I'm a 2010 grad (UCLA, 3.5 GPA, passed CA bar on 1st try, want to practice in the Bay Area) who chose not to do biglaw to follow a passion for sports law. I'm enjoying what I do but a regretting missing the big law experience - both for the money and for the opportunities it will present even in my specific field - for example, most professional organizations want their GCs and assistant GCs to have biglaw experience.

My question is, how do I get into biglaw without going the traditional OCI route when I have no experience in any relevant practice areas? Some of my skills are obviously transferrable but to do, for example, corporate transactional work I would have to be trained like I am a new grad. It seems strange to enter as a first year associate when I have been out of law school for a year but I'm not sure what other route to take to get into biglaw.

And assuming the answer is "just apply", do I just start sending out to firms in the area? It's not like they are posting openings for 1st year associates.

It's tough to make that jump back. I'd check www.attorneyjobsonline.com for listings, and see if your school has listings for job openings. Also, call recruiters.

Since you went to NYU I'm going to assume you are in the NY market.

Too make a long story short I am at Touro paying half tuition, I finished in the top 10% and they will offer me more money.  I am already on the transfer bandwagon and have been accepted by Brooklyn.  The difference between Brooklyn and Touro over two years would be near 70k, I am wondering if it is worth it.

So I suppose the essence of the question is, do people in the NY firms see a difference between a school like Brooklyn and Touro, or do they view it as Columbia, NYU, Cornell, Fordham, and...the rest. 
And if they do see a difference, is it better to be top 10% at Touro, or top lets say 40% at Brooklyn.

Brooklyn has a reasonably good reputation in New York, it definitely does make a difference in the new york market. If you are looking for big law, Brooklyn is the option with a realistic chance of getting you there. The alumni network will be much better. Not sure about what kinds of grade difference would matter.

do 30 practice tests, timed, under proper conditions before the exam. Best thing you can do.

Quote from: lawguy09 on June 09, 2009, 08:32:17 AM

Since deciding to go to law school, people have been asking me what type of law I'd like to practice. I tell them, "It's too early to decide, I hope to find something I like."

Now, I'd like to say I'm going to law school to make the world a better place, but mostly I'm going to find a good job and make good money.

I know criminal law isn't the money maker...so, what type of law is?

Criminal defense is a big money maker, its just done mostly by small firms and solos so no real salery data. My classmate started her own pratice right out of law school (she was a criminal defese paralgegal and knows a bunch of crimnal defense lawyer who feed her work) and has been averaging 12k a month since she got lic last Aug. Don't worry if you don't know what you want to do right now, most don't even know by 3L and most folks will end up doing whatvere the firm that hires them has open. Very few people know what kind of law they want to do before law school, but a few do.

White collar, which is probably the most lucrative criminal law, is typically done in big firms (though not exclusively).

neither school will limit you geographically. Stanford has a better reputation, but not really by much.