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Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:22 am
by Anonymous User
I'll be a SA in NYC at a v5 firm this summer. I struck out in CA for SA positions, but ultimately want to end up there (born and raised, went to UG in CA). Is it possible to be a SA in NYC and then receive an offer in CA? Has anyone done this? Or do you have to wait it out to make the move?

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:25 am
by transferror
Possible at a V5, but almost def out at V6

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:27 am
by mephistopheles
transferror wrote:Possible at a V5, but almost def out at V6

yeah, maybe a few years ago things were different, but ite transferror is right

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 11:59 am
by Anonymous User
transferror wrote:Possible at a V5, but almost def out at V6
OP here. I mistyped. It's a v5.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:04 pm
by transferror
Anonymous User wrote:
transferror wrote:Possible at a V5, but almost def out at V6
OP here. I mistyped. It's a v5.

Me two, possible at V4

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:17 pm
by Manhattan
transferror wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
transferror wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:I'll be a SA in NYC at a v5 firm this summer. I struck out in CA for SA positions, but ultimately want to end up there (born and raised, went to UG in CA). Is it possible to be a SA in NYC and then receive an offer in CA? Has anyone done this? Or do you have to wait it out to make the move?
Possible at a V5, but almost def out at V6
OP here. I mistyped. It's a v5.
Me two, possible at V4
:lol:

This thread has delivered.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:43 pm
by SLS_AMG
Skadden seems to be pretty flexible in letting its SAs move around from what I've seen, so if that's your firm, you might have a chance. I'd be surprised if S&C or DPW let you, however, especially since their offices are fewer in number and smaller in size in CA. I think they have the numbers worked out pretty well.

Just ask to work in the CA office when your firm sends its questionnaire and request as much time as possible.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:47 pm
by Anonymous User
Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 12:55 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.
If you got V5, your grades are more than sufficient for the top CA firms (unless we are talking about that one V5). If you stuck out in CA, You reason for wanting to be in CA probably was not compelling enough (born & raised there is often not sufficient, you need to like the type of legal work in CA too). Also, after working at a V5 for a couple of years, you would likely have your pick of top CA firms as a lateral.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:01 pm
by jbiresq
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.
If you got V5, your grades are more than sufficient for the top CA firms (unless we are talking about that one V5). If you stuck out in CA, You reason for wanting to be in CA probably was not compelling enough (born & raised there is often not sufficient, you need to like the type of legal work in CA too). Also, after working at a V5 for a couple of years, you would likely have your pick of top CA firms as a lateral.
http://www.examiner.com/article/no-waiv ... california

Might have to take CA bar though.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:12 pm
by Tiago Splitter
I worked at an NYC firm and then switched to a CA firm during 3L OCI. Keep your grades up.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:22 pm
by PvblivsScipio
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.
If you got V5, your grades are more than sufficient for the top CA firms (unless we are talking about that one V5). If you stuck out in CA, You reason for wanting to be in CA probably was not compelling enough (born & raised there is often not sufficient, you need to like the type of legal work in CA too). Also, after working at a V5 for a couple of years, you would likely have your pick of top CA firms as a lateral.
That's so dumb. The legal work is the same everywhere, ultimately. Of course things like being born, raised, and living in a state are sufficient reasons, it just depends on your interviewer. FWIW I was trying to get into a city I had 0 ties to, but I was honest and told them my SO was in the city and already had an established career and ended up with an offer.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:29 pm
by Anonymous User
PvblivsScipio wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.
If you got V5, your grades are more than sufficient for the top CA firms (unless we are talking about that one V5). If you stuck out in CA, You reason for wanting to be in CA probably was not compelling enough (born & raised there is often not sufficient, you need to like the type of legal work in CA too). Also, after working at a V5 for a couple of years, you would likely have your pick of top CA firms as a lateral.
That's so dumb. The legal work is the same everywhere, ultimately. Of course things like being born, raised, and living in a state are sufficient reasons, it just depends on your interviewer. FWIW I was trying to get into a city I had 0 ties to, but I was honest and told them my SO was in the city and already had an established career and ended up with an offer.
Emerging companies work, IP litigation, etc. are different from non-tech IPOs, regulation of financial institutions, mega-M&A, white-collar defense, etc. Skills you develop in NYC are transferable to CA, but less so the other way around.

Re: Working in NY firm; want to live in CA

Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 1:46 pm
by crit_racer
Anonymous User wrote:
PvblivsScipio wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Get your grades up and gun for CA next summer through 3L OCI.
If you got V5, your grades are more than sufficient for the top CA firms (unless we are talking about that one V5). If you stuck out in CA, You reason for wanting to be in CA probably was not compelling enough (born & raised there is often not sufficient, you need to like the type of legal work in CA too). Also, after working at a V5 for a couple of years, you would likely have your pick of top CA firms as a lateral.
That's so dumb. The legal work is the same everywhere, ultimately. Of course things like being born, raised, and living in a state are sufficient reasons, it just depends on your interviewer. FWIW I was trying to get into a city I had 0 ties to, but I was honest and told them my SO was in the city and already had an established career and ended up with an offer.
Emerging companies work, IP litigation, etc. are different from non-tech IPOs, regulation of financial institutions, mega-M&A, white-collar defense, etc. Skills you develop in NYC are transferable to CA, but less so the other way around.
I disagree. How does financial institutions regulation translate to doing a Series A financing? The skills you develop in NY actually don't transfer very well to non-NY markets. The firm prestige does, though, so there's that. I worked for a NYC firm and now do emerging tech company work and can say that the corporate practice in NY was an ENTIRELY different beast.