Lateraling: When is too early? Forum

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:41 pm

About to start at a NY v50, but looking to get out of NYC for personal and lifestyle reasons. What is the minimum time I need to put in at my firm before looking elsewhere? What are the downsides of making a job move early?

005618502 · Post by **005618502** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:02 pm

Anonymous User wrote:About to start at a NY v50, but looking to get out of NYC for personal and lifestyle reasons. What is the minimum time I need to put in at my firm before looking elsewhere? What are the downsides of making a job move early?

Why did you pick NYC if you want to leave so quickly? Was NY the only place you had an offer? We have someone at the firm I am with who lateraled after finished year 2. So it doesnt seem like it needs to be long

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:25 pm

AssumptionRequired wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:About to start at a NY v50, but looking to get out of NYC for personal and lifestyle reasons. What is the minimum time I need to put in at my firm before looking elsewhere? What are the downsides of making a job move early?
Why did you pick NYC if you want to leave so quickly? Was NY the only place you had an offer? We have someone at the firm I am with who lateraled after finished year 2. So it doesnt seem like it needs to be long

Don't want to get into it, but life circumstances change. 2 years is what I was thinking, thanks for the response.

84651846190 · Post by **84651846190** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:53 pm

Two years is a bare minimum. Three years is a lot better.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 9:00 pm

A year or less and you'll mostly be on the lateral market as a fungible associate thing - your options will be limited to places that really need more entry level grunts. But those places do exist, and I know people who have moved with a year or less experience. Call up a headhunter - now may not even be too early - and keep your ear to the ground.

These opportunities will be different than those available to you in the 2-3+ year range that most people (including ITT) look to as the "sweet spot" for lateraling. Your options will have much more to do with your skill set, network, and practice area. That might seem "better" but if you're looking to bail from NYC as soon as possible, don't fail to look just because everyone hypes exit options after 2-3+ years.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 10:10 pm

Why not just change offices within the firm? I know people that did this in their first year. If you have a good reason (especially if its something like my fiance is in another city), the firm may be very accomodating. Of course, this could backfire and piss people off, so I'd test the waters with someone you trust at the firm before asking outright.

Anonymous User · Post by **Anonymous User** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 3:15 pm

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:Two years is a bare minimum. Three years is a lot better.

Is there a difference if you want to lateral to smaller/regional firm to make partner? In house "sweet spot" seems to be about 4-6 years, but is 5-6th year too late if you're trying to be a partner at a smaller firm? Or does it just push back your partner timeline a bit?

Lateraling: When is too early? Forum

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