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I am only a few months in my firm. The reason for the move lies with the firm, and while I think everyone will agree I had to leave, I don't want to seem like a malcontent. Do I make up some bs reason about wanting to change location?

Yes - personal reasons for needing to move. If you're going to change markets altogether, that's probably the best explanation you can give.

In addition (or on its own if you're not actually changing markets), talk up what makes the work at place you're applying to different/better than where you are - you want to change practice areas and they offer much better opportunities than your current firm. Or they have a free market work assignment system and your current firm is strictly controlled by a staffing attorney. Or the place you're applying to has a more/less entrepreneurial culture that you really appreciate for reasons.

It's not being a malcontent to say "your firm offers opportunity X which is lacking at my current firm so I really want to work for you" - it's emphasizing the positive about the new firm. Unfortunately if "opportunity X" is something like "the opportunity to work with partners who don't hate me/aren't impossible to work for/don't want to represent complete scumbags" then stick to the location-based argument (which is always safer, although being able to say why you want to work at a given firm is always helpful too).

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 23, 2022 7:43 pm

I am only a few months in my firm. The reason for the move lies with the firm, and while I think everyone will agree I had to leave, I don't want to seem like a malcontent. Do I make up some bs reason about wanting to change location?

I don't think you need to give that much reasoning just because you're a first year actually. It's easier to retrain/integrate someone with little experience compared to a mid/senior associate who already is deeply entrenched in their former organization.

You can just say that you're not interested in the practice area you were placed in and really would like to work in "x". If you're trying to stay in the same practice area, just say I'm interested in "x" type of work which I did not know of when I was a law student. Now that I have a better lay of the land, I want to move to a firm that does more / has a better platform for "x" type of work (obviously make sure the firm you're interviewing has that "x" as their strong suit).

I just lateraled as a first-year. Geography change, pretty easy sell.

If this is Jones Day, I think everyone will understand and no one will consider you a malcontent (eg if there is negative public news about your firm that everyone is aware of)

For first years who lateral, does the new firm ever pay the summer stipend clawback enforced by the original firm?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 30, 2022 10:15 am

If this is Jones Day, I think everyone will understand and no one will consider you a malcontent (eg if there is negative public news about your firm that everyone is aware of)

As someone who lateraled from jones day as a junior associate, this was such an easy sell.

“I really liked the work I’m doing and the people I work with. I’m just uneasy about stealing elections.”

Where does one find info about lateral opportunities? I'd like to avoid using a recruiter, since I heard they take 20% of your salary or something.

The employer pays the recruiter fees (though if you mean that you want to avoid them because you think employers will be less likely to hire you because of the fee, fair enough).