Logo

Ivy League Lawyers: Don't Mess with Texas

Published: Jan 28, 2015

 Law       
Article image

Following “the blizzard that wasn’t,” slushy streets and ice cold temperatures have New Yorkers dreaming of more pleasant climates this week. Ever think of packing your bags for good and taking your legal career somewhere warmer… say, Texas? Check out Vault’s Best Law Firms in Texas, as determined by attorneys practicing in the Lone Star state who participated in our annual Law Firm Associate survey. And consider this information one attorney provided when we asked which firms in the region were most prestigious:

Texas is its own world. Texans do not care [about] your firm's national reputation. They care about what you have done in that particular region. Similarly, there is a complete bias to UT and SMU. Students with Ivy League degrees should not think they have any advantage over local Texas schools. Indeed, it may be a disadvantage. The Texas pay schedules are not conformed and they differ greatly from firm to firm. Some firms pay national average, others pay regional average, and some use a hybrid formula. Also Texas firms don't coddle lawyers.  If you aren't performing then you can be ousted after your first year. This differs from the Northeast, which will let hanger-ons stay until their 3rd or 4th year.

Ok, ok! We get the point. No surprises that a state with an active secession movement would have its own set of rules when it comes to law firm recruiting. Ivy Leaguers, do not expect special treatment. And nobody should expect to be coddled--better prepare to be "ousted" if you're not cutting it as a mid-level attorney. Texas is not for the faint of heart.

Do you know what makes Texas such a different legal market than the rest? Let us know in the Comments. 

Read More: 
Vault's Best Law Firms in Texas

Follow us on Twitter @VaultLaw

***