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I'm wondering whether anyone can tell me about the reputations of upstate NY law firms Harter Secrest, Hodgson Russ, Phillips Lytle, and the smaller firm Connors. Thanks in advance.

Not knowing anything else, I'd start here: http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/usa/5/17820

Anybody know which firms are lockstep? I've heard Nixon and Harter. What about Barclay, Hancock, Phillips, Bond, etc.?

Does anyone know if Hodgson Russ gave all 5 of their 2016 SAs offers this year?

Reviving this thread for a quick question.

Does anyone know what type of GPA/ranking/law school rank is needed to get interest from this firm? I have loads of experience in the practice area they are looking for but I have no ties to upstate NY. They emailed asking for a transcript but I wasn't sure if this was just because I didnt submit it originally.

Anonymous User wrote:Reviving this thread for a quick question.

Does anyone know what type of GPA/ranking/law school rank is needed to get interest from this firm? I have loads of experience in the practice area they are looking for but I have no ties to upstate NY. They emailed asking for a transcript but I wasn't sure if this was just because I didnt submit it originally.

They care a lot about ties

jawsjawsjaws wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Reviving this thread for a quick question.

Does anyone know what type of GPA/ranking/law school rank is needed to get interest from this firm? I have loads of experience in the practice area they are looking for but I have no ties to upstate NY. They emailed asking for a transcript but I wasn't sure if this was just because I didnt submit it originally.

They care a lot about ties

Like, a lot. And not just to Upstate but to the specific city they are in. Western NY (Rochester, Buffalo) vs Central NY (Syracuse)...they are not all the same thing and lumping it all into "Upstate NY" will show a lack of ties quite clearly.

Anonymous User wrote:

jawsjawsjaws wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Reviving this thread for a quick question.

Does anyone know what type of GPA/ranking/law school rank is needed to get interest from this firm? I have loads of experience in the practice area they are looking for but I have no ties to upstate NY. They emailed asking for a transcript but I wasn't sure if this was just because I didnt submit it originally.

They care a lot about ties

Like, a lot. And not just to Upstate but to the specific city they are in. Western NY (Rochester, Buffalo) vs Central NY (Syracuse)...they are not all the same thing and lumping it all into "Upstate NY" will show a lack of ties quite clearly.

Okay I get the point. Do you have any idea about GPA etc?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

jawsjawsjaws wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Reviving this thread for a quick question.

Does anyone know what type of GPA/ranking/law school rank is needed to get interest from this firm? I have loads of experience in the practice area they are looking for but I have no ties to upstate NY. They emailed asking for a transcript but I wasn't sure if this was just because I didnt submit it originally.

They care a lot about ties

Like, a lot. And not just to Upstate but to the specific city they are in. Western NY (Rochester, Buffalo) vs Central NY (Syracuse)...they are not all the same thing and lumping it all into "Upstate NY" will show a lack of ties quite clearly.

Okay I get the point. Do you have any idea about GPA etc?

They want excellent grades...Why wouldn't that be true? They have their pick of the top of the class of the nearby schools. At the risk of getting another "okay I get the point", the people I know who got offers who weren't the tip top of the class had connections to the area and the firm.

I was top of my class at a Upstate NY school, wanted to be in Upstate NY because family is in Canada and wanted to practice in the USA. Liked that it was a close drive over the border. Interviews at every big firm, 0 offers. Had some partners tell me straight up I lost to similar or inferior candidates because I wasn't born and raised in Buffalo/Albany/Syracuse etc.

I ended up getting a good firm job in the Capital District but I had to HUSTLE. Grades were not much of the equation in even getting my final job, but more experience/skills and networking.

I didn't have good grades, and my only tie to the area was my undergrad. I think I got lucky though.

jawsjawsjaws wrote:I didn't have good grades, and my only tie to the area was my undergrad. I think I got lucky though.

Mind sharing your grades/LS rank?

Anonymous User wrote:

jawsjawsjaws wrote:I didn't have good grades, and my only tie to the area was my undergrad. I think I got lucky though.

Mind sharing your grades/LS rank?

PM me

It's a crapshoot. For example, I was born and raised in Buffalo, attended all area schools all the way through law school. Got good grades in LS, and didn't receive an interview at a firm in a particular (smaller) department after sending in my materials. Two of my classmates, who received lower grades with ties not as strong to the area, are now employed as associates in that very department. Like me, they did not previously clerk there. It is one of the firms on OP's list.

Had a CB at Harter. Thought I nailed it, but no offer.

Connors is extremely difficult to get into unless you're politically connected or closely related to someone who's highly connected, in addition to very high grades. If you don't have strong area ties you're not getting in. I clerked for a firm in the same building as them and got to know a lot about them.

Reviving this thread. Does anyone know what midlevel (4-6 years) salaries are at Hodgson Russ, Phillips Lytle, or Harter Secrest?

I’m interviewing at one of the three above and have set up interviews at the others and I want to know ballpark numbers since I’ll probably need to negotiate.

Reviving this to see if anyone has a read on Nixon, Woods Oviatt, Hodgson, Harter, etc. starting salaries in Buffalo or Rochester. There seems to be a clear difference in name recognition outside of Western NY between the firms, but not sure of a difference in comp.