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I’ve had 4 stops in 4 different cities in my brief legal career. Two were clerkships (fed district court and then fed COA), so I don’t think those make me look jumpy. And I left the first firm because I landed the COA clerkship, so I think leaving that one made sense. But out of the blue I got a call from a major firm in my home city, which is one of those attractive markets like Denver or Santa Barbara or San Diego that have few jobs for tons of applicants. I’m tempted. But my current job is good (though partnership prospects are low). And I just bought a great house in a neighborhood I’ll miss. And moving will come with a serious financial hit (2018 bonus, price of selling the home and moving). And I’d hate to move just to realize I left a good job for a not so good one, at which point maybe I’ll be on the market with 5 stops on my resume.

I think you need to ask yourself where you want to be in 10 years. If you really want to live in the desirable market long-term you should probably take this opportunity so you can start building your experience and connections there. Selling your house might be a hit, but maybe you could rent it out or AirBnB while you adjusted to the new market.

Thanks. As always, this comes down to which one provides the best future. And at this point it was probably silly of me to ask a question about 2 anonymous firms on the internet. But I’m struggling with it so I appreciate the input.

Have you visited the firm in the desirable market? It's unclear from your post. If not (and even if you did), go back and meet as many people as possible. While you won't exactly know until you start, you have to try and find out if you gel with the culture and the people at that firm. Get a feel for whether any of the partners will act as your mentor or have your back in front of the rest of the partnership. Ask the other associates tough questions about their experiences at the firm. See if the support staff are warm and welcoming. Figure out what happened to other lawyers who have left that office recently - did they lateral, were they pushed out, etc?

In the end the choice is personal to you, but I would want as much information as possible before making a decision because you are already in a good spot.

I presume you’ve had this discussion, but it seems like a senior should be able to negotiate a full or prorated signing bonus to compensate for the 2018 bonus then get prorated hours for a prorated end of year bonus.

LaLiLuLeLo wrote:I presume you’ve had this discussion, but it seems like a senior should be able to negotiate a full or prorated signing bonus to compensate for the 2018 bonus then get prorated hours for a prorated end of year bonus.

I had not brought that up. I didn’t even realize that was a thing. I’ll ask.