Big Law Now or Big Law Later?

[BanzaiPipeline]

I’ve had the opportunity to get offers from BigLaw Firms and also from a respectable boutique and also from an upmarket mid-size firm where associates regularly lateral to the major national firms. The money at the boutique and the mid-size firm is a little less(though not hugely less) than what the major firms are offering. The experience at both the former is considered great but more generalist than a Big firm. Issue I have is the following: I would like to get BigFirm experience at some point because Major firms are the only ones where I can get niche expertise on my chosen speciality. However, I would prefer articling at a smaller firm because a smaller and more collegial environment would be a better fit at my current point in life,  and I am not confident I really have the “chops” for BigLaw at the moment. Question I ask if: Is it advisable to start out at a smaller firm where are confident you can do well, gain your bearings and then progress to a Big firm if you want to accelerate your career? Or is it advisable to take an opportunity to enter BigLaw at the articling stage- since the training provided at the articling stage cannot he duplicated at the associate level?

[boyo]

6 hours ago, BanzaiPipeline said:

I’ve had the opportunity to get offers from BigLaw Firms and also from a respectable boutique and also from an upmarket mid-size firm where associates regularly lateral to the major national firms. The money at the boutique and the mid-size firm is a little less(though not hugely less) than what the major firms are offering. The experience at both the former is considered great but more generalist than a Big firm. Issue I have is the following: I would like to get BigFirm experience at some point because Major firms are the only ones where I can get niche expertise on my chosen speciality. However, I would prefer articling at a smaller firm because a smaller and more collegial environment would be a better fit at my current point in life,  and I am not confident I really have the “chops” for BigLaw at the moment. Question I ask if: Is it advisable to start out at a smaller firm where are confident you can do well, gain your bearings and then progress to a Big firm if you want to accelerate your career? Or is it advisable to take an opportunity to enter BigLaw at the articling stage- since the training provided at the articling stage cannot he duplicated at the associate level?

What is your "chosen specialty"? If it's truly only at biglaw firms, isn't that your answer?

[QueensDenning]

10 hours ago, BanzaiPipeline said:

I’ve had the opportunity to get offers from BigLaw Firms and also from a respectable boutique and also from an upmarket mid-size firm where associates regularly lateral to the major national firms. The money at the boutique and the mid-size firm is a little less(though not hugely less) than what the major firms are offering. The experience at both the former is considered great but more generalist than a Big firm. Issue I have is the following: I would like to get BigFirm experience at some point because Major firms are the only ones where I can get niche expertise on my chosen speciality. However, I would prefer articling at a smaller firm because a smaller and more collegial environment would be a better fit at my current point in life,  and I am not confident I really have the “chops” for BigLaw at the moment. Question I ask if: Is it advisable to start out at a smaller firm where are confident you can do well, gain your bearings and then progress to a Big firm if you want to accelerate your career? Or is it advisable to take an opportunity to enter BigLaw at the articling stage- since the training provided at the articling stage cannot he duplicated at the associate level?

I know it's just an online forum... but would it kill you to do a little proof reading before you post. 

[CleanHands]

Just now, QueensDenning said:

I know it's just an online forum... but would it kill you to do a little proof reading before you post. 

The content of the post is more ridiculous than the grammar, tbh.

[QueensDenning]

Just now, CleanHands said:

The content of the post is more ridiculous than the grammar, tbh.

Yeah, I wasn't going to touch on the content. 

[QueensDenning]

OP, looking at your post history - you were a 3L last year? With a C range GPA? You're deciding between articling offers from BigLaw, respectable boutiques and up-market mid-sized firms a year after you graduated? And last year you were asking about articling in legal aid? And last year you had articling offers from BigLaw firms? 

Something seems off. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by QueensDenning

[Pantalaimon]

Taking your post at face value, I'd urge you not to have a "chosen specialty" at this point. How do you know you'll like the practice of it - especially if it's niche? Did you have a fulsome summer doing the actual work? My advice would be to get articles wherever you can get a broad variety of good experience and then decide what you want to do as an associate.

[Lawstudents20202020]

17 minutes ago, Pantalaimon said:

Taking your post at face value, I'd urge you not to have a "chosen specialty" at this point. How do you know you'll like the practice of it - especially if it's niche? Did you have a fulsome summer doing the actual work? My advice would be to get articles wherever you can get a broad variety of good experience and then decide what you want to do as an associate.

Just to add on to this. I spent time working in the back office for a real estate firm, had family that worked in the area and started law school convinced I was going to be a conveyancing solicitor. I ended up articling at a small litigation firm doing PI and estate lit, spent my first year doing legal aid in family law, and now I'm doing family law and construction litigation at a mid sized firm. 

You really do not know what areas of law you will enjoy until you practice in them.

[Turtles]

11 hours ago, BanzaiPipeline said:

I’ve had the opportunity to get offers from BigLaw Firms and also from a respectable boutique and also from an upmarket mid-size firm where associates regularly lateral to the major national firms. The money at the boutique and the mid-size firm is a little less(though not hugely less) than what the major firms are offering. The experience at both the former is considered great but more generalist than a Big firm. Issue I have is the following: I would like to get BigFirm experience at some point because Major firms are the only ones where I can get niche expertise on my chosen speciality. However, I would prefer articling at a smaller firm because a smaller and more collegial environment would be a better fit at my current point in life,  and I am not confident I really have the “chops” for BigLaw at the moment. Question I ask if: Is it advisable to start out at a smaller firm where are confident you can do well, gain your bearings and then progress to a Big firm if you want to accelerate your career? Or is it advisable to take an opportunity to enter BigLaw at the articling stage- since the training provided at the articling stage cannot he duplicated at the associate level?

I think you should prioritize a more enriching opportunity tbh. Do you have offers from SCOTUS or only the SCC?

[CleanHands]

All I will add (given numerous posts above going the other way) is that some of us actually do know from the minute we start law school what practice areas we want to do, and are unflinching and correct about that. It's not common but it's not unheard of. So I think it's good advice to keep an open mind, but sometimes when people know, they know.

Edited October 18, 2022 by CleanHands

[BanzaiPipeline]

43 minutes ago, CleanHands said:

All I will add (given numerous posts above going the other way) is that some of us actually do know from the minute we start law school what practice areas we want to do, and are unflinching and correct about that. It's not common but it's not unheard of. So I think it's good advice to keep an open mind, but sometimes when people know, they know.

 

51 minutes ago, Lawstudents20202020 said:

Just to add on to this. I spent time working in the back office for a real estate firm, had family that worked in the area and started law school convinced I was going to be a conveyancing solicitor. I ended up articling at a small litigation firm doing PI and estate lit, spent my first year doing legal aid in family law, and now I'm doing family law and construction litigation at a mid sized firm. 

You really do not know what areas of law you will enjoy until you practice in them.

Thanks for the response. I want to end up in Construction Financing. I know you can do that at mid-sized firms but the bulk of the work ends up in large firms I hear. Ideally I’d like to start with a general real estate practice and specialize later, unless that would disadvantage me down the line.

[AHappyLawyer]

Big Law now. You are not guaranteed "Big Law later". 

The best time to develop the chops for it is with experience and practice.