Boston litigation Forum

[Anonymous User]

Wanted to know the top firms in the market for litigation. Seems to be a very corporate centric market around life sciences but didn’t know if RG, GP, or WH litigation were highly recognized.

[Anonymous User]

Wanted to know the top firms in the market for litigation. Seems to be a very corporate centric market around life sciences but didn’t know if RG, GP, or WH litigation were highly recognized.

Choate is also strong in IP lit and white collar/government enforcement. I have some friends there that are really happy.

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

[Anonymous User]

For most litigation, it is WilmerHale then everyone else. WH Boston is a very lit-heavy office. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t like being a transactional associate there.

[malibustacy]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a good one, alternatively, Cage, Fish & McBeal.

[objctnyrhnr]

None of that matters, honestly.

Here’s what you want to do to have good QOL and quality of experience in lit, but this might also apply to other practices as well:

1. Get a list of market-paying biglaw firms that have offices in boston (or any other non nyc city, for that matter) that exist but aren’t that big.

2. Join one of those.


If you end up at a massive boston office like ropes or Wilmer or goodwin or Choate your experience likely just won’t be as good as (off top of head, and in no particular order) white and case, Orrick, foley and Lardner, Dla piper, mofo.

That list is by no means exhaustive but it’s a sample of firms that I believe are market with small-ish offices in boston. They have the fortune 100 clients and do bet-the-company lit as well, but you won’t be competing with a billion lit associates in your class for the choice work.

[Anonymous User]

For most litigation, it is WilmerHale then everyone else. WH Boston is a very lit-heavy office. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t like being a transactional associate there.

+1. WH is a lit-centered firm in general with deep trial experience, and the Boston office is no exception. The Boston office has a lot of IP and Sec lit, but you can find other stuff as well (appellate, general lit, etc.), especially with cases out of the DC office. There's also a lot of good pro bono opportunities. The IP lit group is known for working associates a bit hard, but I know plenty in general lit who put in their 2k hours, pass go, collect their bonus, and repeat. Exit options are good too.

Don't get me wrong - other Boston firms have decent litigation groups. But WH is by far the biggest name in litigation here.

[hangtime813]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a good one, alternatively, Cage, Fish & McBeal.

+1 just for the lol. Working for Denny Crane would likely be a nightmare and hilarious at the same time. Alan Shore too.

[Anonymous User]

None of that matters, honestly.

Here’s what you want to do to have good QOL and quality of experience in lit, but this might also apply to other practices as well:

1. Get a list of market-paying biglaw firms that have offices in boston (or any other non nyc city, for that matter) that exist but aren’t that big.

2. Join one of those.


If you end up at a massive boston office like ropes or Wilmer or goodwin or Choate your experience likely just won’t be as good as (off top of head, and in no particular order) white and case, Orrick, foley and Lardner, Dla piper, mofo.

That list is by no means exhaustive but it’s a sample of firms that I believe are market with small-ish offices in boston. They have the fortune 100 clients and do bet-the-company lit as well, but you won’t be competing with a billion lit associates in your class for the choice work.

Work at one of the big Boston firms and I don’t know where you’re getting “a billion lit associates in your class” from. My office has maybe 10 lit first years, if that.

[SamuelDanforth]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a good one, alternatively, Cage, Fish & McBeal.

+1 just for the lol. Working for Denny Crane would likely be a nightmare and hilarious at the same time. Alan Shore too.

Looking at the Crane, Poole and Schmidt website I can't tell if it is a gag or not. Is this a real firm?!

[2013]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a good one, alternatively, Cage, Fish & McBeal.

+1 just for the lol. Working for Denny Crane would likely be a nightmare and hilarious at the same time. Alan Shore too.

Looking at the Crane, Poole and Schmidt website I can't tell if it is a gag or not. Is this a real firm?!

No… it’s from Boston Legal. You found an actual website?

[Anonymous User]

Bumping this. Any insight on Boston lit departments that are particularly good or bad to work for? I know it'll even vary between groups within a firm, but just general strokes.

Crane, Poole and Schmidt is a good one, alternatively, Cage, Fish & McBeal.

+1 just for the lol. Working for Denny Crane would likely be a nightmare and hilarious at the same time. Alan Shore too.

Looking at the Crane, Poole and Schmidt website I can't tell if it is a gag or not. Is this a real firm?!

Denny Crane really bears a striking resemblance to William Shatner...

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

Terrible school.

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

Terrible school.

How terrible? I think I’ve seen one or two Suffolk grads (although I think one was valedictorian).

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

Terrible school.

How terrible? I think I’ve seen one or two Suffolk grads (although I think one was valedictorian).

Around there (and similar stats) so that’s a good benchmark for me. Just wondering what doors the clerkship will realistically open up for me if I’m looking for lit in Boston.

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

Terrible school.

How terrible? I think I’ve seen one or two Suffolk grads (although I think one was valedictorian).

Around there (and similar stats) so that’s a good benchmark for me. Just wondering what doors the clerkship will realistically open up for me if I’m looking for lit in Boston.

WH associate here. If you have such a terrible pedigree how did you land the CA1 clerkship? If you graduated at the top of your class from a lower ranked school I would think you'd have a chance. As the previous poster mentioned, we normally pick a couple from the top of the class at Suffolk in any given year. A good reco from your judge wouldn't hurt either.

[Anonymous User]

Necro but does WH hire CA1 clerks consistently? Even if no ties/not ideal pedigree? Looking for somewhere to land post-clerkship and interested in WH or a lit boutique

What do you mean by not ideal pedigree? Worked at WH and saw a few CA1.

Terrible school.

How terrible? I think I’ve seen one or two Suffolk grads (although I think one was valedictorian).

Around there (and similar stats) so that’s a good benchmark for me. Just wondering what doors the clerkship will realistically open up for me if I’m looking for lit in Boston.

WH associate here. If you have such a terrible pedigree how did you land the CA1 clerkship? If you graduated at the top of your class from a lower ranked school I would think you'd have a chance. As the previous poster mentioned, we normally pick a couple from the top of the class at Suffolk in any given year. A good reco from your judge wouldn't hurt either.

I’ve probably outed myself already, but that’s good to know. I’ll go into this much more optimistically. It’s always hard to gauge how much school rank weighs you down if you have other “shiny” accolades.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience (not Boston), a Circuit clerkship makes up for a lot, including a less-than-great law school. You had to get that clerkship somehow, right? And it's harder for a grad from a low-ranked schooler to land a Circuit clerkship than it is for the same person to land a biglaw job, so there must be something compelling about you. That's how they think, and I don't think it's wrong.