Big Law

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson then Penn. They are second year associate at a Biglaw firm in M&A. Got out early (6 pm) on Thanksgiving. We saved them a plate and then they had dessert with us.

Total comp this year will be $260k. So we talked about that for 45 minutes and then they took Metro back to their apartment in CityCenterDC.

Sounds miserable.

Sounds troll . . . and false.

Big law shuts down Wed-Sun on Thanksgiving week. Unless there is a deal ------ and if there was -- DC associates would not be working Thanksgiving.

I’m old but I worked every holiday for the first few years as a junior associate in BigLaw.

Yes, I did also. I especially loved the partner who gave me a huge project on Dec. 26th when I was visiting my in-laws for the first time. My in-laws did not have hi-speed internet access at their home, so I went to a local sports bar with Wi-Fi to work on my laptop and I'm sure my future in-laws thought that was bizarre. Then again, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat because I paid off my debt quickly and I wasn't making anywhere near $250k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson then Penn. They are second year associate at a Biglaw firm in M&A. Got out early (6 pm) on Thanksgiving. We saved them a plate and then they had dessert with us.

Total comp this year will be $260k. So we talked about that for 45 minutes and then they took Metro back to their apartment in CityCenterDC.

This was my Big Law M&A experience, precisely. Worked with a great team so I didn't mind it at that point in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the rule of thumb for getting a job in BigLaw is to attend one of the T14 law schools. Any one of them is fine. Get good grades first year especially. Obviously, hiring will vary with the state of the market.

For undergrad, get a high GPA in a normal major at a top 100+ school. Your state flagship will do just fine. You don't need to be picky and you definitely do not need to attend a prestigious undergrad for T14 admission or for BigLaw.

Consider working full-time after college in a real-world setting for a couple of years. Definitely does not have to be a legal setting; business of some kind is perfect.

(Any minute now, someone will come along with a list of undergrad "feeders" to T14 and focus on Yale Law School specifically. Ignore them.)

Ok, I'll bite, but your post is missing some context. Agree that it's important to go to a top law school to get access to BigLaw. But disagree that you can easily access a T14 law school from any undergrad. I went to a T5 law school. We had many, many more classmates from top undergrads. For example, I was one of several in my class from my Ivy. We did have people from no name undergrads or generic state schools, but just one from each of those type of schools, and I assume they were the very top of their class. So... if you want to try to take that route, it's harder, and you have to assume you will be the very top of your class. No one knows that going in.

[Anonymous]

Husband and I both went to UT law. Both in top 5 in class and in big law- though I am out now. Would absolutely do it again.
Law school is great if you don’t have to go into debt to do it. If you do, better be at a good school and top of class- though depending on the school “top “ is different.

[Anonymous]

DC just started 2nd year as a NYC big law associate. Graduated from a top 5 Law School. Got a huge merit scholarship for law school coming from a state university. Debt free thanks to great grades and LSAT scores. Works in Corporate Finance. Works hard but deal closings have up and down times and better quality of life generally than litigation. Enjoys practice group and salary exceeding $250 K. Worked minimally Thanksgiving weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson then Penn. They are second year associate at a Biglaw firm in M&A. Got out early (6 pm) on Thanksgiving. We saved them a plate and then they had dessert with us.

Total comp this year will be $260k. So we talked about that for 45 minutes and then they took Metro back to their apartment in CityCenterDC.

Sounds miserable.

Sounds troll . . . and false.

Big law shuts down Wed-Sun on Thanksgiving week. Unless there is a deal ------ and if there was -- DC associates would not be working Thanksgiving.

I’m old but I worked every holiday for the first few years as a junior associate in BigLaw.

Yes, exactly. I don't work holidays these days outside a true (very rare) emergency, but for the first eight or so years, you have to pay your dues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson then Penn. They are second year associate at a Biglaw firm in M&A. Got out early (6 pm) on Thanksgiving. We saved them a plate and then they had dessert with us.

Total comp this year will be $260k. So we talked about that for 45 minutes and then they took Metro back to their apartment in CityCenterDC.

Sounds miserable.

Sounds troll . . . and false.

Big law shuts down Wed-Sun on Thanksgiving week. Unless there is a deal ------ and if there was -- DC associates would not be working Thanksgiving.

I was in DC Biglaw and worked over several Thanksgivings. I was able to do so remotely, but ended up sequestering myself in a bedroom at my relatives' houses. If I was local I might have gone into the office for a quieter work spot.

Yep. My brother is in biglaw and he usually spends thanksgiving week with us in DC or the rest of our family in Los Angeles but will work during the week. He will usually get permission to work from the DC or LA office of his firm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC just started 2nd year as a NYC big law associate. Graduated from a top 5 Law School. Got a huge merit scholarship for law school coming from a state university. Debt free thanks to great grades and LSAT scores. Works in Corporate Finance. Works hard but deal closings have up and down times and better quality of life generally than litigation. Enjoys practice group and salary exceeding $250 K. Worked minimally Thanksgiving weekend.

Top 5 law schools don’t hand out huge merit scholarships. Name the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, the rule of thumb for getting a job in BigLaw is to attend one of the T14 law schools. Any one of them is fine. Get good grades first year especially. Obviously, hiring will vary with the state of the market.

For undergrad, get a high GPA in a normal major at a top 100+ school. Your state flagship will do just fine. You don't need to be picky and you definitely do not need to attend a prestigious undergrad for T14 admission or for BigLaw.

Consider working full-time after college in a real-world setting for a couple of years. Definitely does not have to be a legal setting; business of some kind is perfect.

(Any minute now, someone will come along with a list of undergrad "feeders" to T14 and focus on Yale Law School specifically. Ignore them.)

Hiring happens even earlier now (before 1L spring grades are out) so it becomes even more importnat to get good grades the first semester of 1L year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC just started 2nd year as a NYC big law associate. Graduated from a top 5 Law School. Got a huge merit scholarship for law school coming from a state university. Debt free thanks to great grades and LSAT scores. Works in Corporate Finance. Works hard but deal closings have up and down times and better quality of life generally than litigation. Enjoys practice group and salary exceeding $250 K. Worked minimally Thanksgiving weekend.

Top 5 law schools don’t hand out huge merit scholarships. Name the school.

Yeah, nice try, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the rule of thumb for getting a job in BigLaw is to attend one of the T14 law schools. Any one of them is fine. Get good grades first year especially. Obviously, hiring will vary with the state of the market.

For undergrad, get a high GPA in a normal major at a top 100+ school. Your state flagship will do just fine. You don't need to be picky and you definitely do not need to attend a prestigious undergrad for T14 admission or for BigLaw.

Consider working full-time after college in a real-world setting for a couple of years. Definitely does not have to be a legal setting; business of some kind is perfect.

(Any minute now, someone will come along with a list of undergrad "feeders" to T14 and focus on Yale Law School specifically. Ignore them.)

I went to a T14, but I wish I had gone to a cheaper law school in the 20-50. While it's easier to get into a big coast law firm from from a T14, it isn't that hard from a good-not-great law school. Top firms are full of grads from Fordham, Hastings, George Washington, BU, etc. To be fair, you'll want to be in the top 10-20% of your class and maybe on law review from such schools to get a first-year job at top firms. In my case, the debt I racked up in my T14 meant that I had no choice but to go into "Big Law" and remain there longer than I would have preferred. I wish I had looked for scholarships and cheaper options. As others have said, the big-firm life is a grind and, in my experience, only about 10% of those in it truly enjoy their jobs.

Are you sure about Hastings ?

At least in SF, Hastings (or whatever it’s now called) is well represented in elite law firms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC just started 2nd year as a NYC big law associate. Graduated from a top 5 Law School. Got a huge merit scholarship for law school coming from a state university. Debt free thanks to great grades and LSAT scores. Works in Corporate Finance. Works hard but deal closings have up and down times and better quality of life generally than litigation. Enjoys practice group and salary exceeding $250 K. Worked minimally Thanksgiving weekend.

Top 5 law schools don’t hand out huge merit scholarships. Name the school.

DP.

Columbia, UChicago, and Duke offer merit based law scholarships(and offer need based too), and have been recently or are currently T5 LAW. Harvard, Yale , Stanford offer need-based only but because some are "named" funds students and families often mistake it for merit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dickinson then Penn. They are second year associate at a Biglaw firm in M&A. Got out early (6 pm) on Thanksgiving. We saved them a plate and then they had dessert with us.

Total comp this year will be $260k. So we talked about that for 45 minutes and then they took Metro back to their apartment in CityCenterDC.

Sounds miserable.

Sounds troll . . . and false.

Big law shuts down Wed-Sun on Thanksgiving week. Unless there is a deal ------ and if there was -- DC associates would not be working Thanksgiving.

I’m old but I worked every holiday for the first few years as a junior associate in BigLaw.

Yes, I did also. I especially loved the partner who gave me a huge project on Dec. 26th when I was visiting my in-laws for the first time. My in-laws did not have hi-speed internet access at their home, so I went to a local sports bar with Wi-Fi to work on my laptop and I'm sure my future in-laws thought that was bizarre. Then again, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat because I paid off my debt quickly and I wasn't making anywhere near $250k.

They absolutely do - U Chicago, Penn, UVA, NYU, Columbia and Duke all offer large merit scholarships including full rides or 2/3 tuition for top candidates they want to recruit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC just started 2nd year as a NYC big law associate. Graduated from a top 5 Law School. Got a huge merit scholarship for law school coming from a state university. Debt free thanks to great grades and LSAT scores. Works in Corporate Finance. Works hard but deal closings have up and down times and better quality of life generally than litigation. Enjoys practice group and salary exceeding $250 K. Worked minimally Thanksgiving weekend.

Top 5 law schools don’t hand out huge merit scholarships. Name the school.

Yeah, nice try, PP.

WYKYK…you must be extremely qualified with gpa and test scores, but for top candidates Chicago, Penn, UVA Duke, Columbia, and others all offer big merit scholarships

[Anonymous]

Former big law associate here (now boutique firm partner) - the firms do "shut down" on weekends/holidays meaning the STAFF are not necessarily there, but of course the lawyers who need to be are.
I remember actually taking the entirety of Memorial Day weekend off my second year at the big firm because we'd just settled a huge case and it felt like a month long vacation.