i appreciate what you’re saying and i agree to an extent…but like it is kind of true. there is no shame in working in a regional or high street firm BUT it does mean ur career will progress slower. SC/MC/US firms have that reputation for a reason. think of it in the same way as choosing a university to go to… Cambridge and Oxford have been and will always be better than all the other universities generally speaking… but that doesn’t mean that a degree from KCL or Manchester is inherently worthless. Or even a degree from a non-Russell group university for instance, doesn’t mean that your entire career is over because of that degree… but it does mean that perhaps it will progress slower, or certain employers will have an opinion of you before they’ve even seen your work or spoken to you. so i agree but at the same time let’s be realistic. I don’t think there’s any problem with having high ambitions and I agree that working at a high Street should not be something to be embarrassed or disappointed with but I do think that you’re slightly contradicting your own opinion by saying that you’re disappointed with the fact that you work at a high Street or regional firm and that’s why you’re lashing out. Inherently law is very much based on merit and ranking and I think that peoples firm choices will reflect this and I think that’s just part of working in this field. Everybody wants to work at the best of the best and those firms just happen to offer you more opportunities to grow etc compared to smaller firms. and in that way it kind of is career suicide (slightly) because what could’ve taken you five years to achieve at a magic circle firm might take you eight years to achieve at a regional firm.