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Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Stub year as in class of 2018? If so, I'm in the same boat! What's driving your decision to lateral now?

Anonymous User wrote:Stub year as in class of 2018? If so, I'm in the same boat! What's driving your decision to lateral now?

Yes, same class. The partners, plain and simple. They go to extremes that other biglaw partners I have spoken to find completely inappropriate. My partners actively berate junior associates, including stubs in public for extremely minor things, like asking how to find something.

I figured people may have questions especially on the process to finding a new job given I have only been practicing for 8 months.

Anonymous User wrote:Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Thanks for doing this. Few questions for you.

1. How long did it take you to land a new offer, and did you use a recruiter?

2. Are you moving to another v100, and if so, how did you convince them that you wouldn't be a flight risk there?

3. Did you get a signing bonus from the new firm to help you pay back your bar stipend from your old firm?

4. Are you going into lit at your new firm or did you have to switch practices to lateral?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Thanks for doing this. Few questions for you.

1. How long did it take you to land a new offer, and did you use a recruiter?

2. Are you moving to another v100, and if so, how did you convince them that you wouldn't be a flight risk there?

3. Did you get a signing bonus from the new firm to help you pay back your bar stipend from your old firm?

4. Are you going into lit at your new firm or did you have to switch practices to lateral?

1- I started looking in January. I actually used a number of recruiters and a mix of networking. I had a number of callbacks that came from recruiters, but the new gig came from networking. I am staying in the same market so I was easy for me to get lunches/coffee with people.

2- I’m moving to a lit boutique. Not susman or the super high end, but in the next immediate tier. Much better shot for partnership, bigger bonuses, etc.

3- to be worked out.

4- staying in lit.

Realized I didn’t answer re flight risk. I got that question a lot. I tried to focus on why the place I was interviewing with was different than my current firm and how that is more of what I want to do either as their practice (say more securities lit than real estate lit, as a made up example) or how the firm was different. So for the new place, I focused heavily on the leaner staffing, better partnership prospects, etc.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Thanks for doing this. Few questions for you.

1. How long did it take you to land a new offer, and did you use a recruiter?

2. Are you moving to another v100, and if so, how did you convince them that you wouldn't be a flight risk there?

3. Did you get a signing bonus from the new firm to help you pay back your bar stipend from your old firm?

4. Are you going into lit at your new firm or did you have to switch practices to lateral?

1- I started looking in January. I actually used a number of recruiters and a mix of networking. I had a number of callbacks that came from recruiters, but the new gig came from networking. I am staying in the same market so I was easy for me to get lunches/coffee with people.

2- I’m moving to a lit boutique. Not susman or the super high end, but in the next immediate tier. Much better shot for partnership, bigger bonuses, etc.

3- to be worked out.

4- staying in lit.

Useful thread. Also considering making a move soon in my market. Any advice for how to not burn bridges/preserve relations given that you're leaving before the 1 year mark?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Thanks for doing this. Few questions for you.

1. How long did it take you to land a new offer, and did you use a recruiter?

2. Are you moving to another v100, and if so, how did you convince them that you wouldn't be a flight risk there?

3. Did you get a signing bonus from the new firm to help you pay back your bar stipend from your old firm?

4. Are you going into lit at your new firm or did you have to switch practices to lateral?

1- I started looking in January. I actually used a number of recruiters and a mix of networking. I had a number of callbacks that came from recruiters, but the new gig came from networking. I am staying in the same market so I was easy for me to get lunches/coffee with people.

2- I’m moving to a lit boutique. Not susman or the super high end, but in the next immediate tier. Much better shot for partnership, bigger bonuses, etc.

3- to be worked out.

4- staying in lit.

Useful thread. Also considering making a move soon in my market. Any advice for how to not burn bridges/preserve relations given that you're leaving before the 1 year mark?

I haven’t given notice yet, so I will let you know. I stayed positive in all my interviews about my current firm, even if that was a stretch.

I had a lateral callback Friday in NYC at a V50 known to move fast to make offers. What was your turnaround time from callback to offer?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Biglaw stub year in a litigation practice in non-nyc major market. Firm is in the v100. About to give notice once conflicts clear at the new place. AMA.

Thanks for doing this. Few questions for you.

1. How long did it take you to land a new offer, and did you use a recruiter?

2. Are you moving to another v100, and if so, how did you convince them that you wouldn't be a flight risk there?

3. Did you get a signing bonus from the new firm to help you pay back your bar stipend from your old firm?

4. Are you going into lit at your new firm or did you have to switch practices to lateral?

1- I started looking in January. I actually used a number of recruiters and a mix of networking. I had a number of callbacks that came from recruiters, but the new gig came from networking. I am staying in the same market so I was easy for me to get lunches/coffee with people.

2- I’m moving to a lit boutique. Not susman or the super high end, but in the next immediate tier. Much better shot for partnership, bigger bonuses, etc.

3- to be worked out.

4- staying in lit.

Useful thread. Also considering making a move soon in my market. Any advice for how to not burn bridges/preserve relations given that you're leaving before the 1 year mark?

I haven’t given notice yet, so I will let you know. I stayed positive in all my interviews about my current firm, even if that was a stretch.

Any update OP?

OP, how long did it take you to clear conflicts?

Random aside, but I think “stub year” generally refers to the 2-5 months of law firm work that occurs in the same year you graduated (e.g., October 2018-December 2018 or whenever you got your prorated bonus). At this probably best described as a true first year

OP here, sorry about the delay. I started the new gig this week. It is SOOO much better.

It only took a few days to clear conflicts. Had a few minor issues with conflicts, but nothing too bad. One partner took the news really poorly, while another was supportive.

And sorry for the confusion with stub year. I was a 2018 grad and started at my old firm last fall.

Anonymous User wrote:OP here, sorry about the delay. I started the new gig this week. It is SOOO much better.

It only took a few days to clear conflicts. Had a few minor issues with conflicts, but nothing too bad. One partner took the news really poorly, while another was supportive.

And sorry for the confusion with stub year. I was a 2018 grad and started at my old firm last fall.

Congrats! Were the issues related to representation of clients or logistical/administrative matters?

First of all, congrats! It sounds like the new place is much better.


How did you handle the partner who took it poorly? How did thy take it poorly?