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I will try and be as specific as I can, but given the nature of the firms I cannot be that specific.

I am a 1L who must choose between two SA offers. Both firms seem to offer return employment for 2L summer then an offer provided you work is sufficient. My goal is to take an offer and be done with it. I will participate in fall OCI but I really just want to end up at one of these firms and call it a day. The legal market sucks and I would be thrilled to make money from my JD.

I'm in the Mid-Atlantic region. Not DC. Smaller area.

Firm A has about 60 attorneys in a couple different locations. I'd be in the main office. Pretty busy place, really nice people. They seem to care about you. You can tell the stress level though.

Firm B is an NLJ250. Several hundred attorneys overall, but I would be in a small office. People are more serious, but more relaxed environment overall. More independent nature, you are just a warm body.

I don't care about prestige. I am looking long term. What would have the better options long term? Both firms are really well established and in sold financial condition, from what I can tell. Both have several practice options, but I'm a 1L with no solid idea of "I want to practice in area X." Is this always a case to choose bigger over smaller, when looking long term? I've been told you can go from big to small but not the other way around.

Yes, this is my idea of "big." I'll never have a shot at vault so it is what it is.

Thank you all!

Split your summer between the two firms. Pick the one you like the best to come back the next year and (hopefully) thereafter.

OP here.

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately they favor the work for us totally or not at all approach. It's different for 2L in that respect though.

Anonymous User wrote:I will try and be as specific as I can, but given the nature of the firms I cannot be that specific.

I am a 1L who must choose between two SA offers. Both firms seem to offer return employment for 2L summer then an offer provided you work is sufficient. My goal is to take an offer and be done with it. I will participate in fall OCI but I really just want to end up at one of these firms and call it a day. The legal market sucks and I would be thrilled to make money from my JD.

I'm in the Mid-Atlantic region. Not DC. Smaller area.

Firm A has about 60 attorneys in a couple different locations. I'd be in the main office. Pretty busy place, really nice people. They seem to care about you. You can tell the stress level though.

Firm B is an NLJ250. Several hundred attorneys overall, but I would be in a small office. People are more serious, but more relaxed environment overall. More independent nature, you are just a warm body.

I don't care about prestige. I am looking long term. What would have the better options long term? Both firms are really well established and in sold financial condition, from what I can tell. Both have several practice options, but I'm a 1L with no solid idea of "I want to practice in area X." Is this always a case to choose bigger over smaller, when looking long term? I've been told you can go from big to small but not the other way around.

Yes, this is my idea of "big." I'll never have a shot at vault so it is what it is.

Thank you all!

No one can make this decision for you. Chose the place where you think you can get an offer to return, or the most money for the summer, or make the best connections that will lead you to a place 2L summer.

With these meager details, no one can tell you

God I'm wasting time today.

The details you provided are not helpful. As for what you've been told I disagree. With substantive experience you have a shot at lateraling to a larger firm.

Do they pay the same? Do they do the same kind of work? What kind of work do you want to do?

I would take the bigger firm as a 1L. Will look better on the resume in the long run. If you are invited back, they'd likely let you split as a 2L, anyway.

OP here.

Thank you all very much for the responses. If you could help me out with what more information you need I can provide it. Sorry, I'm just a 1L who really doesn't know what is helpful. Trying to secure a good offer before I get shafted at fall OCI.

The pay is the same now and nearly the same as a permanent position. Not a big enough gap to even worry about.

Work is about the same. Big focus on energy, but both firms are involved in a lot of the same practice areas.

As for what I would like to do, I really don't know. I'm interested in litigation, maybe real property/trusts, but I cannot say anything substantive. And I know that doesn't help. Both firms are involved in those areas.

TTRansfer you might be right. On paper these firms are nearly identical, with the only difference being that the NLJ has more offices and in more states. Maybe it would have a slight advantage longer term.

Take the NLJ firm, dude. JMO.