Culture; Cravath vs. STB vs. Davis Polk vs. S&C Forum

[JDJohnP21]

What are the differences in the culture of these firms? Which one is the most preppy/stuffy/formal/snobby?

[Anonymous User]

dpw is probably preppiest
cravath definitely most formal and stuffy
all are pretty snobby. s&c and cravath might be a tad snobbier but it's negligible

[Anonymous User]

Why would you say DPW is preppiest?

[TLSModBot]

No one's really going to know enough about all 4 of these firms to intelligently compare, certainly not beyond whatever meager ability to research the internet already provides. Also practice groups and offices within a firm can vary pretty widely - relatively few firms seem to be able to enforce some kind of strict "culture" that all partners and offices share.

If you get offers at any or all of these, you really can't go wrong - I think STB and Davis Polk are generally seen as less "sweatshoppy" than S&C and Cravath, and I know STB in DC has very strong connections to the various government agencies if you want to exit to SEC/DOJ/etc.

[Anonymous User]

Why would you say DPW is preppiest?

a mix of my personal experiences with their attorneys/the firm and their reputation. keep in mind these are all generalizations and you'll find all types at all four firms. but if we insist upon classificatons, davis polk and cravath are the oldest and most self-consciously "white shoe," but davis polk has the "gentlemen's" culture whereas cravath is a little more aggressive (but still aloof/reserved). DPW has tried to turn WASPy into "nice" to cater to current politically correct trends, but you still find a lot of people talking about where they summer, what class of sailboats their parents have, their Dartmouth alumni reunions, ect. it's a preppy vibe. tries to be friendly and accessible though, which I would not say about s&c and cravath.

[Anonymous User]

ITT: A bunch of people who have worked at none of these firms, and in fact, who have never worked as attorneys, deliver advice on comparative firm culture.

OP - the only people who can advise you on firm culture are attorneys at the firms themselves, and they can't post in a public thread like this, even under cover of anon, given the risk of outing and the general interest in not being completely frank in a public forum. You may get better results if you can be PMed.

[cookiejar1]

No one's really going to know enough about all 4 of these firms to intelligently compare, certainly not beyond whatever meager ability to research the internet already provides. Also practice groups and offices within a firm can vary pretty widely - relatively few firms seem to be able to enforce some kind of strict "culture" that all partners and offices share.

If you get offers at any or all of these, you really can't go wrong - I think STB and Davis Polk are generally seen as less "sweatshoppy" than S&C and Cravath, and I know STB in DC has very strong connections to the various government agencies if you want to exit to SEC/DOJ/etc.

Lol, don't choose DPW over CSM/S&C on the pretense that you'd "work less" there.

[Anonymous User]

ITT: A bunch of people who have worked at none of these firms, and in fact, who have never worked as attorneys, deliver advice on comparative firm culture.

OP - the only people who can advise you on firm culture are attorneys at the firms themselves, and they can't post in a public thread like this, even under cover of anon, given the risk of outing and the general interest in not being completely frank in a public forum. You may get better results if you can be PMed.

I'm the first anon, and I've actually worked at two of these firms. But sure.

I agree with you that generalizations like this are largely useless though and these firms are very similar.

[JDJohnP21]

First anon, please PM me.