Question about biglaw Forum

[plainplaid]

I've browsed through this forum for quite some time now, but never made an account until recently. So its through my understanding that if you want to make the big bucks in law, its a better idea to work towards getting a big law job after you graduate. So my question is, if one was unable to get a big law job upon graduation would there still be a chance of still getting a big law job later in one's legal career? With already so much debt from law school, if one was not able to find a job, the next most logical thing would be to gravitate to whatever firms you can get a job in, whether medium or small firms. But do big law firms still hire people who have worked for medium or small sized firms? Would it matter where you worked and for how long after graduating from ls? I recall reading that it would be a disadvantage to work for in PI then to try and switch over to big law. Anyone have some feedback on this?

[toothbrush]

I've browsed through this forum for quite some time now, but never made an account until recently. So its through my understanding that if you want to make the big bucks in law, its a better idea to work towards getting a big law job after you graduate. So my question is, if one was unable to get a big law job upon graduation would there still be a chance of still getting a big law job later in one's legal career? With already so much debt from law school, if one was not able to find a job, the next most logical thing would be to gravitate to whatever firms you can get a job in, whether medium or small firms. But do big law firms still hire people who have worked for medium or small sized firms? Would it matter where you worked and for how long after graduating from ls? I recall reading that it would be a disadvantage to work for in PI then to try and switch over to big law. Anyone have some feedback on this?

generally no you cant get into biglaw after law school. unless you do like doj in, say, antitrust, and then go work in a big firm doing antitrust. sometimes if you become very good at something in doj, usao, or something equally difficult to get, then you can go into big law.

haven't seen/heard of much midlaw/smalllaw -> big law. if it does happen, it's not enough to think that that's a legitimate way to get into big law.

if you want/need (bc of debt from law school) big law, you should play the game everyone else here does. (good lsat, retake, retake, t14 w/ $$$, hope for the best...)

these forums are sad w/ ppl from t14 at median who are striking out - so if you are at a lower school /planning to and think you can go mid law/ small law -> big law you should probably consider heavily

[nealric]

I've browsed through this forum for quite some time now, but never made an account until recently. So its through my understanding that if you want to make the big bucks in law, its a better idea to work towards getting a big law job after you graduate. So my question is, if one was unable to get a big law job upon graduation would there still be a chance of still getting a big law job later in one's legal career? With already so much debt from law school, if one was not able to find a job, the next most logical thing would be to gravitate to whatever firms you can get a job in, whether medium or small firms. But do big law firms still hire people who have worked for medium or small sized firms? Would it matter where you worked and for how long after graduating from ls? I recall reading that it would be a disadvantage to work for in PI then to try and switch over to big law. Anyone have some feedback on this?

I am a former biglaw attorney. Other than a federal clerkship (often harder to get than biglaw), the way into biglaw is through OCI recruiting. There are a small handful of people who have moved up from smaller firms, but they are vary rare exceptions. Most of those rare exceptions had the opportunity to do biglaw and chose an elite boutique instead. You will not get into biglaw after PI. You can from certain prestigious government agencies, but most of the people who get those offer could have chosen biglaw.