V10 Associate Taking Questions Forum
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Thanks for taking questions.
1) is it possible to enjoy biglaw ? Do you like it? If not, do you know anyone that does? I'm a 2L being terrorized by all the negative blogs/ ATL coverage, etc. still holding out hope that I won't hate my life in 2 years.
2) what is the atmosphere like at your firm? Everyone seemed so decent when I was interviewing. I realize it's different when you're working, but ... I guess my question is, how different is it?
1) is it possible to enjoy biglaw ? Do you like it? If not, do you know anyone that does? I'm a 2L being terrorized by all the negative blogs/ ATL coverage, etc. still holding out hope that I won't hate my life in 2 years.
2) what is the atmosphere like at your firm? Everyone seemed so decent when I was interviewing. I realize it's different when you're working, but ... I guess my question is, how different is it?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
I'm not doing to discuss why this V10 vs. that V10. I'm here to answer questions about my experience at a V10 law firm, so that people can understand the life of a junior associate at said firm.Anonymous User wrote:That one firm would be Kirkland. I'm at Kirkland, and I have to tell you, I don't know why you're putting up with those hours without better compensation. Plus doc review still?Anonymous User wrote:I'm at a lockstep firm. I think there is only one firm in the V10 that isn't lockstep with respect to bonuses, by the way.Transferthrowaway wrote:Will you see any increase in your bonus for billing 2800 or are you at a lockstep firm? If you think this narrows down firms too much, don't worry about answering it.
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
How many days a week do you eat dinner at the firm vs. being able to have dinner with family/SO/friends?
Why do people get to the office so late and not start work until 930ish? For someone with a family, is it feasible to get to work early and leave earlier (730am-730pm instead of 930am-930pm), or is it just the nature of the business that you have to stay til 9/10 at night?
Why do people get to the office so late and not start work until 930ish? For someone with a family, is it feasible to get to work early and leave earlier (730am-730pm instead of 930am-930pm), or is it just the nature of the business that you have to stay til 9/10 at night?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
As many as I want, but face-time isn't huge at my firm, so I can come in earlier and leave earlier, or simply work from home. There's usually very little requiring me to be in my office at late hours.Anonymous User wrote:How many days a week do you eat dinner at the firm vs. being able to have dinner with family/SO/friends?
It really just depends on the firm. At a firm that doesn't care much about face-time, you can come early and leave early.Why do people get to the office so late and not start work until 930ish? For someone with a family, is it feasible to get to work early and leave earlier (730am-730pm instead of 930am-930pm), or is it just the nature of the business that you have to stay til 9/10 at night?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
(I'm not OP, but am another V10 associate.)Anonymous User wrote:It really just depends on the firm. At a firm that doesn't care much about face-time, you can come early and leave early.Why do people get to the office so late and not start work until 930ish? For someone with a family, is it feasible to get to work early and leave earlier (730am-730pm instead of 930am-930pm), or is it just the nature of the business that you have to stay til 9/10 at night?
It does depend on the firm, but even at firms that don't care about face time, you may find it easier to work the hours that the majority keeps, especially your first few years. On some tasks you'll be able to do your work pretty much according to your own schedule without much interaction with others, and on such days it might be possible to make a free choice between 7-7 or 9-9 or 10-10. But on other days, with more team interaction, if the rest of the team is still in the office at 9 pm, you'll likely be there, too (or else, working from home at that time), whether or not you started your day two hours before everyone else did.
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Thanks for taking questions.
Any idea what exit opportunities are like for corporate associates? Any finance/PE/IB opportunities?
Any idea what exit opportunities are like for corporate associates? Any finance/PE/IB opportunities?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Do you get any client interaction (in office, on phone, or actually get to travel to clients)? Or, do you just sit/research/write/repeat all day every day? Does this vary depending on whether you are in litigation or corporate?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
What kind of work do they start you off with? Did you rely heavily on the knowledge you gained in law school, or did you do most learning on the job?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
(Former V15 associate).Why do people get to the office so late and not start work until 930ish? For someone with a family, is it feasible to get to work early and leave earlier (730am-730pm instead of 930am-930pm), or is it just the nature of the business that you have to stay til 9/10 at night?
Also keep in mind that for the first few years, you're going to be the "monkey scribe" a lot of the time. Meaning that a big part of your job is to process and input the edits that you get from senior associates or partners. And guess what? A lot of times, these more senior attorneys are going to get you the mark-up of the brief or agreement or whatever at 6:30 or 7:00 PM, right before they leave for the day. So then you are going to be there until 10:00 PM getting a draft out.
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Can't wait!Anonymous User wrote:
(Former V15 associate).
Also keep in mind that for the first few years, you're going to be the "monkey scribe" a lot of the time. Meaning that a big part of your job is to process and input the edits that you get from senior associates or partners. And guess what? A lot of times, these more senior attorneys are going to get you the mark-up of the brief or agreement or whatever at 6:30 or 7:00 PM, right before they leave for the day. So then you are going to be there until 10:00 PM getting a draft out.
What advice can you give to incoming associates other than "meet deadlines" and "don't screw up the monkey scribing"?
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
1.) Come up with a formal process for inputting the edits. Here's the deal: You're going to get a brief or memo or agreement back that looks like a drunk badger vomited blue or red ink all over it. It is going to be really, really hard to piece together all of the edits, and it's very easy to miss one. What I did was to make a particular revision, highlight it with a highlighter, then go back over it to make sure it looked OK. Then move on to the next one. At the end of the process, it was easy to see what I'd missed -- that was the stuff that wasn't highlighted.What advice can you give to incoming associates other than "meet deadlines" and "don't screw up the monkey scribing"?
2.) Some people trust their secretaries enough to take the first cut at plugging in the revisions. I never have. Ever. It takes me far longer to go back and doublecheck their work than to do it myself.
3.) If people give you a redline, print it out and then manually input the revisions, just like you would if it was a handwritten mark-up. The spacing and formatting is just too easy to screw up in a "track changes" document. Plus, it's too easy to just accept a change without giving it sufficient consideration if you "accept change" electronically.
4.) A lot of times the partner's or senior associate's revisions are going to make your memo or brief an inferior product. This is just a "life sucks" thing that you're going to have to live with. The one caveat is if you develop a close relationship with a particular senior attorney whom you can push back with -- but this is likely going to take several years.
- TatteredDignity
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Wait wait, you get a secretary? Does this mean you have an office and the secretary sits outside of it at a desk, or what?Anonymous User wrote: 2.) Some people trust their secretaries enough to take the first cut at plugging in the revisions. I never have. Ever. It takes me far longer to go back and doublecheck their work than to do it myself.
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Re: V10 Associate Taking Questions
Yes - virtually all big firms have secretaries for associates. Most firms operate where one secretary is assigned to cover a partner and 2-3 associates (usually with offices located nearby). The secretaries usually sit in cubicles outside the offices.0LNewbie wrote:Wait wait, you get a secretary? Does this mean you have an office and the secretary sits outside of it at a desk, or what?Anonymous User wrote: 2.) Some people trust their secretaries enough to take the first cut at plugging in the revisions. I never have. Ever. It takes me far longer to go back and doublecheck their work than to do it myself.
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