The Student Room Group

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Reply 1
Most definitely US firms. They pay more and you probably get to go to the US pretty often. My dream is to live there...but probably not going to happen.
Reply 2
Death
Most definitely US firms. They pay more and you probably get to go to the US pretty often. My dream is to live there...but probably not going to happen.


Travel to the US isnt something that is as regular as youd think. Most of them want good London lawyers, they have enough lawyers in NY. That said my firm does encourage some to become dual qualified - so there is that.
Reply 3
Dual qualified? You mean lawyers qualified in the US and UK? Does that mean that after you qualify to practice in the UK you have to go and do your JD in the US and pass the bar?
Reply 4
Just out of curiosity...are there a lot of US firms in London? Approximately what kind of ratio MC:u:S would you say?
Reply 5
Death
Dual qualified? You mean lawyers qualified in the US and UK? Does that mean that after you qualify to practice in the UK you have to go and do your JD in the US and pass the bar?


If you do an LLB at the UoL or Oxbridge you can sit the NY bar right away. I wont do a JD - just th ebar.
Reply 6
Lawz-
If you do an LLB at the UoL or Oxbridge you can sit the NY bar right away. I wont do a JD - just th ebar.

Now that is something I didn't know. Worth looking into though. However, that wont entitle you to go and work for the top firms in the US will it? I have read that many specifically ask for a JD. How hard will it be to sit the NY bar? Do Oxbridge and university of London prepare you for it? Will it take any extra studying?(I mean as in whole semesters).
Reply 7
Death
Just out of curiosity...are there a lot of US firms in London? Approximately what kind of ratio MC:u:S would you say?


wow .. hard to say ... I would say maybe about 20 decent sized US firms?

Skadden
:cool: :biggrin: Cleary!!! :cool: :biggrin:
White and Case
Jones Day
Debvioise (I think)
Cravath
Arnold & Porter
Baker & McKenzie
Covington
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw
Shearman & Sterling
Sulivan Cromwell,
Simpson
Davis Polk
Lantham Watkins (I think)
Weil, Gotshal & Manges


To name a few
Reply 8
Death
Now that is something I didn't know. Worth looking into though. However, that wont entitle you to go and work for the top firms in the US will it? I have read that many specifically ask for a JD. How hard will it be to sit the NY bar? Do Oxbridge and university of London prepare you for it? Will it take any extra studying?(I mean as in whole semesters).

You CAN work for NY firms - but yes its a lot harder without a JD and even hard with an LLM from say Harvard. No UoL and Oxbr dont preare you

It is hard in that it requires an enourmous amount of factual recall.

I would sugges tthe best bet is to take a TC with a US firm that allows mobility then dual qualify and ask for a transfer eventually.
Reply 9
Would you say it was any easier to get into US firms than MC firms? What kind of competition do you get at US firms?
Reply 10
Lawz-
wow .. hard to say ... I would say maybe about 20 decent sized US firms?

Skadden
:cool: :biggrin: Cleary!!! :cool: :biggrin:
White and Case
Jones Day
Debvioise (I think)
Cravath
Arnold & Porter
Baker & McKenzie
Covington
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Denton Wilde Sapte
LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw
Shearman & Sterling
Sulivan Cromwell,
Simpson
Davis Polk
Lantham Watkins (I think)
Weil, Gotshal & Manges


To name a few


Ahem...

Where is Sidley? :tongue:

I can probably add a few others - Reed Smith, Dechert, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, Milbank Tweedy, McDermott Will & Emery and (the now defunct) Couderts. :wink:

P.S. Dentons isn't a US firm is it?
Reply 11
Death
Would you say it was any easier to get into US firms than MC firms? What kind of competition do you get at US firms?


I'd say it is harder to get into a major US playa as opposed to the MC. MC firms = 100 trainees per year. US outfits = about 4 or 5 (unless you're tlaking about Weil Gotshal or W&C, Shearmans etc. i.e. the most Anglicised of the US firms).

EDIT: Poll is 7-0 to the Yanks atm. :smile:
Was I really the first to vote MC?
sorry what is this US MC thing?
can someone explain?
Reply 14
JohnnyJamJar
sorry what is this US MC thing?
can someone explain?

Oh dear, you must feel a bit silly, but I suppose all this initialisation can be confusing. Here goes...

US = United States, so when people talk about a US firm, they generally mean an American law firm with a London office. Generally these firms pay pretty well, although they generally take on far less trainees than MC firms...

MC firms = Magic Circle - a collective term for the top City (London) law firms - aka Clifford Chance, Slaughter & May, Allen Overy etc... - generally pay trainees very well (compared to regional/High Street firms) - involved in commercial aspects of Law - you won't find a family/human rights lawyer at an MC firm in general.

Hope that solves your confusion. :biggrin:
thanks...i'm new to law, just goin on to uni this year..

Why would an american law firm have a UK based office? If in the UK its Uk law...stupid question, but still need to know
Reply 16
JohnnyJamJar
thanks...i'm new to law, just goin on to uni this year..

Why would an american law firm have a UK based office? If in the UK its Uk law...stupid question, but still need to know

I'm 'new to law' too - going to Uni this year.

I don't know much about American firms... but I assume they have offices over here because a lot of their work has an international focus - they're not dealing with issues which are only relevant to the domestic laws of one country - i.e. multi-national corporations, banks... that kind of thing I would imagine. I'm sure other people know a lot more (i.e. Lawz).

Note: American firms based in London aren't practicing 'American' law over here, so to speak - the lawyers based in London are trained in English law. If an American firm has offices all over the world this will benefit their reputation, and I assume make it more likely that important work would come their way.
Reply 17
Lawz-
If you do an LLB at the UoL or Oxbridge you can sit the NY bar right away. I wont do a JD - just th ebar.

Is it only UoL and Oxbridge that allow you to sit the NY bar straight away??

Not really thought about the pros and cons of working for a US firm, but being the true patriot that I am, decided to vote MC! :biggrin:
domjohn
Is it only UoL and Oxbridge that allow you to sit the NY bar straight away??

Any three year Law LLB will allow you to sit the NY bar exam provided it isn't a joint degree that is only two years of law.

JohnnyJamJar
sorry what is this US MC thing?
can someone explain?

One, two, three, four, I love the Marine Corps!
Reply 19
Not a Lawyer

One, two, three, four, I love the Marine Corps!


lol