hell I don't know. maybe you can start small. you know, like in A Civil Action. or you work for a plaintiff firm. then I guess your situation is no different as an associate, or is it?
on a side note, I found the firm. Nix, Patterson. it wasn't SMU they all went to, it was Baylor. and not many of them even have cum laude. though they do have moot court awards often. how the hell do these second tier lawyers in small town Texas have all these huge cases? often as lead counsel? why aren't big school graduates moving in? (would they not play well in local courts?)
http://www.nixlawfirm.com/index_html
and judging by the 9-figure settlements I see in there, these guys must be taking home a LOT of cake. to hell with cravath and the like...