1st Year Lateraling Forum

[Anonymous User]

I did not unfortunately get the office location that I wanted and will be starting in the fall in a different city at a V30 firm. I spoke with my career advisory today and she said that it was possible for a 1st year in corporate to lateral right now within the first ~6 months.

Is this true that it is possible for a 1st year to lateral so early? I have fairly solid big law credentials, but I know lateraling is more about work experience than grades.

As a second question that would be a hypothetical, do you envision the market lasting the next ~6 months so that corporate laterals are still as valued as I keep hearing they are?

Any advice/anecdotes/knowledge would be helpful

[Sackboy]

Yes.

[1styearlateral]

Yes.

[LittleRedCorvette]

Yes.

This person knows.

[Anonymous User]

Yes.

This person knows.

I lateraled not once but twice during my first year. The only correct answer is "Yes."

[pkeller]

Honestly, it's going to look really bad to leave within the first six months. The market is doing well and you're in an in demand practice area, BUT it is much harder to lateral as a younger associate, let alone so early on (also, again, you'd be viewed as a flight risk. No guarantee you wouldn't do this again from the hiring partner's POV)

[Yea All Right]

I know three people who lateraled from NYC to LA around the end of their first year, and that was before the pandemic. A compelling personal reason to make the move would help assuage concerns about you being a flight risk, I think.

[Anonymous User]

I know it's CW that moving around too much or too soon is Bad, but has anyone ever actually suffered as a result, in recent years? Because I see a LOT of people on LinkedIn who didn't follow the rules and seem to be doing just fine.

Follow up questions to those lateraling as first years, did you get a signing bonus? What was the reaction from the outgoing firm? Did they offer a retention incentive? What made you decide firm 2 was better, and did it turn out the way you thought it would?

[Anonymous User]

I know three people who lateraled from NYC to LA around the end of their first year, and that was before the pandemic. A compelling personal reason to make the move would help assuage concerns about you being a flight risk, I think.

OP here and yes the lateral would be for solely personal reasons (partner's placement)

[nixy]

Leaving one job early doesn’t make you look like a flight risk. A pattern of leaving jobs early makes you look like a flight risk. And if you have desirable skills/experience and good explanations, even a pattern of moving around isn’t going to hinder you. People are too inclined to stay in jobs longer than they should for fear of looking flighty. It’s not that big a deal. (Assuming you’re leaving on at least decent terms - if you repeatedly get fired or “given the talk,” sure, it’s probably going to get harder.)

[bobbyflayed]

Leave if you don't like it. Don't listen to the haters. I left two V10 law firms because it sucked and everyone is trying to pretend it doesn't suck by drowning their sorrows in money. I left my first firm as a rising second year and my second firm as a rising fourth year. I now hire those same V10 firms at my fund shitting on the same partners that shit on me.