Boutiques Forum

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of good litigation boutique firms that offer good work and pay at least market salary base and significantly above market bonuses? I'm trying to come up with a post-clerkship list of places to apply to, and I don't even know many of these places that people mention.

Susman? Kellogg? Bartlit Beck? Is it correct that these places are all good places with good comp? And does anyone have any others? I ended up with a second circuit clerkship from a lower ranked school (and don't know anybody who has gone to these boutiques so would love any insight), and am posting anonymously as I don't want people to see my job search.

Thanks for any help!

[Anonymous User]

Not OP, but I wanted to piggyback and ask about how the Texas boutiques stack up against each other as well. Haven’t been able to find much info on these boards. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

also interested. Will be coming off of two clerkships from CCN, good grades but not magna

[Anonymous User]

Bartlit usually hires people who are or plausibly could be SCOTUS clerks, often but not always conservative. I’ve heard it’s a great place to work.

This question in general will depend on what market you want. NY and TX probably have the most lit boutiques, the latter is decently unique in that its lit market is very heavy on them vs. biglaw. Unlike most Vault rankings I think their boutique ones are ok. But they miss a lot in places that aren’t NY or TX like Bondurant Mixson in ATL.

[Anonymous User]

Re: Texas boutiques: anyone have thoughts on the Dallas boutiques? Specifically McKool and Lynn Pinker.

[Joachim2017]

Does anyone have a sense of good litigation boutique firms that offer good work and pay at least market salary base and significantly above market bonuses? I'm trying to come up with a post-clerkship list of places to apply to, and I don't even know many of these places that people mention.

Susman? Kellogg? Bartlit Beck? Is it correct that these places are all good places with good comp? And does anyone have any others? I ended up with a second circuit clerkship from a lower ranked school (and don't know anybody who has gone to these boutiques so would love any insight), and am posting anonymously as I don't want people to see my job search.

Thanks for any help!

Significantly above market bonuses? That will narrow your list down quite a bit. Susman, obviously, as well as Kellogg (these places will be reaching out to CA2 clerks directly, though it's usually in the form of letters to chambers so not sure what happens during WFH with your mail situation).

Other boutiques will offer above-market bonuses but not significantly -- e.g., like $5k-1$0k in the cases of firms like WW (or whatever it's called now), Quin Emanuel, Selendy & Gay, etc. Not sure about Kobre & Kim, they are a bit of a black box. If you can manage it, Susman and Kellogg are as good as it gets.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of good litigation boutique firms that offer good work and pay at least market salary base and significantly above market bonuses? I'm trying to come up with a post-clerkship list of places to apply to, and I don't even know many of these places that people mention.

Susman? Kellogg? Bartlit Beck? Is it correct that these places are all good places with good comp? And does anyone have any others? I ended up with a second circuit clerkship from a lower ranked school (and don't know anybody who has gone to these boutiques so would love any insight), and am posting anonymously as I don't want people to see my job search.

Thanks for any help!

Significantly above market bonuses? That will narrow your list down quite a bit. Susman, obviously, as well as Kellogg (these places will be reaching out to CA2 clerks directly, though it's usually in the form of letters to chambers so not sure what happens during WFH with your mail situation).

Other boutiques will offer above-market bonuses but not significantly -- e.g., like $5k-1$0k in the cases of firms like WW (or whatever it's called now), Quin Emanuel, Selendy & Gay, etc. Not sure about Kobre & Kim, they are a bit of a black box. If you can manage it, Susman and Kellogg are as good as it gets.

There’s that plaintiff patent shop in Santa Monica that gives like $100,000+ bonuses to juniors... dovel and someone

[Wakhancorridor]

[/quote]

There’s that plaintiff patent shop in Santa Monica that gives like $100,000+ bonuses to juniors... dovel and someone
[/quote]

Luner

[hdivschool]

Hueston Hennigan reportedly gives above market compensation.

[Anonymous User]

There’s that plaintiff patent shop in Santa Monica that gives like $100,000+ bonuses to juniors... dovel and someone
[/quote]

Luner
[/quote]
Anyone know if that place actually hires laterals/clerks?

[Anonymous User]

There’s that plaintiff patent shop in Santa Monica that gives like $100,000+ bonuses to juniors... dovel and someone

Luner
[/quote]
Anyone know if that place actually hires laterals/clerks?
[/quote]

Anyone know if that place actually hires laterals/clerks?

[j01]

Bartlit usually hires people who are or plausibly could be SCOTUS clerks, often but not always conservative. I’ve heard it’s a great place to work.

This question in general will depend on what market you want. NY and TX probably have the most lit boutiques, the latter is decently unique in that its lit market is very heavy on them vs. biglaw. Unlike most Vault rankings I think their boutique ones are ok. But they miss a lot in places that aren’t NY or TX like Bondurant Mixson in ATL.

Bartlit Beck, you mean? Interesting, I hadn't heard that. What makes you say conservative?

[Anonymous User]

Bartlit usually hires people who are or plausibly could be SCOTUS clerks, often but not always conservative. I’ve heard it’s a great place to work.

This question in general will depend on what market you want. NY and TX probably have the most lit boutiques, the latter is decently unique in that its lit market is very heavy on them vs. biglaw. Unlike most Vault rankings I think their boutique ones are ok. But they miss a lot in places that aren’t NY or TX like Bondurant Mixson in ATL.

Bartlit Beck, you mean? Interesting, I hadn't heard that. What makes you say conservative?

Just look at the people there, basically all of the SCOTUS clerks clerked for the conservatives (esp AMK and CT), Fred Bartlit worked for Bush, the firm took SFA v Harvard as a pro bono case, a couple of the lawyers do government-side pro bono habeas, etc. It’s not Consovoy or anything and there are plenty of liberals in the building but it’s notably conservative compared to the average biglaw firm.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of good litigation boutique firms that offer good work and pay at least market salary base and significantly above market bonuses? I'm trying to come up with a post-clerkship list of places to apply to, and I don't even know many of these places that people mention.

Susman? Kellogg? Bartlit Beck? Is it correct that these places are all good places with good comp? And does anyone have any others? I ended up with a second circuit clerkship from a lower ranked school (and don't know anybody who has gone to these boutiques so would love any insight), and am posting anonymously as I don't want people to see my job search.

Thanks for any help!

Significantly above market bonuses? That will narrow your list down quite a bit. Susman, obviously, as well as Kellogg (these places will be reaching out to CA2 clerks directly, though it's usually in the form of letters to chambers so not sure what happens during WFH with your mail situation).

Other boutiques will offer above-market bonuses but not significantly -- e.g., like $5k-1$0k in the cases of firms like WW (or whatever it's called now), Quin Emanuel, Selendy & Gay, etc. Not sure about Kobre & Kim, they are a bit of a black box. If you can manage it, Susman and Kellogg are as good as it gets.

I recently got a recruitment letter at Kellogg. I assume that doesn't indicate in any way that I'm competitive, right?

[polareagle]

Just look at the people there, basically all of the SCOTUS clerks clerked for the conservatives (esp AMK and CT), Fred Bartlit worked for Bush, the firm took SFA v Harvard as a pro bono case, a couple of the lawyers do government-side pro bono habeas, etc. It’s not Consovoy or anything and there are plenty of liberals in the building but it’s notably conservative compared to the average biglaw firm.

Truly, I did not know this was a thing. You mean they volunteer to represent states, for free, trying to keep people in prison/on death row? Wow.

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone have a sense of good litigation boutique firms that offer good work and pay at least market salary base and significantly above market bonuses? I'm trying to come up with a post-clerkship list of places to apply to, and I don't even know many of these places that people mention.

Susman? Kellogg? Bartlit Beck? Is it correct that these places are all good places with good comp? And does anyone have any others? I ended up with a second circuit clerkship from a lower ranked school (and don't know anybody who has gone to these boutiques so would love any insight), and am posting anonymously as I don't want people to see my job search.

Thanks for any help!

Significantly above market bonuses? That will narrow your list down quite a bit. Susman, obviously, as well as Kellogg (these places will be reaching out to CA2 clerks directly, though it's usually in the form of letters to chambers so not sure what happens during WFH with your mail situation).

Other boutiques will offer above-market bonuses but not significantly -- e.g., like $5k-1$0k in the cases of firms like WW (or whatever it's called now), Quin Emanuel, Selendy & Gay, etc. Not sure about Kobre & Kim, they are a bit of a black box. If you can manage it, Susman and Kellogg are as good as it gets.

I recently got a recruitment letter at Kellogg. I assume that doesn't indicate in any way that I'm competitive, right?

I also got one at my circuit court. I assumed they just sent them to all COAs (and I assume competitive DCs).

[Anonymous User]

Does anyone know what the clerkship bonus clawback policies are at some of the boutiques that give $100k+ bonuses (Kellog, SG, HH, etc.)? Thank you!

[polareagle]

Does anyone know what the clerkship bonus clawback policies are at some of the boutiques that give $100k+ bonuses (Kellog, SG, HH, etc.)? Thank you!

I do not work there, but at least a couple years ago Kellogg required 2 years of work in order to avoid a clawback. Also, word on the street is that you're going to be working just about every waking moment of those two years.

[Anonymous User]

Just look at the people there, basically all of the SCOTUS clerks clerked for the conservatives (esp AMK and CT), Fred Bartlit worked for Bush, the firm took SFA v Harvard as a pro bono case, a couple of the lawyers do government-side pro bono habeas, etc. It’s not Consovoy or anything and there are plenty of liberals in the building but it’s notably conservative compared to the average biglaw firm.

Truly, I did not know this was a thing. You mean they volunteer to represent states, for free, trying to keep people in prison/on death row? Wow.

Yes, there's a network of elite conservatives who file amicus briefs, serve as appointed amicus when the government won't defend a conviction, etc. from a pro-government perspective. A lot of them have or did have roles in state SG's offices, which obviously do a lot of habeas. Jonathan Mitchell, Adam Mortara, and Taylor Meehan (the latter two of whom are from Bartlit Beck) filed an amicus brief in Edwards v. Vannoy that several of the justices asked about for example. A lot of them also teach habeas, Mortara at Chicago (where he's a big SCOTUS feeder prof), Andy Oldham at Texas (in addition to his CA5 duties), Mitchell has before at Chicago, Stanford, and Texas.

There are also some "victims' rights" groups that do pro bono habeas in favor of the death penalty, but it's generally more bloodthirsty and less intellectual-fed-courts stuff. See this brief GDC did for example: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=3237782

[Anonymous User]

Anyone see the latest Susman bonuses on ATL and have any reactions? Seems like they aren't beating market as much as they did in prior years.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone see the latest Susman bonuses on ATL and have any reactions? Seems like they aren't beating market as much as they did in prior years.

I think that's correct. There is a Law.com article today on Susman's "lower than usual" bonus. Not sure what to think, but perhaps it points to apprehension given the uncertainty in the market and the impending recession that firms have been anticipating for a while now.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know how bonuses at Kellogg stack up?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know how bonuses at Kellogg stack up?

At the top. Clerkship bonuses are $175k, annual bonuses exceed biglaw.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know how bonuses at Kellogg stack up?

At the top. Clerkship bonuses are $175k, annual bonuses exceed biglaw.

There's been some discussion on here before that the headline figure for Kellogg may be misleading due to vesting over multiple years and their annual bonuses may no longer exceed market

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=303980
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=299528

On this topic, does anyone know if the artist formerly known as Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz is a stable firm right now? It doesn't seem like as much of a train wreck as Boies but the string of partner defections is very worrying for what was previously seen as an extremely attractive firm for clerks.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know how bonuses at Kellogg stack up?

At the top. Clerkship bonuses are $175k, annual bonuses exceed biglaw.

There's been some discussion on here before that the headline figure for Kellogg may be misleading due to vesting over multiple years and their annual bonuses may no longer exceed market

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=303980
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=299528

On this topic, does anyone know if the artist formerly known as Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz is a stable firm right now? It doesn't seem like as much of a train wreck as Boies but the string of partner defections is very worrying for what was previously seen as an extremely attractive firm for clerks.

Also curious re Wilkinson...