Summer Associate: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences, etc. Forum

[Anonymous User]

Given the reported massive layoffs at Weil, any SAs here experiencing a slowdown in work?

[Anonymous User]

Given the reported massive layoffs at Weil, any SAs here experiencing a slowdown in work?

No.

[desertlaw]

Given the reported massive layoffs at Weil, any SAs here experiencing a slowdown in work?

No.

How would a summer associate know what a slowdown in work looks like? They have nothing to compare "workload" to except 2Lol.

[Skye]

Well, after worrying, did you ultimately get an offer? Just had my review. Was told my work is excellent, but I need to relax now. I guess they are sensing my anxiety. I am wondering now if you got an offer?

Won't know for another few weeks, but I am optimistic. The workload is steady and the feedback has been positive. Pretty much ditto to your experience. Next big thing is the July 4th four day timeout...

[Lasers]

working from home...drafting an appeal due tomorrow. 12 hour days fly by at work; it's quite a lot of fun, even when i'm so busy.

as for the weil layoffs, it's definitely scary. fortunately my firm has been doing well and is expanding, but i'm really quite worried about no-offers. i was told the only reason we wouldn't get offers is for economic reasons/firm need, so it's really out of my hands at this point.

[DildaMan]

Given the reported massive layoffs at Weil, any SAs here experiencing a slowdown in work?

Nope...

If anything, I'm getting more work as of late.

[Lasers]

Given the reported massive layoffs at Weil, any SAs here experiencing a slowdown in work?

Nope...

If anything, I'm getting more work as of late.

yeah, work has been steady. might be the practice areas.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know when Skadden is going to make offers?

[Anonymous User]

This is often practice area specific. We've got teams in around the clock and others billing 100 hours per month or less sometimes; that's just the nature of the beast.

[Anonymous User]

Getting a research assignment at 8:30 that consists of, "read my 42 page complaint and pull cases that support each count in state x and state y" is my absolute favorite thing. Not. I understand this is a normal thing and people need help, but still sucks. haha. I already billed 9.6 hours today. This is no bueno.

[Anonymous User]

Today, was not a good SA day. I think I might be getting no-offered. I turned in a memo that I could not find much support for. I thought everything was fine, worked really hard on it, mentor reviewed it and gave it the okay, and then turned it in. Well, the associate who asked for it asked me to come see him. He then basically told me that he did not like the way I wrote the memo and wants me to lay things out. I also botched a citation or two. He asked me to revise the memo.

Is this a definite no-offer move? I've done work for him before without issue, but this just feels so awful.

Edit: it wasn't the research or reasoning. He just disliked the way I formatted and wants me to give more details to flesh out my analysis. He keeps saying this is something he'd like to copy/paste into briefs, answers, whatever. There was no yelling, but still...

Weird. I am in literally the exact same boat after today, minus the citations - I miscalculated the damages instead. Glad to see the positive responses, though.

[Sheffield]

I have an SA friend over at Weil and he says he stays busy every minute of the day. Same here, no letup in assignments, if anything, work is overflowing.

[Stinson]

Today, was not a good SA day. I think I might be getting no-offered. I turned in a memo that I could not find much support for. I thought everything was fine, worked really hard on it, mentor reviewed it and gave it the okay, and then turned it in. Well, the associate who asked for it asked me to come see him. He then basically told me that he did not like the way I wrote the memo and wants me to lay things out. I also botched a citation or two. He asked me to revise the memo.

Is this a definite no-offer move? I've done work for him before without issue, but this just feels so awful.

Edit: it wasn't the research or reasoning. He just disliked the way I formatted and wants me to give more details to flesh out my analysis. He keeps saying this is something he'd like to copy/paste into briefs, answers, whatever. There was no yelling, but still...

Weird. I am in literally the exact same boat after today, minus the citations - I miscalculated the damages instead. Glad to see the positive responses, though.

Only in SA land would someone asking you to revise a memo give rise to this sort of fear. It'll be fine. Chill.

[Anonymous User]

Today, was not a good SA day. I think I might be getting no-offered. I turned in a memo that I could not find much support for. I thought everything was fine, worked really hard on it, mentor reviewed it and gave it the okay, and then turned it in. Well, the associate who asked for it asked me to come see him. He then basically told me that he did not like the way I wrote the memo and wants me to lay things out. I also botched a citation or two. He asked me to revise the memo.

Is this a definite no-offer move? I've done work for him before without issue, but this just feels so awful.

Edit: it wasn't the research or reasoning. He just disliked the way I formatted and wants me to give more details to flesh out my analysis. He keeps saying this is something he'd like to copy/paste into briefs, answers, whatever. There was no yelling, but still...

Weird. I am in literally the exact same boat after today, minus the citations - I miscalculated the damages instead. Glad to see the positive responses, though.

Above poster. Just found two typos in there as well. Ay yi yi. Guess I'll be proofreading 3 times through now. Midsummer review went well, but I'm sweating now.

[sundance95]

To anon above: are you just one of those people who has to be stressed in order to function normally? I feel like you're more likely to make these kind of small mistakes with that kind of mindset.

[Scotusnerd]

To anon above: are you just one of those people who has to be stressed in order to function normally? I feel like you're more likely to make these kind of small mistakes with that kind of mindset.

Yeah. I figured out that I had been going about a case I was briefing the wrong way today. An attorney came in and checked my fact-finding work behind me, and made sure I knew the law. (I didn't know about a MAJOR case in the area. Whoops.)

Does that bother me or them? No. I know it now, and the brief isn't turned in yet. I don't have time to let my ego get all sore. I have to fix it. Seriously, no one is expecting us to be perfect the first time out. They're expecting we need training. Let the training happen.

Also: I proofread a brief at least four times before it goes out. Once for the argument section, once for the facts, once for the whole thing, and once more after a few days on the backburner. And, since I'm still a noob, I also send ask attorneys for edits if they have time.

[Anonymous User]

uh so SA paranoia i guess but

is it normal for recruiting to want to meet with you in the middle of the summer to discuss what convinced you to accept their offer

like i get that the info could potentially be useful for them w/r/t strategy, etc. and it sort of makes sense because i'm not at a V10 and i could see them wanting to reach more deeply into my school

but OTOH i also don't feel like i should be obligated to answer "so what other offers did you have" or whatever. just feels like a "second" (or "twenty-seventh") interview. like didn't we already do this in "why this firm"

[sundance95]

uh so SA paranoia i guess but

is it normal for recruiting to want to meet with you in the middle of the summer to discuss what convinced you to accept their offer

like i get that the info could potentially be useful for them w/r/t strategy, etc. and it sort of makes sense because i'm not at a V10 and i could see them wanting to reach more deeply into my school

but OTOH i also don't feel like i should be obligated to answer "so what other offers did you have" or whatever. just feels like a "second" (or "twenty-seventh") interview. like didn't we already do this in "why this firm"

sounds weird to me.

[Anonymous User]

thought so.

-6:34

[Anonymous User]

uh so SA paranoia i guess but

is it normal for recruiting to want to meet with you in the middle of the summer to discuss what convinced you to accept their offer

like i get that the info could potentially be useful for them w/r/t strategy, etc. and it sort of makes sense because i'm not at a V10 and i could see them wanting to reach more deeply into my school

but OTOH i also don't feel like i should be obligated to answer "so what other offers did you have" or whatever. just feels like a "second" (or "twenty-seventh") interview. like didn't we already do this in "why this firm"

I think it's a little odd for a sit-down type meeting. I don't think it's weird for recruiting to reach out to figure out why a student did or didn't accept an offer, but those are usually in the forms of anonymous surveys. I remember getting a number of those after OCI.

[Anonymous User]

Today, was not a good SA day. I think I might be getting no-offered. I turned in a memo that I could not find much support for. I thought everything was fine, worked really hard on it, mentor reviewed it and gave it the okay, and then turned it in. Well, the associate who asked for it asked me to come see him. He then basically told me that he did not like the way I wrote the memo and wants me to lay things out. I also botched a citation or two. He asked me to revise the memo.

Is this a definite no-offer move? I've done work for him before without issue, but this just feels so awful.

Edit: it wasn't the research or reasoning. He just disliked the way I formatted and wants me to give more details to flesh out my analysis. He keeps saying this is something he'd like to copy/paste into briefs, answers, whatever. There was no yelling, but still...

Weird. I am in literally the exact same boat after today, minus the citations - I miscalculated the damages instead. Glad to see the positive responses, though.

Above poster. Just found two typos in there as well. Ay yi yi. Guess I'll be proofreading 3 times through now. Midsummer review went well, but I'm sweating now.

Original quoted original poster. Don't worry. I went through my midsummer and was told that after the second one, the guy apparently loved my memo and said that it completely exceeded his expectation. He also said that I handled criticism well, which I think is a good thing.

Just fix your mistakes to the best of your abilities, and it'll be fine.

[Anonymous User]

To anon above: are you just one of those people who has to be stressed in order to function normally? I feel like you're more likely to make these kind of small mistakes with that kind of mindset.

Maybe, and maybe not. I am an SA for the family firm and when I send in an assignment and it comes back with notations that are fairly critical, it is not stressful as much as it is bothersome. I certainly have empathy for those whose future may be adversely impacted by people they just met a few weeks ago.

[Stinson]

uh so SA paranoia i guess but

is it normal for recruiting to want to meet with you in the middle of the summer to discuss what convinced you to accept their offer

like i get that the info could potentially be useful for them w/r/t strategy, etc. and it sort of makes sense because i'm not at a V10 and i could see them wanting to reach more deeply into my school

but OTOH i also don't feel like i should be obligated to answer "so what other offers did you have" or whatever. just feels like a "second" (or "twenty-seventh") interview. like didn't we already do this in "why this firm"

My firm had a group meeting about the recruiting process about halfway through the summer; this sounds like it's in that vein, rather than a second interview. Recruiting folks like to know what gave you a good impression of the firm, in some cases about the reputation their firm has at your school (there aren't a ton of ways for them to know this unless they just ask you), that kind of thing. OCI/recruiting is a competition for them too.

[Anonymous User]

Current odds of no-offer: ~90%. That is all.

[Anonymous User]

Current odds of no-offer: ~90%. That is all.

Got caught sucking face with a partner's wife, huh? You got to be discreet about that type of thing.