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Need some advice:

I am a 2L at a t14. I was set to work at a regional firm next summer that pays market. I am primarily interested in corporate, but I took a litigation job just to get firm experience/help with loans. My brilliant partner has settled on attending medical school in Houston, and now it looks like I will be needing to find a job there after graduation. Seeing as I am interested in working for law firms and the firm I am summering at has no offices in Texas, I am planning on going through 3L OCI. I have some Houston connection because I attended Rice for undergrad, but I am not familiar with the law firm scene (beyond what I've read on this site and 2 friends who are working there). Any advice, stories, information about corporate places that might be good places to target would be much appreciated. If it helps I finished 1L below median and worked my way up to a little above median last Fall (hard courses no fluff). I think that I can increase my rank even higher this semester.

Also, any input on what it is like to be LGBT at a big firm in Houston would also be very helpful. I assume its not a big deal, but you never know. Thanks!!

PM me, OP.

Jaqen wrote:PM me, OP.

Thank you so much for offering to give some advice. I am the OP, but it says my account is too new to send a PM.

You've got a good shot at all of the corporate shops in town. All the big firms are thirsting for warm bodies right now. The market is so fragmented and dynamic, and it feels like every place is hiring. As a midlevel corporate, I get like a dozen emails or calls from recruiters every day. If you just want a job and are not too picky about culture/lifestyle, K&E should be top of your list. As weird as that sounds for a V5, they aren't too picky grade-wise for T14. I bet if you just mass mail all of the firms in town, you should land AT LEAST a few callbacks. The Rice connection is very good.

Definitely check out Shearman & Sterling. I know they participated in 3L OCI at my school this past summer. They just opened up an office in Houston and Austin and are trying to expand pretty rapidly. I think they have more partners/of counsel than associates at the moment, so they're likely looking for bodies.