St. Louis Biglaw Summer Associate Taking Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

T14 struggles to get MO Biglaw is a real thing. Top 10 school student; I grew up in the state my entire life before attending UG and LS out of state. Had CBs with most of the major MO firms but didn't land a single offer. This wasn't due to grades or poor interviewing; I know a lot of my fellow MO folks who had no issues getting top jobs in Chicago but struggled to land anything in-state. I understand why some of the firms hesitate to hire T10 SAs, but they also seem to hire T14 3Ls with no ties to the state to fill positions sometimes.

Would you mind disclosing which school you went to? I feel like going to Chicago/Northwestern is more foregiveble than other t13 schools, but I don't really know

[Anonymous User]

T14 struggles to get MO Biglaw is a real thing. Top 10 school student; I grew up in the state my entire life before attending UG and LS out of state. Had CBs with most of the major MO firms but didn't land a single offer. This wasn't due to grades or poor interviewing; I know a lot of my fellow MO folks who had no issues getting top jobs in Chicago but struggled to land anything in-state. I understand why some of the firms hesitate to hire T10 SAs, but they also seem to hire T14 3Ls with no ties to the state to fill positions sometimes.

Did you apply as a 1L or a 2L?

I applied as a 2L.

[Anonymous User]

T14 struggles to get MO Biglaw is a real thing. Top 10 school student; I grew up in the state my entire life before attending UG and LS out of state. Had CBs with most of the major MO firms but didn't land a single offer. This wasn't due to grades or poor interviewing; I know a lot of my fellow MO folks who had no issues getting top jobs in Chicago but struggled to land anything in-state. I understand why some of the firms hesitate to hire T10 SAs, but they also seem to hire T14 3Ls with no ties to the state to fill positions sometimes.

Would you mind disclosing which school you went to? I feel like going to Chicago/Northwestern is more foregiveble than other t13 schools, but I don't really know

I didn't go to Chicago or Northwestern; I would risk outing myself if I got more specific.

[acr]

How is dating life in STL as a big law associate?

[Anonymous User]

T14 struggles to get MO Biglaw is a real thing. Top 10 school student; I grew up in the state my entire life before attending UG and LS out of state. Had CBs with most of the major MO firms but didn't land a single offer. This wasn't due to grades or poor interviewing; I know a lot of my fellow MO folks who had no issues getting top jobs in Chicago but struggled to land anything in-state. I understand why some of the firms hesitate to hire T10 SAs, but they also seem to hire T14 3Ls with no ties to the state to fill positions sometimes.

Did you apply as a 1L or a 2L?

I applied as a 2L.

Yeah - if you want STL Biglaw from a T14 it really really helps to apply as a 1L. There just aren't as many spots available for 2Ls and firms question your commitment to STL if you worked in another market as a 1L especially if you are going to school out of state.

[Anonymous User]

I second the comment about the difficulty of getting STL big law from a T14. I applied my 2L year, with good grades and decent ties, and it was not easy to find a job. That said, I think some STL firms are more interested than others in T14. Bryan Cave is your best bet. To really have a shot, I would look outside of the well-known big firms, for example: Dentons, Spencer Fane, Capes Sokol (although CS might be pretty significantly under market). If you have any interest in labor/employment, I would apply to Ogletree, Jackson Lewis, and Littler. They don't always take summers, but like T14 grads.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know anything about HeplerBroom or Foley & Mansfield?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea on what gpa would be needed from a t13 school for a summer associate slot in one of the big seven firms?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea on what gpa would be needed from a t13 school for a summer associate slot in one of the big seven firms?

I summered at one of the big 7 firms over the past two summers and will be starting full-time this fall; from what I have gathered, there is no clear cutoff - one summer in my SA class had near-median grades at WUSTL, and a 1L summer this past year also had grades near median at WUSTL. With that said, those two summers also had unique work experiences or an otherwise unique background. As for OCI, most of the big 7 firms seek to interview students who are in the top 33%, top 20%, or top 15%. So, aim to be in the top 33% to have a decent chance, but scoring outside of the top 33% does not act as an absolute bar.

[Anonymous User]

Any idea on what gpa would be needed from a t13 school for a summer associate slot in one of the big seven firms?

I summered at one of the big 7 firms over the past two summers and will be starting full-time this fall; from what I have gathered, there is no clear cutoff - one summer in my SA class had near-median grades at WUSTL, and a 1L summer this past year also had grades near median at WUSTL. With that said, those two summers also had unique work experiences or an otherwise unique background. As for OCI, most of the big 7 firms seek to interview students who are in the top 33%, top 20%, or top 15%. So, aim to be in the top 33% to have a decent chance, but scoring outside of the top 33% does not act as an absolute bar.

Seconding that stl biglaw can and will hire near-median (between 33% and median) students from WUSTL, so I can't imagine they're more grade selective at T13s. It's probably all ties and interviewing.

[Anonymous User]

What's the word on Korein Tillery?

[Anonymous User]

Any idea on what gpa would be needed from a t13 school for a summer associate slot in one of the big seven firms?

I summered at one of the big 7 firms over the past two summers and will be starting full-time this fall; from what I have gathered, there is no clear cutoff - one summer in my SA class had near-median grades at WUSTL, and a 1L summer this past year also had grades near median at WUSTL. With that said, those two summers also had unique work experiences or an otherwise unique background. As for OCI, most of the big 7 firms seek to interview students who are in the top 33%, top 20%, or top 15%. So, aim to be in the top 33% to have a decent chance, but scoring outside of the top 33% does not act as an absolute bar.

It's obvious you're talking about Lewis Rice.

[Anonymous User]

If someone strikes out as a 1L, how reflective is this for 2L hiring? While I know firms like Bryan Cave hire a lot of 2Ls, other firms like Lewis Rice pretty much hire their entire class 1L year.

[Anonymous User]

What firms hire 2L SA's other than the big 7?

[Anonymous User]

What firms hire 2L SA's other than the big 7?

Bump, also curious. NALP is not conclusive, as there are firms not listed on NALP which do hire summer associates.

[Anonymous User]

Do the St Louis diversity fair held by the MO bar.

Also I know people or know of people who summered at:

Hepler,
Cafmody,
Spencer Fane,
Sandberg Phoenix,
Korein.

[carsondalywashere]

Any idea on if it would look bad to apply to a firm like Thompson Coburn or Bryan Cave to both their Saint Louis and Chicago offices? I go to school in Chicago, so it makes sense to apply to that office location as well, but I don't want to give the impression to the STL offices that I am more interested in working in Chicago instead of STL

[Anonymous User]

As a t14 grad and St. Louis native who recently went through OCI hiring, I say that going to a t14 school definitely puts you at a disadvantage with every law firm in town except for Bryan Cave (where t14 is a positive). Literally every interviewer asked why I didn't go to WashU, sometimes even SLU. I went directly to callback at every firm, but I got the impression I was being interviewed mostly as a point of curiosity. If you desperately need big law in St. Louis, gun for top 10% at SLU or WashU. Obviously that's a very risky idea, so t14 route is still the hands down better option.

[Anonymous User]

As a t14 grad and St. Louis native who recently went through OCI hiring, I say that going to a t14 school definitely puts you at a disadvantage with every law firm in town except for Bryan Cave (where t14 is a positive). Literally every interviewer asked why I didn't go to WashU, sometimes even SLU. I went directly to callback at every firm, but I got the impression I was being interviewed mostly as a point of curiosity. If you desperately need big law in St. Louis, gun for top 10% at SLU or WashU. Obviously that's a very risky idea, so t14 route is still the hands down better option.

Something else to consider is that BC will hire about 10 summers a year, whereas the other firms are only hiring 5-8 summers, many of which are returning 1L summers.

[aspire2esquire]

Kids from non-Missouri schools (college and law school) have scored HB and TC.

[Anonymous User]

I've been looking around and can't find substantive posts on Spencer Fane. I have an upcoming interview and wanted to know what they tend to look for, what their culture is like, and anything else. Would appreciate any advice.

[Anonymous User]

Law student here curious about the StL version of "biglaw" and there's a few compensation related questions I can't find answered elsewhere. Does anyone know whether the big StL firms (BCLP, HB, TC, AT etc) usually give bar stipends/pay for bar prep packages? What about clerkship bonuses? (I'm assuming no except maybe BCLP.) Also, what is a typical bonus for a junior associate in St. Louis, either at the minimum hrs required for the bonus or for someone who's billing in the 2300-2500 range?

Also would love any insight people have on how the StL market is weathering (or not weathering) the COVID storm. SAs who maybe had the chance to go to another city, do you regret your decision?

[Anonymous User]

Law student here curious about the StL version of "biglaw" and there's a few compensation related questions I can't find answered elsewhere. Does anyone know whether the big StL firms (BCLP, HB, TC, AT etc) usually give bar stipends/pay for bar prep packages? What about clerkship bonuses? (I'm assuming no except maybe BCLP.) Also, what is a typical bonus for a junior associate in St. Louis, either at the minimum hrs required for the bonus or for someone who's billing in the 2300-2500 range?

Also would love any insight people have on how the StL market is weathering (or not weathering) the COVID storm. SAs who maybe had the chance to go to another city, do you regret your decision?

I am an associate at one of the firms you mentioned. My firm does provide a bar prep stipend and also does clerkship bonuses "on a case-by-case basis" (which I take to mean very rarely). I think this is pretty standard for STL firms. As far as standard bonuses go, a junior associate who hits hours will get a 10-15k bonus, with higher bonuses as you get more senior. Hitting 2300-2500 hours would get you 25-40k.

It's tough to get a feel for how the market is handling COVID, as it varies substantially by firm and practice group. Litigation at my firm is still extremely busy, but corporate work had slowed down for a few months and is just starting to pick up again. I am not worried about layoffs or salary reductions, and have been told to still expect bonuses this year, but I think that varies substantially between firms.

[Anonymous User]

Law student here curious about the StL version of "biglaw" and there's a few compensation related questions I can't find answered elsewhere. Does anyone know whether the big StL firms (BCLP, HB, TC, AT etc) usually give bar stipends/pay for bar prep packages? What about clerkship bonuses? (I'm assuming no except maybe BCLP.) Also, what is a typical bonus for a junior associate in St. Louis, either at the minimum hrs required for the bonus or for someone who's billing in the 2300-2500 range?

Also would love any insight people have on how the StL market is weathering (or not weathering) the COVID storm. SAs who maybe had the chance to go to another city, do you regret your decision?

I am an associate at one of the firms you mentioned. My firm does provide a bar prep stipend and also does clerkship bonuses "on a case-by-case basis" (which I take to mean very rarely). I think this is pretty standard for STL firms. As far as standard bonuses go, a junior associate who hits hours will get a 10-15k bonus, with higher bonuses as you get more senior. Hitting 2300-2500 hours would get you 25-40k.

It's tough to get a feel for how the market is handling COVID, as it varies substantially by firm and practice group. Litigation at my firm is still extremely busy, but corporate work had slowed down for a few months and is just starting to pick up again. I am not worried about layoffs or salary reductions, and have been told to still expect bonuses this year, but I think that varies substantially between firms.

Anon law student here, thank you for your response!!

[Anonymous User]

Law student here curious about the StL version of "biglaw" and there's a few compensation related questions I can't find answered elsewhere. Does anyone know whether the big StL firms (BCLP, HB, TC, AT etc) usually give bar stipends/pay for bar prep packages? What about clerkship bonuses? (I'm assuming no except maybe BCLP.) Also, what is a typical bonus for a junior associate in St. Louis, either at the minimum hrs required for the bonus or for someone who's billing in the 2300-2500 range?

Also would love any insight people have on how the StL market is weathering (or not weathering) the COVID storm. SAs who maybe had the chance to go to another city, do you regret your decision?

I am an associate at one of the firms you mentioned. My firm does provide a bar prep stipend and also does clerkship bonuses "on a case-by-case basis" (which I take to mean very rarely). I think this is pretty standard for STL firms. As far as standard bonuses go, a junior associate who hits hours will get a 10-15k bonus, with higher bonuses as you get more senior. Hitting 2300-2500 hours would get you 25-40k.

It's tough to get a feel for how the market is handling COVID, as it varies substantially by firm and practice group. Litigation at my firm is still extremely busy, but corporate work had slowed down for a few months and is just starting to pick up again. I am not worried about layoffs or salary reductions, and have been told to still expect bonuses this year, but I think that varies substantially between firms.

Anon law student here, thank you for your response!!

No problem. Happy to answer more, if you have them. I remember being frustrated as a law student about how little information there was out there about StL firms.