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I need some help deciding between offers from a 15 person class action firm and the small 5 person office of a 40 person lit boutique based in a different city. Class action firm is co-counsel on a good deal of antitrust cases and also does some pretty interesting MDL work against pharmaceuticals and others; lit. boutique would be more standard commercial lit. for some pretty decent clients.

$$ at either would be about the same (actually compensation at class action place is a little muddy and might have opportunity for a substantial bonus) -- all things being equal, I think the antitrust class action work sounds interesting and fun even though court experience would be limited, but I have little experience actually doing that kind of stuff and am worried that if I don't like it, I might be stuck doing plaintiff's work for the balance of my career. Anyone here have any experience doing class action work as an associate? Is it substantive experience or does it entail a lot more admin than you would think? You also hear a lot about antitrust work being prestigious -- is it still prestigious if you do it on plaintiff's side or not?

Lit. boutique seemed like a laid back environment, but I would imagine I'd have to be more meticulous about billing, and the work would be more general business lit. stuff, so maybe not as exciting cocktail party talk.

Ultimately, my goal is to go to the USAO if possible or some other federal government agency in a few years and then maybe a firm again. What choice would lead to the best options for my career going forward?

gunna bump because I have similar goals and am summering at a 32 person "lit boutique"-not sure if thats an appropriate title for what it is but whatever

Is the boutique well-respected? Generally, going to a well-respected firm that does defense work leaves more options open to you. But the AUSAs hire from both sides, so it shouldn't have much bearing on that. Plaintiff-side class action work can be fun, in my opinion. I'd probably go with that, but it's hard for us to give advice to you about your life.

Something that might be worth considering is how much you value actual trial work -- lots of smallish litigation shops do regularly take cases to trial. That's somewhere between very rare and nonexistent for pure class-action firms.

That said there are other litigation boutiques that don't try cases much more often than big firms do, so it depends on what firm you're looking at.

I'm the second anon. Would other government agencies look favorably at more defense sided small firms? Also OP just out of curiousity, what does the litigation boutique pay?

Dude don't do plainiff's side. You don't have real clients. It's anninsane volume business.

5 person satellite of a boutique would give me serious pause.

Anonymous User wrote:Something that might be worth considering is how much you value actual trial work -- lots of smallish litigation shops do regularly take cases to trial. That's somewhere between very rare and nonexistent for pure class-action firms.

That said there are other litigation boutiques that don't try cases much more often than big firms do, so it depends on what firm you're looking at.

Not for firms that do MDLs.

P-side FTW. It's more fun and your life will be better.