BigLaw Exit Options in Int'l Public Sector? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Trying to decide between finance and corporate. I like corporate better but honestly can't think of any exit options in the int'l public sector.

Any experience for finance people exiting to WB, IMF or similar places? Any experience exiting to a random UN org (say UNHCR, IAEA or whatever) that is related to undergrad & law school experience but not to biglaw experience? Goal would be to end up in legal office at one of those places.

What amount of biglaw work experience is recommended before looking for an exit like this? Was thinking around 5 years??

[Anonymous User]

Also interested in this!

[oblig.lawl.ref]

Hey guys, why don't you go check out the switching practice groups thread just down from here. It covers finance exit ops pretty well. They generally suck. I wouldn't generally recommend finance as a practice group long-term.

That's a slightly different story, though. Just about no one plans and then lands the exits you're talking about. I went to a good law school. I've spent several years in practice. I have a moderately large network with a diverse group of lawyers. None of them work in any of the entities you've mentioned or anything like it. Lots of them work in finance. Lots of them probably would kill to work for those agencies.

That's unicorn work. I wouldn't plan for it and you should readjust your expectations ASAP.

People that work in those fields are (a) rich and can dick around for years with no consequences, (b) are connected, (c) are extremely lucky, (d) worked in related federal government for a while, or (e) most likely have a combo of the foregoing.

Do corporate.

[QContinuum]

That's unicorn work. I wouldn't plan for it and you should readjust your expectations ASAP.

People that work in those fields are (a) rich and can dick around for years with no consequences, (b) are connected, (c) are extremely lucky, (d) worked in related federal government for a while, or (e) most likely have a combo of the foregoing.

Completely agree. Have never heard of anyone exiting from BigLaw to a unicorn international law position. The folks that land those positions generally went to Yale, made the right connections while there (or had preexisting connections), and started out in international law straight after graduating/clerking.