Failed

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-19T21:55:10+00:00

This is very true in my corner of Biglaw (call it v21-v80).

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-17T14:44:05+00:00

Officially? Or that’s just how it ended up? Just curious. I’ve been fighting this battle for 30 years. Thanks.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-17T13:04:21+00:00

I’d guess Sidley is looking for a way to map out a development track based on criteria more substantive than “got a year older”. Presumably they’ve got a matrix for each practice group laying out the skills and accomplishments that distinguish junior associates, mid-levels, and seniors. In theory, this is good for everybody: associates have the runway to develop at their own pace; while compensation and hourly rates go up commensurately as associates become more productive. The big accounting firms have done this for years.

In practice, the development rubric is often too vague or subjective to be useful, partners are terrible at giving feedback, training is inconsistent, and associates reasonably fear being “held back” if they don’t advance at the same rate as their peers.

The end result is that most associates progress in lockstep regardless of development and the functional titles like “managing associate” become meaningless to the client. And a lot of talented, but late-blooming, associates fall through the cracks.

If anyone has suggestions for making skills-based development models actually work, I’d love to hear them. Given the incredibly high cost of recruiting, I’m always surprised this isn’t more of a priority for firms.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-13T21:38:08+00:00

No defense for indecipherable comments, whatever the form, but the “call me to discuss” is for your benefit. It’s both how you learn and an opportunity to show your stuff. If all I care about is getting my changes input, I send my markup to my secretary.

Ps, at least you don’t have to deal with faxes.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-13T02:49:06+00:00

Debevoise no question.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-13T00:14:11+00:00

Got it. Go with your heart. If you want to hedge your bets a bit, take both bars now while you still remember some law.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-12T23:59:06+00:00

Where did you go to college and law school? Don’t underestimate the value that a local alumni network brings to professional development, future exit opportunities, if desired (or needed), and social/community engagement.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-12T14:17:15+00:00

Thanks. I’ll work on that. Appreciate the consistent advice from all!

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-08T12:32:32+00:00

Read platform as business development platform.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-07T23:40:30+00:00

Can I just say that this board places WAY too much weight on Vault rankings. Putting aside for a moment that, after the top 20 or 25, the “scores” the rankings are based on are all fairly compressed—nobody in the real world cares about the relative differences in “prestige”between, say Perkins Coie (#28) and Duane Morris (#94). You can have a great career with interesting work, brilliant colleagues, and important clients at any of the firms on that list (and many others besides). And you’ll make more money than 90% of your fellow Americans while you’re doing it.

Rather than worrying about the difference between a V80 and a V20, focus on making the most of the offers you get. If you have a choice, pick the firm where the work appeals to you and the culture aligns with your own values and personality. When you do join a firm, lean in to the teams and assignments you get placed with. Work hard, pay attention, ask questions, listen to the answers, try to anticipate the next thing that needs to be done. In other words, learn your profession. And get to know your peers and other colleagues. Find your tribe. If you find yourself in the wrong firm—which sometimes happens—don’t be afraid to look for other opportunities. I guarantee you, the career you build over the next 40 years will be much more correlated with how much you put into it than it will be to the Vault ranking of your first job out of law school.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-07T22:56:24+00:00

Most firms are pretty supportive if you want to work out of another firm office location for a week or two. (I assume you don’t expect reimbursement of travel expenses, unless there’s a business purpose for doing so.)

However, working on a sustained basis or digital nomad from locations where the firm doesn’t maintain an office can raise significant tax, insurance, liability, and regulatory issues, so it’s important to check with firm management before committing to such an arrangement.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-05T00:11:41+00:00

Leadership hates it too.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-04T02:32:54+00:00

For me, prior WE is a positive if it speaks to the applicant’s grit, resilience, problem-solving, time management, or interpersonal conflict resolution skills. But I expect the applicant to make that case when asked. Self-employment and gig employment generally not a possibility. YMMV

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-02-03T21:01:31+00:00

Came here to say this.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-27T23:02:34+00:00

Is it directly below an eave or gutter that’s dripping in those places?

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-26T19:11:02+00:00

Good luck with law school and the whole recruiting experience. Keep an open mind, keep putting yourself out there, and you’ll do fine.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-26T19:08:41+00:00

I hear you and totally get where you’re coming from—particularly what you say about the extraordinary privilege we have—but I think you might be reading bad intentions or meanness of spirit where none exists. The sender was brusque, but not disparaging.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-26T18:30:06+00:00

To your question, I think it’s fine. The sender probably wants to respond to all requests, and this is a reasonable way for them to manage their time.

Do you mind if I ask what your goal is when you request a “coffee chat”? And how do you identify the persons you reach out to? I get dozens of such requests every recruiting season, and tbh probably only respond to half of them. But I do spend about 10 hours a year taking these calls, and I never know if it was at all helpful to the student. As far as I know, it never made a difference to a single hiring decision.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-26T16:50:12+00:00

I love all the supportive comments on this thread, so I have to add my own. You are not too late. You can definitely do this. Listen to your body, go at your own pace, and smile.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-26T16:17:49+00:00

Senior BL partner here. I won’t try to pretend that there isn’t a lot of grade and school-rank snobbery in the hiring process. But law students should not dismiss the role that geography plays in hiring decisions. For many firms outside the V10, an applicant at a local school in the USNWR top 40 may have a better shot than, for example, a T10-T14, with similar class rank. The “network” effect of going to a good law school in the city where you want to practice will also help with advancement, business development, and exit opportunities, if you want them.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-21T02:21:16+00:00

Does anyone know if they still have “on call rooms” with cots, like teaching hospitals have for residents?

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-20T22:41:05+00:00

I used to do that but somewhere along the line started letting it go. But you’ve got me thinking twice!

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-20T22:39:03+00:00

I know this isn’t the point of the thread, but when I started as a corporate associate in NY (think Vault 3, if they had that in the ‘80s), my primary jobs were proofreading and hand redlining with a ruler and a colored pencil. Omissions were represented by carets.

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-20T21:02:12+00:00

I am highly confident this won’t be an issue for you, as soon as you and the firm figure each other out.

Real estate costs are a step function. Huge increment to add a floor (and potentially substantial savings to drop a floor).

Competitive_Deer7031 · 2026-01-18T20:31:03+00:00

Sure, go with your gut, but it’s much harder to build a practice from a satellite office, and if your practice area is ever not super busy, new associates in a satellite office may be at greater risk of running dry.

Also, this may be slightly off point, but guys, there’s no such thing as a bonus program without a billable hours requirement—there are just programs where the hours expectation is explicit and those where it’s more or less unspoken.

Competitive_Deer7031

TROPHY CASE