Maybe I’m naive or bad at math (lawyer, after all), but it strikes me that with a decade or so of partner income, even a non-rainmaker could have their house paid off, kids’ college funded, and ~$10 million in savings, leaving them in a position to comfortably live our their days on dividends. Why don’t more partners retire at 45 or 50?
Partner on a sprawling pro bono case (there are 10+ people from the firm involved) wrote me to ask “are you in a position to handle this today?”—making minor edits to a document. I said that I was really underwater this week, and it would be great if someone else could handle. (I’m on track for probably 210 hours this month.) Partner writes back later to say “for awareness, this took 10 minutes to do.”
Is that a normal level of passive aggression? Just seems petty not to assume in good faith that I’m busy, and the “just 10 minute” tasks obviously add up. Also, it takes more than 10 minutes when the partner usually feels the need to make trivial edits to my work and then ask me to email it to the client.
I’m a first year. Northeast region. Partner is worried I’m not going to meet the billing requirement and wants me to be billing 190+ for the rest of the year, which is simply not possible. Almost every month he’s had a discussion with me about my hours and meeting the yearly requirement despite being close to the monthly requirement when including non-billables so it’s not like I’m dropping the ball and billing crazy low. I’m talking 155/160+ billable hours every month on average as a first year. Other first years at the firm are not getting this same amount of treatment re constant discussion and scrutiny on hours. Latest discussion happened even after I billed highly last month.
He’s going through my billing day by day now and telling me what he thinks took too long and seems to think I’m inflating hours. Not sure what to do as I’m not getting that much work and when I do, they’re all few hour long tasks, not anything substantive. Seems like he just wants me to do overload 10 hour days of actual small, substantive tasks that take about an hour or two each. There’s also not that many of these tasks as a couple of us on the team are already assisting on these little tasks. Plus everytime I get 1-2 tasks, I finish them, then have to ask for more, wait for responses on what to do before I start so it does add up waiting around like that. Have no depos or mediations. What to do?
I do want to bill more but my matters are either stagnant or I’m up to date on them. Only have 4 matters to myself.
Ps: I love the rest of my team and they are all seniors and superstars at billing so I do feel like I’m getting a way different treatment than them. They have always supported me and told me to bill what it takes me and to take my sweet time on stuff. Culture was great at first but now I’m constantly anxious inputting my billing because I feel like I have to justify how long things are taking me. Genuinely don’t know how to meet the billing requirements if I have no depos, no doc review, and he wants me to work quickly through assignments.
I have never felt compelled to post on this subreddit before, but I have officially run out of options. I share an office with another associate who has truly extraordinary body odor. This is not an occasional “forgot deodorant after the gym” situation. It is a persistent, unmistakable smell that has effectively become a third occupant of our office.
I have tried every indirect intervention I can think of. I’ve suggested that we always leave the office door open because “the air gets stuffy.” I’ve conspicuously opened the door immediately after he closes it, and I bought an air freshener. I’ve made comments about how hot the office gets and how I sometimes feel like I need another shower in the middle of the day. Nothing has landed.
Compounding the problem, he works out before coming to the office and keeps his dirty gym clothes under his desk for the entire day. There is frequently a damp T-shirt, shorts and socks stuffed into a gym bag approximately four feet from where I am trying to review documents. I cannot overstate how much this contributes to the overall environment.
My bigger concern at this point is reputational. Partners and others regularly come into our office to talk to one or both of us. I have become increasingly paranoid that they walk in, immediately smell the situation, see two men sitting there, and conclude there is a 50% chance it is me. Last week a partner came in, stopped talking for about half a second, looked around the room and then asked, “Do you guys want to leave the door open?”
What is the protocol here? Do I tell him directly? Tell office management? Ask for a new office and refuse to explain why? Is it permissible to anonymously send deodorant through interoffice mail?
I am genuinely concerned that if this continues for another six months I will become known around the firm as “the associate who smells,” despite being completely innocent.
Would you consider a 50 billable hour week a busy week? By itself, doesn’t seem too bad, but if you average that for a month, you are at 200+
This one guy keeps testing me. We have a meeting next week, and if he doesnt behave Im going to throw hands.
Anyone else almost came to blow with a client?
Should I be scared? I'm a junior (Cap marks).
I am currently clerking for a federal magistrate judge in a more "flyover" state. Top of my class at a low-ranked school, I took this position hoping it would be a stepping stone to an A3 clerkship (and maybe Biglaw after). After several interviews, I unfortunately struck out with the big wave of 2027 hiring that happened in June/July. My magistrate clerkship is over in August of 2027.
My judge told me that the USAO for this district has asked several times about me, suggesting I apply for an open position as an AUSA in their criminal division.
So, I am torn. I didn't take this state's bar before my clerkship because I didn't see myself staying here longer than that. But clerkship openings for fall of 2027 are already more limited than before and will only get fewer and fewer. But someone from my law school who didn't do the SLIP program becoming an AUSA so soon after graduation is unheard of.
I am much less familiar about the benefits/drawbacks of going to a USAO than clerking, which is even more compounded because this is a USAO in a small market. I am looking for some input from more experienced people.
First, the whole reason that this office has an opening they're willing to hire such a young attorney for is because the current DOJ has bled attorneys. This particular district only lost the USA (obviously) and chief deputy when the administrations changed, but it seems that their usual feeder methods aren't working. What would joining the Trump DOJ, even in such a minor role, look like on my resume in the future?
Second, this position is for the criminal division and I want a civil practice. How easy is it to change from the criminal to civil divisions? Just a matter of waiting for an opening?
If I did get the job, how feasible would it be to move USAOs in a few years? I saw that there may technically be a method of "transferring" offices (particularly within the same district), but for the most part moving would mean applying to an open position at another USAO. I am from the south (and went to law school there) but licensed in the northeast. I wouldn't necessary want to move/transfer to these places specifically, but I would want to move to a larger legal market for sure (truly hard to move to a smaller one). Would previous AUSA experience, even in a small market, give me a good shot at moving into a larger market (despite my lack of law school prestige)?
Ultimately, I need to decide pretty quickly whether I want to keep sending out these A3 clerkship applications, take the interview with the USAO here, or some third choice (moving into private practice, most likely). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
I need to give two weeks notice of resignation today, but my boss decided not to come into the office and they are also in meetings all day. Additionally, I am kind of terrible over the phone and am really nervous about the phone call.
Is it acceptable to give notice via email, or would that leave a bad taste for them? I think I’ve been well-liked at this firm and would like to maintain the friendships I’ve made here plus ideally have a professional reference in the future.
I am in a smaller legal market where there are only two BigLaw firms with major offices there and they frequently work across or with each other on deals. I already accepted my return offer after summering at one of the firms.
Is there any risk to my career/reputation if I apply for an post-3L entry-level position at the other firm? Is it easier or less controversial if I tough it out at this firm for a few years first before trying to lateral to the other firm?
EDIT: Since many people are asking, here are the facts:
Surely Firm A doesn't want to retain an associate who is miserable and doesn't want to be there right off the bat. Other summers loudly talked about how terrible this summer program was and still got return offers...so Firm A would clearly not be offended or surprised if they left to Firm B. And yet somehow my reputation is at risk solely because I chose to be professional?
I retained a recruiter over a month ago and he’s been really slow to respond to my emails. Usually takes about 1.5 weeks to get back to me, and hasn’t submitted me to a single place over the last month and week. he was working on revisions my resume for some time but even after that was done, it’s been like pulling teeth. And he requires that I don’t engage any other recruiters or submit myself if I’m working with him. Is this timeline too slow or am I being overly anxious? Do recruiters retaliate by shit talking you to firms if you ghost them and then apply on your own?
I've always wanted to be a beach bum. Live on the beach, surf all day, do beach things, talk beach talk with beach accent, But I couldn't because I'm very pale and I was worried about skin cancer. Last night Moderna cured skin cancer so adios biglaw. Or should I say aloha.
Sums it up. I have a lateral interview next week with a firm. Just noticed the position was “reposted” on LinkedIn this morning. Any thoughts?
I’m currently working with a recruiter to relocate to a new market. He seems smart and knowledgeable but he’s submitted me to four firms thus far, two of which passed without even a screener interview. For the other two it’s been radio silence for over a week now. This is my first time lateraling so I’ve never worked with a recruiter before.
Hello,
My fiancé is a business development manager at a law firm in NYC and his work life balance doesn't really exist anymore. Is it like this at every major law firm in NYC? Is this just the industry norm working with big law? Does no one sleep? He doesn't even have the time to research whether or not it would be worth it to try to find a different BDM role at another law firm or if he will just run into the same work culture (expected to work as many hours as necessary to finish the daily workload, typically until 10pm-1am I'm not kidding) no matter the firm. Is it realistically possible to find a BDM role at a law firm in NYC that only expects him to work 9-6:30pm? I'm trying to help him figure out this piece of information first so he can decide if he needs to pivot to another role/industry because this isn't working for either of us.
I have 10+ years of legal experience, including practicing as an attorney outside the U.S. I have an LL.M. and MPA from U.S. universities and recently passed the NY Bar. My experience includes contracts, due diligence, conflicts research, sanctions/compliance work, and I currently also work as a freelance immigration paralegal.
I’m trying to transition into a Conflicts Analyst/Coordinator role at a law firm, but I keep getting rejected.
I don’t have experience with Intapp or other conflicts-specific software, but I’ve handled much more complex legal matters and feel these systems are something I could learn quickly.
For people familiar with BigLaw conflicts hiring: What am I missing? Is direct conflicts/software experience really that important? Do I need a referral to get my foot in the door, or should I be positioning my experience differently on my resume?
Any advice on how to land that first conflicts role would be appreciated.
Litigation counsel at an Am Law 20 firm in NYC. Almost 5 years at the firm. Was just told that if I don’t leave by the end of December they will tell me then when my last day will be. First year I crushed the hours but the last few have been lean which is the reason they gave me. They offered me a recruiter and full use of their career development team which I will take full advantage of.
It’s all a really big shock. First time I have been pushed out of a job. Just looking for any tips, encouragement, happy endings. Thanks.