Best Toledo-Area Firms (litigation) Forum

[Anonymous User]

I may be moving to the Toledo area next year for personal reasons and was wondering what the best firms in the area for litigation are. I'm looking either defense side or plaintiffs side litigation. I'm a T6 graduate with two desirable federal clerkships (also LR), but no connections to the region. I have an offer to return to a well-respected lit firm in a major market, but that does me no good if I end up having to move.

My preference is for a litigation boutique, but I understand that my best bet for a smaller market like this might be a bigger firm (because a lot of mid-sized markets don't have elite boutiques). I care more about the quality of the work I'd get and the quality of the colleagues I'd have than the pay.

Please help, thanks!

I posted a very similar question regarding Ann Arbor/Detroit, but wanted to separate this out for Toledo because I imagine it's a fairly different market.

[Anonymous User]

I'm currently a top student at Toledo's law school. You'll find that Toledo is known for the very nice and collegial atmosphere that lawyers have with each other (compared to places like Cleveland), but the running joke around town is that no one ever retires. In my school, we only had 7 firms come in for 2L OCI and 1 local firm for 3L OCI. Only 1 offer was given, and it was turned down in favor of a position closer to the student's home. Many of the firms don't seem to be doing any hiring unless you are a minority. (The Toledo Bar Association has a minority fair they run and they have placed people at firms that did not hire students through the college of law). So if you are a minority, great! You'll have your pick of the jobs. Having a great background will also get you in almost any door in town, but I'd be surprised if the people interviewing you wouldn't worry a bit that you'd up and leave at the first available opportunity. Specifically though, if you're looking for litigation, it depends on what type of litigation you want to do. SLK is the biggest player in Toledo overall, but I'm not sure how much litigation they do. Reminger has an office in the area and do primarily litigation, but only in certain fields it seems. I think you might have a tough time getting good (interesting) work from a smaller place. The easiest way I can describe Toledo in terms you are looking for is this - Pick two: Interesting work, smaller/boutique firm, great people.

[Anonymous User]

I'm the OP.

Thanks! That's really helpful, and it's super great to hear that Toledo's a collegial city. That's less great to hear that it's a city that doesn't hire.

I'm most interested in class action litigation (products liability, consumer protection, etc), but I'd also be interested in environmental litigation (including but not limited to toxic torts) and -- on a totally different tangent -- white collar crime. I'm open to either defense-side or plaintiffs-side. But it's really probably most important to me to get good experience doing good work with good colleagues. So, if there's an incredible 11-attorney boutique that specializes in maritime law (in Toledo - ha), I'm interested.

[Mnav20]

OP: Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick has a legit near 100 person office in the city. Obviously 100 lawyers is not at the level of a major market firm office but it dwarfs the competitors in the city in terms of size and generally hires better credentialed law students.

As a T-6 graduate with clerkship experience you should be in good shape to get in the door at Shumaker for an interview provided that you have a compelling reason to move to the Toledo area. NALP does not list salary information but COL in the city is extremely low.