Top Law Schools

I apoligize if this has already been posted, but I'm curious about it nonetheless.

To those in big law:

1) How long have you been in big law?

2) Do you plan on "staying"?

3) If not, where do you want to end up?

4) How much more experience would you need to get you there?

The only goal that junior/midlevels should worry about is doing great work and learning as much as possible. If you focus on that, you'll have no problem leaving if and when you decide you want to. People who decide how long they are going to stay in biglaw before starting biglaw are setting themselves up for failure.

i read that as "leveling up as much as possible"

time to turn off the xbox

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:The only goal that junior/midlevels should worry about is doing great work and learning as much as possible. If you focus on that, you'll have no problem leaving if and when you decide you want to. People who decide how long they are going to stay in biglaw before starting biglaw are setting themselves up for failure.

I meant it more in the way of a "where do you see yourself" type of question posed to those who have been working for 1-3 years.

Also, the "how much more experience" question led to something other than what I was getting at. Maybe some want to work at smaller firms, lateral, whatever the case may be. Doesn't necessarily have to be a ladder climbing thread.

Anonymous User wrote:

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:The only goal that junior/midlevels should worry about is doing great work and learning as much as possible. If you focus on that, you'll have no problem leaving if and when you decide you want to. People who decide how long they are going to stay in biglaw before starting biglaw are setting themselves up for failure.

I meant it more in the way of a "where do you see yourself" type of question posed to those who have been working for 1-3 years.

I don't really think about this very much, to be honest, because I've learned that almost every possible influence on my career, aside from doing my very best to improve as an attorney, is out of my control. Making partner, going in house, getting BIGFED, etc. are largely things that I cannot control (again, aside from being the very best at what I do and making contacts). Legal careers are so random these days that it's almost guaranteed that you won't end up doing exactly what you plan on doing. You can aim for certain areas of law or certain firms or types of jobs, but it's impossible to know what you'll be doing and how much you'll be making. My plan is to make the very best of the opportunities that present themselves, whatever they may be.

I should add that I'm not at an "up or out" firm. I would probably worry about my future more if I were at an "up or out" firm.