Time Was, the story goes, young litigators were in court practically every day. They started with slip-and-falls and worked their way up to multimillion-dollar cases. Eventually, after enough wins and battle scars, they became the go-to litigators that anxious clients called when the company's future was on the line.
As you've probably noticed, large firms don't handle a lot of slip-and-fall cases nowadays. For lawyers who are just starting their careers, the path to litigation stardom is no longer so clear-cut-if indeed it ever was.
Not to worry. We've put together a road map for young attorneys to help them make their mark in the hypercompetitive world of big-firm litigation departments. Reporter Elizabeth Goldberg talked to a range of up-and-coming litigation partners to find out what worked for them. To learn more about the five key strategies that she identified, please see "The Secret of My Success."
When it comes to finding the stars among law firms, The American Lawyer's A-List is a guide to what may be the all-around classiest large firms in the country. The A-List recognizes firms that not only have stellar financial results, but also devote significant time to pro bono, have been successful in building diversity, and-perhaps most important to potential job candidates-treat their associates decently.
To identify the best firms for summer associates, we need your help. If you're spending the summer at a big firm, you'll likely be seeing our Summer Associates Survey soon. (If your firm hasn't provided you with the survey, please drop me an e-mail-see below for my address-and I'll make sure that you get a copy.) All responses are anonymous, and the results will appear in our next issue. We want your candid opinion of your firm and its summer program. Did you have enough work? Or too much? Were the partners friendly? How were the baseball games, the cocktail parties, the scavenger hunts, the sushi lunches, and the go-cart rides?
Have a great summer.
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