Chambers Associate Forum

[acijku2]

Generally how accurate are the firm profiles on Chambers Associate? The profiles seem to give some really good info on firms but I have no frame of reference if they are actually true or not.

[Anonymous User]

From looking at my firm's profile, it's surprisingly accurate on how the firm operates--practice group assignments, annual evaluations, compensation, etc. Though all of the stuff about work-life balance and firm culture should be disregarded; Chambers Associate makes every firm sound like it's actually a good place to work.

[dwyf]

I can't speak to the accuracy at any place other than my firm (for which it was reasonably accurate), but I think it's fair to say that what's in the profile is what you are expected to know about the public reputation of the firm when you go in for an interview.

[thesealocust]

Chambers Associate is great. No source will be perfect, but I've never noticed glaring inaccuracies or anything, and nothing else is as comprehensive.

Chambers and Partners is good too, though obviously with a different perspective. I'm not a fan of ranking things for the sake of ranking things, but their practice area rankings (broken down by geography) are significantly more useful than Vault or USNWR firm rankings, too.

[acijku2]

From looking at my firm's profile, it's surprisingly accurate on how the firm operates--practice group assignments, annual evaluations, compensation, etc. Though all of the stuff about work-life balance and firm culture should be disregarded; Chambers Associate makes every firm sound like it's actually a good place to work.

Is there any place to get a better idea of firm culture then? Or is the only real option to speak to attorneys who work there?

[Anonymous User]

From looking at my firm's profile, it's surprisingly accurate on how the firm operates--practice group assignments, annual evaluations, compensation, etc. Though all of the stuff about work-life balance and firm culture should be disregarded; Chambers Associate makes every firm sound like it's actually a good place to work.

Is there any place to get a better idea of firm culture then? Or is the only real option to speak to attorneys who work there?

Current and former attorneys are by far the best source. You can also find interesting anecdotes by searching on TLS/ATL/AutoAdmit. Though I think in most instances you can't make generalized statements about culture/work-life at any particular firm--it really depends on the practice group and the partners you work with, and even then, there will be differing opinions. In my group, for example, you'd hear from attorneys who do nothing but 1900 hours a year of doc review and are content with it, attorneys who are stuck doing substantive work for the worst partners and hate it, and attorneys who are working hard and have tons of responsibility and seem to like it.

[xael]

From looking at my firm's profile, it's surprisingly accurate on how the firm operates--practice group assignments, annual evaluations, compensation, etc. Though all of the stuff about work-life balance and firm culture should be disregarded; Chambers Associate makes every firm sound like it's actually a good place to work.

So if chambers makes some place sound bad, then it must be a complete hellhole, right?

[Desert Fox]

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[xael]

From looking at my firm's profile, it's surprisingly accurate on how the firm operates--practice group assignments, annual evaluations, compensation, etc. Though all of the stuff about work-life balance and firm culture should be disregarded; Chambers Associate makes every firm sound like it's actually a good place to work.

So if chambers makes some place sound bad, then it must be a complete hellhole, right?

Probably, but I think they just do a dozen interviews, so the sample size probably isn't big enough.

Cool I'll put on the rose-tinted glasses again