Wachtell may be the most prestigious firm out there (according to Vault), but it has the industry's worst Web site, as rated by Jonathan Thrope of the American Lawyer. We're not completely sure we trust his judgment though, since he was "sucked in" by Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice's animated dog. We waited for it to do something cool, but it just stretched and yawned.

According to Thrope, law firms are getting more serious about online marketing and using Web sites to create a distinctive brand. In general, law firm sites strike us as fairly dry. And boring. There are a few exceptions, like the Van Winkle Law Firm's split personality bio page. North Carolina-based Van Winkle adds a personal touch to its site with dual bios (and photos) for many of its attorneys: one with professional highlights, and another focused on hobbies and life outside of work.

Other firms experiment with offbeat advertising, but seem to be using it to recruit attorneys, not clients. Like Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle's creation of a Facebook page, and Stoel Rives' free-style running promo on YouTube.

Of the assortment of staid sites in the AmLaw 100, five made Thrope's cut for the worst. Check them out after the jump.

We're entering the second half of the Vault 100. This is part of a series of open threads to discuss the firms considered to be the profession's most prestigious. Because we know you love prestige. And the opportunity for "TTT" accusations. [FN1]

Here's the next bunch of firms, with prestige scores in parentheses:

51. Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP (5.851)
52. Dechert LLP (5.838)
53. Vinson & Elkins LLP (5.822)
54. Goodwin Procter LLP (5.815)
55. Jenner & Block LLP (5.778)
56. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (5.728)
57. Alston & Bird LLP (5.715)
58. Fish & Richardson P.C. (5.706)
59. Cooley Godward LLP (5.692)
60. Irell & Manella LLP (5.635)

Vault notes that attorneys at Pillsbury are treated to "freshly baked cookies." But they also have to put up with being referred to as "Pillsburians" by Vault.

Compare, contrast, discuss... and if you're at Pillsbury, have a chocolate chip cookie for us.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads - 2009

[FN1] We periodically get e-mails asking for the definition of "TTT," which appears so often in comment threads. As the uninitiated have surely gathered, it's a derogatory term. Likely originating on AutoAdmit, it stands for "third tier toilet." For more, see Urban Dictionary.

In honor of the new Vault rankings, we're doing a series of open threads on the 100 most prominent law firms. We invite you to compare and contrast the firms in the comments. In the last open thread on Vault firms 6-10, there was an animated discussion about litigation at Cleary and which Kirkland office is best to work for.

Moving on down the Vault 100 list, here's the next bunch up for discussion, with prestige scores in parentheses:

11. Covington & Burling LLP (7.428)
12. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP (7.417)
13. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (7.290)
14. Williams & Connolly LLP (7.238)
15. Sidley Austin LLP (7.201)

The oddest language in the "notable perks" in this bunch is at Williams & Connolly: "Fancy bunch of smarties." Well-dressed intelligent lawyers, or a big basket of the tart candy?

Please discuss the work, perks, and lifestyle at these firms in the comments. More threads to come.

Earlier: Vault 100 Open Threads- 2009

Last week, we gave you a sneak preview of Vault's 2009 law firm rankings: the top 50 firms ranked by prestige, and the top 20 firms ranked by quality of life.

Now the complete 2009 rankings are available. In addition to the prestige and "best to work for" rankings, they include the diversity and partner prestige rankings.

You can access all the rankings through this gateway page, or by clicking on the links below. Enjoy!

Top 100 Law Firms: 2009 Rankings (portal page) [Vault]
Top 100 Law Firm Prestige rankings [Vault]
The Best 20 Law Firms to Work For [Vault]
The Best 20 Law Firms for Diversity [Vault]
Partner Prestige Rankings [Vault]

Earlier: ATL Exclusive: A Sneak Peek at the 2009 Vault Rankings! (Part 1 of 2)
ATL Exclusive: A Sneak Peek at the 2009 Vault Rankings! (Part 1 of 2)

This morning we brought you a special sneak preview of the 2009 Vault law firm rankings (to be released in full on Tuesday, August 12, over at the Vault website). We passed along two compilations: (1) firms ranked 26-50 by prestige, and (2) firms 11-20 on the "best to work for" list.

Now, as promised, we bring you the balance of the rankings: firms 1-50 by prestige, and all 20 of the "best to work for" firms.

Check out the lists, plus comment from Vault law editor Brian Dalton, after the jump.

Readers, we bring you some very exciting news. Just in time for fall recruiting, the folks over at Vault are releasing their highly influential -- indeed, authoritative -- law firm rankings. The rankings, along with informative and interesting write-ups of the ranked firms, will be available in Vault's law guides. (Vault's Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms is basically a Biglaw job seeker's Bible.)

The official release date for the 2009 rankings is this coming Tuesday, August 12. But the Vault crew kindly offered Above the Law an exclusive preview of the new list, consisting of the top 50 firms for prestige and the 20 firms rated as "Best to Work For." Obviously we wet ourselves just a little bit enthusiastically accepted Vault's offer of an early look.

Check out the first half of the ATL preview -- firms ranked 26-50 by prestige, and 11-20 on the "best to work for" list -- along with explanatory commentary from Vault law editor Brian Dalton, after the jump.

There are already about a half-dozen major law school ranking schemes out there. So why not create one more?

The folks over at Vault, already famous for their super-influential law firm rankings, have tried their hand at ranking law schools. Not surprisingly, given Vault's focus on the world of large law firms, even their law-school rankings are Biglaw-centric. From the press release:

Vault solicited employers' points of view by surveying law firms across the country on which schools produce the best associates. With 58% of law school graduates entering private practice, and no other firm-determined rankings, Vault's law school rankings fill an important gap with their emphasis on employability.

Nearly 400 hiring partners, associate interviewers and professional recruiting staff rated law schools on a scale from 1-10 based on how well their graduates are prepared to achieve success in the firm environment.

The Vault top 10 law schools, plus links and commentary, after the jump.

Each year, just in time for fall on-campus recruiting season, Vault releases its prestige rankings of the nation's biggest law firms. Here's a report on the results of the latest survey, from The Recorder:

In big law, prestige is important. And an annual survey from career-oriented Web site Vault attempts to gauge just how impressive it is to work at the country's top firms by asking more than 15,000 associates to rank their prestige factor.

The top ten firms were: Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; Cravath, Swaine & Moore; Sullivan & Cromwell; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Davis Polk & Wardwell, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton; Latham & Watkins; Weil, Gotshal & Manges; and Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Executive summary: New York firms rule the roost. Nothing new there.

But lawyers at Latham & Watkins, based out in La-la-land, were happy with their top 10 finish:

"It's certainly important and it is impressive that Latham has the reputation it has," said Kimberly Posin, a fourth-year associate in Latham's Los Angeles office. "Clients look to and appreciate the prestige factor."

It's also a key factor for law students who are interviewing at various firms and scouring the rankings to help make decisions, she said.

Within the firm itself, it was fun to get the e-mail detailing the results.

"It's something that's nice to talk about," Posin said, "[to] call our friends at competing firms and say 'Look at this.'"

Calling your friends to brag about how your firm is more prestigious than their firm? Isn't that a tad obnoxious, Kimberly?

Top 100 Law Firms [Vault]
Associate Survey Finds NY Firms Win Bragging Rights [The Recorder]