CA Substantive Litigation Experience? Forum

[Chicago2025]

Which firms in California (mainly Southern) offer the most substantive lit experience for juniors? Obviously boutiques will be at the top of the list generally but are there any other firms that pay market and give opportunities for juniors (1-3 years) to do things like conduct depositions, draft motions, or go to trials?

[The Lsat Airbender]

Conducting a depo is pretty rare for non-boutique biglaw juniors. Ditto second-chairing a trial. If either of those things is really important to you then boutiques are to be preferred.

Best ways to get "live" exposure that early are to clerk and to take on pro-bono cases (i.e. not closely related to which particular firm you're at).

[Anonymous User]

Conducting a depo is pretty rare for non-boutique biglaw juniors. Ditto second-chairing a trial. If either of those things is really important to you then boutiques are to be preferred.

Best ways to get "live" exposure that early are to clerk and to take on pro-bono cases (i.e. not closely related to which particular firm you're at).

Seconding this. Within the world of biglaw (i.e., on Cravath scale), there is virtually zero differentiation at the firm-name-level (hell, even office-level) with respect to the juicy opportunities. This probably remains true deep into the V100 rankings. It is so ad hoc that you're better off networking hard to get a sense of unusually good/nurturing practice groups and partners, and then hustling your butt off once you're inside to score the meatballs. I'm sure this isn't the answer you're looking for, but them's the facts.

[Anonymous User]

Conducting a depo is pretty rare for non-boutique biglaw juniors. Ditto second-chairing a trial. If either of those things is really important to you then boutiques are to be preferred.

Best ways to get "live" exposure that early are to clerk and to take on pro-bono cases (i.e. not closely related to which particular firm you're at).

Seconding this. Within the world of biglaw (i.e., on Cravath scale), there is virtually zero differentiation at the firm-name-level (hell, even office-level) with respect to the juicy opportunities. This probably remains true deep into the V100 rankings. It is so ad hoc that you're better off networking hard to get a sense of unusually good/nurturing practice groups and partners, and then hustling your butt off once you're inside to score the meatballs. I'm sure this isn't the answer you're looking for, but them's the facts.

You actually might have more luck at rinky-dink BigLaw. I saw some pretty young associates from lower BigLaw arguing motions for rinky-dink cases back when I clerked. Lower V100 tends to have less sexy and therefore less high-stakes cases = less jittery partners and clients = youngsters' time to shine

[Anonymous User]

Agree that your chances are materially better at Faegre than Cravath. Does that mean you should go to Faegre? Probably not, but there is a difference.

[Anonymous User]

Lit boutiques (HH, MTO, SG, etc)

[Anonymous User]

Conducting a depo is pretty rare for non-boutique biglaw juniors. Ditto second-chairing a trial. If either of those things is really important to you then boutiques are to be preferred.

Best ways to get "live" exposure that early are to clerk and to take on pro-bono cases (i.e. not closely related to which particular firm you're at).

Seconding this. Within the world of biglaw (i.e., on Cravath scale), there is virtually zero differentiation at the firm-name-level (hell, even office-level) with respect to the juicy opportunities. This probably remains true deep into the V100 rankings. It is so ad hoc that you're better off networking hard to get a sense of unusually good/nurturing practice groups and partners, and then hustling your butt off once you're inside to score the meatballs. I'm sure this isn't the answer you're looking for, but them's the facts.

You actually might have more luck at rinky-dink BigLaw. I saw some pretty young associates from lower BigLaw arguing motions for rinky-dink cases back when I clerked. Lower V100 tends to have less sexy and therefore less high-stakes cases = less jittery partners and clients = youngsters' time to shine

Alternatively, you can join a group that handles large multidistrict litigations. Somebody has to depose all those plaintiffs (and medical providers, family members, etc.). Going this route probably means doing products defense / mass torts. Sexiness may vary.