Partner Track 5th Year Associate at Midlaw Firm - Taking Qs Forum

[Anonymous User]

Taking questions for the next 15-20 minutes and then randomly answering throughout the day.

[Anonymous User]

Comp? Region? Corp/Lit? Do you like your job? Are you planning to gun for parter and what do you think your odds of success are if so? How big is your firm? Did you always think you would stay at a firm long term? Did you start at that firm or did you lateral in (and did you consider in-house/government)? Do you have clients that are your own?

[Anonymous User]

Comp? Region? Corp/Lit? Do you like your job? Are you planning to gun for parter and what do you think your odds of success are if so? How big is your firm? Did you always think you would stay at a firm long term? Did you start at that firm or did you lateral in (and did you consider in-house/government)? Do you have clients that are your own?

1. $125k base. I am a fifth year.
2. Secondary market in north east.
3. Land use and zoning. So regulatory with elements of transactional and lit thrown in.
4. Fucking love my job. I am the only associate in the group so I am given tremendous leeway. I answer only to two partners, who both only answer to the managing partner. 80 percent of my work is running a matter and 20 percent is working under a partner on one of his.
5. Yes I am gunning for partner. If I had to gauge my odds of success I would say 75 percent. Given discussions I have had with my bosses.
6. 100 attorneys.
7. I lateraled in as a 3rd year and knew within a few months I would be here long term. I came on in January and by May my boss told me I was on partnership track.
8. I came in from state/local gov. I knew knew I wanted this practice area in mid law. Nothing else at the time I moved.
9. Yes. Last year I had $120k in originations. This year I am already at 85k. Haven't signed a new one in about a month though which is stressing me out.

[Devlin]

What do you do for marketing/business development to bring in clients?

[Anonymous User]

What do you do for marketing/business development to bring in clients?

I have a couple things going. In my practice your marketability is generally limited to specific agencies or jurisdictions. I'm heavily involved in local politics in a jurisdiction where I do a lot of work, so people here my name and seek me out.

I also kiss engineers asses as they are a huge referral source (and other times we are huge referral sources to them).

My best trick so far was to go make best buds with our internet marketing director. I convinced her to get my name as the very highest when you google certain things. For example, googling "[jurisdiction] zoning attorney" gives me as the top hit every time. I bring in a good amount of HNW residential work like this.

[Br3v]

Out of curiosity, are you interested in getting involved in local politics yourself? As in running.

[Anonymous User]

Out of curiosity, are you interested in getting involved in local politics yourself? As in running.

I used to want to be a politician and then I met a few of them. I would never want to be associated with such people.

Also it would create massive conflicts for me.

[Br3v]

Out of curiosity, are you interested in getting involved in local politics yourself? As in running.

I used to want to be a politician and then I met a few of them. I would never want to be associated with such people.

Also it would create massive conflicts for me.

Haha makes sense. I ask because I think I am interested in getting involved with local politics down the road, but I have no idea how to start. Did you just start going to a given party's public events or something?

[Anonymous User]

Out of curiosity, are you interested in getting involved in local politics yourself? As in running.

I used to want to be a politician and then I met a few of them. I would never want to be associated with such people.

Also it would create massive conflicts for me.

Haha makes sense. I ask because I think I am interested in getting involved with local politics down the road, but I have no idea how to start. Did you just start going to a given party's public events or something?

I got involved through government. Get invited to an event (not hard) and find out who the right person to speak to is about volunteering. Speak to that person and ask to volunteer (this may take multiple offers before you are taken up on it). When you volunteer (petitions, door knocking, phone banks, etc) make sure you kill it. After killing it a couple election seasons in a row you will eventually start to be trusted more and after some time you will slowly be invited to the outer ring of the inner circle, which is where I am now. The timeline to get here was about 7 years from asking to volunteer, 5 from actually volunteering.

[Barack O'Drama]

Did you go to a T14 Law school?

Do you work a lot on the weekends?

What is the most stressful part of the job?

[Anonymous User]

Did you go to a T14 Law school?

Do you work a lot on the weekends?

What is the most stressful part of the job?

Not even close.

Only if I want to.

Managing client expectations.

[kellyfrost]

Have you ever thought about going in house?

Which Insurnace company do you have your auto and homeowners/renters insurance with?

[Barack O'Drama]

I really admire you and your life. You seem to do something you like, you don't seem disillusioned or miserable. And to top it off, you're here talking to us. You're pretty much what I hope to be after law school. Thanks for the thread!


For someone that may not got to a T14, do you have any advice how I can someday be as content and successful as yourself? It seems to be a rare thing thing day in age for lawyers.

[mono172000]

Can you talk about what your day to day looks like (types of assignments, skill-sets used, typical hours, etc)? I'll be working in land use law this summer and am curious what the work actually looks like.

[Anonymous User]

Have you ever thought about going in house?

Which Insurnace company do you have your auto and homeowners/renters insurance with?

No I have not seriously considered it. There is not much of a demand for in-house land use attorneys as much of our business is dependent on local knowledge and relationships.

Statefarm on both accounts.

[Anonymous User]

I really admire you and your life. You seem to do something you like, you don't seem disillusioned or miserable. And to top it off, you're here talking to us. You're pretty much what I hope to be after law school. Thanks for the thread!


For someone that may not got to a T14, do you have any advice how I can someday be as content and successful as yourself? It seems to be a rare thing thing day in age for lawyers.

My apologies for the late reply.

My pleasure. The best advice I can give you is to get solid experience upfront, even if that means sacrificing on pay for a few years. Learn lucrative things, get to know important people and let those important people know you want to learn how to do lucrative things, not because you want to make money on them but because you are interested.

[Anonymous User]

Can you talk about what your day to day looks like (types of assignments, skill-sets used, typical hours, etc)? I'll be working in land use law this summer and am curious what the work actually looks like.

One the phone. All day long. On the phone with engineers. On the phone with surveyors. On the phone with planning staff. On the phone with secretaries of people who are too important to take your calls.

As you learn your ass from your elbow, as an SA, you will likely be reviewing draft site plans to ensure compliance with the local development standards, zoning code and any previously imposed covenants related to prior grants. If you want to impress the boss, know how to use a scale.

[20160810]

Hypo: I want to start a medical cannabis dispensary on land that is only zoned for use as an adult bookstore. I call you for advice. Go.

[Anonymous User]

What do you do for marketing/business development to bring in clients?

My best trick so far was to go make best buds with our internet marketing director. I convinced her to get my name as the very highest when you google certain things. For example, googling "[jurisdiction] zoning attorney" gives me as the top hit every time. I bring in a good amount of HNW residential work like this.

How did you convince your marketing director? I guess it is the law firm's director? Were other partners not mad at you? Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this thread. Are you still around OP? I'm going to be starting at a midlaw firm soon and I'd love to pick your brain.

[Anonymous User]

Would appreciate some job hunting tips. Should we even bother applying unless the firm's career website specifically has an opening? (For post grad)

On a similar thought, would applying directly to a partner of the department we want to work with make a difference?

[misterjames]

what's your firm's ppp?

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this thread. Are you still around OP? I'm going to be starting at a midlaw firm soon and I'd love to pick your brain.

Forgot about this thread. Yes I am still around.

[Anonymous User]

Would appreciate some job hunting tips. Should we even bother applying unless the firm's career website specifically has an opening? (For post grad)

On a similar thought, would applying directly to a partner of the department we want to work with make a difference?

I wouldn't know much about the job hunt as this firm specifically sought me out. In my experience here so far most openings don't appear on the firm website and are practice group specific. I know of an associate who wanted to switch groups and he had to go through the interview process as if he was a random. He was not offered a position in the group.

I am at a point here now where I could conceivably have another group take me on but it would be hugely out of the ordinary.

[Anonymous User]

what's your firm's ppp?

I don't know for sure but I believe it's around $575k. Spread is pretty high.