Where's Mayer Brown on that list?

Kidding, kidding.

Why is Ropes considered to be so good? They have a dodgy reputation in DC

Paul Hastings was voted favorite among labor and employment lawyers? Seriously?

I've heard only negatives about Larry and Josh (NY office).

Lots of Latham cool-aid going around. It's just like the other big firms.
Wachtell is the only one that's different, and that's in the $$$.

9% of you want to work at Kirkland? really?

I'd rather have a hot coffee enema...

As was pointed out (by numerous commenters) when you first ran the survey, several other firms should have been included (STB, SA, WG&M, A&P) come to mind). Doing so might have changed things a bit (at least in Chi).

Cleary pwnd.

10:41 -- What do you mean by "dodgy reputation"?

10:47- Highly credited

10:41 - dodgy? What an odd word. I think Ropes is tiny in DC, but I've come across their investment management people in DC and they're typical Ropes - good, if a little conservative and very Harvard/Boston.

bad survey

I can't believe Greenberg Traurig isn't on that list! Its by far one of the best places to work - reasonable hours and friendly colleagues....OK I can't keep a straight face anymore, it was good for a laugh.

Latham and Kirkland's performance is probably enhanced by the massive size of those firms. I think the most impressive result is Wachtell, which manages to come out near the top despite its miniscule size.

7% want to work at Skadden. That by itself indicates that this survey is meaningless. It's the equivalent of having a survey of favorite foods and dirt receiving 7% of the vote.

19% want to work at Latham. That by itself indicates that this survey is meaningless. It's the equivalent of having a survey of favorite foods and ass receiving 19% of the vote.

Given that your choices are the equivalent of dirt, ass, puke, etc., it's not that surprising that dirt got 7% of the vote.

11:04 - nice chip on your shoulder. I don't work at LW. As far as I'm concerned, that place is no fun either. But at least I can see why people would want to work there.

10:42, PH is repeatedly voted the top labor and employment shop. Why wouldn't L/E lawyers want to go there?

10:41 - any details on what's wrong w/ Mayer Brown? I have a few friends there that really enjoy it...

Perhaps Lat should run a survey on LEAST desirable firms to work at?

I'm surprised Cadwalader didn't dominate the field based entirely on all the laid-off attorneys who wish they had their old job back.

I love that everyone is arguing over whether one of these slave ships is slightly more bearable than the others.

Latham does solid tax work. What more is there to life?

"like slaves on a ship talkin' bout who got the flyest chain, come on"

I'm pretty confident that at least 5% of Latham's score comes from L&W associates disregarding the "firm that isn't your own" rule.

Cravath is still simply the best. If you don't work at Cravath, just give up and kill yourself.

This is silly. It would be better to have a survey that said if you had to work at a t-10 firm, which would it be? I prefer to work at a place where I can bill 2,000 or hours without getting hounded and where I could take vacation. Thus, I probably would have picked Allen & Overy.

That said, if I had to work at a t-10 firm (and especially if I had to work at either Sullivan, Skadden, Cravath, or Wachtell), I would pick Wachtell in a heart beat. Best work, best associate-partner-relations, and most importantly far superior exit opportunities and bonuses.

What is the "Magic Circle front." Whatever it is I guess I'm not in it.

I am glad to see no one was stupid enough to vote for Fulbright. However, this is skewed. I worked in big law for three years and chose to goto a smaller firm for quality of life (Texas to the Pacific NW).

I like having a 1600 billable requirement vs 2400. I understand I may be in the minority, but this poll is stupid. Who would want to work for Skadden? I am a tax lawyer and shudder at the thought.

10:56 - What's wrong with Fulbright, IYO?

Fullbright = Cadwalader but with uglier associates.

I had an offer from Kirkland (for last summer), which I declined, opting instead for one of (or is it the only?) its "peer firms." I have NO regrets.

(And yes, I say that with the full realization that, come bonus season next year, I will be somewhat disgruntled at the 50-100% bigger bonuses Kirkland associates will likely receive.)

10:53, "dodgy" is not that odd a word if you've ever travelled outside the United States and had a conversation with the locals. My guess is that you have not.

10:54 - do you actually work there? If not, why bother to say anything?

Who knew so many scientologists read this site?

12:24- thanks for the support, sometimes I wonder about the people on this board....

10:51&53- Ropes has a dodgy DC reputation based on conversations that I've had with fellow associates and limited interactions with their DC people. They are seen as, at best, a satellite for prestige-obsessed Boston-types who are more interested in convincing others of their quality than in producing quality work product.

12:27- ridiculously highly credited

12:24 I wasn't initially in your conversation, but in my experience "dodgy" has been used as a synonym for slightly unsafe. For instance, "Don't walk through that neighborhood at night; it's quite dodgy." Dodgy would not be a word to describe a law firm's practice.

MY FAVORITE LAW FIRM IS ANY FIRM THAT IS CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN ITS SHORT AND LONG-TERM PROSPECTS AND TO HIRE LAW CLERKS AT THIS POINT! (please hire me)

12:27 - it seems Schindler has some $cinos hail xenu for some LW votes

12:54 is right. Dodgy means sketchy/shady, but to a lesser degree.

Shady: married 40-something partner who hits on paralegals every day and makes half-hearted attempts to get laid at the firm retreat

Merely dodgy: Michael Scott

I left Fulbright because the mentoring is compeltely non-existant and some of the partners discriminate in the sense that if you did not goto their law school or don't share the same church, you do not get any work. A whole bunch of partners and associates have left over this. I am surprised no one writes about it.

LW came out ahead only because the revelations that the firm was trying to intimidate those who criticize the COS and silence their free speech came out late in the campaign.

I had an offer from a prostitute once but I declined that too.

Well I guess no one is that interested but I'll elaborate anyway:

I had an offer from a blond prostitute (last summer), which I declined, opting instead for one of (or is she the only?) her "peer whores." I have NO regrets.

(And yes, I say that with the full realization that, cum bonus season next year, I will be somewhat disgruntled at the 50-100% longer tricks the blond prostitutes' johns will likely receive.)

Gosh, I sure do love reading a little Kirklandian bloviation. I have never met a more cynical bunch of chest-thumpers in my life!

Pretty funny considering the three biggest douches I know from law school work at latham.

I suspect you have a large latham readership this week due to your Scientology article and they are voting it up.

Why I left Texas:

"I left Fulbright ... don't share the same church, you do not get any work.

The most anal retentive person I've ever met in my life is at Latham. Absolutely insufferable.

"I left Fulbright because the mentoring is compeltely non-existant and some of the partners discriminate in the sense that if you did not goto their law school or don't share the same church, you do not get any work."
From having summered at Fulbright, I can deduce who the above commentator is, and while there's definitely some clubbiness at Fulbright (UT, etc.), the guy was a moron. The partners thought of him as a little kid who couldn't be trusted to be alone with summers, because he was a total loose cannon. I think any firm that expected reasonable professionalism from an associate would have canned him.
That said, it's kind of entertaining to be a summer and have a guy tell you in hushed tones, like two kids in detention, "I don't do sh*t all day."

your polls have an annoying format. ballot stuffing is also to blame. debevoise is the obv. answer

Hail Xenu!

I can't believe securities lawyers actually voted for Linklaters. You've got to be kidding! I was a securities lawyer there, having lateraled from a top NY firm thinking it might be a slightly better "lifestyle". It was the biggest disappointment ever. The US lawyers and practice there are so far below the caliber of what you'd ever find in a leading US firm. There is no comparison. Maybe these were UK lawyers voting for the UK practice, but on the US side, everyone I've ever known to move there after having an experience in a US firm was sorely disappointed- a lot of them just up and quit or move back to an NY firm if they can get hired. The US practice lawyers there with only a few exceptions could never have held their own or made partner in the NY firms that are on the other side of their deals.