It sucks that this is probably a long shot. It shouldn't be. (For what it's worth, I consider myself a fairly neutral observor. I clerk right now, but I've got a V20 job waiting for me when I finish.)

Associate not going to happen at that firm. However, if he is well liked and develops profficiency in specific area he may get the firms help gaining an in-house very junior legal position at a client.

There is a shot in hell that your friend will make it. If he busts his but and works the long hours, the firm has no incentive to make him an associate. Firms make more money off staff attorneys because they pay them low and bill them high. A typical 2-3 year staff attorney is working for under or around 100k and working 2000-2300 hours. The firm is billing them out at about $200-250 per hour. Even if the firm gives them $30k bonus, the firm is still making bank. The firm makes more off its staff attorneys that it does off first years. That's also why firms go with contact attorneys. The contact attorney makes $35 per hour and the firms bill them out to the client for $150-170 per hour.
Your friend has a better shot at making in into a boutique to midsize firm and taking a slight pay cut.

It happens, but very rarely. Advise him to kiss ass to every partner and of counsel they let him near.

i've seen it happen once, but the person proved himself more competent than the associates he was working for.

Do contact attorneys focus mostly on saline related cases?

Observational, rather than general, knowledge, but I know of one V20 associate who started as a staff attorney for that firm...

It won't happen - staff attorneys have too narrow a role - mostly doc collection and review. They aren't seen as people who can do the day to day work that associates do. harsh, but true.

I'm a SA at a top firm and I can say that it really depends on the firm. The more entrenched the SA program the lower the chance of making the move. A friend of mine who became a SA at top 15 firm was made an associate in 9 months. Why? There was no clear path for SA development so she just did whatever the partners wanted. That resulted in her doing associate type work, impressing the partners and, after making a demand, was rewarded with an associate offer. At my firm that will almost certainly never happen becuase the SA program is very well established. In fact, they have just created some new positions within the program to create the appearance of job growth and advancement. It probably shouldn't matter anyway because, based on economics, firms will continue to expand the SA ranks and shrink the ranks of the much more expensive associate. They are realizing that they simply don't need a horde of junior associates to do what SA's do for about half the price (and if you believe that SAs can't do everything associates do you're deluding yourself). They will become more selective with associates with an aim to only recruiting those that may develop into senior associates or partner. Thats just my two cents.

I think the degree to which this is a long shot depends on the firm. Some firms will be more open to it than others. He should discreetly try to gauge the responsiveness of his present firm. But they may think of him only as a staff attorney and so it might actually be easier for him to jump to another big firm if he can position himself the right way.

Sorry, Pinocchio.

A SA at my firm was recently hired as an associate at another firm. So, probably long-shot for him to be hired as an associate at his current firm, but chance that he could make it at another firm.

I work at Skadden. It has never happened here, nor do I expect it ever will.

I saw it almost happen once, but there, it was a big case and the staff attorney had been on it since the beginning. In the end, the case settled or something like that and he didn't get the nod.

I've never heard it even considered otherwise.

The only way I could see the firm considering it, and this is pure speculation, was if a good staff attorney came to them and said he had an offer to become an associate at another firm.

I'm an associate at a V10 and know several staff attorneys who have gotten associate positions -- although all of them seemed to be positions in different offices. One was as recent as this fall. I don't know how they were treated re: class standing. I also know several more staff attorneys who have gotten associate spots at other firms...

This guy will definitely make it as an associate given his obvious drive and enthusiasm for the firm, which will certainly be recognized and appreciated by the firm. He probably will even make partner.

To all of the naysayers posting here, your hating and negativity sucks.

From a big 3 LA firm, it won't happen here. I think they can get promoted within the staff attorney ranks (i.e., senior staff attorney, staff attorney supervisor) but that's it. I knew of one staff attorney who a partner really liked and fought hard to get her promoted to associate status. That was 5 years ago, I think she is senior staff attorney now.

On the flip side, I know of a mid level associate in very good standing who chose to become a staff attorney for better hours.

Fordham produces a lot of staff attorneys.

Agreed. Fordham grads make great staff attorneys.

so do I, and I personally know of 3 staff attorneys who have gotten associate positions in the last 3 years.

Hey 11:36, it has happened once. A DC SA was given an associate position at the NYO.

"The firm makes more off its staff attorneys that it does off first years. That's also why firms go with contact attorneys. The contact attorney makes $35 per hour and the firms bill them out to the client for $150-170 per hour."

You may want to reconsider your assumption that firms don't make more than $125/hr off of their first years.

During my summer, our firm (V50) made at least 3 SA associates.

Let this post be a lesson for all of the annoying staff attorney gunners!!! Do your job and quit over-compensating for your title! You weren't recruited from law school, you 99.99999% will not become an associate! Bill your hours, clean up for young associates who have never laid eyes on large case doc review, and save your monologues!

I know someone at a v40 who did this.

Does every firm have staff attorneys? I've never worked with one, so I don't know (V25).

I worked as a para at a law firm that had about 30 staff attorneys working on one large case. I knew of one staff attorney that became a full associate (over a period of about 3 years). He had billed top 3 hours in the firm for 3 years straight, and they made him a 1st year associate.

Hooray!

I was a staff attorney at a BigLaw firm. I busted tail for a year then put out resumes and transitioned into another BigLaw firm as an associate. At the old firm, moving from staff to associate NEVER happened.

If someone asked my advice I'd say to be careful not to stay as a staff for too long, learn as much as possible then market your self like crazy somewhere else.

BTW, SA's who try to get promoted by schmoozing are really annoying.

I have a friend who started as a staff attorney at a BigLaw firm and was made an associate about 1.5 years after. According to her, when she started people were saying they didn't understand why she was a staff attorney.

Seems it's better to be an associate elsewhere, even if you can go from SA to associate at your present firm. Who wants to deal with all those politics?

I worked at a Big Law firm that had a (very) few associates who had started as staff attorneys. The story, apparently, was that the firm had decided years ago to cut back its staff attorney ranks--i.e. get rid of ALL of them--but some partners had come to depend on particular staff attorneys, didn't want to see them go, and so promoted them. Seems like a rare occurrence that depends on a convergence of several factors.

11:54(1) = D-bag

12:19 = aforementioned gunner

I'm a senior associate. I was really impressed with the research and writing of one particular staff attorney and was going to talk to partners about whether we could hire him as an associate since his work product was on par with that of junior associates, when he left for an associate position at another firm. Presumably he got very strong recommendations from others with whom he had worked. My experience is that most staff attorneys don't want to go the extra mile-- and that's fine, of course.

I have seen it happen at a top 5 firm. The SA was well liked by a major client who asked them to hire the SA back and was more competent and hard working than the associates.

It happens with the right amount of hard work and brown-nosing. But yeah, he will start at a first-year level (160).

pool's closed due to fawning.

enjoy your indentured servitude.

I would say that the chances are much better if the SA works in an area that requires more expertise. If, for example, it was just a regular litigation SA, a top firm might just take an unskilled first year from a better school over the experienced third tier school grad, because there's not much special about the practice area.

I know personally of an SA from a large regional powerhouse not getting promoted there, but making it to partner (after lateralling in as a low-mid-level associate) eventually at another (smaller) regional biglaw.

I also know of SA's and general clerks with expertise in niche areas of the law who become associates fairly quickly (even though their pedigree isn't as "good").

I was acquainted with a SA (actually started as a temp contract guy) in the Kirkland restructuring group who couldn't get the nod after something like 4+ years. By all accounts, he was well liked and really hard working. What held him back? Grades. Bad grades at a top 50 school. Pretty sad the guy had the stones to hang around that group for that long and the ultimate excuse was grades. I'd guess there's more to the story. Probably some pretty good exit opportunities though.

To the 11:36 Skadden douche - one of the biggest partners in Skadden's litigation group started as a staff attorney.

After making the mistake of going to a top 20 law school, but failing to stay in the top 75% (don't hate, I had fun in law school), I was forced to begin my career as a contract attorney...for Paul Weiss. Putting aside the horrors of being a contract attorney in general, we were supervised by a SA who was pretty sure that she was God incarnate. We didn't realize until a few weeks into the project that she wasn't even an associate, made about $80K (which technically is less than a contract attorney) but was working longer and harder hours than we were...despite working from 9am-11pm, 7 days a week. Seemed like a raw deal, but because the bitch was such a...um, bitch, I hope she's still there - praying to be made an associate (as I did at another firm the following month). Schadenfreude, bitches!

12:51, you would be surprised how much grades are a factor. I got 3 C+'s (lowest grades) at a top 20 school and so far every BigLaw firm has given me the 'ol "although you are experienced, qualified, and proved that you are a skilled litigator, you got a C+ your first semester in torts...so, have fun working in PI." If I had known this ahead of time, you could be assured that I would have done some f'ed up things to have gotten better grades. I really had no idea that they were the absolute END ALL.

I used to work at a big NYC firm, and a number of the staff attorneys on one major case left to be associates at other large firms. Not sure how much promotion from within went on, though.

wow, the prospect of busting your ass for a couple years to get that coveted first year associate position sounds great. oh wait, life sucks as a biglaw associate

@11:36, you're wrong, it happened to a friend of mine at Skadden.

It happened a number of times at Howrey. Like everything else in this world, it helps to have a partner pulling for you.

But it's kind of out of the frying pan into the fire. Let's all pack it up and take up baking or agriculture instead.

JT knows a staff attorney or two (or 50) at a BIGLAW or two, and JT knows they know their prospects aren't the best. However, their prospects are better than those on the outside, because they are already in. If you work hard enough it might happen and it might not - but that's true of Partner as well.

11:49 (3) "The firm makes more off its staff attorneys that it does off first years. That's also why firms go with contact attorneys. The contact attorney makes $35 per hour and the firms bill them out to the client for $150-170 per hour."

"You may want to reconsider your assumption that firms don't make more than $125/hr off of their first years. "

No, you should reconsider: contract attorneys don't get benefits, they don't get firm training or the summer program or those free lunches, they don't get bar dues paid - all things which cost the firm money. So, yes looking at the big picture, firms make quite a bit off the contract attorneys.

The JT thing has never been funny.

I can see very few situations in which a staff attorney would be promoted to a "real" associate. The reason is obvious, and well-covered in the preceding posts: the work that staff attorneys perform is basically administrative and completely lacking in substance. Essentially, they are mindless automatons. Consequently, there is little or no opportunity to impress the right people (or anyone, for that matter). Doing a super-extra-awesome job corralling paper from opposing counsel isn't exactly awe-inspiring stuff, no matter how evident the effort.

What's really amazing is that I know many firms will list in the biographies for attorneys that they are "associates" when indeed they are staff attorneys.

1:38

Oh my gosh, free lunches and bar dues!! So friggin' expensive, it's amazing any firms are profitable these days.

1:39,

JT values your input. Also, if you could get JT a mocha with some cream, that would be super.

It can be done in BigLaw, but, it is rare and not an easy road. I know of one person who has done so through hard work, the correct timing, and having the opportunity to do substantive work for the right people (meaning partners--plural). Even then, chances are slim, and there are no guarantees. Transitioning to an associate position at a smaller firm may be a better bet.

1:38 is right. Free lunches and bar dues are probably not what pushes firms to hiring contract attorneys, but in addition to benefits, what about bar review classes and other bar exam expenses, office space and secretarial overhead, and the other expenses that firms usually cover for first years. Firms often invest many hours of training in first year associates. In contrast, contract attorneys are usually handed a stack of document and shipped off to work.

I have nothing against contract attorneys and I think that many of them would make good associates. Unlike many of the people who read ATL, I don't think that whether a person went to a t10 school or whether they were #1 in their class has a direct correlation to whether they will be a good attorney. However, there's a reason that lots of firms are hiring contract attorneys and staff attorneys to do doc review. They're less expensive than a first year, if the project ends and there's not a new one, the firm has not invested thousands of dollars in that attorney's training and professional expenses, and they can be billed out at rates that allow the firm to recoup more of its expenses. Not to mention the fact that many clients are just not willing to pay $200+/hour for someone with no experience to look through a stack of documents. I personally think that the push to $160k (and 190k) starting salaries will mean that firms will be hiring fewer first year associates and looking for more ways to push "low-end" work down to less costly attorneys.

At most firms that have staff attorneys, there is an unwritten policy that they will not make staff attorneys associates. However, althought it is pretty difficult, it is not impossible. I was able to make it from a staff attorney to associate in NY, but I moved to a smaller market as an associate, then back to NY. I also had the support of all of the partners I ever worked for, which was tremendously helpful.

There is an important distinction between staff attorneys and contract attorneys, and different firms do it different ways. Contract attorneys are usually paid by the hour, and are hired for specific projects. They don't get bar expenses or secretaries, generally. Sometimes they just get a spot at the table, instead of a desk. Their contracts can be renewed, and the contract can be with the firm, or through an agency. Staff attorneys are employed directly by the firm, and often share a secretary and have bar expenses (i.e. membership dues & CLE, not the exam) covered. They may have a review every so often, and are "at will" employees, but do not have to worry about their contract ending. Staff attorneys sometimes have to scrap for work, and often have hours targets. Staff attorneys in DC are generally salaried at close to 2/3 of an associate salary. As other folks have cautioned, if the goal is to be an associate, you shouldn't do it for too long.

Every firm is different, but the strategy sounds kind of shaky. I started as an associate at a NJ'based firm that now has 600+ lawyers. We had an entire floor in the building with 150-200 contract attorneys and I only saw one of them make it into the associate ranks. Partners referred to the floor as the "slave ship." Stories about contracts getting hired as associates are anomalies. He probably has little chance at that particular firm; maybe another one would hire him as an associate, though. It's only an impossible situation if he has his heart set on that firm.

I work as a Staff Attorney in a V100 firm and two SAs before me were promoted to Associate. I fully expect to as well.

I work as much or more than other junior associates in my group on the same (sometimes better) work. So I guess it all depends on the firm and group, and of course on the attorney.

Agree with 1:55... Despite having hundreds of Staff Attorneys, Paul Weiss has never, ever promoted a single one to Associate track.

I can see very few situations in which a staff attorney would be promoted to a "real" associate. The reason is obvious, and well-covered in the preceding posts: the work that staff attorneys perform is basically administrative and completely lacking in substance. Essentially, they are mindless automatons. Consequently, there is little or no opportunity to impress the right people (or anyone, for that matter). Doing a super-extra-awesome job corralling paper from opposing counsel isn't exactly awe-inspiring stuff, no matter how evident the effort.

It's possible if the SA is doing work that could impress a partner.

The problem is, most litigation SAs are doing doc review. It's sort of difficult to impress partners with your brilliant mind and work ethic when you are a doc review drone.

Sigh. It is, however, very easy to incur their wrath.

it happened at dsmo

This sounds like one of those situations where the guy "knows someone" who has the herpes and wants some info to tell "his friend." SA must be the ultimate humiliation if he has to use this trick.

3:30, you obviously don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Paul Weiss has promoted two Staff Attorneys (that I know of) to associates-one in litigation and one in corporate. The corporate SA that became an associate is still here. I hate all the trolls on this website that spew total BS.

Staff and/or contract attorneys at the V20 firms I have worked at were not promoted to associate, but I know several former staff attorneys who are now associates at the V50-100 firms they worked at. I am guessing that the more prestigious firms are less willing to promote someone to associate who doesn't have top 10 law school, law review, etc.

4:09.

Let me guess, and you know of several staff attorneys at Paul Weiss who are on track to make partner. Come on, lets be serious. Most big law receptionist are more versed in the law than big law "staff attorneys."

Also, male staff attorneys tend to have low sperm count.

I don't think Paul Weiss has promoted anyone in litigation directly from SA to associate without an intermediary firm position.

11:13 = d-bag

11:13 is not only a d-bag, but I heard he has a low sperm count.

Steptoe & Johnson at one time had several individuals who were called "associates," but who were actually contract attorneys. It also had a number of contract attorneys who did the usual contract attorney-type doc review projects, but these individuals, although they worked under a contract arrangement, had offices and did the same type of work projects as "regular" associates. The only reason one would know that they were contract attorneys was if you were assigned to work on a project with them in a supervisory capacity, if they told you, or through word of mouth. I am wondering if this is similar to the "staff attorney" position that exists at some firms, although it sounds like other firms don't try to "hide" the fact that someone is not what the firm considers to be a full-fledged associate. I have no idea if Steptoe still has this type of contract attorney or if they receive regular benefits, etc., because I am no longer with the firm. However, the two attorneys that I knew of who had this arrangement went on to lateral to other firms as associates.

I wonder if it's possible in some of the cases where one person is saying that a firm has promoted staff attorneys and someone else is saying no way if it could be a similar situation (i.e., maybe the associates don't know who all of the "staff attorneys" are)?

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Associates to $190k/yr
Staff Attorneys to $1.90/HR

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

they probably just don't want to step on anyone's toes

4:09 and 4:51, I work at PW and absolutely know for a fact that 2 staff attorneys have been promoted to associates-one in corporate and one in litigation. The one in litigation made it because a very famous PW partner liked her/her work and pushed her in. This guy is a world famous attorney and can do whatever he wants. The one in corporate (who is still here) worked very hard and was also promoted because several partners really liked her work. It does not happen all the time, obviously. Again, loser trolls who do not know what the fuck they're talking about need to shut their fugly BIGLAW pieholes.

5:13

I find it hard to believe that any firm would suggest to the world that its contract/staff attorneys really are associates. Most commenters above state that firms x, y, and z won't hire these attorneys as associates b/c of their lack of "big firm pedigree." Why then would any firm that buys into this practice of never promoting a contract/staff atty falsely claim that it hired the attys as associates?

Is anyone else aware of firms that claim their staff/contract attys are associates?

The only one I know of was very well liked, but couldn't be promoted internally bc the firm doesn't like to promote SAs, left and went to a lower ranked firm, and then came back to PW as an associate within a year.

Some firms list them on the website as "attorney" as opposed to "associate."

Guys, how bad is the work for staff attorneys at most firms? I'm a SA at a NYC biglaw firm and I do exactly what the associates do and work the same hours. In fact I'd say that I do more advanced work because I came in with a little knowledge of the business side of our practice. (Of course I understand that I'm being screwed because I get paid less, but that's another story.)

And it's routine for SAs to be promoted here.

Out of curiosity, what do most SAs get paid? I started at $125K with a $20K year-end bonus.

My smaller firm does not hire staff or contract attorneys. We do PI work in Jersey.

If I am trying to get into "big law" in Manhattan (as an associate), should I first try and work at such firm as a contract or staff attorney? Are contract and staff atty positions the same thing-- from a "prestige" perspective? Will working as one help me transition from a small(er) Jersey firm to an associate position at a big firm in NYC?

Serious responses appreciated.

5:54,

Here is the "prestige" list from my perspective (from most prestigious to least). I am a 1998 grad and fall into Prestige Category 8 at a "V10" firm:

10. Sr. Partner
9. Of counsel
8. Jr. partner
7. Counsel
6. Associate
5. Paralegal
4. Secretary
3. Hilda (she technically is "contract help"-- the firm pays her to take out my trash and dust my office)
2. Staff attorney
1. Donnie (he is the "learning disabled" dude that the firm pays -- through a contract with NYC's EverGreen Corp. -- to water and fertilize my plants each week)
0. Contract attorney

Hope this helps.

5:44:

Contract and SA are not the same thing. Contract attorneys are not usually employees of the firm, and they are often brought on for a specific project with little chance of employment after its conclusion.

As you can see from this thread, though, a staff attorney varies wildly too. At some shops, they do menial work. Others, meaningful work. It will all depend on which firm you join.

And as you can also see, opinions and experience vary when it comes to being promoted. Every firm is different.

Thanks, 5:53. That was very helpful.

So do you think that I should contact Hilda and Donnie to see if either can use a hand? Are either of them close with the "real" partners at your firm (i.e., the 10s, not the 8s), and do you know if either of them is will to go out on a limb to get their help jobs as associates.

Thanks again for your thoughtful response.

** 5:44

5:43 / 5:55--

Thanks, your posts are helpful.

5:44

what is this about male staff attorneys having low sperm counts. i this true?

what is this about male staff attorneys having low sperm counts. is this true?

5:53, why are you wasting time reading/posting on ATL? Shouldn't you be working? Isn't that what you did to make partner in the first place?

Furthermore, it seems like any partner who's concerning him/herself (I'm guessing himself, though) with plight of the staff attorney won't be very valuable to the rest of the partnership.

In summation, get a life!

6:07(1) & 6:07(2): Yes. Male staff attorneys tend to have low sperm counts. Female staff attorneys have disproportionately been diagnosed with the Clap.

6:09: low sperm cont or the Clap?

6:22-

Thanks for your question, this is 6:09.

I am a male staff attorney at PW with a low sperm count and a case of herpes symplex C.

Thanks,
PW-SA

My brother screwed up his first year in law school and had a hard time getting interviews as a 3L, despite great 2nd semester first year and 2l grades. He graduated from a T35 school and was offered a GC job at a very small firm due to his extensive and impressive paralegal work pre-law school. Turned out the firm was a sham, which he found out about three weeks in when the FBI called (no joke). After quitting on the spot, he had a hard time landing a job. It was a really awkward situation to explain to employers (sorry, uh, my former boss was indicted, but I'm an honest guy).

Eventually, though a ton of networking, he landed a staff atty position in a smaller market. He busted his ass (was a top biller in both hours and efficiency at his firm) and was promoted to associate from staff atty after about a year and a half. It did help that a partner from his UG alma mater was pulling for him, no doubt. But he was a hard working guy who let his work ethic and smarts shine through.

This is a true story. I am REALLY proud of my brother, even if he never calls me because he's working :<

Dear 7:42:

Your story is so touching. I too am proud of your brother.

I love you.

I graduated in 2002 when the market was really bad. I know a number (6, actually) of classmates that started as staff attorneys at big law firms, but eventually became associates. They were all bright (we went to a top 20 school and I am pretty sure everyone was at least in the top 1/3). I don't know if this is just a product of how bad the market was at that time and once it started to pick up people were able to move up or if this is par for the course.

Is it true that you can get pregnant from kissing?

I had 2 tries at the shoe in the door route-
the first time i had a jd and was a paralegal at kaye scholer- then i was promoted to hourly attorney (though my id card said associate). initially, i had a fair amount of interaction with a really senior partner and almost got to go to CA with him to take an EBT- Somone at the firm vetoed that however and it was kinda downhill from there- I got lazy and I was very new in the law firm world and did not know how to play the game and eventually i fell out of favor and was fired. I really think if i could turn back time, if i had worked harder and avoided the stupid mistakes I made, trying to be a bigshot, i would have had a decent shot at getting taken on as an associate. while i was there, they promoted at least two contract attorneys to associates (one of them recently won a pretty big pro-bono prize).

I think my experience of working directly for a senior partner is extremely rare for a contract attorney/staff attorney. 99 times out of a 100 you will be stuck in a room with no contact whatsoever with anyone other than other contract attorneys

the second firm was a 100 attorney plaintiff securities firm- i was hired as a contract attorney with the promise that i would be considered for promotion to associateship. I was lied to- i was given only a couple of non-doc review projects.
i did doc review for a few months there- the worst few months of my professional life- incredibly boring unfulfilling- really degrading- most of the attorneys in the room were of mediocre intelligence- had no ambition and had no problem spending their entire life looking at boxes of docs. i used to leave at 4pm everyday - i was so incredibly bored-

after a couple of months of doc review, i left and joined a solo as an associate. I worked my way up and now work as an associate for mid sized firm where i make about 150k and do meaningful work

so i guess my advice to contract attorneys is- if you are afforded an opportunity to work with associates and partners, give it your all and you never know- you will have to be incredibly pushy without being incredibly pushy.

if you are stuck in a room with boxes- well if that works for you, great- if it doesnt, i would recommend that you leave and take an associate position you can get and try and work your way up to better and better firms.

5:33--for billing purposes, many firms conflate contrat attorneys with associates.

wow, thanks. i am now reconsidering my decision to go to law school.

When I go to happy hrs, I seek out women who are contract attorneys. They drink cheap liquor (Mad Dog / rail cosmos) and tend to put out more than staff attorneys or associates.

Contract Attorneys to My Loft!

very interested in this thread as an SA who's been at a firm for a while now, but not sure if I really want to make the jump to associate now...may just want a better SA gig....currently making $115K with a 10K bonus...barely do any doc review, lots of research and some writing... but only work 40 hours a week.

for the SA that said you got started at $125K with a $20K bonus, are you at Willkie? what are your hours like?

It seems that depending on the type of work you are doing and hours you are putting in as a staff attorney, this can be, for some, a good fit. If you aren't simply locked in a basement doing doc review 70 hours a week, it can be a way to pursue other interests while still making 120K-130K. That said, there is clearly little room for advancement from the staff attorney title, and, those who do it for more than a year or two without a good reason such as pursuing an advanced degree or raising a family seem to close the door to an associate position at a small to mid-size firm, simply because the title is looked down upon. I know at least one person at a top firm that transitioned from SA to associate, but it appeared to be a somewhat unique situation in that case.

What about staff attorneys who don't work on the typical doc review projects? If they work in a niche area (say, IP), how does that change their prospects of promotion in house or lateral prospects?

Are there any staff attys out there in the Boston area? If so, what are your experiences like?

It's a great transitional position - you get to experience big firm life and decide whether that's the path you want to chose, you can pay off debt, etc. It's perfect for a year or two, after that you should move on.

Are there any law firms in Chicago that use staff attorneys?