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

[Anonymous User]

The fundamental point is that you're bringing it on yourself. The firm isn't doing this to you.

Hence, the gunnerism, etc. If you want to take on more work, go ahead. But don't act helpless, don't blame the firm. You can turn down work (unless youre at a firm that just assigns you shit). Moreover, it's far more likely for SAs to get no offered for doing 10 assignments well and 1 poorly, than for doing 5 assignments really well and poorly.

I personally (different poster) am just annoyed because I was assigned 10 different things by our assignment coordinator, all of the attorneys gave me the same due date, I didn't want to look like a whiner and tried to do it all, and I turned in a draft with mistakes which I worked on during another meeting because the partner who wanted it pushed me hard to get it in earlier than he originally said he needed it. I hope he understands, but he probably wont.

Is it normal to make a few mistakes on your first couple drafts of docs you've never done before?

[Old Gregg]

That's where communication comes in. If due dates are colluding and you can't do all your work well and on time, tell the fucking partner well before hand. Don't expect them to read your mind or figure it out on their own. Partners have time for only three things: Bringin in business, doing work, and judging you negatively when you fuck shit up. Manage expectations. As a matter of principle, never overpromise and underdeliver.

[Old Gregg]

That's really neither here nor there. I don't agree that work quality is at its peak at an 8 hour day but deteriorates at a 12 hour day. 14+ is where I think it starts to fall off for me.

Just tacking onto my response earlier:

Yes, it's reall here and there. Your work quality will deteriorate when you're doing 12-hour days every day.

More to the point: You can turn down work (assuming you're asked, and not told to do it), you can ask for extensions (though it isn't quite like grade school, it's called managing expectations in Biglaw).

[alabamabound]

That's really neither here nor there. I don't agree that work quality is at its peak at an 8 hour day but deteriorates at a 12 hour day. 14+ is where I think it starts to fall off for me.

Just tacking onto my response earlier:

Yes, it's reall here and there. Your work quality will deteriorate when you're doing 12-hour days every day.

More to the point: You can turn down work (assuming you're asked, and not told to do it), you can ask for extensions (though it isn't quite like grade school, it's called managing expectations in Biglaw).

FP isn't the kindest poster on this site, but his work-related advice is very credited. Including all of the above.

[Anonymous User]

That's where communication comes in. If due dates are colluding and you can't do all your work well and on time, tell the fucking partner well before hand. Don't expect them to read your mind or figure it out on their own. Partners have time for only three things: Bringin in business, doing work, and judging you negatively when you fuck shit up. Manage expectations. As a matter of principle, never overpromise and underdeliver.

Dude. Agreed. My issue is that the partner gave me a deadline, and then jumped it up four days randomly while I was in a meeting at 8 am. He then pushed me to finish throughout the day, and I wasn't going to say "sorry partner, I know I am the only associate assigned to this matter, I have prescheduled meetings and can't help you." I literally had wall-to-wall meetings.

I still have a couple of items left on this project. How should I approach them to show the partner I am not incompetent?

[sunynp]

That's where communication comes in. If due dates are colluding and you can't do all your work well and on time, tell the fucking partner well before hand. Don't expect them to read your mind or figure it out on their own. Partners have time for only three things: Bringin in business, doing work, and judging you negatively when you fuck shit up. Manage expectations. As a matter of principle, never overpromise and underdeliver.

Dude. Agreed. My issue is that the partner gave me a deadline, and then jumped it up four days randomly while I was in a meeting at 8 am. He then pushed me to finish throughout the day, and I wasn't going to say "sorry partner, I know I am the only associate assigned to this matter, I have prescheduled meetings and can't help you." I literally had wall-to-wall meetings.

I still have a couple of items left on this project. How should I approach them to show the partner I am not incompetent?

You needed to tell the partner your schedule at 8 am when they called you. Don't assume staffing. Don't assume it is up to you to finish and there is no one else. You have no idea how easily people can get pulled in to help out. Your job is to communicate with the people involved what exactly you need to do. Partners call each other to get people cleared to work on urgent matters.

You should have told the partner in charge of the meetings you were attending, and then gotten permission to leave and finish your more urgent work. Working on another matter while you are in a client related meeting is a terrible idea.

You can never knowingly hand in work with errors. You aren't saving any time if you hand in bad work because it just has to be redone. It is even worse to hand it urgent work with errors in it.

I would work this weekend to get the stuff s/he needs done early, in case s/he needs it ahead of time. Walk in with the finished assignments. Make sure they are perfect. Don't make excuses for your previous work.

Maybe you don't want to work on the weekend, but that is what I would do.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

[Old Gregg]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

If between two major banks, usually just a business day.

[Anonymous User]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

If between two major banks, usually just a business day.

So Monday? Fuck, so much for celebrating this weekend. The past sucks

[Old Gregg]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

If between two major banks, usually just a business day.

So Monday? Fuck, so much for celebrating this weekend. The past sucks

Use a credit card???

[keg411]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

If between two major banks, usually just a business day.

So Monday? Fuck, so much for celebrating this weekend. The past sucks

Depends when you deposit. If you did it today, then Monday. If you did it yesterday, it should have already posted. I deposited yesterday morning and it posted yesterday afternoon.

I also feel like I learned this in Payment Systems but totally forgot it .

[Anonymous User]

This is probably a stupid question but I haven't deposited a physical check in like 10 years - how long before these funds are available?

If between two major banks, usually just a business day.

So Monday? Fuck, so much for celebrating this weekend. The past sucks

Use a credit card???

Lol that shit is maxed out. I had to move to a new city, pay two rents and bills and live off of it for the last month

And yeah I deposited today. It's not that bad waiting til Monday, I got some cash, its just annoying

[shoeshine]

I have not been reading this thread lately but I wanted to report that my summer is going great.

Only one project so far. It required a ten page memo. I got overly excited the first couple days and stayed till about 10pm finishing it. I let a couple associates read it and they said it was good. So I have lots of down time now because the partner that assigned it won't be back till next week. We are only allowed to ask for work from our assigning partner (we do rotations throughout the summer) and no one else is allowed to assign us work. I have been meandering around the office meeting people. Yesterday, my morning meandering lead me to getting invited to oral arguments on a summary judgement motion. It was pretty interesting.

The best part about my firm is they have no billable time time requirements for summers. We bill our time but they truly don't care how much we bill. The rumor has it the only person they no offered in the last four years was someone who billed a ton of hours but would only go to about half the firm events and spent most of his time in his office. It seems like most of what is expected out of me this summer is just to be personable and to get to know the lawyers.

[Anonymous User]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

[yngblkgifted]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

I actually respect this post. At the end of the day. it's a trade off.

[Anonymous User]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

I actually respect this post. At the end of the day. it's a trade off.

That's true, but I know that loads of people in my summer class are working biglaw to have a better shot at USAO, SEC, DOJ, etc. down the road. Pretty much everybody I know working for the government over their 2L summer is planning on not getting any kind of offer for post-graduation, full-time employment.

[IAFG]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

It's not about the money for me nearly so much as the promise of an offer at the end. It seems like it's very rare anymore to get an offer after summering for gov't.

[shoeshine]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

I should mention that no one stays past 6 at my office unless they have a very specific case or deadline to work on. The nights I stayed till 10pm I was the last one on my floor. I really didn't have to stay when I did. I was just excited about completing my assignment. I sort of regret staying that late now because 1) I have nothing to do until I get a new assignment and 2) the people that found out I stayed that late by myself have started making fun of me for it.

I plan on not staying past 6 during the rest of the summer.

[los blancos]

i'm working in a govt office and have been out of there by 5pm every day this week, and i'm usually one of the last people to leave. half the attorneys work from home several days a week. i was iffy on going this route instead of firm job but this thread is making me feel better. i know you guys are making more cash than me but damn... midnight?

It's not about the money for me nearly so much as the promise of an offer at the end. It seems like it's very rare anymore to get an offer after summering for gov't.

This

[Anonymous User]

Going to start next week at a regional firm of ~150 attorneys in its main office of roughly 45 attorneys. I'm one of only two SAs (they were planning to hire three but only ended up hiring two). Anyone have any advice?

This is one of those everyone-becomes-a-partner firms that claims to not plan for attrition or turnover at all. Last summer, only 1 of 3 got an offer, though in summers before that it's been higher. I'm excited (this is exactly the type of firm I wanted to work for) but also super nervous.

[shoeshine]

Going to start next week at a regional firm of ~150 attorneys in its main office of roughly 45 attorneys. I'm one of only two SAs (they were planning to hire three but only ended up hiring two). Anyone have any advice?

This is one of those everyone-becomes-a-partner firms that claims to not plan for attrition or turnover at all. Last summer, only 1 of 3 got an offer, though in summers before that it's been higher. I'm excited (this is exactly the type of firm I wanted to work for) but also super nervous.

Be better than the other guy.

[Anonymous User]

I just turned in my first assignment and I swear to god I'm about to get fired. I don't think I did the assignment right, or I didn't do enough. eff.

[shoeshine]

.

[Guchster]

I just turned in my first assignment and I swear to god I'm about to get fired. I don't think I did the assignment right, or I didn't do enough. eff.

Start asking more questions, instead of wishing you asked them earlier. People get no-offered for poor communication skills and producing consistently shit work--not for asking thoughtful questions that preclude the other two outcomes.

It's early on, so you have plenty o'time to produce some good work if you choked.

[Anonymous User]

Going to start next week at a regional firm of ~150 attorneys in its main office of roughly 45 attorneys. I'm one of only two SAs (they were planning to hire three but only ended up hiring two). Anyone have any advice?

This is one of those everyone-becomes-a-partner firms that claims to not plan for attrition or turnover at all. Last summer, only 1 of 3 got an offer, though in summers before that it's been higher. I'm excited (this is exactly the type of firm I wanted to work for) but also super nervous.

You talking about Cole Schotz