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NY biglaw lateral

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 7:31 pm
by Anonymous User
Am interested in moving/lateraling to NYC for biglaw work. Currently a 2L working at a biglaw firm on the bottom end of the Amlaw 100 this summer in litigation; have excellent grades at a T-30; law review, etc.

I am interested in moving to NYC and working for a biglaw firm, preferably on the litigation side. My question is, how should I get there?

Re: NY biglaw lateral

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 8:35 pm
by objctnyrhnr
Anonymous User wrote:Am interested in moving/lateraling to NYC for biglaw work. Currently a 2L working at a biglaw firm on the bottom end of the Amlaw 100 in Seattle this summer in litigation; have excellent grades (top 1% of class) at a T-30; law review, etc.

I am interested in moving to NYC and working for a biglaw firm, preferably on the litigation side. My question is, how should I get there?

Should I direct apply to NY firms during 3L year or do a year at my current firm and then try to apply? Is this a realistic goal? Would it be more helpful to clerk and then apply to NYC firms? Thanks for any insight on the process.
In an ideal scenario, you do the 2L SA and get offered, line up a fedclerkship for right after you graduate, check to see with the firm to make sure it’s cool, so you have them as a backup, then apply/network like crazy during clerkship and I’d be optimistic you’d line up nyc biglaw.

But why do you want to do nyc biglaw? You know top half/third or whatever of amlaw100 will make you work less and pay you the same in a lower COL area, right?

Re: NY biglaw lateral

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:02 pm
by cheaptilts
If you start applying to firms during the summer before 3P year starts, and your resume says “offer received” from your firm, and you make clear in your cover letter that you plan to make NYC your permanent home, I’d be legitimately shocked if you didn’t have a post-grad offer for a biglaw firm by November, even assuming the difficulty of landing biglaw post-2L. While your school’s rank is lacking somewhat, your grades and AMLaw summer position places you more than a step above many 3L OCI participants.

If you want to do litigation and are fine with a pay cut, you should apply to clerk in the NY/NJ area

Re: NY biglaw lateral

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 12:31 am
by Anonymous User
OP here.

Yeah, I am planning on applying to clerk in the NY area.

Thanks for the advice guys. I would primarily like to move because I really like NYC and my s/o also wants to move there.

One other question I had--what do you do about the bar situation if you move after lateraling? Do you have to time your lateral around the bar, or do firms give you options to study for the bar?

Re: NY biglaw lateral

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:05 pm
by Anonymous User
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