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Hi all and thank you in advance for your help. I graduated from a T-6 school in 2015 with strong grades (just inside the top 5% of my class). I then worked as a litigation associate at a law firm in a non-NY major market (Chicago, SF, or LA) and completed two selective clerkships. I hope to relocate to NY soon to be nearer to family. My goals are to stay in private practice as long as I can and hopefully make partner. If that doesn't work I would be open to government work or going in-house.

Should I look at litigation boutiques? Do firms like Selendy & Gay and Susman Godfrey provide the same resources and infrastructure as larger firms? How are the exit opportunities? As for bigger firms, does anyone have experience working as a midlevel in the litigation departments at: Sullivan, Gibson, Paul Weiss, Kirkland, Latham, Skadden, Davis Polk, Quinn, Debevoise, or Weil? Are these all firms peers, or are some a cut above?

I would also appreciate comments on the cultural differences between these litigation departments. I consider myself outgoing and social and I would ideally want to work with likeminded people.

Thank you!

-Anon OP-

Anon b/c I'm an associate at Latham: I'm overall happy at the firm. The people are friendly, the partners are considerate and accessible, and there isn't a lot of that weird gunner-y infighting (though I'm seeing it with the junior associates, but they'll grow out of it). But I don't have any hopes of making partner. It's hard enough to make partner at a large firm, but Latham in particular hasn't been promoting a lot of litigation folks to partner or counsel. I'm planning to do 2-3 more years before transitioning to an AUSA or similar role.

If you're c/o 2015, I think you're entering your sixth year of practice. That's a bit long in the tooth to be considered a "midlevel" at PW.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:43 pm

If you're c/o 2015, I think you're entering your sixth year of practice. That's a bit long in the tooth to be considered a "midlevel" at PW.

OP clerked twice. Thus, OP wouldve just become a fifth year as the new associates started a few months ago or is entering their fifth year come January, assuming the standard “one-year class credit for partnership track, but two-year class credit for compensation” scheme employed by most traditional biglaw shops. Think you may be off by a year, but I also think a rising fifth year’s a senior associate, too.

Accidental anon. Cheaptilts

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 01, 2020 11:17 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:43 pm

If you're c/o 2015, I think you're entering your sixth year of practice. That's a bit long in the tooth to be considered a "midlevel" at PW.

OP clerked twice. Thus, OP wouldve just become a fifth year as the new associates started a few months ago or is entering their fifth year come January, assuming the standard “one-year class credit for partnership track, but two-year class credit for compensation” scheme employed by most traditional biglaw shops. Think you may be off by a year, but I also think a rising fifth year’s a senior associate, too.

Accidental anon. Cheaptilts

OP here. Yes, I would join as a fifth year. Sorry for the confusing first post. How would being a fifth year change firm selection?

If you're looking to hang around as long as possible, I think you should also be considering quality of life and not merely prestige. Generally speaking, litigating in a "top" NY big law office is going to be a whole different level of hours and expectations than most other major markets. Again, generally speaking, the culture in NY is going to be more intense re: hours.

Also, as a fifth year, your question about overall prestige seems fairly broad and unfocused. At this point, if you want to know about quality litigation groups, you should know enough to know to look at various publications (e.g., Chambers, Law360 practice groups of the year, etc.) to get a good sense of what lit groups are at the top in terms of various subcategories of litigation.