LA Biglaw Litigation Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm a HYS > 9th Circuit > C.D. Cal. clerk and am looking to work in LA biglaw after my clerkship. Ideally, I would work as little as possible (I have kids), make market salary/bonus for 5-8 years, and leave for the U.S. Attorney's office. I realize that I'll be working 2,000+ billable hours a year, but I would much rather work closer to 2,000 than 3,000 billable hours, even if that means less substantive experience. This makes me hesitant about boutiques like Munger and Hueston Hennigan.

What's my ideal firm? I'm thinking Gibson/Latham, but if those fall through, what are my next best options? Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

I'm a HYS > 9th Circuit > C.D. Cal. clerk and am looking to work in LA biglaw after my clerkship. Ideally, I would work as little as possible (I have kids), make market salary/bonus for 5-8 years, and leave for the U.S. Attorney's office. I realize that I'll be working 2,000+ billable hours a year, but I would much rather work closer to 2,000 than 3,000 billable hours, even if that means less substantive experience. This makes me hesitant about boutiques like Munger and Hueston Hennigan.

What's my ideal firm? I'm thinking Gibson/Latham, but if those fall through, what are my next best options? Thanks!

At least at my firm for general litigation, there's much more cross-office work than there used to be. Our teams are very rarely in a single office. I'm not in LA, but I work with LA people all the time. So you might want to think about national presence of a firm and not just how the LA office is specifically. E.g. if you want to do appellate, for example.

Also, 5-8 years then AUSA sounds like a tough slog. That's a long time to be at a job that you don't actually want.

[Anonymous User]

Anon to avoid outing. Work in LA biglaw and don’t think you should rule out MTO. KE, HH, and QE are heavier on hours, but I’d interview at KE anyways for signing bonus leverage. I would also add OMM to the list.

[Robot]

Fwiw I've heard that the MTO lifestyle is actually relatively good by biglaw standards and for quality of litigation practice in CA it can't be beat. MTO is also full-service, not a boutique.

[Anonymous User]

I'm a current GDC mid-level with basically the same career trajectory and goals as you (two clerkships, will leave for USAO in a couple years). If your goal is to coast, you are right to avoid boutiques, they'll work your ass off. You want to be at a free market firm with a big enough LA litigation group that you can blend in to the background a little, do good work, but have the ability to say "no" to matters that would put you closer to 3000 than 2000. I know that you could do this at Gibson, because that's exactly what I've done. (I'm serious about using the free market to protect my work-life balance, and I am willing to have uncomfortable conversations in which I say no to partners asking me to join new matters). I'm sure you could do this at some other LA biglaw firms, but I have no first hand experience. Among non-boutiques, avoid Skadden, Quinn, Kirkland, and others where you don't have the same level of control over accepting new matters.

[Anonymous User]

Op here. Thanks for all the advice. Working in biglaw for 5-8 years is mainly for financial reasons (mortgage, student loans, kids).

So far I have Gibson, Latham, Kirkland (bonus leverage), OMM, and maybe Munger. I'll apply to Munger, but I'd be very hesitant work there because I have friends who work/worked there, and they've convinced me that the hours are much worse than average biglaw hours. As someone with kids, I'd value being able to blend in and say no.

Any other suggestions out there?

What's the most effective way for a clerk in my shoes to apply? Should I reach out to the recruiting contact, find an alum at the office and ask them to pass my resume along to recruiting, email the hiring partner directly?

[Anonymous User]

Op here. Thanks for all the advice. Working in biglaw for 5-8 years is mainly for financial reasons (mortgage, student loans, kids).

So far I have Gibson, Latham, Kirkland (bonus leverage), OMM, and maybe Munger. I'll apply to Munger, but I'd be very hesitant work there because I have friends who work/worked there, and they've convinced me that the hours are much worse than average biglaw hours. As someone with kids, I'd value being able to blend in and say no.

Any other suggestions out there?

What's the most effective way for a clerk in my shoes to apply? Should I reach out to the recruiting contact, find an alum at the office and ask them to pass my resume along to recruiting, email the hiring partner directly?

GDC-Anon here. Others can chime in if I'm wrong, but if my Kirkland friends are any indication, that firm should not be on a list of firms that you can skate by for 5-8 years with ~2000 hour years. You should reach out to some contact at the firms, whether it be a friend, clerkship alumni, or school alumni, and have them pass your resume to recruiting.

[Anonymous User]

Op here. Thanks for all the advice. Working in biglaw for 5-8 years is mainly for financial reasons (mortgage, student loans, kids).

So far I have Gibson, Latham, Kirkland (bonus leverage), OMM, and maybe Munger. I'll apply to Munger, but I'd be very hesitant work there because I have friends who work/worked there, and they've convinced me that the hours are much worse than average biglaw hours. As someone with kids, I'd value being able to blend in and say no.

Any other suggestions out there?

What's the most effective way for a clerk in my shoes to apply? Should I reach out to the recruiting contact, find an alum at the office and ask them to pass my resume along to recruiting, email the hiring partner directly?

GDC-Anon here. Others can chime in if I'm wrong, but if my Kirkland friends are any indication, that firm should not be on a list of firms that you can skate by for 5-8 years with ~2000 hour years. You should reach out to some contact at the firms, whether it be a friend, clerkship alumni, or school alumni, and have them pass your resume to recruiting.

Thanks. Does Kirkland pay an above-market clerkship bonus?

[Anonymous User]

Bump. Anyone else have any tips?

[Anonymous User]

Mid level at K&E LA. You can definitely work sub-2300 here. You'll probably always hit close to 2000/2100. But we have a free market or "open assignment" system where you can definitely say no to new matters once your plate is full. The key is navigating to stay off the huge cases that will dominate your life and turn what would've been 1950 year on some other case into 2300 year on a mega case. Also IME there are just lulls in the work where you'll have some 200 or 250 months and then some more relatively chill 150-170 months. You just won't know when those are gonna be.