Govt to biglaw - what questions to ask?

[Anonymous]

Keeping it kind of vague, going from govt likely to biglaw, pretty senior and going in as either counsel or an income partner.

Assuming multiple offers, and money isn’t the highest priority, what questions to ask to figure out if the firm/practice group is going to be a good place to land?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keeping it kind of vague, going from govt likely to biglaw, pretty senior and going in as either counsel or an income partner.

Assuming multiple offers, and money isn’t the highest priority, what questions to ask to figure out if the firm/practice group is going to be a good place to land?

Biglaw shops are mostly fungible (I've been at two, DW had been at two), all in the top 25 - I don't think that matters, but want to get ahead of any prestige obsessed posters.

The thing that will make the most difference to you will be the personality and expectations of the equity partners/rainmakers, and the nature of the partner politics. Both are almost impossible to assess without a friend on the inside to give you frank answers

I speak from a litigation background

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keeping it kind of vague, going from govt likely to biglaw, pretty senior and going in as either counsel or an income partner.

Assuming multiple offers, and money isn’t the highest priority, what questions to ask to figure out if the firm/practice group is going to be a good place to land?

Biglaw shops are mostly fungible (I've been at two, DW had been at two), all in the top 25 - I don't think that matters, but want to get ahead of any prestige obsessed posters.

The thing that will make the most difference to you will be the personality and expectations of the equity partners/rainmakers, and the nature of the partner politics. Both are almost impossible to assess without a friend on the inside to give you frank answers

I speak from a litigation background

You are almost right. It’s not the rainmakers and equity partners generally, just the ones in the practice group that the OP will work with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keeping it kind of vague, going from govt likely to biglaw, pretty senior and going in as either counsel or an income partner.

Assuming multiple offers, and money isn’t the highest priority, what questions to ask to figure out if the firm/practice group is going to be a good place to land?

Biglaw shops are mostly fungible (I've been at two, DW had been at two), all in the top 25 - I don't think that matters, but want to get ahead of any prestige obsessed posters.

The thing that will make the most difference to you will be the personality and expectations of the equity partners/rainmakers, and the nature of the partner politics. Both are almost impossible to assess without a friend on the inside to give you frank answers

I speak from a litigation background

I think this is true. As someone who left biglaw a while ago I wonder if compensation practices can provide a proxy/window into them though.

[Anonymous]

if its a small firm in Memphis, and you have to go on a trip to the caymans... stay off the beach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keeping it kind of vague, going from govt likely to biglaw, pretty senior and going in as either counsel or an income partner.

Assuming multiple offers, and money isn’t the highest priority, what questions to ask to figure out if the firm/practice group is going to be a good place to land?

Biglaw shops are mostly fungible (I've been at two, DW had been at two), all in the top 25 - I don't think that matters, but want to get ahead of any prestige obsessed posters.

The thing that will make the most difference to you will be the personality and expectations of the equity partners/rainmakers, and the nature of the partner politics. Both are almost impossible to assess without a friend on the inside to give you frank answers

I speak from a litigation background

Thanks, I don’t have friends on the inside exactly but I have some information and think I’m doing a pretty good job assessing personality. I’m having a harder time figuring out if I’ll be scrounging for work or have a good setup for getting work and building more business. Not a litigator.

[Anonymous]

Ask how busy their associates are (average hours, whether they are hiring, partner to associate ratio). Should give you a small window into how busy the practice group is and whether they would have enough work for you.

Some other potential questions:
-what support is there for building business (eg is there a business development budget, does the practice group pay for membership to orgs or events)
-how does a particular partner run cases (to give insight into personality)
-what’s the worst thing / most challenging aspect about the firm and culture (I find this answer tells you a lot)
-general in office hours/ how many days per week expectations or encouraged numbers
-what their expectations are for you in terms of bringing in business and by when