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I currently work at a big law firm in a secondary market. I was no offered after my 2L summer at a big firm in a different secondary market.

I am looking at lateralling to a firm in the same market as the firm that no offered me. Can I drop my 2L firm off my resume?

I wouldn't. If you advance you will need to do a conflict check and then will need to disclose the matters you worked on during your time at that firm. It could potentially raise some red flags as to why it was not on there.

You are employed - nobody is going to think twice about you being no offered, nor is it likely to come up.

It's not entirely unusual for someone to change their mind about the law firm they pick for 2L and look for different postgrad employment. I agree that the chances of someone asking will be low.

While I'm not at the point of lateralling, this is something I've given a lot of thought to. I was also no offered from a non-NYC market, and ended up at another even smaller non-NYC market, but all big law/regional biglaw. I would still like to end up in the original location I was no-offered, despite my "sincere lifelong desire" to be in the new market.

What worries me, and why it would make it a very awkward story to spin, is that these markets all care a ton about ties. So if you walk into the lateral interview and say you REALLY want to be in market X, and you summered in market X, why the heck would you go work post-grad in market Y?

Sorry ik it's not an answer OP. Like you I am interested to hear thoughts on this, but just wanted to point out why the "it won't come up" advice may not be credited

Anonymous User wrote:While I'm not at the point of lateralling, this is something I've given a lot of thought to. I was also no offered from a non-NYC market, and ended up at another even smaller non-NYC market, but all big law/regional biglaw. I would still like to end up in the original location I was no-offered, despite my "sincere lifelong desire" to be in the new market.

What worries me, and why it would make it a very awkward story to spin, is that these markets all care a ton about ties. So if you walk into the lateral interview and say you REALLY want to be in market X, and you summered in market X, why the heck would you go work post-grad in market Y?

Sorry ik it's not an answer OP. Like you I am interested to hear thoughts on this, but just wanted to point out why the "it won't come up" advice may not be credited

OP here.

I completely understand that worry and I agree if a firm knew I summered in their market and then went on to work in a different market pro-grad, I think it might raise some red flags. That is a big reason why I would not want to put my 2L summer firm on my resume.