ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012) Forum

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fatduck

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by fatduck » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:20 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
in before "i found an answer cause i'm so awesome"

real answer: i'd just go talk to the attorney who gave you the assignment, and ask to discuss it. say you haven't found much/anything, discuss your search strategy. he'll probably say "eh, i figured there might not be anything" and tell you to move on.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by rad lulz » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:23 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Define what you mean by "no answer."

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by vegeta » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:43 pm

rad lulz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Define what you mean by "no answer."
Are you talking about those troll assignments where the partner gives you an assignment that has no answer and he knows it?

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:44 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Sometimes research projects go terribly. I have found myself starring at my screen for hours thinking none of what I am finding is helpful at all. However, I had a project this week where I thought a case was helpful - but offbase because of a major differentiating factor - when I handed the case to the partner, he thought it was great. For most research projects - you won't find the perfect case. If the answer were simple, the partner would probably already know it (or would have found it with a search that took less time than explaining the project to you).

Sometimes nothing comes up. Sometimes you have to string together cases to make them fit your topic. If it were easy - you would have never gotten the assignment.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by rad lulz » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:47 pm

In the couple actual memoranda I've written (as opposed to the "just find me some shit") kind of assignment, neither had a case on point. Make it work bro.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by thegrayman » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:57 pm

For you guys worried about internet monitoring, I used to work at an accounting firm and I started off scared of my own shadow about using the internet. After a year there, we were sending out emails amongst each other that if someone were monitoring them we definitely would have heard about it (a co-worker replied to an email about our holiday party asking who was bringing the hookers and blow).

I talked to an IT guy at a client, he was saying even if you hit a blocked site (company software gives you some stupid screen about the site being blocked), you have to try to access it 5 times before it will flag you, a single blocked page is nothing, just stop trying to go to that site and no harm no foul (this was a gov't agency, not sure how many companies follow this same policy).

Now obviously that is all anecdotal, but I would imagine your average company has a pretty similar setup.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by fatduck » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:04 pm

thegrayman wrote:For you guys worried about internet monitoring, I used to work at an accounting firm and I started off scared of my own shadow about using the internet. After a year there, we were sending out emails amongst each other that if someone were monitoring them we definitely would have heard about it (a co-worker replied to an email about our holiday party asking who was bringing the hookers and blow).
highly recommend continuing this practice into your legal career, if only for the poor souls out there doing contract doc review.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:07 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Yes. I dealt with it by discussing that 1) this could be a first impression issue if the partner wanted the assignment to go forward and 2) there was just nothing out there (not even the reference attorneys or library staff could help). The partner decided there was no need to go forward with the assignment but it got mentioned in one of my reviews as some sort of trouble researching or something.

I was happy to get away from that assignment but now have 2 "no answer" memos on my plate. This time I am going to put something on paper that may not even have any bearing on the issue and then state a conclusion like "No bueno."

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by fatduck » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:09 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Yes. I dealt with it by discussing that 1) this could be a first impression issue if the partner wanted the assignment to go forward and 2) there was just nothing out there (not even the reference attorneys or library staff could help). The partner decided there was no need to go forward with the assignment but it got mentioned in one of my reviews as some sort of trouble researching or something.

I was happy to get away from that assignment but now have 2 "no answer" memos on my plate. This time I am going to put something on paper that may not even have any bearing on the issue and then state a conclusion like "No bueno."
for many attorneys this is probably tcr

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by wiseowl » Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:35 pm

this thread alternately delights me and creeps me out seeing dolan everywhere. i don't really know what to do about it.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by vegeta » Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:53 pm

wiseowl wrote:this thread alternately delights me and creeps me out seeing dolan everywhere. i don't really know what to do about it.
wHO'S Dolan?

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fatduck

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by fatduck » Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:55 pm

vegeta wrote:
wiseowl wrote:this thread alternately delights me and creeps me out seeing dolan everywhere. i don't really know what to do about it.
wHO'S Dolan?
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by rad lulz » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:01 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Have any of you gotten the "caselaw research assignment with no answer" project yet?

How did you deal with it? What did you deliver to the assigning attorney/partner?

I got that assignment and feel like I am researching in a blackhole that leads to more blackholes.
Yes. I dealt with it by discussing that 1) this could be a first impression issue if the partner wanted the assignment to go forward and 2) there was just nothing out there (not even the reference attorneys or library staff could help). The partner decided there was no need to go forward with the assignment but it got mentioned in one of my reviews as some sort of trouble researching or something.

I was happy to get away from that assignment but now have 2 "no answer" memos on my plate. This time I am going to put something on paper that may not even have any bearing on the issue and then state a conclusion like "No bueno."
Look brohan I just got one of those things. Whether this affirmative defense applied. Literally nothing on point, no case on point or answers out there in any jx. So I found some law that could sorta apply and made arguments by analogy. $5 says there's really something out there, you're just not looking hard enough.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by romothesavior » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:29 am

rad lulz wrote:Look brohan I just got one of those things. Whether this affirmative defense applied. Literally nothing on point, no case on point or answers out there in any jx. So I found some law that could sorta apply and made arguments by analogy. $5 says there's really something out there, you're just not looking hard enough.
Agree with the argument by analogy thing, but disagree about the "there's really something out there." Sometimes there just isn't. I've been told that by multiple partners/associates; summer research projects are often rabbit chases down holes with no answers.

But like rad said, best you can do is find something similar that might be capable of producing a coherent legal argument. Don't just email the partner and be like, "Sorry bro, I got nothin." Tell them you looked, tell them your research strategy, tell them you found nothing directly on point (most times they won't be surprised... they often know there isn't much), and then tell them about anything relevant that might help them craft an argument. That's what my mentor told me to do in these situations, and it worked for me.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by rad lulz » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:36 am

romothesavior wrote:
rad lulz wrote:Look brohan I just got one of those things. Whether this affirmative defense applied. Literally nothing on point, no case on point or answers out there in any jx. So I found some law that could sorta apply and made arguments by analogy. $5 says there's really something out there, you're just not looking hard enough.
Agree with the argument by analogy thing, but disagree about the "there's really something out there." Sometimes there just isn't. I've been told that by multiple partners/associates; summer research projects are often rabbit chases down holes with no answers.

But like rad said, best you can do is find something similar that might be capable of producing a coherent legal argument. Don't just email the partner and be like, "Sorry bro, I got nothin." Tell them you looked, tell them your research strategy, tell them you found nothing directly on point (most times they won't be surprised... they often know there isn't much), and then tell them about anything relevant that might help them craft an argument. That's what my mentor told me to do in these situations, and it worked for me.
Basically the bold is what I mean by "something." I can't ever think of a situation where there is nothing even remotely relevant to say.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:39 am

Numerous times, partners have said to me "You probably won't find anything on this, but do a search for...", so its expected and understood that you likely will come up with nothing. They are just trying to confirm that they didn't miss something they should have caught. But I agree that you don't want to just say "I've got nothing, like you expected." Numerous partners told me it is a good idea to always be proactive and make the best out of what you have. So instead of just saying "I've got nothing", try and propose alternatives, or alternate ways to couch an argument. Its very hard for a partner/associate to gauge you on one of those "confirm that it doesn't exist" assignments when you merely come back saying "it doesn't exist". Show what you can do, even when you have little to work with, and it will very likely be appreciated, even if your suggestions are a bit off base.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:46 am

Well relationship with long term girlfriend just fell apart today. Had to try to hold my shit together for the last hour of work AND had a fucking social event tonight I had to go to. Big project due by end of business tomorrow. How fucked am I?

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Stanford4Me » Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:54 am

Anonymous User wrote:Well relationship with long term girlfriend just fell apart today. Had to try to hold my shit together for the last hour of work AND had a fucking social event tonight I had to go to. Big project due by end of business tomorrow. How fucked am I?
Man up and do your work.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:06 am

Stanford4Me wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Well relationship with long term girlfriend just fell apart today. Had to try to hold my shit together for the last hour of work AND had a fucking social event tonight I had to go to. Big project due by end of business tomorrow. How fucked am I?
Man up and do your work.
I can't even think straight. I had to spend the last hour of my day with the door closed today. I seriously don't know how I will get through the day

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by rad lulz » Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:00 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Stanford4Me wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Well relationship with long term girlfriend just fell apart today. Had to try to hold my shit together for the last hour of work AND had a fucking social event tonight I had to go to. Big project due by end of business tomorrow. How fucked am I?
Man up and do your work.
I can't even think straight. I had to spend the last hour of my day with the door closed today. I seriously don't know how I will get through the day
Concentrate on work, the afterward do coke off of a stripper. Mottles n baubles, breh.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Jun 15, 2012 2:01 am

rad lulz wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Stanford4Me wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Well relationship with long term girlfriend just fell apart today. Had to try to hold my shit together for the last hour of work AND had a fucking social event tonight I had to go to. Big project due by end of business tomorrow. How fucked am I?
Man up and do your work.
I can't even think straight. I had to spend the last hour of my day with the door closed today. I seriously don't know how I will get through the day
Concentrate on work, the afterward do coke off of a stripper. Mottles n baubles, breh.
It is payday tomorrow...

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by fl0w » Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:09 am

Anonymous User wrote: It is payday tomorrow...
literally just got paid via direct deposit. hell to the yes.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by Dr. Review » Fri Jun 15, 2012 6:29 am

I just got paid for the first time in 2 years.
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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by romothesavior » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:07 am

rad lulz wrote:
romothesavior wrote:
rad lulz wrote:Look brohan I just got one of those things. Whether this affirmative defense applied. Literally nothing on point, no case on point or answers out there in any jx. So I found some law that could sorta apply and made arguments by analogy. $5 says there's really something out there, you're just not looking hard enough.
Agree with the argument by analogy thing, but disagree about the "there's really something out there." Sometimes there just isn't. I've been told that by multiple partners/associates; summer research projects are often rabbit chases down holes with no answers.

But like rad said, best you can do is find something similar that might be capable of producing a coherent legal argument. Don't just email the partner and be like, "Sorry bro, I got nothin." Tell them you looked, tell them your research strategy, tell them you found nothing directly on point (most times they won't be surprised... they often know there isn't much), and then tell them about anything relevant that might help them craft an argument. That's what my mentor told me to do in these situations, and it worked for me.
Basically the bold is what I mean by "something." I can't ever think of a situation where there is nothing even remotely relevant to say.
But see, romothesavior's Corporations exam, q. 4.

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Re: ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012)

Post by romothesavior » Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:10 am

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Payday brahs

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


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