WLRK or ? Forum

[weqew]

Hi all,

Having a difficult decision to make: WLRK or the top firm in my secondary market?

[Anonymous User]

My advice: Go where you will be happiest

WLRK is a pretty unique opportunity, but won't be worth it if you have to move to a city you don't want to live in.

[Anonymous User]

Depends on what you want in career outlook etc. but in terms of location, you're going to be working so much at WLRK that where you live is barely gonna register lol.

[Anonymous User]

In terms of money one year at WLRK is worth two years at a market-paying firm, no? I think it's worth it if you are willing to dedicate your entire life to it for a couple years.

[Anonymous User]

In terms of money one year at WLRK is worth two years at a market-paying firm, no? I think it's worth it if you are willing to dedicate your entire life to it for a couple years.

I do not think bonuses have been 100% in recent years, but I do not have firsthand knowledge.

More broadly, if the intent is to end up at the top firm in secondary market, I do not see why you should not just take that. You will get more money at WLRK but at the expense of everything else.

[legalpotato]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

[Anonymous User]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

[avenuem]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

[Anonymous User]

My vote's for Wachtell here. Your doors are unlimited after a 2-3 year stint there. An underrated aspect of WLRK is the relationships you build with clients. WLRK puts forth a great amount of effort to make sure its associates interface and building strong relationships with a variety of different clients across many different industries.

[Anonymous User]

The most important consideration, I think, is whether you are physically able to work as much as they will ask you to. My prof was an associate there, and he pointed out that it's a general partnership rather than a LP or LLP, which means the partners are personally liable for everything you do. So they mitigate that risk by having you there under their supervision all the time.

If you are able to handle that, then I would do it. No question.

[Anonymous User]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

Depends on the firm in the secondary market, many smaller ones, like Bondurant Mixson & Elmore in Atlanta, are very difficult to lateral into. Many or most secondary market firms will also force you to take a class year haircut even if you can get in. That said, WLRK should help.

I'm also not sure this logic makes sense because if OP starts in the secondary market, the odds that they will ever want to move to NYC biglaw in general, let alone specifically WLRK, are very low.

Imo it's silly to treat primary vs. secondary market choices as four-dimensional chess about long-term career prospects. Where do you want to work, and what firm do you want to work for? Go do it.

(The correct decision here, if you can make it work, is to split, though. I know WLRK allows it.)

[weqew]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

Depends on the firm in the secondary market, many smaller ones, like Bondurant Mixson & Elmore in Atlanta, are very difficult to lateral into. Many or most secondary market firms will also force you to take a class year haircut even if you can get in. That said, WLRK should help.

I'm also not sure this logic makes sense because if OP starts in the secondary market, the odds that they will ever want to move to NYC biglaw in general, let alone specifically WLRK, are very low.

Imo it's silly to treat primary vs. secondary market choices as four-dimensional chess about long-term career prospects. Where do you want to work, and what firm do you want to work for? Go do it.

(The correct decision here, if you can make it work, is to split, though. I know WLRK allows it.)

OP here. Came to a law school in my secondary market to get a job in this market, but idk if it's foolish to turn down the opportunity for WLRK, even if I never saw myself or wanted to go to New York

[weqew]

OP here. I came to law school in my secondary market with the intent to work here, but I'm torn because this opportunity is so unique. Thank you all for your advice so far.

[Mullens]

The secondary firm/market and practice group is relevant here. If it’s like Latham LA or Kirkland Chicago and you’re doing Corporate then I would 100% go to WLRK. You can pretty easily lateral to any other corporate shop. If you’re in litigation and talking about a high-end lit boutique then I’d start in the secondary market.

[Anonymous User]

In terms of money one year at WLRK is worth two years at a market-paying firm, no? I think it's worth it if you are willing to dedicate your entire life to it for a couple years.

I do not think bonuses have been 100% in recent years, but I do not have firsthand knowledge.

If you don’t have firsthand knowledge about it then maybe don’t talk about it and spread the rumor?

[ksm6969]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

I really want to live in Colorado with my family, but I only have one opportunity to go to Harvard and I can just go back to Colorado after 3 years of law school.

Well, I'll just do two years in WLRK at NY then I can just go live next to mom in Colorado.

Well, if I just do this district court clerkship then I can go back to Colorado after.

A second circuit clerkship really is worth it to stay another year, then I'll just go back after.

Well, I got to get this clerkship bonus so I'll just do another year to get my bonus then I'll go back.

Once I make partner here, I can go back after.

Oops, mom's dead.

If you know you dont want to live in NY, then don't live in NY. I promise you there are many people who could work at V5's in NY, including Wachtell, who just dont want to go to NY, so they dont.

[ExpOriental]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

I really want to live in Colorado with my family, but I only have one opportunity to go to Harvard and I can just go back to Colorado after 3 years of law school.

Well, I'll just do two years in WLRK at NY then I can just go live next to mom in Colorado.

Well, if I just do this district court clerkship then I can go back to Colorado after.

A second circuit clerkship really is worth it to stay another year, then I'll just go back after.

Well, I got to get this clerkship bonus so I'll just do another year to get my bonus then I'll go back.

Once I make partner here, I can go back after.

Oops, mom's dead.

If you know you dont want to live in NY, then don't live in NY. I promise you there are many people who could work at V5's in NY, including Wachtell, who just dont want to go to NY, so they dont.

Just don't do the part where you kill your mom

[Anonymous User]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

I really want to live in Colorado with my family, but I only have one opportunity to go to Harvard and I can just go back to Colorado after 3 years of law school.

Well, I'll just do two years in WLRK at NY then I can just go live next to mom in Colorado.

Well, if I just do this district court clerkship then I can go back to Colorado after.

A second circuit clerkship really is worth it to stay another year, then I'll just go back after.

Well, I got to get this clerkship bonus so I'll just do another year to get my bonus then I'll go back.

Once I make partner here, I can go back after.

Oops, mom's dead.

If you know you dont want to live in NY, then don't live in NY. I promise you there are many people who could work at V5's in NY, including Wachtell, who just dont want to go to NY, so they dont.

Sorry, but this sounds like a horribly simplistic assessment of how people think about careers.
You do realize the common outcome for OP if they go to that firm in the secondary city is:

Work for 3-5 years while completely hating their life ---> Can't find attractive exit opp. in preferred market
so settle for best available in-house gig or government job ---> Do the 9-5 for 40 years. Die.

Hardly amazing in its own right. Also, I didn't know one needed to be with walking distance of one's mother to have a relationship with her. I take weekend trips to my folks' house all the time.

[legalpotato]

You can always get a job at the top firm in your secondary city, but this will be your only opportunity to work at WLRK.

This is also the kind of thinking that leads to golden handcuffs. "I can always do what I want later, but this is my only opportunity to do X now..."... ("I can always do my year in Spain later, but this is my only opportunity to work at WLRK/clerk/make partner...") And then you are like 50 and wonder what you have been chasing your whole life.

It's not just a "kind of thinking," it's almost certainly a fact that it will be difficult to have another opportunity to work there again. We're talking about Wachtell, not standard biglaw where you can easily lateral. Meanwhile, OP can work at Wachtell and I almost guarantee lateral to the unnamed second firm.

I really want to live in Colorado with my family, but I only have one opportunity to go to Harvard and I can just go back to Colorado after 3 years of law school.

Well, I'll just do two years in WLRK at NY then I can just go live next to mom in Colorado.

Well, if I just do this district court clerkship then I can go back to Colorado after.

A second circuit clerkship really is worth it to stay another year, then I'll just go back after.

Well, I got to get this clerkship bonus so I'll just do another year to get my bonus then I'll go back.

Once I make partner here, I can go back after.

Oops, mom's dead.

If you know you dont want to live in NY, then don't live in NY. I promise you there are many people who could work at V5's in NY, including Wachtell, who just dont want to go to NY, so they dont.

Sorry, but this sounds like a horribly simplistic assessment of how people think about careers.
You do realize the common outcome for OP if they go to that firm in the secondary city is:

Work for 3-5 years while completely hating their life ---> Can't find attractive exit opp. in preferred market
so settle for best available in-house gig or government job ---> Do the 9-5 for 40 years. Die.

Hardly amazing in its own right. Also, I didn't know one needed to be with walking distance of one's mother to have a relationship with her. I take weekend trips to my folks' house all the time.

Agree - weird way to think of the world. Unless OP is absolutely 100% certain that his/her hometown and the firm there is where OP wants to end up, then OP should consider the optionality WLRK will give OP. If OP goes the hometown route and hates it, OP's exits are limited. If OP goes to WLRK, comes back to hometown, finds out job is terrible, OP can probably easily find another job in hometown or go to another market.

[Mullens]

Practice group is highly relevant here. It’s a very different decision if corporate or litigation and people pretending otherwise are not practicing biglaw attorneys.

[weqew]

OP here. I would be interested in litigation, if that changes the calculus.

[enibs]

Practice group is highly relevant here. It’s a very different decision if corporate or litigation and people pretending otherwise are not practicing biglaw attorneys.

I’m a practicing biglaw attorney and I have no idea what you’re talking about. WLRK’s corporate practice and litigation practice are both stellar, and exit options are excellent. But to OP, if you don’t want to live in NY, don’t go to WLRK. They only have one office and it’s in NY.

[louislittmbajdesq]

OP here. I would be interested in litigation, if that changes the calculus.

It does change the calculus in that it's a more difficult question for lit. There's no one right answer, but if it were me, I would take Wachtell unless the "top firm in my secondary market" is an MTO LA, Susman Houston, or Bondurant Atlanta ... in which case I'd take the local elite boutique and run. Wachtell carries a lot of weight everywhere, congratulations on the offer.

[Mullens]

Practice group is highly relevant here. It’s a very different decision if corporate or litigation and people pretending otherwise are not practicing biglaw attorneys.

I’m a practicing biglaw attorney and I have no idea what you’re talking about. WLRK’s corporate practice and litigation practice are both stellar, and exit options are excellent. But to OP, if you don’t want to live in NY, don’t go to WLRK. They only have one office and it’s in NY.

WLRK’s corporate group is singular. It’s in it’s own tier above the rest of the V10 and would give you unlimited career flexibility. It’s litigation practice, while great in its own right (for certain areas of litigation), is not at nearly the same level. And that’s before considering trial-heavy elite litigation boutiques or firms with top-tier appellate practices (which WLRK doesn’t have).

I don’t think WLRK is worth moving to NY if you don’t want to be there for its litigation group.

[The Lsat Airbender]

Just don't do the part where you kill your mom