Wilson / Cooley / Gunderson / Fenwick Forum

[Anonymous User]

How often do these three firms hire 3Ls if at all? Big increase from 1L GPA to 2L GPA and a T14 student with a SA in big law looking to work more in the startup arena.

[Anonymous User]

I know Cooley sometimes interviews 3Ls (I got a 3L OCI interview with them a couple years back), but what information are you expecting to get from this thread? Apply through your school if they're interviewing at your school, send targeting mailing if they don't.

For what it's worth, I do some emerging company work and it's been pretty hot lately, so maybe you can get some traction. Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

I got a job with one of these after doing a 2L SA at a v10 in NYC. It happens. But you have to be a pretty strong candidate (no humblebrag intended)

[Anonymous User]

I work at one of these. Pretty sure none of these would go to OCI with the explicit intention of hiring 3Ls. If your goal is to work there, no harm in sending in your materials. And if you know an attorney at the firms who can submit on your behalf, even better.

And you better be a strong candidate. Market is hot, but there still aren't nearly as many jobs as in, say, NYC, and there's been a surge in popularity to work at these places.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah I didn't get my 3L offer through oci but rather "networking." Reach out to anyone you know or alumni. If you post under your username I'll PM you but don't want to out myself by posting under my name

[Cris720]

Yeah I didn't get my 3L offer through oci but rather "networking." Reach out to anyone you know or alumni. If you post under your username I'll PM you but don't want to out myself by posting under my name

OP here. Would love any info. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Definitely add Orrick SV to this list. Lots of top work in the listed areas

[Anonymous User]

Definitely add Orrick SV to this list. Lots of top work in the listed areas

Might as well fire off apps to each firm on this list:

Corporate/M&A: Venture Capital - California

Band 1
Cooley LLP
Fenwick & West LLP
Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Band 2
Goodwin Procter LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP

Band 3
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

And if you're interested enough in this work to do it in Boston, there's a decently robust practice there as well:

Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment - Massachusetts

Band 1
Goodwin Procter LLP

Band 2
Cooley LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian
Latham & Watkins LLP
WilmerHale

Band 3
Choate Hall & Stewart LLP
Feinberg Hanson LLP

[Anonymous User]

I work at one of these. Pretty sure none of these would go to OCI with the explicit intention of hiring 3Ls. If your goal is to work there, no harm in sending in your materials. And if you know an attorney at the firms who can submit on your behalf, even better.

And you better be a strong candidate. Market is hot, but there still aren't nearly as many jobs as in, say, NYC, and there's been a surge in popularity to work at these places.

Cooley has done exactly that in the past, though possibly only to replace slots which opened up after no offers.

[Anonymous User]

Definitely add Orrick SV to this list. Lots of top work in the listed areas

SV lawyer here--Orrick sucks in the space. If you want to do Silicon Valley VC/startup work, go to Wilson/Fenwick/Gunderson/Cooley. Goodwin Procter is the only outside firm that has made a decent spot for itself in the area, so you aren't doing bad if you go there either.

[officer-rabbit]

Any thoughts about culture and business outlook for these firms? E.g. which ones are relatively nicer to work at? Which ones will/won't implode if the Silicon Valley tech bubble pops?

Any thoughts on how they compare (in culture and clients/type of work) to national firm SF/SV offices (e.g. Kirkland, Davis Polk, SullCrom, Gibson Dunn)?

[Anonymous User]

bump