Which would you choose? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Say you are top 10% LR at MVPB.

Would you choose:

Going to a V10-25 firm and giving biglaw a shot trying to become partner and if not moving to in house?

or

Going to a mid size firm (50 attorneys, mostly partners and about 50-75 support staff) in a mid size city that starts just below market (140-150k) that is partner heavy and you are almost guaranteed to make partner in less than 8 years at. Lets say these partners are, on average, making around 300K. Smaller work (everything is local or at most state bound).

Please post if anything else about the mid size firm would affect your decision and ill post it.

[c3pO4]

Say you are top 10% LR at MVPB.

Would you choose:

Going to a V10-25 firm and giving biglaw a shot trying to become partner and if not moving to in house?

or

Going to a mid size firm (50 attorneys, mostly partners and about 50-75 support staff) in a mid size city that starts just below market (140-150k) that is partner heavy and you are almost guaranteed to make partner in less than 8 years at. Lets say these partners are, on average, making around 300K. Smaller work (everything is local or at most state bound).

Please post if anything else about the mid size firm would affect your decision and ill post it.

I stopped reading at guaranteed partner.

[Kiersten1985]

This all depends on whether you would rather be a "partner" at any ol' firm or go in house/mid-size firm later on.

I would take Vault, no question. And not simply for the "prestige" of it. For the training, type of work you'll see, networking and the doors it will open for you later on (some might say that's prestige but I think it's more strategy. Write your ticket to somewhere after. You're losing a lot of opportunities going to the other place.

The only exception would be if the smaller firm is in the precise town you know you want to live in for the rest of your life and all you want out of being a lawyer is working on small, local issues in that particular town. Nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't sound like that's what you want.

Finally, partner-heavy sounds awful. Wouldn't that mean more scrapping for work and less help with the grunt work?

[Blindmelon]

50 person firm that starts that high? Are the hours a lot better than the firm? If so, no question midsize. Preftige is not worth hours if the pay isn't much better.

[Grizz]

This stinks of 0L nonsense.

[Anonymous User]

This stinks of 0L nonsense.

OP here,

I work at this midsize firm i am speaking of. I am an 0L. there are about 45 partners and 5-6 associates. And yes, every person hired is fully expected to make partner. I do not believe the PPP here is extremely high, but I could be wrong.

[c3pO4]

This stinks of 0L nonsense.

OP here,

I work at this midsize firm i am speaking of. I am an 0L. there are about 45 partners and 5-6 associates. And yes, every person hired is fully expected to make partner. I do not believe the PPP here is extremely high, but I could be wrong.

lol. i'm sure that's what they say.

--firm could go under
--new partners might revisit the policy
--firm might not be able to sustain making everyone partner indefinitely
--partners could defect to a different or bigger firm and not take all associates

etc etc etc. you are a 0L talking about partnership prospects. do you realize how dumb that is? have you even taken the lsat? you definitely don't know what your 1L grades are. You probably think you will be top 10% like every other 0L. Chill out and don't ask stupid questions about vault vs your midlaw firm when you are an 0L.

[kaiser]

This is ridiculous. Though I guess you can't expect a 0L to understand that MANY smaller firms say the very same thing (since its a way to make a sell over large firms).

[monkey85]

What kind of law do you want to do?

Choosing between the two listed options is nearly impossible if we (and seems like you also) do not know the end goal. The series of bimodal outcomes (Corporate vs. Litigation, if Corporate - Finance vs. M&A, if M&A - Private Equity vs. Public Company, etc.) won't end unless you know where you want it to go.

Take some time to narrow down your legal goals. Then, I'm sure this board can be more helpful.

[Ikki]

Why hasn't this preposterous bullshit been closed? I thought mod policy was to lock threads started by 0Ls in this forum.

[Grizz]

This stinks of 0L nonsense.

OP here,

I work at this midsize firm i am speaking of. I am an 0L. there are about 45 partners and 5-6 associates. And yes, every person hired is fully expected to make partner. I do not believe the PPP here is extremely high, but I could be wrong.

Your thead sucks. No, I will not assume top 10% at MVPB.

[Anonymous User]

This all depends on whether you would rather be a "partner" at any ol' firm or go in house/mid-size firm later on.

I would take Vault, no question. And not simply for the "prestige" of it. For the training, type of work you'll see, networking and the doors it will open for you later on (some might say that's prestige but I think it's more strategy. Write your ticket to somewhere after. You're losing a lot of opportunities going to the other place.

The only exception would be if the smaller firm is in the precise town you know you want to live in for the rest of your life and all you want out of being a lawyer is working on small, local issues in that particular town. Nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't sound like that's what you want.

Finally, partner-heavy sounds awful. Wouldn't that mean more scrapping for work and less help with the grunt work?

There seems to be plenty of work to go around. But yes I would say it is more local, although we do deal with multi million dollar cases.

There is enough support staff here with paralegals and clerks that attorneys do not seem to do "grunt" work although many do their own research. I have no idea if this is normal.

[Anonymous User]

Ugh, I dont know why people are hating.

I have a friend who had an SA here over the summer. HE is top 10% and on law review at UVA. HE turned down this firms offer for a much more reputable firm. I will not out him of course. I just dont see how one could do that knowing that partner is in grasp where as everyone talks about how hard it is at other firms.

[Anonymous User]

I am saying that this firm has been around for a good while, no associate has ever not been given partner offer (though some have left for other firms).

It was more a matter of curiosity than deciding my lifes plan.

Yes I took the LSAT, yes I will be attending a T14 next year (deferred from last year for this opportunity). No, no idea where I will be in the class and I dont assume I will be T10%

Just curious to get peoples perspective.

[ben4847]

I'm changing my vote. Go for the big firm, and lateral down into the small one after few years if you really want that.

[nygrrrl]

Um, OP? What exactly are you DOING at this firm? Are you a paralegal?
(She said, contemplating shutting this thing down...)
(nevermind. this thread is now where it belongs. carry on.)