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Hi! I am rising 2L. My target market for full-time employment is Chicago, but wouldn't mind go to NY for summer employment.
I've received offers from big laws in both NY and Chicago with NY ones being better (V20 NY vs. V50 and V70 Chicago).
Should I choose NY SA due to the better prestige knowing it will only be for that summer. Or, should I go with the Chicago one and try to stay? Thanks for your inputs.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi! I am rising 2L. My target market for full-time employment is Chicago, but wouldn't mind go to NY for summer employment.
I've received offers from big laws in both NY and Chicago with NY ones being better (V20 NY vs. V50 and V70 Chicago).
Should I choose NY SA due to the better prestige knowing it will only be for that summer. Or, should I go with the Chicago one and try to stay? Thanks for your inputs.

Congrats on the offers from these highly regarded big laws. I'd summer in Chicago if you want to end up in Chicago. A summer associate will all but determine what firm you end up at post-grad...if you take a SA in NY, even at a V20 big law, you will almost certainly end up in New York.

Anonymous User wrote:Hi! I am rising 2L. My target market for full-time employment is Chicago, but wouldn't mind go to NY for summer employment.
I've received offers from big laws in both NY and Chicago with NY ones being better (V20 NY vs. V50 and V70 Chicago).
Should I choose NY SA due to the better prestige knowing it will only be for that summer. Or, should I go with the Chicago one and try to stay? Thanks for your inputs.

You need to think long-term; interning for a summer in NY because you'd be at a more prestigious firm is...goofy. 1) You guarantee that you will need to interview as a 3L for a job - why would you put yourself in that position when you don't need to? 2) You would need to explain in all of your 3L interviews what happened with the NY firm (why you didn't choose to remain in that firm), thus risking the interviewers not trusting your explanation; 3) I understand the allure of working in NY and for a "prestigious" firm - don't buy into that unless you are aware of what you are risking. You have a shot here of having your career made for you with one decision by picking the Chicago SA. Do it (or don't).

Also keep in mind that Vault doesn't necessarily reflect the Chicago market.

Going to Mayer Brown Chicago might be a fine choice compared to a NYC V20 if you have plans to settle in Chicago.

Anonymous User wrote:Also keep in mind that Vault doesn't necessarily reflect the Chicago market.

Could you please elaborate on this? Let's say if some day in the future OP wants to move out of Chicago and go to say southern California, would Mayer Brown (Chicago) still be at least comparable to V20 at NY? I would suppose not the case?

I guess my real question is, for Chicago market, should Vault's general ranking or the Vault Chicago regional ranking more relevant?

I would take the gig in the market where you actually want to work. You could always lateral up once you're in Chicago if you really wanted to. My officemate lateraled up from an NLJ250 to a V30 right after we started our 2nd year.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Also keep in mind that Vault doesn't necessarily reflect the Chicago market.

Could you please elaborate on this? Let's say if some day in the future OP wants to move out of Chicago and go to say southern California, would Mayer Brown (Chicago) still be at least comparable to V20 at NY? I would suppose not the case?

I guess my real question is, for Chicago market, should Vault's general ranking or the Vault Chicago regional ranking more relevant?

Neither are relevant. Law students (and I suppose lawyers) really need to stop being prestige whores. Vault rankings are next to meaningless - look up the methodology. No one should ever choose where to work based on the Vault ranking. That's how you get people trying to make stupid and nonsensical decisions like OP. Wants to work in Chicago, but thinking about summering in NYC because prestige - what? How does that make any sense for OP's goals? Similarly, I've seen way too many people pick firms with people and practice groups they didn't even particularly like because the Vault ranking was higher. Stop.

And because someone will say it - yes it matters for certain career paths where you absolutely need to go to a top firm. But for the average attorney there is no difference between V20 work and V50 work or what have you.

I am not OP but I always have this question. Based on what do you choose the market that you want to practice? I have no ties whatsoever to any markets in the US and as long as it is a big city like LA, NY or Chicago, I am good to go. In terms of other factors such as people, I don't think it is a matter of location but a matter of the firm/practice group you will be working at. So going back to my original question, what should I do in choosing the market?

LaLiLuLeLo wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:And because someone will say it - yes it matters for certain career paths where you absolutely need to go to a top firm.

Like what area?

Anonymous User wrote:

LaLiLuLeLo wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:And because someone will say it - yes it matters for certain career paths where you absolutely need to go to a top firm.

Like what area?

Very specific positions that you need a perfect pedigree for. White House counsel, US Attorney for SDNY, professors at top schools, things like that. Jobs that aren't relevant to 99% of the people here.