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How bad would it be for my career or look on my resume if I tried to go in-house ASAP?
Would any company even want to interview me once they realize I've been with my current firm for such a short time?

I'm a sixth year with only one prior firm, to the extent that that matters.

If you can sell yourself successfully to an in-house gig, no one will care. You’re clearly capable of holding down a job for a while, which is the concern about job-hopping.

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

kaiser wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:38 pm

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

Anecdotally, this isn’t true from what I’ve seen in the industry.

cheaptilts wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:40 pm

kaiser wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:38 pm

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

Anecdotally, this isn’t true from what I’ve seen in the industry.

Seconded, I know multiple people who are on their 4th or 5th firm (specialist practice group). Maybe this is a bit easier to pull off as a specialist since there are fewer people that have the requisite knowledge/experience.

Yeah, I think the do-over is very fact specific. It all really depends on what you have to offer and what someone wants and how well you sell yourself. I too know people who’ve moved around a lot. If you do keep moving not because you’re unhappy, but because you can’t keep a job (your bosses are unhappy with you), it might catch up with you - like it becomes harder to get references, their support gets more and more lukewarm, you’re not getting good experience, that kind of thing. But if you are a strong candidate you probably won’t run into such problems. It will depend, but there isn’t a rule that you have to stay at your next gig for X years before trying to move on. (Trying to move doesn’t guarantee you’ll get something so you may be in that job for a while anyway, but if a great opportunity arises you can’t pass on, don’t let the fact that you haven’t been in your current job very long dissuade you.)

cheaptilts wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:40 pm

kaiser wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:38 pm

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

Anecdotally, this isn’t true from what I’ve seen in the industry.

Indeed. It may have been true a couple of years ago but it's not the case currently.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 5:31 pm

cheaptilts wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:40 pm

kaiser wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:38 pm

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

Anecdotally, this isn’t true from what I’ve seen in the industry.

Indeed. It may have been true a couple of years ago but it's not the case currently.

Didn't mean to be anonymous.

eastcoast_iub wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:52 pm

cheaptilts wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:40 pm

kaiser wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:38 pm

In my experience, everyone in biglaw essentially gets 1 mulligan. You were with your old firm for 6 years and clearly put in the time. Now you lateralled and it just isn't a good fit and you want to course correct. Thats an entirely plausible and reasonable story and I doubt many employers would be too concerned by it. Six years with one firm clearly shows you aren't a serial jumper, especially since you are only doing this once (i.e. taking your mulligan). But keep in mind that, wherever you end up after this, be prepared to put in a few years because you don't really get a 2nd do-over.

Anecdotally, this isn’t true from what I’ve seen in the industry.

Seconded, I know multiple people who are on their 4th or 5th firm (specialist practice group). Maybe this is a bit easier to pull off as a specialist since there are fewer people that have the requisite knowledge/experience.

This may be referring to me. I’m at my 4th firm. None of the moves were that difficult. No one actually brought up my short stints at firms. But I also lateraled during a hot lateral market for my niche practice area. I think if the lateral market wasn’t this hot, this would have raised a lot of red flags.

OP here. Thanks so much everyone!

I was at my last job/firm for 5.5 months before quitting to move in-house. Timing was unexpected but I certainly wasn’t going to let some arbitrary time limit keep me from furthering my career. Firm was pissed. Couldn’t care less.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:48 pm

I was at my last job/firm for 5.5 months before quitting to move in-house. Timing was unexpected but I certainly wasn’t going to let some arbitrary time limit keep me from furthering my career. Firm was pissed. Couldn’t care less.

No regrets?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:52 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:48 pm

I was at my last job/firm for 5.5 months before quitting to move in-house. Timing was unexpected but I certainly wasn’t going to let some arbitrary time limit keep me from furthering my career. Firm was pissed. Couldn’t care less.

No regrets?

None whatsoever