<p>thanks ahead of time.</p>
<p>I guess I may as well take this one. “Biglaw” is a term that is shorthand for the largest and most prestigious law firms in the country. They are typically found in NY, DC, Boston, LA and Chicago and have hundreds of lawyers nationally and internationally. However, I have very small firm clients with “biglaw” attitudes and “biglaw” recruiting standards.</p>
<p>I’d add the San Francisco Bay Area to the list of metropolitan areas in Cartera’s response.</p>
<p>… and Philly</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to leave areas out - there are biglaw firms in many cities not listed, but the household name firms tend to be in the cities mentioned.</p>
<p>Cartera,</p>
<p>Not to quibble, but only one of the largest 50 firms in the country is headquartered in Boston, compared to six in the Bay Area. <a href=“http://www.ilrg.com/nlj250/[/url]”>350 Largest Law Firms in the US (2019) - PublicLegal; </p>
<p>San Francisco was cited in the American Lawyer in November, 2005 as the sixth largest legal market in the world, behind New York London, D.C., L.A., and Chicago.</p>
<p>You are right Greybeard. I guess the word suggests more to me than just size - so firms like Ropes & Gray and Hale & Dorr jump to mind over Brobeck, Pillsbury or Morrison.</p>
<p>what does “the word” mean?</p>
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</p>
<p><a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_law[/url]”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_law</a></p>
<p>Big Law is a term which generally refers to American law firms whose size is that of several hundred lawyers or higher. Such firms often are based in major legal markets such as New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago or Los Angeles. However, it is most often applied in a more limited sense to firms that are highly ranked in industry publications for their various practice area expertise. The majority of individuals working for such firms are graduates of one of the top American law schools as ranked in U.S. News and World Report 's annual law school rankings, however, often individuals with unique industry expertise will be hired despite having graduated from lesser ranked schools (e.g. former government officials from organizations such as the Securities and Exchange Commission). Associates at such firms are considered top New York talent and are recruited heavily by rival Big Law firms. Examples of Big Law firms include White & Case, Jones Day, DLA Piper, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Sullivan & Cromwell; Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett; Latham & Watkins; and Cravath, Swaine & Moore, and Hullgate, Chung, Wigga, and Momo, LLP. For the United Kingdom equivalent, the term Magic Circle generally describes the largest UK law firms.</p>
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<p>■■■■■ is that for real or did somebody edit that in? </p>
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<p>Does the Magic Circle have any Muggle members, or is it comprised entirely of witches and wizards?</p>
<p>“You are right Greybeard. I guess the word suggests more to me than just size - so firms like Ropes & Gray and Hale & Dorr jump to mind over Brobeck, Pillsbury or Morrison.”</p>
<p>I agree, it’s not just size. Hyatt Legal Services used to lead the lists of largest law firms in the US. The usual metrics include per-partner profits.</p>
<p>For 2006, in Boston, Ropes & Gray came in at $1.1 million (behind Goodwin at $1.43 million, and ahead of Wilmer at $.98 million). </p>
<p>In the Bay Area, Morrison & Foerster had profits per-partner of $1.13 million. Orrick Herrington came in at $1.43 million, Wilson Sonsini at $1.275 million, Heller Ehrman at $1.035, and Pillsbury lagged at $.875. Townsend, a smaller Bay Area firm, came in at $1.44.</p>
<p>"According to data recently collected by The National Law Journal [a sibling publication of The American Lawyer], in 2006 the nation’s 250 largest law firms hired nearly 7,000 entry-level associates, roughly one-sixth of the 42,673 J.D.’s granted by ABA–approved law schools. "</p>
<p>Quoted from an American Lawyer article published earlier this month.</p>