HELP: I need to switch offices! Forum

[Anonymous User]

Here's my situation. I am about to graduate from law school, and my spouse is working in another city (we're doing long-distance for now). I have a job lined up in a law firm which I got from a SA program. The job is in the firm's primary office. My spouse works in a city where the firm has a smaller secondary office. For various reasons, I would greatly prefer to work in the secondary office to live with my spouse. The secondary office has its own SA hiring program.

How should I approach this situation? I imagine that I should contact the primary office's recruiting coordinator and explain the situation. Does anyone have any suggestions about how I should proceed?

[Anonymous User]

Bump... any help or insight would be appreciated. I'm meeting with my CSO tomorrow, but I'm not expecting much assistance.

[homestyle28]

Start by asking an associate who you got to know what they think, this kind of thing might be common. Firms vary in how the deal with it. Are you already slotted into a PG? Does the secondary office have that PG/room for you? After the associate, I'd call the recruiting coordinator and talk it through. Make it clear that you are thrilled to work for [Smith&Barnes LLP] and are willing to make sacrifices, but that it would be easier if you were in the other office. Firms are smart, they know that if they don't let you transfer, you're that much more likely to bounce sooner than later.

[Anonymous User]

Start by asking an associate who you got to know what they think, this kind of thing might be common. Firms vary in how the deal with it. Are you already slotted into a PG? Does the secondary office have that PG/room for you? After the associate, I'd call the recruiting coordinator and talk it through. Make it clear that you are thrilled to work for [Smith&Barnes LLP] and are willing to make sacrifices, but that it would be easier if you were in the other office. Firms are smart, they know that if they don't let you transfer, you're that much more likely to bounce sooner than later.

Thanks for the advice. I was not hired into a specific practice group; the firm is fairly specialized, and all associates work in the same general areas. The secondary offices operates in the same way, as far as I can tell. I got to know a former associate of the firm fairly well this summer -- I think I will reach out to him for his advice.

Any other thoughts?