Taking time off from summer firm Forum

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romothesavior

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by romothesavior » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:11 pm

I'm gonna go against the grain and agree with strato here. My firm wouldn't have batted an eye if I asked for a day off; we had one girl take an entire week off of a 10 week program for her honeymoon. (Why she planned it for then, I have no idea.) It depends on the firm I'm sure, but I can't imagine the average firm is going to make a stink over missing one day, especially a Friday. If you have an associate friend or some kind of SA mentor, perhaps you can ask for their opinion.

I do agree with others that you might not need a whole day off. Perhaps see about leaving early (noon?). Your firm will probably be cool with that and might just say take the whole day.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by IAFG » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:15 pm

romothesavior wrote:I'm gonna go against the grain and agree with strato here. My firm wouldn't have batted an eye if I asked for a day off; we had one girl take an entire week off of a 10 week program for her honeymoon. (Why she planned it for then, I have no idea.) It depends on the firm I'm sure, but I can't imagine the average firm is going to make a stink over missing one day, especially a Friday. If you have an associate friend or some kind of SA mentor, perhaps you can ask for their opinion.

I do agree with others that you might not need a whole day off. Perhaps see about leaving early (noon?). Your firm will probably be cool with that and might just say take the whole day.
My firm said on day 1 "you're expected to be here every day" and then told some stories about past summers trying to take time off and how badly it reflected on them. Even though we had a 100% offer rate.

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romothesavior

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by romothesavior » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:19 pm

Different firm cultures I suppose. I can't imagine most are like that, or maybe I'm just biased.

OP, why do you even need the whole day off? Seems like overkill for a bachelor party.

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IAFG

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by IAFG » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:22 pm

It's not that I think no summer should ever take a day off. It's that I think no summer should assume at the beginning of his summer that it's going to be okay to take a day off.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by stratocophic » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:33 pm

IAFG wrote:
romothesavior wrote:I'm gonna go against the grain and agree with strato here. My firm wouldn't have batted an eye if I asked for a day off; we had one girl take an entire week off of a 10 week program for her honeymoon. (Why she planned it for then, I have no idea.) It depends on the firm I'm sure, but I can't imagine the average firm is going to make a stink over missing one day, especially a Friday. If you have an associate friend or some kind of SA mentor, perhaps you can ask for their opinion.

I do agree with others that you might not need a whole day off. Perhaps see about leaving early (noon?). Your firm will probably be cool with that and might just say take the whole day.
My firm said on day 1 "you're expected to be here every day" and then told some stories about past summers trying to take time off and how badly it reflected on them. Even though we had a 100% offer rate.
IAFG wrote:It's not that I think no summer should ever take a day off. It's that I think no summer should assume at the beginning of his summer that it's going to be okay to take a day off.
Agree, and that's why nobody here can give advice that will definitely be relevant to OP - mine told summers upfront they knew we had lives, romo's gave someone a whole week off, yours told you it was a terrible idea, and nobody here knows what OP's firm would say.

OP, I guess maybe try to figure it out on day one by asking the recruiting people what the firm's stance is on people taking a day off during the summer.

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dixiecupdrinking

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by dixiecupdrinking » Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:58 pm

It really does depend on the firm, but I do think some of the warnings here are a little bit overblown. Honestly, depending on what your firm is like, nobody other than the recruiting person may even know you're gone that day.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by TTRansfer » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:10 pm

romothesavior wrote:OP, why do you even need the whole day off? Seems like overkill for a bachelor party.
Clearly the OP goes hard.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:13 pm

Wow. OP here. Did not expect this kind of response...

First off, I am the best man in my brother's wedding, and the bachelor party is not a traditional bachelor party (traditional meaning: Vegas, hookers, booze, etc.). Also, it is a 2-night trip, Friday - Sunday, in a location distant from my residence/workplace.

That said, I will consider some sort of work-around, like leaving work early instead of taking a full Friday off. But I will also weigh the possibility of advanced notice for taking the entire day off, while not mentioning the phrase "bachelor party" since, for many people, that conjures up images of the Hangover. For what it's worth, I don't think my firm would be a stickler about taking the day off, but that is based entirely on first impressions meeting people in interviews and brief discussions since interviewing.

I appreciate everyone's input, though. I didn't think there would be such an overwhelming voice against taking the day off, but I definitely understand that viewpoint.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:18 pm

stratocophic wrote: OP, I guess maybe try to figure it out on day one by asking the recruiting people what the firm's stance is on people taking a day off during the summer.
OP here, and this is the new plan.

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rad lulz

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by rad lulz » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:22 pm

,
Last edited by rad lulz on Tue Oct 04, 2016 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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TTRansfer

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by TTRansfer » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:27 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Wow. OP here. Did not expect this kind of response...

First off, I am the best man in my brother's wedding, and the bachelor party is not a traditional bachelor party (traditional meaning: Vegas, hookers, booze, etc.). Also, it is a 2-night trip, Friday - Sunday, in a location distant from my residence/workplace.

That said, I will consider some sort of work-around, like leaving work early instead of taking a full Friday off. But I will also weigh the possibility of advanced notice for taking the entire day off, while not mentioning the phrase "bachelor party" since, for many people, that conjures up images of the Hangover. For what it's worth, I don't think my firm would be a stickler about taking the day off, but that is based entirely on first impressions meeting people in interviews and brief discussions since interviewing.

I appreciate everyone's input, though. I didn't think there would be such an overwhelming voice against taking the day off, but I definitely understand that viewpoint.
FWIW, don't weigh the advanced notice thing. You either give them advanced notice or you don't go. GIve them advanced notice even if you area leaving early.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:30 pm

rad lulz wrote:My firm they didn't really care about what summers did too much and people took days off for stuff. I didn't take any days off but I got no offered anyway
What horseshit on their part.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:31 pm

TTRansfer wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Wow. OP here. Did not expect this kind of response...

First off, I am the best man in my brother's wedding, and the bachelor party is not a traditional bachelor party (traditional meaning: Vegas, hookers, booze, etc.). Also, it is a 2-night trip, Friday - Sunday, in a location distant from my residence/workplace.

That said, I will consider some sort of work-around, like leaving work early instead of taking a full Friday off. But I will also weigh the possibility of advanced notice for taking the entire day off, while not mentioning the phrase "bachelor party" since, for many people, that conjures up images of the Hangover. For what it's worth, I don't think my firm would be a stickler about taking the day off, but that is based entirely on first impressions meeting people in interviews and brief discussions since interviewing.

I appreciate everyone's input, though. I didn't think there would be such an overwhelming voice against taking the day off, but I definitely understand that viewpoint.
FWIW, don't weigh the advanced notice thing. You either give them advanced notice or you don't go. GIve them advanced notice even if you area leaving early.
Good point.

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RaleighStClair

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by RaleighStClair » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:35 pm

Don't mean to take the focus off OP (...maybe for a minute), but does the not-asking-for-friday-off rule apply to unpaid 1L government gigs as well? I really wanna make it "pop off", so to speak, on 4th of July weekend. The 4th conveniently falls on a Thursday, making that Friday incredibly tempting to take a 4 day weekend, and thus get my "drink on."

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:48 pm

RaleighStClair wrote:Don't mean to take the focus off OP (...maybe for a minute), but does the not-asking-for-friday-off rule apply to unpaid 1L government gigs as well? I really wanna make it "pop off", so to speak, on 4th of July weekend. The 4th conveniently falls on a Thursday, making that Friday incredibly tempting to take a 4 day weekend, and thus get my "drink on."
I think any workplace would know why you're taking that day off, but I think depending on your superiors, you could be fine taking this day off under the guise of "going out of town" for the 4th or something. You just have to assess how they'll react to taking off when you get in there on day one.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by stewie27 » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:51 pm

RaleighStClair wrote:Don't mean to take the focus off OP (...maybe for a minute), but does the not-asking-for-friday-off rule apply to unpaid 1L government gigs as well? I really wanna make it "pop off", so to speak, on 4th of July weekend. The 4th conveniently falls on a Thursday, making that Friday incredibly tempting to take a 4 day weekend, and thus get my "drink on."
FWIW I had a 1L unpaid internship at a gov agency last summer. Since the 4th is a holiday for federal employees, a lot of people take vacations around then. The office was a ghost town the whole week of the 4th so I could have taken time off and probably no one would have noticed. My office was also pretty chill about needing time off anyway. They told us straight up at the beginning of the summer. I think most places that aren't paying you might approach it that way and not care if you took that day.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by 09042014 » Fri Apr 26, 2013 1:59 pm

RaleighStClair wrote:Don't mean to take the focus off OP (...maybe for a minute), but does the not-asking-for-friday-off rule apply to unpaid 1L government gigs as well? I really wanna make it "pop off", so to speak, on 4th of July weekend. The 4th conveniently falls on a Thursday, making that Friday incredibly tempting to take a 4 day weekend, and thus get my "drink on."
Totally different story. It's 1) government. 2) unpaid. 3) you aren't even eligible for an offer. 4) even if they didn't like you there is no downside.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by RaleighStClair » Fri Apr 26, 2013 2:07 pm

Wow, thanks for the quick responses. Yeah, I guess I'll just assess it as it comes, but it's kind of a bitch because I need to know if I'm going to buy a plane ticket before they start skyrocketing.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 6:06 pm

Did a big law SA last summer at a firm with historical 100% offer rates. Took my day off without telling my firm why (although I asked someone I was close off at the firm if it would be okay) and it was fine no one cared and I still got an offer.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:38 pm

Not OP, but raises a related question for me: how do you know when to leave every day? Please hold the knee-jerk "law student question" response. I am obviously aware that it varies based on assignments and feeling out the particular firm culture. I'm just thinking in terms of whether it looks bad if you leave before a certain set time (6, 7) if you have no work or no work that urgently needs to get done. Because people on TLS also tell stories about it looking bad if you're there too late as a summer. Re: NY V100.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by yngblkgifted » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:51 pm

I'm surprised at all of the immediate '"no" responses here. People took off for various reasons at my firm last summer. I remember one person in particular took off to go on vacation abroad. Granted this person was a partner's child, but my firm seemed pretty understanding about such things in general. Though I never asked for time off, I felt like in general one day won't kill you. OP, I would not tell them that it is a bachelor party; I would just mention the wedding.

Anyway, this will be my second summer with the same firm I worked with after my 1L year. I was going to ask to take a Friday afternoon off so that I could attend my siblings high-school graduation. I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about me doing that? I'd probably end up leaving at noon instead of 5 or 6 that day.

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Blessedassurance » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:52 pm

IAFG wrote:It's not that I think no summer should ever take a day off. It's that I think no summer should assume at the beginning of his summer that it's going to be okay to take a day off.
lol...just lol...oh what a profession

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:53 pm

yngblkgifted wrote:I'm surprised at all of the immediate '"no" responses here. People took off for various reasons at my firm last summer. I remember one person in particular took off to go on vacation abroad. Granted this person was a partner's child, but my firm seemed pretty understanding about such things in general. Though I never asked for time off, I felt like in general one day won't kill you. OP, I would not tell them that it is a bachelor party; I would just mention the wedding.

Anyway, this will be my second summer with the same firm I worked with after my 1L year. I was going to ask to take a Friday afternoon off so that I could attend my siblings high-school graduation. I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about me doing that? I'd probably end up leaving at noon instead of 5 or 6 that day.
I dunno bro, that sounds risky

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:55 pm

There's a lot of responses on both sides that I think highlights the fact that different firms are different. My firm said they were okay with it in their welcome email and only asked us to give them a heads up in advance. I knew several summers who took days off for this or that and it was no big deal. That said, I'm sure there are firms where you wouldn't want to take a day off.

OP should try to get a feel for his/her firm and take it from there.

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yngblkgifted

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Re: Taking time off from summer firm

Post by yngblkgifted » Fri Apr 26, 2013 9:00 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
yngblkgifted wrote:I'm surprised at all of the immediate '"no" responses here. People took off for various reasons at my firm last summer. I remember one person in particular took off to go on vacation abroad. Granted this person was a partner's child, but my firm seemed pretty understanding about such things in general. Though I never asked for time off, I felt like in general one day won't kill you. OP, I would not tell them that it is a bachelor party; I would just mention the wedding.

Anyway, this will be my second summer with the same firm I worked with after my 1L year. I was going to ask to take a Friday afternoon off so that I could attend my siblings high-school graduation. I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about me doing that? I'd probably end up leaving at noon instead of 5 or 6 that day.
I dunno bro, that sounds risky
Well, the only reason it would pose a problem would be if I had something due to a partner at 5 o'clock that day. If that were the case, then I better get that shit in by noon. I plan on taking a train back to my hometown and Amtrak now has wifi. If push comes to shove, I would do work on the train and send it via email. It's a matter of not having assignments turned it late, and where there is a will there is a way. I should be able to plan accordingly the preceding week.


Edit: I also concur with others that say it has to do with firm culture. I spent 8 weeks with these people last summer, I know it won't be a big deal to take off half the day (especially a Friday) so long as I'm not ignorant about it.

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