New associate banter Forum

[Old Gregg]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

[Big Shrimpin]

Just got my first substantive feedback, and it was all positive.

Your reward is more work.

Less than an hour later, I got a project that has to be done by Monday.

More pie.

Ran here to say this.

[Big Shrimpin]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

Yep. I have a Rolex and feel so prole wearing to the office.

[Anonymous User]

More pie.

Ran here to say this.

Our firm's introduction to midlevels presentation actually starts with the "congrats, you won the pie eating contest, the prize is more pie" joke.

[Old Gregg]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

Yep. I have a Rolex and feel so prole wearing to the office.

You should.

[Anonymous User]

How many hours did everyone work the first week? I barely have any billable hours.....but it does look like next week will be busy.

First month: 1.6 billable hours / calendar (not business) day average

4th month: 9.7 billable hours / calendar (not business) day average

Did you feel comfortable leaving at 5/5:30 that first month, or no?

[Old Gregg]

How many hours did everyone work the first week? I barely have any billable hours.....but it does look like next week will be busy.

First month: 1.6 billable hours / calendar (not business) day average

4th month: 9.7 billable hours / calendar (not business) day average

Did you feel comfortable leaving at 5/5:30 that first month, or no?

That answer is going to be highly firm dependent. The more face-time is important, the less comfortable you should be. That's something you should be able to gauge from your firm.

Generally, if your office is far from people you might work with (i.e., you're in litigation, but most of the litigators are on a different floor), I doubt people would notice or care.

You should make sure you've asked your secretary to respond properly to calls asking for you (i.e., instead of saying, "he left for the day," they should say, "he stepped out for a minute; can I take a message?"). Hopefully, if you're nice to your secretary and that secretary knows the ins-and-outs of your firm, this should be automatic. But never hurts to clarify.

And if you're going to leave at 5:30pm, you should be responsive and able to answer phone calls made to your firm phone. Many firm phones have call forwarding features; use them.

For the record, I'm not at all a face time person. But if an attorney or client needs to reach me at any time but when I'm sleeping, I can be reached (and be responsive). And after years of building that sort of trust, no one gives me shit for it.

[Anonymous User]

Absolutely great response, thanks. It was obviously pretty difficult to gauge that as a summer. Would you say that face-time is more of a thing at "smaller" BigLaw firms, than your average V5 where you can maybe hide among a sea of faces? Do you also mean that a free-market system means more face-time than an assignment system? What about combining the two?

I understand your response is getting more at specific culture -- I appreciate that -- just curious if/how these things play a role.

- 8:47 pm.

[Old Gregg]

I think you're making the wrong comparison. If you're at a V5 and your office is sandwiched between two partners or associates you frequently work with, I would think face time matters a lot more. If you're at a boutique where you're working on the 30th floor and your primary colleagues are on 33, I would think face time matters a lot less.

Re: Free market vs. assignment vis-a-vis face time... I haven't thought about it, but you raise a good point. I think in a free market system, being "visible" will help you get assignments. Yes, in a free market you are free to go about and solicit assignments. But more often it's the case that partners and associates just call to ask if you're available to help. In the very beginning, it's helpful simply to be "visible" so that you're in their minds when they're deciding who to call.

After about six months, though, your reputation tends to carry the day instead of whether you're in their minds.

[FlightoftheEarls]

quakeroats has never not been insufferable on TLS.

I seem to remember him being one of those weirdos who gets macho about how many hours they bill, but maybe I'm confusing him with someone else. I don't think he's going to get a lot of traction with his "NYC isn't expensive" thing though.

Wasn't he a rabid Michigan troll who receded when they continued to place poorly relative to peers?

That's me. It's nice to be right, but if I saved even one student from choosing Michigan/UVA over Penn/Duke it's been worth it.

I, too, have fond memories of those debates.

First night in the office past 8. Getting a comped dinner is nice. Also got paid today, which is nice. Staying this late, not so nice. Ill probably be out by 9 at least.

JFC

Yeah yeah, my hours aren't horrible, but I still get to complain.

I would toss a baby kitten out my office window if it meant I could leave before 9.

FTFM

[ragelion]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

[Anonymous User]

I think you're making the wrong comparison. If you're at a V5 and your office is sandwiched between two partners or associates you frequently work with, I would think face time matters a lot more. If you're at a boutique where you're working on the 30th floor and your primary colleagues are on 33, I would think face time matters a lot less.

Re: Free market vs. assignment vis-a-vis face time... I haven't thought about it, but you raise a good point. I think in a free market system, being "visible" will help you get assignments. Yes, in a free market you are free to go about and solicit assignments. But more often it's the case that partners and associates just call to ask if you're available to help. In the very beginning, it's helpful simply to be "visible" so that you're in their minds when they're deciding who to call.

After about six months, though, your reputation tends to carry the day instead of whether you're in their minds.

Thanks again.

At my firm it seems that they try to group everyone in the same group on the same floor, which would seem to suggest by your analysis that face time is important. On the other hand, though, when I was a summer, things seemed pretty closed door and I barely noticed partners and associates interacting that often. I was mostly on one floor with one group, though, so maybe it was limited to that group.

-8:47.

[thesealocust]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

We have won the victory over our selves. We have learned to love big brother.

[ragelion]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

We have won the victory over our selves. We have learned to love big brother.

The structure is actually great for the rest of my life. What have I become?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have good tips for getting face time if you work in a small satellite office and most associates and partners are at other offices? I thought about making a few trips, but I imagine that won't always do the trick. There are only three partners and two associates in my corporate department.

[thesealocust]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

We have won the victory over our selves. We have learned to love big brother.

The structure is actually great for the rest of my life. What have I become?

Give me 0 hours worth of work per day and I'll accomplish literally nothing, including bathing, responding to emails, properly feeding myself, etc.

Give me 8-10 hours worth of work per day and I'll be incredibly efficient with the rest of my life and probably even sleep enough.

Give me 12-14 hours worth of work per day and I'll turn into a sleep deprived walking corpse while also not accomplishing anything outside of work.

It's weird.

Anyone have good tips for getting face time if you work in a small satellite office and most associates and partners are at other offices? I thought about making a few trips, but I imagine that won't always do the trick. There are only three partners and two associates in my corporate department.

Huh? This question doesn't make a lot of sense. You don't get bonus points for face time, it's just a cultural phenomena that may or may not exist at your office. If you're not in the same office as the people you work with, the S.S. FaceTime set sail long ago... but obviously it doesn't matter, because how on earth could you have a face time culture with people you are not physically present with?

[seespotrun]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

We have won the victory over our selves. We have learned to love big brother.

The structure is actually great for the rest of my life. What have I become?

Give me 0 hours worth of work per day and I'll accomplish literally nothing, including bathing, responding to emails, properly feeding myself, etc.

Give me 8-10 hours worth of work per day and I'll be incredibly efficient with the rest of my life and probably even sleep enough.

Give me 12-14 hours worth of work per day and I'll turn into a sleep deprived walking corpse while also not accomplishing anything outside of work.

It's weird.

I'm the same way. The only constant between the three schedules is masturbation.

[Big Shrimpin]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

Let it wash over you in a cool wave.

[ragelion]

Give me 0 hours worth of work per day and I'll accomplish literally nothing, including bathing, responding to emails, properly feeding myself, etc.

Give me 8-10 hours worth of work per day and I'll be incredibly efficient with the rest of my life and probably even sleep enough.

Give me 12-14 hours worth of work per day and I'll turn into a sleep deprived walking corpse while also not accomplishing anything outside of work.

It's weird.

I'm the same way. The only constant between the three schedules is masturbation.

And those categories are impressively on point.

[Anonymous User]

I'm just used to the hours now. They've broken me.

We have won the victory over our selves. We have learned to love big brother.

The structure is actually great for the rest of my life. What have I become?

Give me 0 hours worth of work per day and I'll accomplish literally nothing, including bathing, responding to emails, properly feeding myself, etc.

Give me 8-10 hours worth of work per day and I'll be incredibly efficient with the rest of my life and probably even sleep enough.

Give me 12-14 hours worth of work per day and I'll turn into a sleep deprived walking corpse while also not accomplishing anything outside of work.

It's weird.

Anyone have good tips for getting face time if you work in a small satellite office and most associates and partners are at other offices? I thought about making a few trips, but I imagine that won't always do the trick. There are only three partners and two associates in my corporate department.

Huh? This question doesn't make a lot of sense. You don't get bonus points for face time, it's just a cultural phenomena that may or may not exist at your office. If you're not in the same office as the people you work with, the S.S. FaceTime set sail long ago... but obviously it doesn't matter, because how on earth could you have a face time culture with people you are not physically present with?

What I meant is getting face time with people in other offices, so they give me work to do. There are fewer opportunities in this office.

[Old Gregg]

What I meant is getting face time with people in other offices, so they give me work to do. There are fewer opportunities in this office.

Sounds like you should be working in the other offices, then.

[Summerz]

I wanted to ask if anyone here is working for your family firm. Are there any nuances (good or bad) you can share? Our firm has 10 attorneys, however I was told today that business is good we’re about to hire two two others (with experience) and a 3L will be coming on board next August once she has passed the bar.
I do not want to preclude anyone here working at a much larger firm where a family member is a named partner.

[quakeroats]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

Neither of those are particularly nice, so knock yourself out.

[Anastasia Dee Dualla]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

Neither of those are particularly nice, so knock yourself out.

Sometimes, you are insufferable.

[Old Gregg]

Would it be a mistake to wear a really nice watch to the office as a first year? (Think cartier, panerai, etc.)

No.

Neither of those are particularly nice, so knock yourself out.

Sometimes, you are insufferable.

Sometimes?