How to lateral without my current firm knowing? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I work in a small boutique law firm for the past year and want to apply for a big law firm that is hiring in the practice group I currently practice. I don’t think I have a solid chance for the position (they are seeking someone with 3-5 years in said practice and I only have 1 year of experience), but I figure no harm in sending a resume, cover letter, etc. and maybe I’ll get lucky.

However, my current firm is reputable and the partners at the big law firm know and are friends with some of the partners at my firm. I am worried that if I apply, my current firm would find out, and probably hurt my chances at succeeding at my current firm. I like my current firm, billable hours are manageable and nearly all associates become partners after 7+ years at the firm, in a cool city, and I bike to work. I just rather have the biglaw pay, training, resources, etc. Should I expect the big law firm to call my current firm and ask how I am?

How can I apply without my current firm finding out, or is it just a risk I have to take? In which case, I probably wouldn’t since I don’t think I have a solid chance of even getting it.

[Anonymous User]

I wouldn’t risk it. The chances of you getting an interview are slim to none.

However, if you do apply, chances of any attorney seeing your resume is also slim to none. I’d assume you’d get autorejected by the recruiting manager. I’ve applied to jobs I’m somewhat qualified for and have gotten flat out rejected within hours. Knowing the hiring process now, I realize that the hiring/recruiting department is there for a reason (which is to filter out candidates).

Also, don’t think biglaw “training” is good. I work at a firm that is highly ranked in training and it’s garbage. I’d rather get more substantive work.

[Anonymous User]

I work in a small boutique law firm for the past year and want to apply for a big law firm that is hiring in the practice group I currently practice. I don’t think I have a solid chance for the position (they are seeking someone with 3-5 years in said practice and I only have 1 year of experience), but I figure no harm in sending a resume, cover letter, etc. and maybe I’ll get lucky.

However, my current firm is reputable and the partners at the big law firm know and are friends with some of the partners at my firm. I am worried that if I apply, my current firm would find out, and probably hurt my chances at succeeding at my current firm. I like my current firm, billable hours are manageable and nearly all associates become partners after 7+ years at the firm, in a cool city, and I bike to work. I just rather have the biglaw pay, training, resources, etc. Should I expect the big law firm to call my current firm and ask how I am?

How can I apply without my current firm finding out, or is it just a risk I have to take? In which case, I probably wouldn’t since I don’t think I have a solid chance of even getting it.

Your best bet is reach out to an associate you know personally at the big law firm and ask the associate if the firm would be open to juniors. If that's not an option, you could call and ask the HR person (depending how friendly they are) if they are willing to look at juniors. In both of these options, it is unlikely that your current firm would find out.

If you are to receive a callback interview, there is a higher likelihood your current firm would find out. You would end up meeting with partners that know people at your current firm. There is no way in determining whether these big law partners would care enough to tell partners at your current firm. Personally, I think it's unlikely they would. But if your current firm finds out, your big law partners might care a little bit more since it is a boutique firm and losing you would be more apparent to their work flow. They might ask why you are looking to lateral or assume you're on your way out and freeze you from work. Since this is the only opening and you don't really fit the qualifications, it doesn't really seem it's worth it to make that switch yet.

[Anonymous User]

I work in a small boutique law firm for the past year and want to apply for a big law firm that is hiring in the practice group I currently practice. I don’t think I have a solid chance for the position (they are seeking someone with 3-5 years in said practice and I only have 1 year of experience), but I figure no harm in sending a resume, cover letter, etc. and maybe I’ll get lucky.

However, my current firm is reputable and the partners at the big law firm know and are friends with some of the partners at my firm. I am worried that if I apply, my current firm would find out, and probably hurt my chances at succeeding at my current firm. I like my current firm, billable hours are manageable and nearly all associates become partners after 7+ years at the firm, in a cool city, and I bike to work. I just rather have the biglaw pay, training, resources, etc. Should I expect the big law firm to call my current firm and ask how I am?

How can I apply without my current firm finding out, or is it just a risk I have to take? In which case, I probably wouldn’t since I don’t think I have a solid chance of even getting it.

Your best bet is reach out to an associate you know personally at the big law firm and ask the associate if the firm would be open to juniors. If that's not an option, you could call and ask the HR person (depending how friendly they are) if they are willing to look at juniors. In both of these options, it is unlikely that your current firm would find out.

If you are to receive a callback interview, there is a higher likelihood your current firm would find out. You would end up meeting with partners that know people at your current firm. There is no way in determining whether these big law partners would care enough to tell partners at your current firm. Personally, I think it's unlikely they would. But if your current firm finds out, your big law partners might care a little bit more since it is a boutique firm and losing you would be more apparent to their work flow. They might ask why you are looking to lateral or assume you're on your way out and freeze you from work. Since this is the only opening and you don't really fit the qualifications, it doesn't really seem it's worth it to make that switch yet.

OP Here -

I feel like the chances of me getting a call-back would be slim, so part of me feels that I have nothing to lose in applying, especially if no know one knew I applied and got rejected. Alternatively, if I got to the call-back stage, then maybe my qualification would be enough for their needs and they just want to see if I seem like a good fit, in which case I have as solid of a shot as anyone else.


At this stage, my thought process is - I don't really have anything to lose by just applying. And if I do get to the call back stage, then I am super lucky.

[Anonymous User]

If the chances of you getting a callback are slim to none, and there’s a slim risk of your current firm finding out, why do it at all?

Biglaw training is overrated. As a junior associate you are likely to spend more of your time doing quasi-clerical work. I do not know a single biglaw firm with good formal training (some firms pay lip service to this but the real difficulties of biglaw work are in things that training doesn’t prepare you for).

Pay might be better, sure, but you need to watch out for a disproportionate increase in hours and stress that will wipe away the pay gains.

If your boutique firm is well-respected in the region, the best thing to do would be to work for them for a year or two then take a lateral move as a midlevel. Then you skip a lot of the junior associate BS and you’ll have much more experience and a much better formed view of why you want to do biglaw besides just higher pay and resources.