Wachtell from a Non T-14 School Forum

[Anonymous User]

To the OP: You don't have a very good shot, but you should apply and see what happens. You never know unless you try.

Mainly posting because I worked at Wachtell as an associate. It is a fantastic place to practice law, but you have to love the law. I went to WLRK because I love the law and my idea of fun is working on legal issues and solving difficult problems. Every day, I worked directly with partners and clients on thorny and novel issues; it was great. Most WLRK associates have lives outside the office and intense hobbies, but they work those things around their work not the other way around. Most people want to go to dinner 2-3 times a week, have no work on the weekends, a ton of free time after intense periods. If that's you, you're not a good fit for Wachtell.

Did you work there 50 years ago? Basically everything you say about QOL is 100% of the opposite of the experience of everyone I know who has worked there. In fact, the WLRK you describe would be a better QOL than almost any other biglaw firm.

I think they're saying that most people in the world in general want to go to dinner, etc, and if OP is one of those people, WLRK would not be a good fit.

[Anonymous User]

To the OP: You don't have a very good shot, but you should apply and see what happens. You never know unless you try.

Mainly posting because I worked at Wachtell as an associate. It is a fantastic place to practice law, but you have to love the law. I went to WLRK because I love the law and my idea of fun is working on legal issues and solving difficult problems. Every day, I worked directly with partners and clients on thorny and novel issues; it was great. Most WLRK associates have lives outside the office and intense hobbies, but they work those things around their work not the other way around. Most people want to go to dinner 2-3 times a week, have no work on the weekends, a ton of free time after intense periods. If that's you, you're not a good fit for Wachtell.

Did you work there 50 years ago? Basically everything you say about QOL is 100% of the opposite of the experience of everyone I know who has worked there. In fact, the WLRK you describe would be a better QOL than almost any other biglaw firm.

I think they're saying that most people in the world in general want to go to dinner, etc, and if OP is one of those people, WLRK would not be a good fit.

I now realize I misread the last sentence lol. Imagine being okay not having an actual dinner more than once a week.

[Anonymous User]

To the OP: You don't have a very good shot, but you should apply and see what happens. You never know unless you try.

Mainly posting because I worked at Wachtell as an associate. It is a fantastic place to practice law, but you have to love the law. I went to WLRK because I love the law and my idea of fun is working on legal issues and solving difficult problems. Every day, I worked directly with partners and clients on thorny and novel issues; it was great. Most WLRK associates have lives outside the office and intense hobbies, but they work those things around their work not the other way around. Most people want to go to dinner 2-3 times a week, have no work on the weekends, a ton of free time after intense periods. If that's you, you're not a good fit for Wachtell.

Did you work there 50 years ago? Basically everything you say about QOL is 100% of the opposite of the experience of everyone I know who has worked there. In fact, the WLRK you describe would be a better QOL than almost any other biglaw firm.

I think they're saying that most people in the world in general want to go to dinner, etc, and if OP is one of those people, WLRK would not be a good fit.

I now realize I misread the last sentence lol. Imagine being okay not having an actual dinner more than once a week.

mt

[Anonymous User]

What do people think are chances for someone who wants to join a non M&A department. Huge interest in tax, especially in the transactional context which is what I've been doing at a V5 firm in NY this summer. I'm at a T14 school, with a top 15% GPA, and I am top of my class for tax having a GPA > 4.0, and multiple awards for performance in tax. The main reason WLRK is appealing to me is that they do they handle the most complex transactional matters, which means getting to wrestle with the most complex structures which is exactly what I want to do. Those types of opportunities are available at the firm where I summered, but WLRK is so focused on its transactional practice that I feel that I would only be doing that type of work, whereas that is not necessarily true of where I am now. Moreover, their tax department is very lightly leveraged, having twice as many partners as associates (it's a small group). The compensation is a plus, but definitely not a needle-pusher for me, and the working ridiculous hours is a given (tax is different than transactional corporate work in terms of hours).

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of what the screeners are like? I'm top 10% at a CCN but no finance background. M&A, not lit or tax. I know I'm a total longshot (everyone is...) so trying to nail the interviews.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of what the screeners are like? I'm top 10% at a CCN but no finance background. M&A, not lit or tax. I know I'm a total longshot (everyone is...) so trying to nail the interviews.

Pretty normal with maybe a couple of probing questions. Not worth stressing extra about

[Anonymous User]

Not to derail, but has WLRK ever considered a transfer to HYS. Would it be on some level dependent on the school the transfer was coming from?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have a sense of what the screeners are like? I'm top 10% at a CCN but no finance background. M&A, not lit or tax. I know I'm a total longshot (everyone is...) so trying to nail the interviews.

Pretty normal with maybe a couple of probing questions. Not worth stressing extra about

That wasn’t my experience. My screener was primarily comprised of a quasi-management consulting style case question, asking me to reason through a legal situation. I do agree it isn’t anything worth stressing yourself about.