Kirkland Chicago Forum

[Law Student 2848]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

outed for anon abuse

[mr.hands]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

No, it isn't. Vault rankings really are about NY offices (especially the V10). "Kirkland Chicago" isn't really a part of that. That's not a dig on the firm or anything.

(Unless, of course, you're referring to some vault list specifically focused on the top firms in Chicago. If that were the case though, you wouldn't be asking this question)

If you aren't in NY, don't focus on Vault. Look at Chambers and see what band your practice group is in. Look at McDermott, Jenner and Block, Winston and Strawn, and all the other typical Chicago firms.

[Law Student 2848]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

No, it isn't. Vault rankings really are about NY offices (especially the V10). "Kirkland Chicago" isn't really a part of that. That's not a dig on the firm or anything.

(Unless, of course, you're referring to some vault list specifically focused on the top firms in Chicago. If that were the case though, you wouldn't be asking this question)

If you aren't in NY, don't focus on Vault. Look at Chambers and see what band your practice group is in. Look at McDermott, Jenner and Block, Winston and Strawn, and all the other typical Chicago firms.

#9 - Kirkland & Ellis LLP - Chicago

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... t-law-100/

[mu13ski]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

No, it isn't. Vault rankings really are about NY offices (especially the V10). "Kirkland Chicago" isn't really a part of that. That's not a dig on the firm or anything.

(Unless, of course, you're referring to some vault list specifically focused on the top firms in Chicago. If that were the case though, you wouldn't be asking this question)

If you aren't in NY, don't focus on Vault. Look at Chambers and see what band your practice group is in. Look at McDermott, Jenner and Block, Winston and Strawn, and all the other typical Chicago firms.

#9 - Kirkland & Ellis LLP - Chicago

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... t-law-100/

I was under the impression that the city listed was just the home office of the firm.

[mr.hands]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

No, it isn't. Vault rankings really are about NY offices (especially the V10). "Kirkland Chicago" isn't really a part of that. That's not a dig on the firm or anything.

(Unless, of course, you're referring to some vault list specifically focused on the top firms in Chicago. If that were the case though, you wouldn't be asking this question)

If you aren't in NY, don't focus on Vault. Look at Chambers and see what band your practice group is in. Look at McDermott, Jenner and Block, Winston and Strawn, and all the other typical Chicago firms.

#9 - Kirkland & Ellis LLP - Chicago

http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/l ... t-law-100/

I was under the impression that the city listed was just the home office of the firm.

I could be wrong but that was my understanding too. Either way, i forgot that Chicago was their home office (for some reason I just assume that it was NYC). My bad.

[bdubs]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

Vault rankings are highly correlated with the strength of a firm's corporate practices. Kirkland is known as a private equity powerhouse and its pretty good in other areas of corporate (and litigation but that seems to have a lot less sway in Vault land). None of the other Chicago firms have the same strength in corporate.

Sidley is the runner up and it is "good" across the board but none of its corporate practices really has the national recognition of a V10. Skadden also has a good office in Chicago but its home office is definitively in NY.

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

It's got some really good practices, and people who want to work there over other firms in Chicago are generally prestige whores. Kirkland has a really miserable work atmosphere.

[rad lulz]

Brah do you know how they come up w vault?

[Cobretti]

I was under the impression that the city listed was just the home office of the firm.

I could be wrong but that was my understanding too. Either way, i forgot that Chicago was their home office (for some reason I just assume that it was NYC). My bad.

You are not wrong.

Skadden is also in Chicago though, its just not their main office.

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

It's got some really good practices, and people who want to work there over other firms in Chicago are generally prestige whores. Kirkland has a really miserable work atmosphere.

Can someone elaborate on this? Is it significantly worse than the other top Chicago firms (Sidley, Skadden, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown)?

[Anonymous User]

I don't know about the Chicago office but I summered in Kirkland's D.C. office and it was definitely not miserable. People worked hard but they really liked it. And that was more than repeating the summer talking points. I had two friends from college who were in their first few years there (I did something else for a while before law school so my college classmates were ahead of me) and they gave me the straight scoop.

Of course, offices vary so that probably isn't very helpful for Chicago.

[Anonymous User]

Kirkland's Chicago office is the only Chicago office ranked in the Vault top 10. Can anyone offer any insight into why this is the best firm in Chicago? Why would someone want to work their over any of the other firms in Chicago?

It's got some really good practices, and people who want to work there over other firms in Chicago are generally prestige whores. Kirkland has a really miserable work atmosphere.

Can someone elaborate on this? Is it significantly worse than the other top Chicago firms (Sidley, Skadden, Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown)?

1L in Chicago here, so just going off my own informational interviews and prevailing stereotypes of each firm... but generally Kirkland and Skadden are known as the sweatshops of Chicago. I don't know as much about Latham Chicago, but Sidley and Mayer Brown both have the reputation of being a little more easy going.

[09042014]

I don't know about the Chicago office but I summered in Kirkland's D.C. office and it was definitely not miserable. People worked hard but they really liked it. And that was more than repeating the summer talking points. I had two friends from college who were in their first few years there (I did something else for a while before law school so my college classmates were ahead of me) and they gave me the straight scoop.

Of course, offices vary so that probably isn't very helpful for Chicago.

Summer Associates are given the party line. If you tell a summer that working their blows someone will come yell at you.

[rad lulz]

.

[bjsesq]

I don't know about the Chicago office but I summered in Kirkland's D.C. office and it was definitely not miserable. People worked hard but they really liked it. And that was more than repeating the summer talking points. I had two friends from college who were in their first few years there (I did something else for a while before law school so my college classmates were ahead of me) and they gave me the straight scoop.

Of course, offices vary so that probably isn't very helpful for Chicago.

Summer Associates are given the party line. If you tell a summer that working their blows someone will come yell at you.

You get them one on one after getting their confidence and they will shoot straight with you. A special type of partner will too. I had a junior partner tell me how fucking much he hated the firm and the only reason he stuck around was the senior partner he got all his work from was a good dude.

[Anonymous User]

I don't know about the Chicago office but I summered in Kirkland's D.C. office and it was definitely not miserable. People worked hard but they really liked it. And that was more than repeating the summer talking points. I had two friends from college who were in their first few years there (I did something else for a while before law school so my college classmates were ahead of me) and they gave me the straight scoop.

Of course, offices vary so that probably isn't very helpful for Chicago.

Summer Associates are given the party line. If you tell a summer that working their blows someone will come yell at you.

You get them one on one after getting their confidence and they will shoot straight with you. A special type of partner will too. I had a junior partner tell me how fucking much he hated the firm and the only reason he stuck around was the senior partner he got all his work from was a good dude.

Spoke with a partner at Kirkland Chicago who said it was one of the worst firms to work at. This person was/is pretty senior level to, so this was an odd admonition. Then again, it kind of tied into his theory that law is a terrible business in general because you don't own your time, so, take it with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous User]

Threads like this bother me. So far there is a bunch of people flat out asserting that it is terrible with no evidence, and then someone comes along with friends who worked there, and he's instantly rebuked.

From my conversations with attorneys all over Chicago, the smaller firms tend to dump on Kirkland about being a sweatshop (all of them without having ever spent time there), while those at Sidley/Skadden say that anyone at a big law firm will work hard.

Isn't it TLS conventional wisdom that the trade off for NY level work is NY hours? Isn't it also conventional wisdom that you shouldn't choose a big law firm based on lower hours (or, at least that every big firm is a "sweatshop")?

[rad lulz]

.

[bjsesq]

Threads like this bother me. So far there is a bunch of people flat out asserting that it is terrible with no evidence, and then someone comes along with friends who worked there, and he's instantly rebuked.

From my conversations with attorneys all over Chicago, the smaller firms tend to dump on Kirkland about being a sweatshop (all of them without having ever spent time there), while those at Sidley/Skadden say that anyone at a big law firm will work hard.

Isn't it TLS conventional wisdom that the trade off for NY level work is NY hours? Isn't it also conventional wisdom that you shouldn't choose a big law firm based on lower hours (or, at least that every big firm is a "sweatshop")?

Well, it is a sweatshop, but a goddamn prestigious one. You take the good with the bad, if you are able. The exit options amazing, but that doesn't mean working there isn't a punch in the dick. People there tend to work more than other Chicago firms, but it rewards alphas more than nerdy "proper" places like Winston. I am not sure why that is shocking to you.

[Law Student 2848]

So after all that, the only real answer for why you would want to work their is prestige? And good exit options?

[09042014]

Best transactional chicago firm. Lit is harder. You shouldn't do general lit, so pick what type of lit you want and see which Chicago firm does it best.

[mu13ski]

Best transactional chicago firm. Lit is harder. You shouldn't do general lit, so pick what type of lit you want and see which Chicago firm does it best.

Can you expand on why lit is harder and why you shouldn't do general lit?

[09042014]

Best transactional chicago firm. Lit is harder. You shouldn't do general lit, so pick what type of lit you want and see which Chicago firm does it best.

Can you expand on why lit is harder and why you shouldn't do general lit?

I meant picking the best lit firm in chicago is a harder choice. First there are some elite boutiques that are better. Second, Sidley, and Mayer are basically peers. Jenner, Jones, Day, Night & Weekends, and WinsTTTon etc. are in the same league.

You shouldn't do general lit because it's a surefire way for you to end up with no specialty and no exit options.

[rad lulz]

Best transactional chicago firm. Lit is harder. You shouldn't do general lit, so pick what type of lit you want and see which Chicago firm does it best.

Can you expand on why lit is harder and why you shouldn't do general lit?

I meant picking the best lit firm in chicago is a harder choice. First there are some elite boutiques that are better. Second, Sidley, and Mayer are basically peers. Jenner, Jones, Day, Night & Weekends, and WinsTTTon etc. are in the same league.

You shouldn't do general lit because it's a surefire way for you to end up with no specialty and no exit options.

Def don't do general commercial lit the trend is very much toward greater specialization

[Law Student 2848]

Threads like this bother me. So far there is a bunch of people flat out asserting that it is terrible with no evidence, and then someone comes along with friends who worked there, and he's instantly rebuked.

From my conversations with attorneys all over Chicago, the smaller firms tend to dump on Kirkland about being a sweatshop (all of them without having ever spent time there), while those at Sidley/Skadden say that anyone at a big law firm will work hard.

Isn't it TLS conventional wisdom that the trade off for NY level work is NY hours? Isn't it also conventional wisdom that you shouldn't choose a big law firm based on lower hours (or, at least that every big firm is a "sweatshop")?

Well, it is a sweatshop, but a goddamn prestigious one. You take the good with the bad, if you are able. The exit options amazing, but that doesn't mean working there isn't a punch in the dick. People there tend to work more than other Chicago firms, but it rewards alphas more than nerdy "proper" places like Winston. I am not sure why that is shocking to you.

People always say you work terrible hours at a firm like Kirkland or that it's a sweatshop. What's a typical week like for an associate? Start and end times? Corporate vs. Litigation?