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Hi everyone. I accepted a Summer Associate position three weeks ago at one of the above firms at their headquarters. I have realized that I should have tried to go to Chicago or New York instead. Beyond grades, what should I be doing to try and work for a good firm in one of these markets? My grades are top 20-25% at a Midwest T30 and I have a secondary journal.

With that grades and school combo you shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth too much. That said, you should do what anybody who wants to maximize their ability to trade firms or markets right now does: do as much corp as you can this summer, learn how to talk competently about it, get an offer, come up with solid reasons for switching, then mass mail and do 3L OCI for corp groups as hard as you can before October 1st next year.

North wrote:With that grades and school combo you shouldn't look the gift horse in the mouth too much. That said, you should do what anybody who wants to maximize their ability to trade firms or markets right now does: do as much corp as you can this summer, learn how to talk competently about it, get an offer, come up with solid reasons for switching, then mass mail and do 3L OCI for corp groups as hard as you can before October 1st next year.

Should I look at any small niche groups like rx/re? Or just anything corp related?

I'd get as broad-based of a transactional experience as possible, then sell your various experiences to different firms depending on their hiring needs. This is of course assuming that getting to whatever city is your priority, not practice group. If you pigeon hole yourself (note that summer experience isn't really experience, so this concern is pretty limited) in one practice area like real estate to the point where that's all you have to talk about, it'll be a little harder to pitch yourself during interviews with firm's whose RE group isn't hot right then.

Like my firm is hiring securities first years during 3L because its hot right now. RE not so much. They're looking for warm, ctrl-f-ready bodies to put where they need them.

i'm having a hard time imagining anyone getting an offer without knowing this, but: if shook, don't take that otherwise excellent advice. do the work they give you. it will be lit. you'll look like an idiot pushing for transactional work.

Anonymous User wrote:i'm having a hard time imagining anyone getting an offer without knowing this, but: if shook, don't take that otherwise excellent advice. do the work they give you. it will be lit. you'll look like an idiot pushing for transactional work.

Yeah this is very true, good call

There's no way any SA at Shook can do anything transnational. Shook is only lit essentially.

Get an offer and try and transfer to the firm's Chicago office. Both Faegre and Shook have offices in Chicago (although I'm not sure how big). If Dorsey, then you are out of luck on Chicago.

shook chicago isn't going to happen. they just acquired that boutique this winter, there are like 10 associates there, they're all T14, and you are nowhere near first in the line forming to make that move.

What makes you think you want a major market? Those are good firms and you'll have good opportunities in their markets.