Possible to lateral from large insurance defense firm to biglaw? Forum

[Anonymous User]

i hate working on cases involving insurance carriers for all the same reasons already rehashed in this forum. i really would like to switch, but i honestly don't know if I am marketable enough for biglaw or i should just stay put and grind it out until spat out. i am a class of 2015 from a top 25 UG and Law School. Have 14 months (little over a yr) of large insurance defense firm in a major market. I would ideally like to have 2 years under my belt to show i am not a job hopper, but i am completely unmotivated right now. Would like to make this change sooner and start fresh next year. Can anybody give me some insight into how the legal market is right now? I am mainly looking in So Cal area. Thank you.

[sparty99]

i hate working on cases involving insurance carriers for all the same reasons already rehashed in this forum. i really would like to switch, but i honestly don't know if I am marketable enough for biglaw or i should just stay put and grind it out until spat out. i am a class of 2015 from a top 25 UG and Law School. Have 1.5 months of large insurance defense firm in a major market. I would ideally like to have 2 years under my belt to show i am not a job hopper, but i am completely unmotivated right now. Would like to make this change sooner and start fresh next year. Can anybody give me some insight into how the legal market is right now? I am mainly looking in So Cal area. Thank you.

Yes.

[mvp99]

Lateral now that the market is hot... I've even seen my firm interviewing a ton and they usually dont hire laterals.

[Anonymous User]

Op here. I mean 1.5 yrs not month.

[Easy-E]

Based on what I know about ID, I don't think any biglaw firm is gonna see you as a flight risk for wanting to get out of it.

I am talking out of my ass though, zero biglaw experience here. I just know ID sucks hard (plaintiffs attorney).

[Anonymous User]

Op here. Been using recruiters, and the firm recommended to me are all better paying smaller firms than mine, but no bigname bl. Not cool so far.

[lolwat]

Op here. Been using recruiters, and the firm recommended to me are all better paying smaller firms than mine, but no bigname bl. Not cool so far.

You'll probably have to take matters into your own hands if you're targeting biglaw and not other ID firms or whatever. Your recruiters might be pigeon holing you into that

[1styearlateral]

Recruiters looking for BL candidates usually only tap current BL associates, unless there's a BL firm with a niche practice that might need to look outside BL. I know this from experience.

[sparty99]

Op here. Been using recruiters, and the firm recommended to me are all better paying smaller firms than mine, but no bigname bl. Not cool so far.

You are probably working with the wrong recruiters or should apply to firms you see on the website. You can get biglaw from insurance defense. And I would possibly, firstly, don't make your resume say that you work for an insurance defense firm. If you have decent grades, you should be a candidate. I have a bad grades, but still received big law interviews by simply applying directly. I would definitely wait your transfer out until you find a good, respectable firm.

[Anonymous User]

Consider applying directly to firms, and consider midlaw. I know Procopio hires people with ID backgrounds into non-ID practice groups. They also don't like working with recruiters.