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Currently trying to decide between offers at Kirkland and Jenner, both in Chicago for litigation. From my callbacks, they both have very different personalities, but trying to get more information on 1) primary areas of focus within litigation, 2) substantive work early on, 3) hours, and 4) pay. Currently intending to stay in big law indefinitely. Thanks!

Do you feel comfortable meeting and talking with new partners to get work, or do you want work to be assigned on a rotational basis? The free market system is a major part of the K&E experience.

There's also the "market-shattering" bonuses.

Jenner pays Cravath scale salary and bonuses. Kirkland usually pays better bonuses although I don't think they are that much higher nowadays.

Agree with anon above on the free market vs. rotational assignment. Jenner in Chicago does a good amount of white collar and investigations. I am not familiar with Kirkland lit so can't talk about their areas or likelihood of substantive work.

I work at Jenner. I summered here, am currently a mid-level, and have no plans to leave. Your decision should come down pretty much exclusively to culture/fit, but if you have any interest in white collar/investigations work, then there is tons of it at Jenner. Jenner & KE are not very far apart as far as compensation and other structural factors go (they both pay in the neighborhood of Cravath market, and they both have a two-tiered partnership structure). For whatever it's worth, Jenner is not "rotational" (whatever that means) and it is basically free market with an assignment coordinator to help you get work/meet people when you first start.

From conversations with my peers at both, people tend to be happier at Jenner, though don't expect "substantive" experience early on at either. I've heard tales at both of first/second year assocs getting bumped out of depos even in pro bono matters. FWIW amongst the litigators I know, Kirkland lawyers are almost universally disliked and viewed as untrustworthy when you're adverse to them.

If you can, do second looks and meet more people. I can only speak from my summer experience at KE, but I found litigation to be very friendly, very excited about their work, and a pleasure to do assignments for and with. Bearing in mind that an SA is a completely different experience from actually working at a place, at this point I've met 25-30 people in litigation, and found their personalities to be by and large great.

Also, this may well be true of Jenner as well, but all of the 1st and 2nd years I worked with/spoke to in lit had gotten/were getting lots of early experience, to include depos and client contact. Many were running their own pro bono matters start to finish.

Again, my experience is limited, but I would very happily make the same choice twice.

zhenders wrote:If you can, do second looks and meet more people. I can only speak from my summer experience at KE, but I found litigation to be very friendly, very excited about their work, and a pleasure to do assignments for and with. Bearing in mind that an SA is a completely different experience from actually working at a place, at this point I've met 25-30 people in litigation, and found their personalities to be by and large great.

Also, this may well be true of Jenner as well, but all of the 1st and 2nd years I worked with/spoke to in lit had gotten/were getting lots of early experience, to include depos and client contact. Many were running their own pro bono matters start to finish.

Again, my experience is limited, but I would very happily make the same choice twice.

Definitely do second looks. I'd ask to meet with alums from your law school, they're the most likely to be honest with you. Also you can gauge the experiences people are getting by searching for them on westlaw, which will show you cases they've appeared in in fed court. You can't take/defend a depo without having an appearance, etc.