Top Law Schools

I’m a second year associate at a mid size defense firm in NYC. I practice strictly litigation in state court and quite enjoy the work. My firm is great, very flexible, and pay market (or at least I believe). I would like to keep pushing myself further and I feel that state court and working on behalf of insurance companies is holding me back a bit.

My law school grades are median and my school is ranked 50-60. Is there path for me for big law? Am I the type of associate-lateral they look for? Alternatively, what are other exit options for an Insurance Defense Attorney at a known regional mid sized firm? Thanks for any help.

You’d probably have to take a pay cut in that you’d have to go to a lower vault firm that doesn’t pay market. Afterwards, you could probably break into a better, market firm. But I wouldn’t say it’s impossible for you to break into biglaw if that’s what you’re aiming for.

You probably have more hands-on experience now, so just play that up.

Try to clerk on a ssc or fed. It’ll be hard with those grades, but you’ll see the occasional last-minute opening with a mag judge or something if you look closely for long enough and are geographical flexible

objctnyrhnr wrote:Try to clerk on a ssc or fed. It’ll be hard with those grades, but you’ll see the occasional last-minute opening with a mag judge or something if you look closely for long enough and are geographical flexible

I’ve already clerked for a state supreme judge.

Anonymous User wrote:I’m a second year associate at a mid size defense firm in NYC. I practice strictly litigation in state court and quite enjoy the work. My firm is great, very flexible, and pay market (or at least I believe). I would like to keep pushing myself further and I feel that state court and working on behalf of insurance companies is holding me back a bit.

My law school grades are median and my school is ranked 50-60. Is there path for me for big law? Am I the type of associate-lateral they look for? Alternatively, what are other exit options for an insurance defense attorney at a known regional mid sized firm? Thanks for any help.

You are not the type of associate biglaw firms look for lateraling.
Your best bet is to network and get someone inside a firm at least advocating you be interviewed. If your firm is flexible and your hours aren’t long, you should be able to manage creating a network and working it for a job.

I honestly don’t understand why you want to leave if you enjoy the work and the firm. “Pushing yourself” can be done in other ways than trying to move to a biglaw firm. If you were unhappy or were all about making money, I would understand a bit more. You’re reason for moving seem abstract and maybe more about your ego than your career?

If you’ve already clerked ssc, I would try to leverage that to a top ssc (ca ny even ma) or magistrate or ideally article 3, then network network network and I think you’ve got a real shot.

I’ll second the poster who said best way in is through attorney at firm, and the way to get there is via network

My view of your chances isn’t as pessimistic as others’ views might be because I lateraled into biglaw as somewhat non traditional.

objctnyrhnr wrote:If you’ve already clerked ssc, I would try to leverage that to a top ssc (ca ny even ma) or magistrate or ideally article 3, then network network network and I think you’ve got a real shot.

I’ll second the poster who said best way in is through attorney at firm, and the way to get there is via network

My view of your chances isn’t as pessimistic as others’ views might be because I lateraled into biglaw as somewhat non traditional.

Appreciate it. And I’ve been on this site for 5 years, most of which involved posters telling me I’ll never make it and I should drop out of law school etc. It was great motivation to get where I’m at now and where I’d like to be.

Thanks all for the advice, it’s clearer now.

Anonymous User wrote:

objctnyrhnr wrote:If you’ve already clerked ssc, I would try to leverage that to a top ssc (ca ny even ma) or magistrate or ideally article 3, then network network network and I think you’ve got a real shot.

I’ll second the poster who said best way in is through attorney at firm, and the way to get there is via network

My view of your chances isn’t as pessimistic as others’ views might be because I lateraled into biglaw as somewhat non traditional.

Appreciate it. And I’ve been on this site for 5 years, most of which involved posters telling me I’ll never make it and I should drop out of law school etc. It was great motivation to get where I’m at now and where I’d like to be.

Thanks all for the advice, it’s clearer now.

You specifically asked “am I the type of associate-lateral they look for?”
The answer to that question is no. I’m not sure why you asked the question if you don’t want the answer.

No one has said you can’t find another job if that’s what you want or that “you’ll never make it.”

Asking why a poster may want to move to a new job can help with the advice. If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. But no one is telling you not to try.

I think there’s a legitimate but prevailing view on this site that the way to get prestigious is to land a summer sa then clerk then do biglaw and then you can lower your prestige from there after paying loans or whatever. That’s a very valid path because it’s so common (and it’s also probably the easiest by many metrics), but it’s definitelt not the only one. In my decent sized market, I hear about people lateraling “up” to biglaw from govt or something l as prestigious or clerkship perhaps even more often that I hear people lateraling out to boutiques or whatever. I mean maybe that’s random and unique but the point is it’s not a completely uncommon phenomenon (helps that lit seems warm right now).

objctnyrhnr wrote:If you’ve already clerked ssc, I would try to leverage that to a top ssc (ca ny even ma) or magistrate or ideally article 3, then network network network and I think you’ve got a real shot.

I’ll second the poster who said best way in is through attorney at firm, and the way to get there is via network

My view of your chances isn’t as pessimistic as others’ views might be because I lateraled into biglaw as somewhat non traditional.

IIRC, only a few Cali Justices hire, and they're as competitive as a federal COA clerkship.