Anonymous
07/15/2013 14:36
Subject: Re:For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Anonymous wrote:Biglaw wife here: many years of watching. Unless you get another offer at a Big firm very soon, likely the path is away. Yes, you land on your feet (you are BigLaw after all!) but usually either lateral, or unfortunately downward. Either to a smaller firm, or in house counsel, or something else you like. Most people are very happy that they did, however. Very best of luck in your search.
Do you work? If not -
Anonymous
07/15/2013 14:34
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
So far, looking at the responses, it seems that most people here landed, but landed hard...
Anonymous
07/15/2013 11:54
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Anonymous wrote:Any biglaw litigators using this to leave law or would you feel like you where throwing your JD away? I was one of the rare ones who wanted to stay in biglaw forever -- didn't work out that way as my dep't fell off a cliff and I can't get other firms to give me a look because I'm so senior and I am reluctant to even get in somewhere bill 2400+ to prove myself and then not make partner bc 3 yrs from now, I'll be kicking myself for not making a different decision sooner.
While there are good in-house and gov't positions, it just seems like a shot in the dark. I have become the queen of becoming the top 2 candidates and then not getting it -- I'll usually get a very nice email/phone call telling me that I'm great but they had someone 10 yrs senior to me, an internal candidate, already in-house whatever -- that's great but little good it does me. I am just envisioning a life where I will bounce job to job like this with little marketable skillset as I'm not a super-specialized litigator, nor did I ever attain a partner title.
Anyone been able to transition from litigation to business? FWIW - I have a business undergrad from a top school but have not used it in a LOT of years. WWYD?
I was a general litigator and a senior associate, top school JD. I ended up switching to regulatory work. It wasn't what I was looking for at all. My job search had many phases before I was ultimately asked to leave my firm. At that point, I looked mostly for government litigation or investigation work and tried to make a case based on my prior experience. Prior to that, I had looked at a lot of in-house positions and associate positions in smaller markets and came in #2 time and time again. It was dumb luck that I ended up in this regulatory position. But I love it and I don't have nearly the same unpredictable schedule that I did before. Focus on the skills that a general litigator brings to the table: you can pick things up quickly, are good with details, etc. and try to look for positions that tie back to some of your previous experience. It can be done, but you have to sell, sell, sell yourself.
Anonymous
07/15/2013 08:00
Subject: Re:For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Partner at BigLaw moves to another firm works. Senior associate to another firm usually equals associate forever. You need to have you own book of business to make a meaningful move. "Completely self sustaining with own billing" is the goal. Without that it is very tough, unless you move to another city. But most think of something, and land on their feet somewhere.
Anonymous
07/14/2013 23:51
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
I was an associate. Mid-level, at a nationwide firm. I went out on my own. Borrowed $25k from my parents to do it. Worked for 2 years on my own. Just hired my first full-time employee in March. Now that I did that, am billing 8-9 hours a day since she's handling all the little details that used to take up so much time and am earning a lot more. So yes, I definitely landed on my feet.
Anonymous
07/14/2013 23:43
Subject: Re:For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Anonymous wrote:11:06 / 11:08 is great advice. The only thing I would add is, the people I knew who seemed to come out best from the 2008-2009 layoffs "rode" the law firm paycheck and letterhead as long as they could while completely dropping their billables to look for a job full-time. Easier said than done when you are senior and have ethical responsibilities to make sure your clients' work gets done. But I mention it because it can be so hard to get out of the mindset of staying late, billing time, mentoring summer associates, "maybe if I do a good job they'll keep me ...." Your job is to find a new job, nothing else.
Good luck!
+1. When I was told I would NEVER be a partner, there was 4 months of shock, and once I started functioning again, I saw it as my fulltime job to figure out my next step. My view was -- take on as little new work as possible, do it reasonably well though not as meticulously as before, and focus on yourself. I found it strange that there were seniors who still continued to take on work all the time, work 2000+, travel etc. I guess it was in hopes that the firm would change its mind, but frankly when you get to be senior and aren't made partner/asked to go it isn't about you, it is about the firm's finances -- you are obviously good enough to have lasted so long so clearly something about the firm's finances/politics changed and you aren't going to change it back. At my firm, they weren't going to change their mind and in the instances where they asked certain seniors to stay a few more months, it was for a selfish need -- i.e. extending the last date in order to get through a trial or depo schedule that the senior was on; it was not to buy the senior more time for their search. Do what you need to do for yourself.
Anonymous
07/14/2013 23:37
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Any biglaw litigators using this to leave law or would you feel like you where throwing your JD away? I was one of the rare ones who wanted to stay in biglaw forever -- didn't work out that way as my dep't fell off a cliff and I can't get other firms to give me a look because I'm so senior and I am reluctant to even get in somewhere bill 2400+ to prove myself and then not make partner bc 3 yrs from now, I'll be kicking myself for not making a different decision sooner.
While there are good in-house and gov't positions, it just seems like a shot in the dark. I have become the queen of becoming the top 2 candidates and then not getting it -- I'll usually get a very nice email/phone call telling me that I'm great but they had someone 10 yrs senior to me, an internal candidate, already in-house whatever -- that's great but little good it does me. I am just envisioning a life where I will bounce job to job like this with little marketable skillset as I'm not a super-specialized litigator, nor did I ever attain a partner title.
Anyone been able to transition from litigation to business? FWIW - I have a business undergrad from a top school but have not used it in a LOT of years. WWYD?
While there are good in-house and gov't positions, it just seems like a shot in the dark. I have become the queen of becoming the top 2 candidates and then not getting it -- I'll usually get a very nice email/phone call telling me that I'm great but they had someone 10 yrs senior to me, an internal candidate, already in-house whatever -- that's great but little good it does me. I am just envisioning a life where I will bounce job to job like this with little marketable skillset as I'm not a super-specialized litigator, nor did I ever attain a partner title.
Anyone been able to transition from litigation to business? FWIW - I have a business undergrad from a top school but have not used it in a LOT of years. WWYD?
Anonymous
07/14/2013 22:23
Subject: Re:For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Biglaw wife here: many years of watching. Unless you get another offer at a Big firm very soon, likely the path is away. Yes, you land on your feet (you are BigLaw after all!) but usually either lateral, or unfortunately downward. Either to a smaller firm, or in house counsel, or something else you like. Most people are very happy that they did, however. Very best of luck in your search.
Anonymous
07/14/2013 21:06
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:DH, talented and top of his class, mid-level associate at top 10 law firm was laid off this year while on secondment (!). He has applied for jobs EVERYWHERE and has had only two interviews. Amazingly, we are actually more relaxed and happy than we've been since his start date at biglaw all those years ago. Yes, the money was good, but life really wasn't. We both realize now that corporate law is obviously drying up, and he is pursuing a business venture instead. (indirectly related to law). Not sure how it will all end up, but life is an adventure...roll with it! Good luck!
Was your husband working in D.C.?
Yes
Anonymous
07/14/2013 20:54
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
DH still really hasn't recovered. He has had two great jobs since 2008 for decent pay but no where near where we need to be and for various reasons that are not his fault the job security isn't very good. We are constantly in a holding pattern until he finds The One. It is tough out there.
Anonymous
07/14/2013 20:51
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
Anonymous wrote:DH, talented and top of his class, mid-level associate at top 10 law firm was laid off this year while on secondment (!). He has applied for jobs EVERYWHERE and has had only two interviews. Amazingly, we are actually more relaxed and happy than we've been since his start date at biglaw all those years ago. Yes, the money was good, but life really wasn't. We both realize now that corporate law is obviously drying up, and he is pursuing a business venture instead. (indirectly related to law). Not sure how it will all end up, but life is an adventure...roll with it! Good luck!
Was your husband working in D.C.?
Anonymous
07/14/2013 20:49
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
What's the word on axiom law? Has anyone had any experience with it--positive, negative, neutral?
Anonymous
07/14/2013 20:49
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
DH, talented and top of his class, mid-level associate at top 10 law firm was laid off this year while on secondment (!). He has applied for jobs EVERYWHERE and has had only two interviews. Amazingly, we are actually more relaxed and happy than we've been since his start date at biglaw all those years ago. Yes, the money was good, but life really wasn't. We both realize now that corporate law is obviously drying up, and he is pursuing a business venture instead. (indirectly related to law). Not sure how it will all end up, but life is an adventure...roll with it! Good luck!
Anonymous
06/28/2013 10:56
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
2012. Yes. Ended up switching gears a bit in government, with 2 months of unpaid time. Has worked out fantastically. I had been looking to leave biglaw for years, but had never been able to devote the time to it to do it right. Gov't hiring had slowed tremendously and is even slower now, so network, network, network. PPs have given great suggestions on how to do that. And I totally agree on the budgeting. It can be done. Good luck.
Anonymous
06/28/2013 00:05
Subject: For those laid off from Big Law, did you land on your feet?
If you haven't ratcheted up your lifestyle and overhead to BigLaw numbers you can do OK, as noted.
Sorry to hear you're going through this. At this point unless you have specific expertise, federal positions will be hard to get, various agencies have been shedding employees/lawyers (I took a buyout), not hiring them, and others subject to sequestration may be squeezed, too.
Good luck.
Sorry to hear you're going through this. At this point unless you have specific expertise, federal positions will be hard to get, various agencies have been shedding employees/lawyers (I took a buyout), not hiring them, and others subject to sequestration may be squeezed, too.
Good luck.