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I'm in the top 33% at a school just outside the t14. I have four 1L SA offers in a secondary Midwest market (my home market). 3 are diversity based, 1 is not. 3 are large firms in the market but are pretty much only known regionally. 1 firm is a small satellite office for a V50-75. All pay within a couple hundred/week of one another (at secondary market level or just above).

I'd like to end up in Chicago (first choice) or NYC after graduation at big or midlaw. The Vxx does have an NYC office that two previous summer associates have transferred to.

My question is - does it matter doing diversity or non-diversity SA? Is one better than the other?

And would it be better to do the big regional firms, or the small satellite office for the Vxx firm?

Thanks for the input.

Damn what market is giving out SAs like candy? How strong are your ties?

To answer your question, it doesn't matter at all. Pick which firm you like best.

PeanutsNJam wrote:Damn what market is giving out SAs like candy? How strong are your ties?

To answer your question, it doesn't matter at all. Pick which firm you like best.

OP here, it's the city I grew up in and they are notoriously loyal to their own. Thanks for the input.

If you're willing to share, is it Twin Cities market?

Had the similar choices, chose the diversity SA. In retrospect I probably would take the non diversity one if I had to do it over.

I think it matters. Your class rank isn't particularly high and a bad 2nd semester could do some real damage to your biglaw chances, esp. since you aren't at a T14. Chicago isn't an easy market to crack, esp. w/o ties.

Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

OP here, it is not Twin Cities.

Thanks for the replies. I am leaning toward the Vxx but wasn't sure if the diversity link would look "worse" than a regular SA.

Chrstgtr wrote:Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

This is a valid concern that I had overlooked. I said it didn't matter because the general rule is that if your grades/interviewing are good enough to get you a 1L SA, then they certainly are good enough to get you a 2L SA. However, but that's not necessarily true in your case, since you don't have nearly as strong ties in the place you want to end up.

I'd definitely pick the firm with an office in your desired city, and try to secure an offer by the end of your 1L summer.

I can't imagine at all why a "diversity link" would hurt you any more than a "ties link" would.

PeanutsNJam wrote:

Chrstgtr wrote:Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

This is a valid concern that I had overlooked. I said it didn't matter because the general rule is that if your grades/interviewing are good enough to get you a 1L SA, then they certainly are good enough to get you a 2L SA. However, but that's not necessarily true in your case, since you don't have nearly as strong ties in the place you want to end up.

I'd definitely pick the firm with an office in your desired city, and try to secure an offer by the end of your 1L summer.

I can't imagine at all why a "diversity link" would hurt you any more than a "ties link" would.

But beware OP, your grades *might* not be good enough to get a job come 2L OCI. And that risk increases the more selective you are with markets i.e. Chicago

PeanutsNJam wrote:

Chrstgtr wrote:Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

This is a valid concern that I had overlooked. I said it didn't matter because the general rule is that if your grades/interviewing are good enough to get you a 1L SA, then they certainly are good enough to get you a 2L SA. However, but that's not necessarily true in your case, since you don't have nearly as strong ties in the place you want to end up.

I'd definitely pick the firm with an office in your desired city, and try to secure an offer by the end of your 1L summer.

I can't imagine at all why a "diversity link" would hurt you any more than a "ties link" would.

I would stay away from being a diversity hire if one can be a "regular hire" if there is a choice. Diversity link won't hurt you per se, but there are some people who would view diversity link a certain way and there is no way to avoid it because they would just assume that you didn't have a choice.

r6_philly wrote:

PeanutsNJam wrote:

Chrstgtr wrote:Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

This is a valid concern that I had overlooked. I said it didn't matter because the general rule is that if your grades/interviewing are good enough to get you a 1L SA, then they certainly are good enough to get you a 2L SA. However, but that's not necessarily true in your case, since you don't have nearly as strong ties in the place you want to end up.

I'd definitely pick the firm with an office in your desired city, and try to secure an offer by the end of your 1L summer.

I can't imagine at all why a "diversity link" would hurt you any more than a "ties link" would.

I would stay away from being a diversity hire if one can be a "regular hire" if there is a choice. Diversity link won't hurt you per se, but there are some people who would view diversity link a certain way and there is no way to avoid it because they would just assume that you didn't have a choice.

You think that's significant enough to outweigh $5-25k?

Hikikomorist wrote: You think that's significant enough to outweigh $5-25k?

That's up to individual situation. I can tell you in retrospect a few years later that it probably was not worth the money (this strictly applies to me). It worked out fine for me (did not return to the diversity firm), but it could have easily not worked out -- then the opportunity cost would have been higher than the $15k extra.

r6_philly wrote:

PeanutsNJam wrote:

Chrstgtr wrote:Pick the firm that is most likely to give you an offer (probably the V50-75 if I had to guess) so you will have something going into OCI just in case something goes bad at OCI.

This is a valid concern that I had overlooked. I said it didn't matter because the general rule is that if your grades/interviewing are good enough to get you a 1L SA, then they certainly are good enough to get you a 2L SA. However, but that's not necessarily true in your case, since you don't have nearly as strong ties in the place you want to end up.

I'd definitely pick the firm with an office in your desired city, and try to secure an offer by the end of your 1L summer.

I can't imagine at all why a "diversity link" would hurt you any more than a "ties link" would.

I would stay away from being a diversity hire if one can be a "regular hire" if there is a choice. Diversity link won't hurt you per se, but there are some people who would view diversity link a certain way and there is no way to avoid it because they would just assume that you didn't have a choice.

I'm eh on the above. Also if the city is STL feel free to DM me and I can probably give you some decent firm-specific advice.

Perception is important for a junior in biglaw. I feel like it drives most of junior behaviors.

OP again. So the position with the Vxx is diversity, but I have an option for non-diversity at one of the larger but definitely regionally specific firms.

Would it be "better" to take the non-diversity regional firm over the diversity Vxx firm which has an office in one of my target markets?

Pay difference between the two will be pretty minimal with the vault firm paying a couple hundred more.

Thanks again for the help.

This diversity vs. Non-diversity discussion is really missing the point. Go to the firm where you have the best chance of securing a 2L offer.

yost wrote:This diversity vs. Non-diversity discussion is really missing the point. Go to the firm where you have the best chance of securing a 2L offer.

Which the fact of whether or not it is a diversity SA actually have some bearing on.