Quick Lateral Success Stories? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Has anyone successfully lateraled out of a firm they’ve lateraled to quickly? The firm I lateraled to just isn’t a good fit and I dread going to work on a daily basis. I try to think I can stick it out a year or so, but I’d rather leave asap. The environment isn’t toxic or anything, but I just don’t get along with the partners in my group and my firm isn’t a free market firm, so I’m kind of stuff working with them.

[dyemond]

how long were you at your first firm and why did you lateral to your second firm?

it's a bad look to do ~3 firms or something in 2-3 years.

[Anonymous User]

Do you have any other reason for leaving? Toxicity doesn’t go very far in an interview, even though we all know it’s true.

As for quick lateral stories, I know someone who did three firms in four years, but he’s in a niche practice and the second firm had only that practice group in name. He stayed at least a year at each, though.

Another person did three firms in three years, but stayed at the first firm for two years and left the second due to unusual circumstances that left a bad taste in several people’s mouths (the associate was not at fault).

A third person quit after four months of working at a notoriously unreasonable firm. He joined our firm as a junior and he’s still here after two and a half years.

[Anonymous User]

how long were you at your first firm and why did you lateral to your second firm?

it's a bad look to do ~3 firms or something in 2-3 years.

Slightly over 1 1/2 years. The practice wasn’t doing too well, was poorly managed, and it was obvious I wouldn’t hit hours (by a large margin). When I announced I was leaving, no one was surprised.

[Anonymous User]

Do you have any other reason for leaving? Toxicity doesn’t go very far in an interview, even though we all know it’s true.

As for quick lateral stories, I know someone who did three firms in four years, but he’s in a niche practice and the second firm had only that practice group in name. He stayed at least a year at each, though.

Another person did three firms in three years, but stayed at the first firm for two years and left the second due to unusual circumstances that left a bad taste in several people’s mouths (the associate was not at fault).

A third person quit after four months of working at a notoriously unreasonable firm. He joined our firm as a junior and he’s still here after two and a half years.

I’m in a somewhat niche group as well. This job just isn’t what it was sold as. There are a lot of reasons why that’s the case, but I don’t think I could ever mention them in an interview.

Honestly, I’ve considered applying to junior associate (1 year+) positions for corporate roles in hopes of getting an interview. I like my practice area but I may consider doing a more general practice if that’s the only way to leave.

[Anonymous User]

Do you have any other reason for leaving? Toxicity doesn’t go very far in an interview, even though we all know it’s true.

As for quick lateral stories, I know someone who did three firms in four years, but he’s in a niche practice and the second firm had only that practice group in name. He stayed at least a year at each, though.

Another person did three firms in three years, but stayed at the first firm for two years and left the second due to unusual circumstances that left a bad taste in several people’s mouths (the associate was not at fault).

A third person quit after four months of working at a notoriously unreasonable firm. He joined our firm as a junior and he’s still here after two and a half years.

I’m in a somewhat niche group as well. This job just isn’t what it was sold as. There are a lot of reasons why that’s the case, but I don’t think I could ever mention them in an interview.

Honestly, I’ve considered applying to junior associate (1 year+) positions for corporate roles in hopes of getting an interview. I like my practice area but I may consider doing a more general practice if that’s the only way to leave.

Sounds like you’re a junior associate in a smaller transactional practice. How niche is your group? And why don’t you want to mention your reasons in an interview? Is it not “what it was sold as” as in more short-tempered partners and late nights/ weekends than expected, or as in unethical requests that could cause trouble with the bar? If the latter, people will understand if you leave within a year. If the former, it likely won’t be better at your third firm.

The person I know who left due to practice area was hired into a group with a single digit number of people. He was told he would get more substantive experience. Instead, he basically served as an add-on for a much larger group. He left when there was talk about merging the two groups.