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I've got some offers and will be returning to a couple firms to get a sense of which I should accept. What are good questions to ask or look into on my own after receiving an offer? I'll be doing litigation in DC or SF, if that matters. Here's a start:

Why did the people who got no offered get no offered?
How many people do you anticipate in next year's class?
How do bonuses and moving up associate class years work?
Are there multiple levels of partnership? How many partners were made in 2012? 2011?
Do you have enough work? Too much? How is it assigned to you?
Health insurance/ child care/ food/ transportation/ other costs that add up?
How often do you work from home?
What are associate-partner relationships like?
What would you change about the firm if you could?
Do you plan on trying to make partner?
How many people from this office left in the last year? Where did they go?
Any firings of staffs or attorneys?
How connected are you to other offices?

These look like good questions. I've asked a lot of them. What I've been thinking about, though, are different ways to ask the questions to make sure you get the most complete and truthful answer.

For example, when I asked my version of this:

puppylaw wrote:How many people from this office left in the last year? Where did they go?

People would fudge the answer, or use generalizations. For example, "about 5, that I can think of... we had a guy that started at [big company]! People do very well when they leave here, blah blah blah."

My new approach: when I talk to associates, I first ask "how many people started in your class year?" Then I asked "how many are still there?" Outside the big NY firms, associates have been able to answer those questions with precise numbers. And they can't fudge the answer to the second question, because I could - in theory - check on the website. I then ask where each person went. Since they know the people in their class year (outside the big NY firms), I've been able to get complete lists of where everyone went.

I don't even bother asking these questions of partners, though, since all I get is positive generalizations and cherry-picked examples.

AntipodeanPhil wrote:These look like good questions. I've asked a lot of them. What I've been thinking about, though, are different ways to ask the questions to make sure you get the most complete and truthful answer.

For example, when I asked my version of this:

puppylaw wrote:How many people from this office left in the last year? Where did they go?

People would fudge the answer, or use generalizations. For example, "about 5, that I can think of... we had a guy that started at [big company]! People do very well when they leave here, blah blah blah."

My new approach: when I talk to associates, I first ask "how many people started in your class year?" Then I asked "how many are still there?" Outside the big NY firms, associates have been able to answer those questions with precise numbers. And they can't fudge the answer to the second question, because I could - in theory - check on the website. I then ask where each person went. Since they know the people in their class year (outside the big NY firms), I've been able to get complete lists of where everyone went.

I don't even bother asking these questions of partners, though, since all I get is positive generalizations and cherry-picked examples.

Associates are usually honest.