Big Law --- The Hours Forum

[Anonymous User]

How much of a difference in hours is there between the firms at the very top of the rankings and those a bit lower down? Is it enough to consider a lower ranked firm for the prospect of not losing my sanity, or should I just bite the bullet and invest in my future in the best firm?

For example, is there that much of a difference in the number of hours worked btw. Simpson Thacher and a Fried Frank or Ropes & Gray (all in NY)?

[Bosque]

How much of a difference in hours is there between the firms at the very top of the rankings and those a bit lower down? Is it enough to consider a lower ranked firm for the prospect of not losing my sanity, or should I just bite the bullet and invest in my future in the best firm?

For example, is there that much of a difference in the number of hours worked btw. Simpson Thacher and a Fried Frank or Ropes & Gray (all in NY)?

http://www.nalpdirectory.com/

HTH

[Anonymous User]

How much of a difference in hours is there between the firms at the very top of the rankings and those a bit lower down? Is it enough to consider a lower ranked firm for the prospect of not losing my sanity, or should I just bite the bullet and invest in my future in the best firm?

For example, is there that much of a difference in the number of hours worked btw. Simpson Thacher and a Fried Frank or Ropes & Gray (all in NY)?

http://www.nalpdirectory.com/

HTH

does it list average hours somewhere? All I've seen on that page before related to hrs is whether or not there is a minimum billing requirement.

[War Cardinal]

If you're worried about hours, don't go into biglaw.

[NYAssociate]

.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks! That's what I assumed.

I just always hear about the firm culture and quality of life at Ropes. I was wondering how much of that is someone sitting in a room at Vault and how much it should actually be considered.

[NYAssociate]

.

[chadwick218]

If you have to ask about the hours in biglaw, then biglaw isn't for you.

On a firm by firm basis, hours can be tough to distinguish b/w firms. Firms will publish their min for bonuses. See Chambers. I would focus on finding the firm that seems to be the best fit b/c you'll be pulling 2,000+ wherever.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks! That's what I assumed.

I just always hear about the firm culture and quality of life at Ropes. I was wondering how much of that is someone sitting in a room at Vault and how much it should actually be considered.

I haven't worked at another firm, but I did work at Ropes this past summer and I thought that overall, QoL seemed to be pretty high given that it's a big firm. If you like the people and the work at Simpson better then go for it, but I think there are distinctly different firm cultures, despite what some would say.

[NYAssociate]

.

[NewHere]

NYAssociate, what would you say your hours in the office are, on an average workday?

[NYAssociate]

.

[Brawndo86]

From what I've read, many firms have a listed minimum for billable hours, say 2000, but in reality there is a higher unspoken "minimum" if you ever expect to make partner. Also, I've read blogs by lawyers who say it is impossible to bill every hour they are at work; at best, it's more like they bill 2/3s of their time spent at work. So for a 2000 billable minimum, you have to work a minimum of 3000 hours a year.

I visited a huge law firm as part of an outreach program I was in during 1L year, and let me tell you, the young associates who were assigned to us for the day looked terrible: bloodshot eyes, bags under eyes, clammy appearance. They had nothing interesting to say that was not job related. One of them told me that on average he works 7am-7pm five days a week, with a half day on Saturday. However, when there's a big case and document review is piling up, sometimes he would work 80-90 hrs a week.

This is really scary. Personally, time > money after a certain point.