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Hi everyone, I would really appreciate any advice. I am trying to decide whether to spend my 2L summer at Norton Rose Fulbright or Akin Gump, both in Dallas.

Little about me:

I am leaning pretty strongly towards the transactional side, but I haven't ruled out other groups (litigation, labor and employment, real estate) and don't want to until I get the chance to actually do some firm work. (I don't mean try out projects in every single group, just generally get there so I can have a better feel for what they all do). Anyway, I'm specifically interested in corporate, and then maybebankruptcy and restructuring.

I am most concerned with work life balance and generally having a pleasant experience at the office. This includes getting to do as much substantive work as early as possible. I think I want to make partner, so that is a consideration for me. (Although, again, I can't really form too accurate a prediction without actually being in BigLaw for some time). Obviously, if I can't/don't want to make partner I want to go to a firm with good exit options.

I like the people/vibe at Fulbright better, but not by much.

Thanks in advance! I appreciate any advice! If anyone wants me to I can post the info I've gathered from each firm about things like partnership prospects, compensation, offer rate, stuff like that. I will say I know people say don't go to the Dallas office of the big Houston firms, but Fulbright has pretty well assuaged my fears about that.

Anonymous User wrote:
I like the people/vibe at Fulbright better, but not by much.

Go with Fulbright.

Anonymous User wrote: I am most concerned with work life balance and generally having a pleasant experience at the office. This includes getting to do as much substantive work as early as possible. I think I want to make partner, so that is a consideration for me.

I don't think you'll have a noticeable difference in work life balance or partnership prospects between these two firms as both are biglaw, so, not to sound too gloomy, you'll have very little balance and very very low partnership opportunity. With that said, it can obviously happen, but I don't think either of these firms have the reputation of other big Texas firms (i.e. HayBoo or others) of having better work / like balance and partnership prospects.

Either will have great exit options, and you'll probably start getting multiple calls from headhunters around your 3rd or 4th year to start going in house places. For actual work, Norton Rose may have you working on more global transactional deals b/cith of its recent merger, but probably a fair amount of the work a young associate will be doing is still primarily Texas deals.

I would just go with who you liked better.

Congrats on having offers from both. If you are interested in bankruptcy, Akin is clearly superior. It is an area that they stand out based on league tables and vault and chamber bands. Don't know anything about the difference in corporate though. Just follow your gut.

Both are good firms, but one has nearly 100% offer rates and one has 60-75% offer rates. I don't think you'd like FJ as much if you were one of the unlucky summers not to get an offer.

Also, FJ Dallas is not as strong transactionally or in restructuring/bankruptcy as AG Dallas.

Just some things to consider.

If the offer rates are that different then the choice is a no brainer- go with the 100% firm

The reality is you almost certainly won't make partner and your work/life balance will likely be out of whack no matter what. I also wouldn't put too much stock in liking the people who are put in front of you- good chance they'll be gone or act different once you really work there. I wouldn't totally discount liking the people at one place significantly more than the other, but that factor shouldn't sway you toward choosing the firm with significantly lower offer rates.

Basically don't get caught up in recruiting pitches. Your job is to get a full time offer first and foremost and if those are the correct offer rates then it sounds like one of those firms is far too risky for anyone to accept their offer unless it's the only one they have.