Anonymous
06/19/2025 15:25
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Can someone list the top schools. The T14 or 30 or whatever it is ….
FFS, Google it.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 15:23
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
+1
It is also clear, after a couple of years, which associates will be able to connect with/attract/retain clients. It's a skill (perhaps even a talent), and most don't have it.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 14:08
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Can someone list the top schools. The T14 or 30 or whatever it is ….
Anonymous
06/19/2025 14:04
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
It's really unhelpful not knowing the firm that you're talking about, because for most top tier firms in top tier cities -- say, New York, DC, LA, Chicago -- this is NOT the norm. Sure, senior associates might be expected to have clients that are their "main responsibility" or "matter manager" for -- but that still doesn't make those matters the associate's "book." If the associate doesn't make partner and leaves the first, you can best believe that most of those matters won't walk out the door with her.
Yea, maybe in a niche practice like government affairs an associate up for partner might be expected to have their own client, but I'll say this: that associate isn't going to make partner with any of the big guns in DC on that basis alone. They're more likely to be offered a counsel position.
Don’t want to dox myself but such a huge firm not like it matters, ha. Dentons.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 13:43
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
It's really unhelpful not knowing the firm that you're talking about, because for most top tier firms in top tier cities -- say, New York, DC, LA, Chicago -- this is NOT the norm. Sure, senior associates might be expected to have clients that are their "main responsibility" or "matter manager" for -- but that still doesn't make those matters the associate's "book." If the associate doesn't make partner and leaves the first, you can best believe that most of those matters won't walk out the door with her.
Yea, maybe in a niche practice like government affairs an associate up for partner might be expected to have their own client, but I'll say this: that associate isn't going to make partner with any of the big guns in DC on that basis alone. They're more likely to be offered a counsel position.
The better the firm, the less likley the associate for partner will have a book. The case is made based on the department or group and the potential of that person to develop work. Further down the pecking order, associates are expected to have a book. Just to pull a couple of examples -- for the DC firms mentioned above -- I would not expect a Wilmer, W&C, or Covington new partner to have a book -- they may which would be great but they are being promoted on potential and what their group is going. Same in NY for S&C, Paul Weiss, Davis Polk.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 08:01
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
It matters throughout your career. I’m over 20 years out, and it still matters. You can definitely overcome going to a not-prestigious law school, but you have to be a superstar.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 07:25
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
firm not first obviously
Anonymous
06/19/2025 07:24
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
It's really unhelpful not knowing the firm that you're talking about, because for most top tier firms in top tier cities -- say, New York, DC, LA, Chicago -- this is NOT the norm. Sure, senior associates might be expected to have clients that are their "main responsibility" or "matter manager" for -- but that still doesn't make those matters the associate's "book." If the associate doesn't make partner and leaves the first, you can best believe that most of those matters won't walk out the door with her.
Yea, maybe in a niche practice like government affairs an associate up for partner might be expected to have their own client, but I'll say this: that associate isn't going to make partner with any of the big guns in DC on that basis alone. They're more likely to be offered a counsel position.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 07:18
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
Np but no, an associate would almost never have their own business before making partner. In all honestly, the firm doesn’t want the associate drilling up crappy super small matters - which is all an associate will be able to come up with. Firms make money from big clients, big matters and cross selling. That skill happens at the partner level.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 07:00
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Hmm, this has not been my experience. Partner at a Big Law firm and went to a Midwest state school for law school. Have been at two big law firms in my career and we never focused much on law school when making partnership decisions. Much more focused on book of business.
Most Big Law firms do NOT make partnership decisions "focused on book of business." Most senior associates up for partner don't even have a "book of business." "Book of business" will count a lot for lateral partners, obviously, but not for associates coming up through the ranks.
I know everyone is different but you didn’t have a book of business as an associate up for partner? Clients that were your main responsibility/that you were matter manager for? Maybe my firms are unusual but associates absolutely have a couple of their own clients. Practice area is government affairs so maybe that is the differentiator.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 05:51
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
I went to a T14 and am at BigLaw. I ended up in a state court case near my T14 and was surprised at how often the opposing counsel and judge brought it up. Not in an in-awe way, but “I would have expected a graduate of SCHOOL to have done XXX.” Not sure if it was a positive or a negative for my client.
Anonymous
06/19/2025 00:13
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Anonymous wrote:The World Bank loves Harvard grads (and Oxford and a small number of other universities, mainly Europe and China).
But for the same reason, biglaw is not nuts about Harvard, Yale etc. These jds tend to gravitate towards and do better in fluffier settings like the world bank, where there is more thinking and less doing. Anecdotally in my 25 year career, these grads do not tend to do well in biglaw. But anything past the top five schools does okay.
Anonymous
06/18/2025 21:34
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
The World Bank loves Harvard grads (and Oxford and a small number of other universities, mainly Europe and China).
Anonymous
06/18/2025 21:08
Subject: Law school pedigree after Big Law?
Agree, it matters for your whole career. I was in a meeting with 40 and 50 year olds who have been practicing for decades and we had to state our law schools when introducing ourselves. One 50-something lawyer pointed out that he had been editor of Harvard law review.
Anonymous
06/18/2025 19:55
Subject: Re:Law school pedigree after Big Law?
It matters for your whole career. Not saying it should but it definitely does.