First day as an SA at a midsize firm Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm starting an SA position at a midsize firm in NYC on tuesday... its not very structured like a big firm, and there will only be one or two other SA's maximum. What should I expect when I walk in the first day? Will I probably just be sent to a partner that has work and immediately get started, or will there be some meet and greet formalities?

[Anonymous User]

Curious about this as well. Starting at a smaller satellite office of a bigger firm (about 20 attys, 2 SAs) and would appreciate some insight.

[BarbellDreams]

They'll show you your office, walk you through the office to meet the partners, associates, etc. Then they will set up your email/computer, teach you how billing works, likely take you all out to lunch that day, and then you'll sit there for like 5 mins before a random attorney walks in and asks you to research if spreading cremated ashes over the sea is a EPA violation, not because its for a client, but because they are "just wondering" (true story).

[Lincoln]

They'll show you your office, walk you through the office to meet the partners, associates, etc. Then they will set up your email/computer, teach you how billing works, likely take you all out to lunch that day, and then you'll sit there for like 5 mins before a random attorney walks in and asks you to research if spreading cremated ashes over the sea is a EPA violation, not because its for a client, but because they are "just wondering" (true story).

That's the best story of a first day so far.

[LawIdiot86]

They'll show you your office, walk you through the office to meet the partners, associates, etc. Then they will set up your email/computer, teach you how billing works, likely take you all out to lunch that day, and then you'll sit there for like 5 mins before a random attorney walks in and asks you to research if spreading cremated ashes over the sea is a EPA violation, not because its for a client, but because they are "just wondering" (true story).

That's the best story of a first day so far.

I had an entire internship consist of the attorney who pointed at list of assignments and told me to start writing a research memo on the one that seemed most interesting and then work my way through the others. About halfway through the list, I asked what it was a list of. He said it was things he had always wondered about, but never had time to research for himself.

[Itinerant]

They'll show you your office, walk you through the office to meet the partners, associates, etc. Then they will set up your email/computer, teach you how billing works, likely take you all out to lunch that day, and then you'll sit there for like 5 mins before a random attorney walks in and asks you to research if spreading cremated ashes over the sea is a EPA violation, not because its for a client, but because they are "just wondering" (true story).

That's the best story of a first day so far.

midsize firm/regional biglaw here.

expect some unbillable assignments as favors for friends of partners.

[rinkrat19]

They'll show you your office, walk you through the office to meet the partners, associates, etc. Then they will set up your email/computer, teach you how billing works, likely take you all out to lunch that day, and then you'll sit there for like 5 mins before a random attorney walks in and asks you to research if spreading cremated ashes over the sea is a EPA violation, not because its for a client, but because they are "just wondering" (true story).

That's the best story of a first day so far.

I had an entire internship consist of the attorney who pointed at list of assignments and told me to start writing a research memo on the one that seemed most interesting and then work my way through the others. About halfway through the list, I asked what it was a list of. He said it was things he had always wondered about, but never had time to research for himself.

This actually seems kind of awesome (at least for a while). Learn to produce a good product on projects that don't matter, so you're not fucking up anything important, but that your supervisor actually is interested in so your work is appreciated.

[Anonymous User]

I didn't do jack shit during my first 2 days as a SA last year.

[Anonymous User]

I didn't do jack shit during my first 2 days as a SA last year.

Same for me this year. Nothing really for the first two days after orientation. Work picked up a bit towards the end of the week.

[Anonymous User]

I was the only SA at a midlaw firm. From my experience, the first day will involve meeting a lot of support staff whose names you'll immediately forget, and then being taught how to use the billing system but not what block billing is and that you need to not do it (this will later be held against you in a performance review). Then you'll get a couple of pretty basic research assignments while people figure out if you're smart enough to trust. If you have halfway decent Westlaw skillz, you should be just fine on that one. You will drop a footnote into a memo indicating that a particular piece of legal jargon would be a sweet name for a death metal band, and then be chastized for unprofessionalism when that memo is sent to a client without first having been proof-read. That night, you will go out with the other associates and get Charlie Sheen drunk. This will be the first of many such instances. In about 10 weeks, you will briefly be surprised upon discovering that you were no-offered, but, upon further reflection, you'll realize that you can't really blame them.

[TTRansfer]

I was the only SA at a midlaw firm. From my experience, the first day will involve meeting a lot of support staff whose names you'll immediately forget, and then being taught how to use the billing system but not what block billing is and that you need to not do it (this will later be held against you in a performance review). Then you'll get a couple of pretty basic research assignments while people figure out if you're smart enough to trust. If you have halfway decent Westlaw skillz, you should be just fine on that one. You will drop a footnote into a memo indicating that a particular piece of legal jargon would be a sweet name for a death metal band, and then be chastized for unprofessionalism when that memo is sent to a client without first having been proof-read. That night, you will go out with the other associates and get Charlie Sheen drunk. This will be the first of many such instances. In about 10 weeks, you will briefly be surprised upon discovering that you were no-offered, but, upon further reflection, you'll realize that you can't really blame them.

Footnote plz

[LawIdiot86]

I had an entire internship consist of the attorney who pointed at list of assignments and told me to start writing a research memo on the one that seemed most interesting and then work my way through the others. About halfway through the list, I asked what it was a list of. He said it was things he had always wondered about, but never had time to research for himself.

This actually seems kind of awesome (at least for a while). Learn to produce a good product on projects that don't matter, so you're not fucking up anything important, but that your supervisor actually is interested in so your work is appreciated.

Yeah, this was an internship where they made clear there was no job at the end. So that made it a bit less fulfilling.