understand.

QOL and work environment seem about equal. They aren't sweatshops, but are still law firms. I have heard a lot about SA's liking everyone they meet at both places, collegial environment etc.

Other things. Ballard has a more diverse practice IMO, while Pepper seems to put a lot of associates in the health litigation or commercial lit groups.

Pepper gets outstanding reviews for the SA program; Ballard's seems good for meeting people and having fun (friend there said he'd never paid for lunch his entire summer).

I would say if you are unsure about what you want to do, definitely pick Ballard. Their summer program is very flexible about assignments and rotating. They usually let associates change practice groups, and as I said, there are more diverse things going on. If you are deadset on big litigation, Pepper is probably the better choice.

But really, you can't go wrong.
Last edited by Anonymous User on Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:13 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Thoughts on Pepper v. Ballard?
Philly lawyer here.

In terms of prestige, I think they are equal in Philly. Pepper gets some rep in the V100 rankings, though.

In terms of pay, I would give a tie, maybe slight edge to Pepper. Ballard has a lower starting salary but higher bonuses, from what I understand.

QOL and work environment seems about equal. They aren't sweatshops, but are still law firms. I have heard a lot about SA's liking everyone they meet, collegial environment etc.

Other things. Ballard has a more diverse practice IMO, while Pepper seems to put a lot of associates in the health litigation or commercial lit groups.

Pepper gets outstanding reviews for the SA program; Ballard's seems good for meeting people and having fun (friend there said he'd never paid for lunch his entire summer).

I would say if you are unsure about what you want to do, definitely pick Ballard. Their summer program is very flexible about assignments and its rotation. They usually let associates change practice groups, and as I said, there are more diverse things going on.

But really, you can't go wrong.

Oooh you sound knowledgable- what do yoouu think about Dechert v Morgan? (And now I'm bordering obnoxious, and don't wanna get called out like the Blank Rome guy/girl, so I'll stop after this haha)

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:14 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Thoughts on Pepper v. Ballard?
Philly lawyer here.

In terms of prestige, I think they are equal in Philly. Pepper gets some rep in the V100 rankings, though.

In terms of pay, I would give a tie, maybe slight edge to Pepper. Ballard has a lower starting salary but higher bonuses, from what I understand.

QOL and work environment seems about equal. They aren't sweatshops, but are still law firms. I have heard a lot about SA's liking everyone they meet, collegial environment etc.

Other things. Ballard has a more diverse practice IMO, while Pepper seems to put a lot of associates in the health litigation or commercial lit groups.

Pepper gets outstanding reviews for the SA program; Ballard's seems good for meeting people and having fun (friend there said he'd never paid for lunch his entire summer).

I would say if you are unsure about what you want to do, definitely pick Ballard. Their summer program is very flexible about assignments and its rotation. They usually let associates change practice groups, and as I said, there are more diverse things going on.

But really, you can't go wrong.
What do you think exit options are like coming from Ballard (corporate)? Any different than Pepper?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Oooh you sound knowledgable- what do yoouu think about Dechert v Morgan? (And now I'm bordering obnoxious, and don't wanna get called out like the Blank Rome guy/girl, so I'll stop after this haha)
Glad to oblige, but I'm less knowledgable on this one. I have met more Dechert associates and ex-associates, FWIW.

If you are deciding between them, you obviously know what you're getting into. Big(ger) paycheck, high stress, lots of hours, and the Philly offices becoming less and less relevant at each place. Plus you can only expect 3-5 years at either office, unless you are a star.

Someone earlier said ML for lit, Dechert for corporate. I'm not so convinced. Though I would say ML for Labor, definitely.

If you want corporate, go with Dechert. If you want white collar lit, go Dechert. If you want Mass torts, go Dechert. Two Dechert partners actually teach a litigation seminar at Penn, and it seems mass torts is more interesting than one might think. But if you just want a diverse set of cases and experiences in lit, go with ML. I think both firms are also hesitant to give depositions and appearances to young associates. I'm not sure what year they'll let you do that, though.

During the recession, Dechert decided to bulk up it's best practice groups and gut others entirely (like real estate). If you can't fit into one of those practice groups, you aren't likely to succeed. ML on the other hand seems more general within the typical big firm stuff.

Hmm what else? Dechert has a better building. Dechert seems to give cool pro bono opportunities to its associates, but I'm sure ML does as well. Exit options equal, prestige equal.

Overall, I think you can't go wrong if you've decided this is the kind of firm experience you want. Pepper, Ballard, Cozen etc are very different from ML/Dechert. Once you've decided which kind of firm you want, choosing between firms in the same category is going to come down to a gut feeling. Does that make sense?
Last edited by Anonymous User on Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
What do you think exit options are like coming from Ballard (corporate)? Any different than Pepper?
Don't really think there would be a meaningful difference. Both firms are about 1:1 associates to partners in corporate. That suggests you should get good work at either place, working for big clients. That should 1. Help you get noticed, and 2. Have a lot of experience with which to make your case to go in-house. (I'm assuming by exit options you mean going in-house).

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:17 pm

Any Philly mid-law firm(s) you would highly recommend?

FWIW: The mid-law firms I know pay +$110K, so starving is not a concern.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:27 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Any Philly mid-law firm(s) you would highly recommend?

FWIW: The mid-law firms I know pay +$110K, so starving is not a concern.
Same, very bored philly attorney here. Don't know much about the midlaw firms, but have heard lots of bad things about Montgomery. I doubt they are taking law students, though.


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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:55 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Who here acccepted Philly mid-law?
Define "mid-law." At Temple the only firms that qualify as mid-law that came to OCI were:

Bennet Bricklin

Marshall Dennehey

Conrad O'Brien

Manko Gold

Is this what you have in mind?

I've heard of an offer from Manko but that's all.
Forgot to add Weber Gallagher and Cohen Seglias but they did OCI last week I believe so probably still CBs stage
Yes, exactly. I heard Philly mid-law was very active. Word is, ‘12 was good with more yet to come.

In reference another post. I was told of offers from Delaware but not sure if they were accepted. Some are still deciding is what I understand (meaning that Delaware pays well, perhaps offsets NYC COL).
By some are still deciding do you mean the candidates or the firms?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:16 am

As of a week ago, there were Candidates mulling over what offer to accept. This is why callbacks and offers will extend into October and possibly November. When an offer is turned down the firm will likely extend an offer to someone else and the 28-day clock is reset.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Sheffield » Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:00 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Any Philly mid-law firm(s) you would highly recommend?

FWIW: The mid-law firms I know pay +$110K, so starving is not a concern.
Same, very bored philly attorney here. Don't know much about the midlaw firms, but have heard lots of bad things about Montgomery. I doubt they are taking law students, though.


EDIT: maybe Montgomery is changing. Their website has the most fun recruiting FAQ I've ever seen. http://www.mmwr.com/home/careers/faqs/d ... Associates
Yes, that certainly was a fun read. You have to admire a firm with a good sense of humor. After skimming their site, they certainly seem like a very successful mid-size firm.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 3:25 pm

Can anyone tell me where Cozen and Dechert each stand in the Philly hierarchy?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 5:11 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Can anyone tell me where Cozen and Dechert each stand in the Philly hierarchy?
ON the same note, can someone say where Drinker Biddle, and Cozen are compared to V100 firms in Manhattan. Drinker and Cozen both rejected me but a V100 firm made me a SA offer...go figure.
Definitely taking the nyc offer with the $3000+ per week pay.
This process is so random.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:49 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Oooh you sound knowledgable- what do yoouu think about Dechert v Morgan? (And now I'm bordering obnoxious, and don't wanna get called out like the Blank Rome guy/girl, so I'll stop after this haha)
Glad to oblige, but I'm less knowledgable on this one. I have met more Dechert associates and ex-associates, FWIW.

If you are deciding between them, you obviously know what you're getting into. Big(ger) paycheck, high stress, lots of hours, and the Philly offices becoming less and less relevant at each place. Plus you can only expect 3-5 years at either office, unless you are a star.

Someone earlier said ML for lit, Dechert for corporate. I'm not so convinced. Though I would say ML for Labor, definitely.

If you want corporate, go with Dechert. If you want white collar lit, go Dechert. If you want Mass torts, go Dechert. Two Dechert partners actually teach a litigation seminar at Penn, and it seems mass torts is more interesting than one might think. But if you just want a diverse set of cases and experiences in lit, go with ML. I think both firms are also hesitant to give depositions and appearances to young associates. I'm not sure what year they'll let you do that, though.

During the recession, Dechert decided to bulk up it's best practice groups and gut others entirely (like real estate). If you can't fit into one of those practice groups, you aren't likely to succeed. ML on the other hand seems more general within the typical big firm stuff.

Hmm what else? Dechert has a better building. Dechert seems to give cool pro bono opportunities to its associates, but I'm sure ML does as well. Exit options equal, prestige equal.

Overall, I think you can't go wrong if you've decided this is the kind of firm experience you want. Pepper, Ballard, Cozen etc are very different from ML/Dechert. Once you've decided which kind of firm you want, choosing between firms in the same category is going to come down to a gut feeling. Does that make sense?
Thanks, that definitely makes sense! I haven't at all decided that this is the kind of firm I want, and in fact really loved Cozen and Duane Morris. However, I tend to make choices in a way that actually avoids making any choices, and I feel like it's a lot easier to go from Dechert -> Cozen than the other way around, for example. For better or worse!

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:18 pm

How does Duane Morris stack up against the rest of the pack of Philly firms? I'm not from the area, but it seems like they hardly get a mention on these boards

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote:How does Duane Morris stack up against the rest of the pack of Philly firms? I'm not from the area, but it seems like they hardly get a mention on these boards
I love Duane Morris! Everyone was so cool. They're the only firm I have yet to hear from though, so I'm starting to form a grudge haha. It seems to me like after Dechert and Morgan, DM falls in the next tier (Drinker, Pepper, Ballard, Cozen, etc). Buuut it pays a little more (at least to start) so that's always good.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 8:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Can anyone tell me where Cozen and Dechert each stand in the Philly hierarchy?
ON the same note, can someone say where Drinker Biddle, and Cozen are compared to V100 firms in Manhattan. Drinker and Cozen both rejected me but a V100 firm made me a SA offer...go figure.
Definitely taking the nyc offer with the $3000+ per week pay.
This process is so random.
I am from Philly, both ug and law school in Philly, but landed no Philly offers. But I have V50 offer in NY and offers in other secondary markets paying more than Philly. Go figure. I don't know what Philly firms are looking for.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:09 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Can anyone tell me where Cozen and Dechert each stand in the Philly hierarchy?
ON the same note, can someone say where Drinker Biddle, and Cozen are compared to V100 firms in Manhattan. Drinker and Cozen both rejected me but a V100 firm made me a SA offer...go figure.
Definitely taking the nyc offer with the $3000+ per week pay.
This process is so random.
I am from Philly, both ug and law school in Philly, but landed no Philly offers. But I have V50 offer in NY and offers in other secondary markets paying more than Philly. Go figure. I don't know what Philly firms are looking for.
I know, go figure is right. But to be honest, philly was a back up for me. My #1 choice was Manhattan.

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:15 pm

Any recent Philly movement?

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Re: Philly OCI 2012

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Oct 17, 2012 5:39 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Any recent Philly movement?
I got an offer at my top choice Philly firm 2 weeks ago and accepted right away. One of my friends also just got an offer at a Philly firm this week. Even though it's late in the game, some offers are still coming in.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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