Why do folks want BigLaw? Forum

[tacosman]

why do you want biglaw anyways?

I also have below median grades and I go to a top 50 not top 20. I wouldn't be competitive for biglaw, but why would I want this anyways? The chance of making partner is so so poor. The work hours are so terrible.

Instead I'm focusing on getting on with smaller firms in my area that don't care so much about t14, grades, etc but have a reputation for doing really good work. The lawyers at these firms often make really really good money; it just isn't in some guaranteed yearly salary. But you have the chance to make more by doing good work. And the partners in the firm actually know and care about you.

The lawyers at the firms I'm targeting all drive nice cars, belong to country clubs, have a lot of prestige locally in the community. They also get off at 430 and spend time with their kids and wives. And the money with the right work can be very very good.

I'll take that over Cravath and 90 hour weeks going nowhere anyday….

[taxman14]

A 0L here but working at a boutique law firm currently. So I see where you're coming from. However, BigLaw almost always has higher salaries and boutiques are hard to get into straight out. The name of the firm goes further as well if you then want to transition in-house, etc.

I think the main reason is the loans/quick ROI on law school tuition and being able to switch out in 2 years. Not all departments work 90 hr/week, it's very dependent on the firm and area. I'd be quick to make that generalization, but you're obviously right. The QOL is way better at most small firms than BigLaw, but that comes with a commensurately smaller salary and exit ops. Lastly, not all smaller firms provide a better QOL, certainly some work their associates to death in the same way as BigLaw but without all of the perks.

[nixy]

A lot of people want biglaw b/c it’s a de facto requirement for the job they really want to get (in house, some government jobs).

Also beware because a lot of smaller firms want you to think they’re a much kinder gentler place but they still demand as much work. Like I’d be surprised if partners leaving at 4:30 aren’t getting back online and working at night.

[cavalier1138]

I agree with the points already made. But even if we just focus on salary, the "guaranteed" part of "guaranteed high salary" is nice.

Yes, you may see attorneys at a smaller firm making as much as (or more than) a partner at a large firm. You might see them going home at 4:00 every day. I doubt you see those things in the same attorney, but you might. The issue is that they are the exception to the rule. Most attorneys at small firms do not make that much.

And since you seem to be focused on plaintiff's attorneys (given your mention of contingency fees and entrepreneurial spirit), that's even less of a guarantee. Yes, you might rake in enough money on a single contingency fee to keep your practice running for the next decade. Or you might lose your house to cover your litigation expenses (as was the case with at least one of the lawyers on the Exxon-Valdez plaintiffs team... after winning, by the way).

The notion of biglaw "going nowhere" is absurd, and other posters already addressed that pretty thoroughly. But the idea that it's normal to make similar money, let alone as a starting salary, in other areas of legal practice is a pure fiction.

[Elston Gunn]

As others have said: They pay you lots of money, and give you a great career springboard.

[Npret]

Biglaw lets you work with and learn from smart, experienced experts in their fields. You should take advantage of that expertise even as a junior associate. Pay attention to what the partners are telling you on substantive matters.

[nealric]

I've been there and done that. Did my three years and went in house. While I won't say it was always pleasant sitting at my desk late at night, it's an experience I'm glad I had, and it was an essential jumping off point to my current position (which has sane regular work hours and pays more than I made as a biglaw associate).

People want biglaw because it is the most accessible path to a remunerative legal career and also provide access to sophisticated legal work (and the training that comes with it). Going the biglaw path also offers a lot of certainty for graduates. They essentially have a post-grad job already lined up at the beginning of 2L year, and receive a nice paycheck 2L summer along with reimbursement for bar expenses and payment for post-grad summer costs. There are also certain practice areas that are almost exclusively done by biglaw that someone might have particular interest in.

While there are jobs at small firms where regular work hours and visits to the country club are the norm, such results are not easy to come by for new graduates (or really anyone). Most small firm opportunities available to new graduates are fairly hardscrabble affairs, and do not necessarily have hours or partnership prospects that are any better than biglaw. Additionally, not all biglaw experiences are going to be billing 2,800 hours at some v10 M&A sweatshop. Billing 2,000 hours working 55 hours a week is a lot more common than working 90 hours- even in biglaw.

Biglaw is most certainly not for everyone, but it's worth investigating if you have the option, and it's worth setting yourself up to at least have the option if possible.