<p>I was wondering if any lawyers or informed people on this board could help me out with a few questions. I'm a rising sophomore at a top ten US News university interested in the legal profession. However, I am strongly against becoming a slave to the corporate world and assisting big businesses. Instead, I've always dreamed about working in a firm that represents clients pursuing litigation against unruly corporations. If I were to graduate from a top 15 law school, how realistic would it be for me to find work at such a firm or pursue such litigation? Even if you don't agree with my youthful idealism, I'd like to know. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>It's generally easier to find work with firms that represent individual plaintiffs than it is to find work at firms that typically represent large corporations. (The firms people refer to as Big Law usually represent a mix of large and not so large corporations.) Plaintiffs firms generally pay their associates a lot less than the Big Law firms, but it's possible (but by no means easy) to make a lot of money representing plaintiffs. The money the very highest paid plaintiffs attorney make often dwarfs the profits the top partners make at those Big Law firms.</p>
<p>If you go that route, be prepared to be derided as an "ambulance chaser" by those people you deride as "slaves to the corporate world." As someone who represented plaintiffs in litigation against corporations, and who has worked in-house for corporations large and small, I'll confess to finding both monikers to be childish. You trivialize the tragic plight of actual slaves (historical and contemporary) when you use that term for corporate lawyers.</p>
<p>I'm a rising third year in law school, and I think your goal is perfectly realistic. What kind of litigation are you thinking of? If you're picturing the kind of lawsuit that happened in A Civil Action, then you probably want to look into representing plaintiffs in class action claims, probably for a small firm. There are all kinds of claims you can bring against big corporations: environmental, discrimination, product liability, labor disputes, etc. You need to decide which area interests you. Plenty of firms do those kinds of class actions, but keep in mind that it takes years for a single claim to make it to trial, and most never do. You can make a fortune, but you can also lose your shirt. If you enjoy taking risks, class action might be right for you.</p>
<p>You could also do public interest law, which involves helping people who can't afford a civil lawyer. It covers everything from landlord-tenant, to family law, to people facing bankruptcy. You won't get to do the big, glamorous litigation, and you won't get paid much, but you'll help a lot of people who desperately need it. It also means getting handed a lot of cases and responsibility right out of law school, which probably won't happen for you at a big, conventional firm. It's great experience, even if it isn't what you want to do for the rest of your life.</p>
<p>This summer I work for a public interest firm that focuses on prisoners' rights. Basically all we do is bring class actions against the Department of Corrections on Eighth Amendment claims, and assist individual prisoners in an informal capacity. It isn't hard at all to get your foot in the door at a place like that. </p>
<p>Be warned, however: if you want to do this kind of thing, you're unlikely to get help from the law school administration. Law schools are interested in sticking law students in the most "prestigious," high-paying firms. They aren't going to encourage you to seek out a $40,000 per year position, no matter how admirable. Neither will your classmates. Most people in law school are there to make money, or because they couldn't figure out what else to do with themselves. That's fine, but it means they won't share a lot your interests. There are plenty of resources out there, but you'll need to find them on your own. Good luck!</p>
<p>"you're unlikely to get help from the law school administration. Law schools are interested in sticking law students in the most "prestigious," high-paying firms. They aren't going to encourage you to seek out a $40,000 per year position, no matter how admirable"</p>
<p>I don't know where you're in law school, but this is not true across the board at the top 15, where the OP is aiming, and it's particularly not true in the top 6. Harvard, Yale, and NYU, the three law schools I know best, each have a separate, specialized career services department that focuses solely on public interest work. The staff members in those offices are former public interest attorneys who will go to great lengths to help you get the best fellowships, etc. My sister does this work at a top-10 law school.</p>
<p>Now, it's true that you'll be swimming against the stream socially, because most of your friends will be interviewing at big firms. But the law school administration can be extremely supportive and helpful.</p>
<p>However idealistic you are now, you will be in for a surprise when you find that many palintiffs' firms suing businesses employ dubious legal theories and engage in unscrupulous tactics. This has been true in the securities and consumer class action fields. Read some stories about the Milberg Weiss firm, the leading securities plaintiffs firm, which is under criminal indictment.
I would suggest seeking a judicial clerkship followed by a stint as a prosecutor. That will leave you in a position to tackle anything, and you won't have had to do the whole "big firm thing" in the process.</p>
<p>I'm no fan of Milberg Weiss. I have managed shareholder litigation in-house, and have seen real abuses. But plaintiffs firms have no monopoly on dubious legal theories or unscrupulous tactics. There are plenty of attorneys representing corporate defendants who indulge in such things.</p>
<p>"Most people in law school are there to make money, or because they couldn't figure out what else to do with themselves." Is this really the case in the US? That sucks. I'm studying in Australia and it's nothing like this. The students that are in it for the money are by far the minority.</p>
<p>Pianoman, don't feel limited by the standards set by others. Your career plan sounds very realistic to me, choose your electives wisely (if you guys have electives in the US....i can only assume you do) and apply to internships at firms that interest you. Good luck.</p>
<p>I don't want to speak for Willow55 but I'm guessing that he/she made the comment as a result of the OP's (and that of many others) apparent belief that handling litigation against the big, bad corporate world is immune to abuse and unethical behavior, that it is somehow more noble. All one has to do is study Bill Lerach to know that that isn't always the case.</p>
<p>For what it may be worth, I went to a top 14 law school, worked at BIG(f?)LAW for a few years, and then quit and hung out a shingle. I do plaintiff's side employement litigation, which means that I regularly represent individual clients against big companies.</p>
<p>What I do is very do-able. It's a lot easier to get clients by putting an ad in the yellow pages than by hanging out at some fancy golf course or whatever it is that BIG(f?)LAW rainmakers do.</p>
<p>Perhaps the biggest obstacle you will face is the intense pressure in law school to interview with and land a job at BIG(f?)LAW. Although it's true that some top law schools have a public interest track, that might not be the thing for you. Personally, I never had any interest in being a public interest lawyer. I like litigating; helping people; and representing working class people. However, I also like the entreprenurial aspects of being a solo, i.e. running a business and making good money (hopefully, anyway).</p>
<p>Believe it or not, you can start getting ready for a solo career right now. Many administrative agencies allow non-attorneys to practice before them. So you can see if you like representing "the little guy." You might discover that you don't like it and would be happier representing big corporations.</p>
<p>Or you can do both. If you are lucky enough to graduate with little debt, and can get a "biglaw" job, then you could try it for a few years. If you like it, you stay, if you don't, you have hopefully banked a lot of money which will enable you to follow the dream. One of my clients is a national products liability plaintiff firm - they love to get resumes from biglaw defense lawyers who have "seen the light."</p>
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Or you can do both. If you are lucky enough to graduate with little debt, and can get a "biglaw" job, then you could try it for a few years. If you like it, you stay, if you don't, you have hopefully banked a lot of money which will enable you to follow the dream.
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<p>That's true, but keep in mind that BIG(f?)LAW money is addictive. When you are making your $180k per year and shopping for a house, will you buy $750k house that you can afford if you borrow to the max? Or will you buy the $400k house that will make it easier to take a 50% pay cut?</p>
<p>Oh yes - beware the golden handcuffs. That goes for everyone - even if you think you want to go with biglaw and stay, don't jump into the biggest, most expensive of everything. You always want to have options.</p>