Biglaw in HK Forum

[Anonymous User]

hey guys,

I am considering about moving to Hong Kong after graduating, and im hoping you guys could give me some insight about biglaw hiring in Hk. I am a 3L at a T20 with below median grade, can speak Mandarin fluently, externed with a federal agency & interned with a state judge (typical exp.). What are my chances? should i even bother trying?

[Anonymous User]

hey guys,

I am considering about moving to Hong Kong after graduating, and im hoping you guys could give me some insight about biglaw hiring in Hk. I am a 3L at a T20 with below median grade, can speak Mandarin fluently, externed with a federal agency & interned with a state judge (typical exp.). What are my chances? should i even bother trying?

Given that you do come from a T20 and speak Mandarin, I don't see why you shouldn't go for it. Especially if you move there on your own and you are already there looking for jobs. It is cheaper for the firm to hire you once you are there, rather than paying to get you over there.

Obviously, the most important part of this equation is your ability to speak Mandarin. You should be a lock.

[mrs.miawallace]

which hK office hires first year associate with below median JD? Name one

[Anonymous User]

which hK office hires first year associate with below median JD? Name one

Since you only asked me to name one, here it is:
Jun He Law

Again, the key here is speaking Mandarin. Another important factor is the OP might be moving over there before he/she is hired, so they will already be there and the firm won't be paying relocation costs, ect.

[bwh8813]

Yes, it's worth it to mail firms with HK offices. I don't know your chances, but I know it's zero if you don't at least mail. I know a couple people at lower ranked schools who had offers in HK last year because they were fluent in Mandarin. They had better grades (probably top 25-33%) but much lower ranked schools. They had better options in HK than NYC - i.e. DPW offer for HK but not NYC.

So, while your grades are still a hurdle, I think it's worth it to at least mail and specify interest in HK.

[mrs.miawallace]

wut? ANON above do you know the hour requirements/ salaries for that firm, they don't even have a vault page.

I presumed you were talking about the pay differences between local hire and international laterals, how does local hire of those firms work? I don't think there is much local hiring need for US Jds for HK offices, by HK Office I meant US-based law firms with larger asian practice.

[Anonymous User]

wut? ANON above do you know the hour requirements/ salaries for that firm, they don't even have a vault page.

I presumed you were talking about the pay differences between local hire and international laterals, how does local hire of those firms work? I don't think there is much local hiring need for US Jds for HK offices, by HK Office I meant US-based law firms with larger asian practice.

I don't know the hour requirements or salaries for that firm off the top of my head.

http://www.junhe.com/en/ Jun He does have a presence, although a small one, in NYC and Silicon Valley.

[Anonymous User]

wut? ANON above do you know the hour requirements/ salaries for that firm, they don't even have a vault page.

I presumed you were talking about the pay differences between local hire and international laterals, how does local hire of those firms work? I don't think there is much local hiring need for US Jds for HK offices, by HK Office I meant US-based law firms with larger asian practice.

I don't know the hour requirements or salaries for that firm off the top of my head.

http://www.junhe.com/en/ Jun He does have a presence, although a small one, in NYC and Silicon Valley.

Doesn't Jun He and the rest of the Chinese firms pay first years like the equivalent of $1500 per month starting?

[Neff]

hey guys,

I am considering about moving to Hong Kong after graduating, and im hoping you guys could give me some insight about biglaw hiring in Hk. I am a 3L at a T20 with below median grade, can speak Mandarin fluently, externed with a federal agency & interned with a state judge (typical exp.). What are my chances? should i even bother trying?

Given that you do come from a T20 and speak Mandarin, I don't see why you shouldn't go for it. Especially if you move there on your own and you are already there looking for jobs. It is cheaper for the firm to hire you once you are there, rather than paying to get you over there.

Obviously, the most important part of this equation is your ability to speak Mandarin. You should be a lock.

This is ludicrous. I think OP is referring to US big law firms that have HK offices. Many of these positions do not require Mandarin knowledge. Mandarin knowledge helps, of course, depending on the position but these US big law positions in HK are few and far between and to say that below median at T20 is a "lock" is just lol. That said, stranger things have happened and OP needs to be mass mailing like crazy and not just speculating about his odds of hitting the jackpot in HK.

[h2go]

hey guys,

I am considering about moving to Hong Kong after graduating, and im hoping you guys could give me some insight about biglaw hiring in Hk. I am a 3L at a T20 with below median grade, can speak Mandarin fluently, externed with a federal agency & interned with a state judge (typical exp.). What are my chances? should i even bother trying?

Given that you do come from a T20 and speak Mandarin, I don't see why you shouldn't go for it. Especially if you move there on your own and you are already there looking for jobs. It is cheaper for the firm to hire you once you are there, rather than paying to get you over there.

Obviously, the most important part of this equation is your ability to speak Mandarin. You should be a lock.

This is ludicrous. I think OP is referring to US big law firms that have HK offices. Many of these positions do not require Mandarin knowledge. Mandarin knowledge helps, of course, depending on the position but these US big law positions in HK are few and far between and to say that below median at T20 is a "lock" is just lol. That said, stranger things have happened and OP needs to be mass mailing like crazy and not just speculating about his odds of hitting the jackpot in HK.

Agree. Anon has no idea what they are talking about.

[mrs.miawallace]

honestly I think massmailing would be just a waste of OP's two hours in life. HK offices of US biglaw really dont care that much about freshly graduated US JDs. Just do some firm research and see what background those associates have- they are mainland-educated masters, UK-licensed solicitors and locally grown lawyers from HK. OP can be considered over qualified because of the JD background in some sense, but also underqualified because US JD is just not the targeted skillset. Also note a below median JD worths less than a 3.9 master degree for HK offices.

On another note, loads of HK offices require mandarin like parent bar requires a science background, as in if you don't have it, really don't apply. Those can be found in law school career services brochure.

hey guys,

I am considering about moving to Hong Kong after graduating, and im hoping you guys could give me some insight about biglaw hiring in Hk. I am a 3L at a T20 with below median grade, can speak Mandarin fluently, externed with a federal agency & interned with a state judge (typical exp.). What are my chances? should i even bother trying?

Given that you do come from a T20 and speak Mandarin, I don't see why you shouldn't go for it. Especially if you move there on your own and you are already there looking for jobs. It is cheaper for the firm to hire you once you are there, rather than paying to get you over there.

Obviously, the most important part of this equation is your ability to speak Mandarin. You should be a lock.

This is ludicrous. I think OP is referring to US big law firms that have HK offices. Many of these positions do not require Mandarin knowledge. Mandarin knowledge helps, of course, depending on the position but these US big law positions in HK are few and far between and to say that below median at T20 is a "lock" is just lol. That said, stranger things have happened and OP needs to be mass mailing like crazy and not just speculating about his odds of hitting the jackpot in HK.

Agree. Anon has no idea what they are talking about.

[Anonymous User]

I guess I have no idea what I am talking about. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance helping OP land a position in HK as he/she appears to want.

There must be no use for an American J.D. and law license for someone who speaks Mandarin and will be living in HK at the time they apply.

I second the advice that you shouldn't mass mail. Instead, target mail to the handful of firms that would be interested in you. I think there are several; however, I must be wrong on this.

[mrs.miawallace]

I guess I have no idea what I am talking about. Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance helping OP land a position in HK as he/she appears to want.

There must be no use for an American J.D. and law license for someone who speaks Mandarin and will be living in HK at the time they apply.

I second the advice that you shouldn't mass mail. Instead, target mail to the handful of firms that would be interested in you. I think there are several; however, I must be wrong on this.

no need to get bitter brother, what are the firms that might be interested in entry-level JDs? For purpose of an informative discussion, this is gonna be the answer OP is trying to get.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks a lot guys. But I forgot to mention,thru a connection, I am actually doing an internship with a big law in one of their Asia's offices. I just don't know how likely I will get an offer, or maybe i won't get one at all after. So I am just thinking about my other options with other firms in HK. I am not sure whether a summer internship with biglaw in asia will increase my chances and offset my below median grade. Anyways, I will still give it a try and mass mail.

[favabeansoup]

OP here. Thanks a lot guys. But I forgot to mention,thru a connection, I am actually doing an internship with a big law in one of their Asia's offices. I just don't know how likely I will get an offer, or maybe i won't get one at all after. So I am just thinking about my other options with other firms in HK. I am not sure whether a summer internship with biglaw in asia will increase my chances and offset my below median grade. Anyways, I will still give it a try and mass mail.

By internship do you mean a summer associate position or is it a separate role?

[Anonymous User]

OP here. it's their internship program. They have an internship program for local students, and I was lucky enough that they let me in.

[Anonymous User]

To OP, I work in Asia in a biglaw office. This thread has a lot of misinformation from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Reach out to the people in your office for advice, especially the associates you are around.

[Anonymous User]

To OP, I work in Asia in a biglaw office. This thread has a lot of misinformation from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Reach out to the people in your office for advice, especially the associates you are around.

There isn't a whole lot of information on this thread to begin with. What's the misinformation? It appears to be mostly conjecture.

[h2go]

To OP, I work in Asia in a biglaw office. This thread has a lot of misinformation from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Reach out to the people in your office for advice, especially the associates you are around.

There isn't a whole lot of information on this thread to begin with. What's the misinformation? It appears to be mostly conjecture.

Apparently the conjecture is wrong.

[mrs.miawallace]

To OP, I work in Asia in a biglaw office. This thread has a lot of misinformation from people who have no idea what they are talking about. Reach out to the people in your office for advice, especially the associates you are around.

i really have a problem with anon for disclosing only a hair of personal info, especially when they try acting like a judge