Renne Walker wrote:I write this with wine glass in hand. It is interesting reading these posts (keep 'em coming). They remind me of last year. I remember that it was difficult to totally chill during 1L SA.
The second year is very different inasmuch as things are more relaxed and there is more humor. Unfortunately it is not the type of hilarity that is easily described on a message board, but what goes on would make a great “reality” show. The other day one of the attorneys harassed an SA to the point where the SA was stuttering and as he walked out he turned and gave me a wink. Or when they gave me tickets to the Mets game, I looked up, “so it’s true, you really do hate me”… not the kind of thing I would have dared said as a newbie. Or say to one to one of my less favorite attorneys… “so this is what, your impersonation of Louis Lit.”
The other night an SA was totally bummed at a social because he was in mid-sentence when the partner turned and walked over to another SA. The point, if you are anxious because of one of the thousand things that will go wrong, not to worry, it’s expected. Shit happens. Just roll on to tomorrow.
Yes to all of this, just echoing as a former SA. SA's spend a lot of time worrying about what partners think of them, so let me spoil it.
They don't think anything about you.
They don't like you, they don't dislike you. There are like fifty things on their priority list permanently above you, which is good. They will periodically be brusque with people because that is pretty much the personality of people who are very busy and are used to having things their way. The things they do that scare you don't even occur to them as scary. But they really don't think of you, and it's totally fine. All you need is for them not to hate you, and it's hard to get them to hate you.
So chillax.