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How marketable am I to NYC firms if I have already passed the NYC Bar?


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kingcor123
  • Applicant
Posted

I didn't manage to secure a 2L summer position in NYC, although some of my peers have. That means my next best hope is to sink a few solid years on Bay Street and then lateral down.

I am wondering, however, how covetable I would be for NYC firms if I had already passed the NYC bar, and somehow could speed up the above process?

In my upcoming third year, I could take a light course load and start studying for the UBE right from September (since its the hardest). I could then write the MPRE in March, the NYLE in April, the Ontario Bar in June, and the UBE in July.

I'm just wondering if its even worth it, since many say that firms don't care/being admitted to the Bar of New York is not something that "moves the needle" when New York firms look to hire Canadians.

JackoMcSnacko
  • Lawyer
Posted

It moves the needle as they don't need to send you on (usually paid) bar leave. 

SNAILS
  • Articling Student
Posted (edited)

If your grades are good enough to be attractive to big Toronto firms, you also have a good shot in NYC. Passing the NYC bar in advance probably moves the needle a bit. Be careful though, because even the Ontario bar is hard enough that I would not suggest studying for the bar exam before graduating law school. You might spread yourself too thin, and then get worse grades because you didn't focus on your courses.

You may be such a high achiever that this is no problem for you (3 LOL as they say). However, if this is true, you can also just work for a major Bay Street firm, do a lot of transnational stuff, then apply in NYC.

I would also suggest doing some soul searching what makes NYC so attractive for you. If you are from NYC, or just want to live in the US, those are good reasons I think. If you are just looking for whatever your peers might consider to be the ultimate in post-law school career placement, then do some soul searching (i.e. if you ahve never been to NYC but just like the idea).  

Edited by SNAILS
kingcor123
  • Applicant
Posted
9 hours ago, SNAILS said:

If your grades are good enough to be attractive to big Toronto firms, you also have a good shot in NYC. Passing the NYC bar in advance probably moves the needle a bit. Be careful though, because even the Ontario bar is hard enough that I would not suggest studying for the bar exam before graduating law school. You might spread yourself too thin, and then get worse grades because you didn't focus on your courses.

You may be such a high achiever that this is no problem for you (3 LOL as they say). However, if this is true, you can also just work for a major Bay Street firm, do a lot of transnational stuff, then apply in NYC.

I would also suggest doing some soul searching what makes NYC so attractive for you. If you are from NYC, or just want to live in the US, those are good reasons I think. If you are just looking for whatever your peers might consider to be the ultimate in post-law school career placement, then do some soul searching (i.e. if you ahve never been to NYC but just like the idea).  

Is the entirety of the month of May not enough for the Ontario Bar? Everyone I have spoken to has said that its not a particularly hard exam, provided that you do the proper pre (i.e. not memorizing everything - smart highlighting and tabbing etc.). 

BHC1
  • Lawyer
Posted
12 hours ago, SNAILS said:

If your grades are good enough to be attractive to big Toronto firms, you also have a good shot in NYC. Passing the NYC bar in advance probably moves the needle a bit. Be careful though, because even the Ontario bar is hard enough that I would not suggest studying for the bar exam before graduating law school. You might spread yourself too thin, and then get worse grades because you didn't focus on your courses.

You may be such a high achiever that this is no problem for you (3 LOL as they say). However, if this is true, you can also just work for a major Bay Street firm, do a lot of transnational stuff, then apply in NYC.

I would also suggest doing some soul searching what makes NYC so attractive for you. If you are from NYC, or just want to live in the US, those are good reasons I think. If you are just looking for whatever your peers might consider to be the ultimate in post-law school career placement, then do some soul searching (i.e. if you ahve never been to NYC but just like the idea).  

The closest thing to New York Big Law you or me is getting is watching old seasons of Suits on Netflix. 

Whereas I thought your posts on criminal and rural law practice last month was really helpful, not sure how useful your advice is on this…. 

  • Like 6
StoneMason
Posted (edited)
On 1/25/2025 at 3:17 AM, SNAILS said:

I would also suggest doing some soul searching what makes NYC so attractive for you. If you are from NYC, or just want to live in the US, those are good reasons I think. If you are just looking for whatever your peers might consider to be the ultimate in post-law school career placement, then do some soul searching (i.e. if you ahve never been to NYC but just like the idea).  

It's a bit odd you left out the most obvious reason: making 2-3x the salary as an associate. 

Edited by StoneMason
SNAILS
  • Articling Student
Posted

@kingcor123 - My suggestion was that he start studying only after graduating law school. I have no idea if a month is sufficient for NYC bar (it would have been for me, but I took only the Ontario bar).

@StoneMason You might be right about 2-3x the salary if you are citing the very top law firms in New York. In that case, he's competing with the top graduates from Yale and Harvard. There's a huge difference between "working in New York," which may have as many lawyers as the entirety of Ontario, and working for the "top firms." The OP was probably talking about the latter (which makes it clear why he's attracted to it, but less clear how competitive he'd be).

Rashabon
  • Lawyer
Posted

Please stop posting about NYC law and big law salaries, etc. It is very clear you do not know what you are talking about. Leaving aside "it would have been enough for me" when you have not even looked at the New York bar exam. It is not equivalent or similar to the Ontario bar exam.

I'm not going to do a fulsome exercise, but for example, according to this article (http://law.com/americanlawyer/2023/11/30/the-pressure-to-match-associate-pay-raises/?slreturn=20250206122215), as of spring 2023, at least 70 firms had a starting associate salary of US$215,000. This is now almost two years out of date and there was a further raise to US$225K by a lot of firms. This isn't paid by just the "very top" law firms in NYC. This is like most of the Am Law 100. There is some variation here or there, but generally speaking the vast majority of New York big(ger) law jobs pay 2x Canada at minimum. I'm not saying OP has any chance at all, but if they are already doing Toronto big law, they may very well have a shot at somewhere like New York if the market is hot enough, and does not require being on the same level as someone going to Yale or what have you.

  • Like 4

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