Philly peeps- need some help
 

Hello to all you Philly people or Philly-knowledgeable people.

I've started to realize that the job market here in Pittsburgh really truly sucks and that I need to explore the possibilities of going elsewhere. But because of that lovely bar admittance thing, i'm kinda limited on where I can go.

So i'm starting to think about Philly.

Does anyone know anything about the Philly law firms? Anything about the job market? If I seriously start exploring this i'll be asking about areas to live and the like, but we'll see what happens.

Just seeing if anyone knows anything that might be useful

Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

Go to NYC. Every lawyer I know that's working there is making a lot of money.

-Rudey

Re: Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

Every law firm we've worked with in Manhattan is discussing money in millions . . . they also discuss work weeks in the 75-hour range. I guess everything has its price.

If your desire is to work for a major firm, you'll find some in Philly, but far more in NYC, Chicago, Dallas, SF/LA. The money adds up exponentially in those cities.

Re: Re: Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

75 hours is not too bad. I have a friend in Cravath (NYC) that's doing 100+ right now. I don't know if it's because of whatever he's staffed on or if lawyers cycle, but I also know his total comp this year is very high.

-Rudey
--I also know my comp is very similar and I didn't pay for 3 years of law school :D

Re: Re: Re: Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

It's probably a combination of two things, and they're related - it's the cases he's working with, and his relative 'youth'. New-ish lawyers in huge firms are generally called "babies" - they work between 25-50% more than higher-ups, for significantly less money (although still great packages). For a baby lawyer, 100+ hours wouldn't be abnormal - we don't get to talk to them, for obvious (and some less-obvious) reasons: they don't make decisions (and thus can't do anything stupid and/or expensive with their consultants).

Also, it depends on if the person will be a lead in trial, etc etc etc.

Bottom line: WAY more money in NYC (and I've heard it's not a terrible bar)

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

Isn't Big Law still similar across big cities though? I know my friends in Chicago who work for these kinds of firms all still make over 100. I think maybe NYC may be like 125 but I don't know.

I am so fucking happy I have people under me at this point in my life.

-Rudey

Thanks guys, but i'm not necessarily looking for big law. Though the lure of big money is good, the work is not what i'd want to do.

Plus i've already paid for the PA bar and bar prep course, so i'm sorta stuck in PA for the moment.

my SO is a lawyer in his dad's law office, but he has tons of friends who work in center city firms and one who works in lebanon, pa. shoot me a pm.

Why don't you talk to a head hunter?

-Rudey

Re: Philly peeps- need some help
 

I think the job market is good. The new Cira building is supposed to be all law firms. The grand opening was this week.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=149009

We have tons of criminals in Philadelphia and we need lawyers.