New associate banter Forum

[Anonymous User]

why not just wear suit pants (can be mistaken for slacks) with a tucked in button down and no tie?

That's the plan at this point. Unfortunately, my suit pants look a whole much more like suit pants than slacks, but I'm just going to deal with it. I am confident that I won't be burning any bridges with my dress for the first two weeks.

[FlightoftheEarls]

Got my first paycheck today....... finally, finally not feeling so broke.....

But I haven't been super busy...... which is terrifying.

Haha, I remember that terror.......give it time. Do you even have your license yet? They won't really bill you out until you do - so they won't want to give you billable work that someone else can do while charging the client the full rate. Took me over a year to get consistently busy, and the pattern continued as new associates joined the firm year after year. Seriously - just enjoy it while it lasts. Get outside. Enjoy your cash. Be available for new work, and it'll happen. Don't worry - someone who matters will be watching your billables, and you're right, they aren't paying you for nothing. Think of the attorneys in your firm as your customers. You have to do small jobs to earn their trust, then you get repeat business.

Thanks. I appreciate that (and the comments above). The rational side of me knows this is the case. The neurotic in me is saying "don't spend your money, they won't put up with this shit for long". (this sounds like I'm cracking up more than I really am - I'm a little insecure, not totally panicked.)

I had the same fears initially, and I think everyone does. Firms can't put a whole new crop of starters on assignments immediately, so you're naturally going to have a lull when you start that could range anywhere from a couple weeks to a month or two. It's normal and inevitable, so enjoy it. Once you get a couple 300 months under your belt, you'll be better able to appreciate the weeks where you can kick back and not worry about what's on your plate.

[Old Gregg]

Where on earth are you working where you're getting a couple 300 hour months??? I'm pretty sure I know where you are, but I can't believe that you bill that much there...

[thesealocust]

I know people who had one or more 300 hour months earlier this year in securities / capital markets; apparently it was out of control busy for a while and the hours came from being stationed at financial printers, etc. (I was busy too, but happily not that busy...)

[Old Gregg]

I know people who had one or more 300 hour months earlier this year in securities / capital markets; apparently it was out of control busy for a while and the hours came from being stationed at financial printers, etc. (I was busy too, but happily not that busy...)

Yeah, but it makes sense for your firm. FOTE doesn't work where you work.

[mr. wednesday]

why not just wear suit pants (can be mistaken for slacks) with a tucked in button down and no tie?

That's the plan at this point. Unfortunately, my suit pants look a whole much more like suit pants than slacks, but I'm just going to deal with it. I am confident that I won't be burning any bridges with my dress for the first two weeks.

If you are getting paid in two weeks, just go buy work appropriate clothes with a credit card and pay it off when you get paid. It's not something to stress over. You can buy a few pairs of pants.

[Anonymous User]

If you are getting paid in two weeks, just go buy work appropriate clothes with a credit card and pay it off when you get paid. It's not something to stress over. You can buy a few pairs of pants.

That was the original plan (and I am probably going to do it anyways), but the wife got angry. She still hasn't figured out that people at firms expect you to dress like you're making 160k, nor does she have any idea what that actually entails. Her response was something to the tune of "you don't need to dress like a partner when you're brand new associate." When I responded that my current wardrobe would put me somewhere beneath the IT guys at the firm and I don't want to be asked to fix computer problems she tried again: "You won't be judged for what you wear." If you are married you can imagine how the rest of that conversation went. We have been poor students for way too long...

[rad lulz]

If you are getting paid in two weeks, just go buy work appropriate clothes with a credit card and pay it off when you get paid. It's not something to stress over. You can buy a few pairs of pants.

That was the original plan (and I am probably going to do it anyways), but the wife got angry. She still hasn't figured out that people at firms expect you to dress like you're making 160k, nor does she have any idea what that actually entails. Her response was something to the tune of "you don't need to dress like a partner when you're brand new associate." When I responded that my current wardrobe would put me somewhere beneath the IT guys at the firm and I don't want to be asked to fix computer problems she tried again: "You won't be judged for what you wear." If you are married you can imagine how the rest of that conversation went. We have been poor students for way too long...

Looking the part is important to cultivating an air of credibility

[thesealocust]

Yeah but there's a fine line. You don't want to be the disheveled associate, but the associate rocking contrast collars, 3-piece suits, skinny ties, flashy cuff links, suits that look painted on with skinny legs, etc. probably isn't doing themselves any favors either.

[Anastasia Dee Dualla]

I start at the end of the month and we don't get our first check until the end of October. This is going to end well.

So you get paid monthly? Or is it common to not get paid until the end of the first month for the first month's paycheck. (Feeling less secure about my survival if this is true)

We got paid bi-weekly as summers but now get paid monthly as associates.

This.

[romothesavior]

If you are getting paid in two weeks, just go buy work appropriate clothes with a credit card and pay it off when you get paid. It's not something to stress over. You can buy a few pairs of pants.

That was the original plan (and I am probably going to do it anyways), but the wife got angry. She still hasn't figured out that people at firms expect you to dress like you're making 160k, nor does she have any idea what that actually entails. Her response was something to the tune of "you don't need to dress like a partner when you're brand new associate." When I responded that my current wardrobe would put me somewhere beneath the IT guys at the firm and I don't want to be asked to fix computer problems she tried again: "You won't be judged for what you wear." If you are married you can imagine how the rest of that conversation went. We have been poor students for way too long...

Tell your wife tough shit and go buy a couple pairs of pants. We're talking about like $150 for 2 pairs of nice wool dress slacks at Banana Republic during one of their 40% off sales. You could probably grab a few pairs of decent cotton ones for even less. This isn't spluring on a new hunting rifle or tickets to a football game; it's spending money for your job.

Also, don't stress over it. No one is going to know or care that your current slacks are actually suit pants.

[TatteredDignity]

Tell your wife tough shit

outed as never been married.

[Old Gregg]

Tell your wife tough shit

outed as never been married.

Or outed as not being bitchmade.

[fanlinxun]

outed as never been married.

Absolutely credited. If I tried to pull that on my wife the few clothes I do have would end up out the window with no hope of buying more.

Also, don't stress over it.

Not really that worried. Once work starts I doubt I'll have much time to think twice about it.

[TatteredDignity]

Tell your wife tough shit

outed as never been married.

Or outed as not being bitchmade.

valid. you take the good with the bad.

[romothesavior]

Tell your wife tough shit

outed as never been married.

I think if the argument is, "I need $150 to get some decent slacks to go make us money at my 3k a week job," I'm winning that one.

[romothesavior]

How clueless do the rest of you feel? The whole "law school doesn't prepare you" schtick sounds pretty damn accurate right about now.

[thesealocust]

How clueless do the rest of you feel? The whole "law school doesn't prepare you" schtick sounds pretty damn accurate right about now.

Still pretty god damn clueless. A few months in, I had a pleasant exchange with a very senior partner on a Sunday afternoon when our whole team was scrambling on a large, quick turn around deal. I handed him some final documents and he was pointing out some of the reasons the language was set up the way it was (corporate law = get a good precedent then find & replace your way to victory, so hell if I knew what was going on). I said something along the lines of "Thanks for the explanations [partner], I've started to realize that I spend a lot of time getting documents out the door on an urgent basis without... you know... uh... shall we say, fully understanding what's in them?" and he clapped me on the shoulder and smiled and basically said We know. We've all been there."

It didn't make feel any less useless/retarded/barely qualified to breathe, but it made me feel a little better about that fact.

I then went back to frantically finding and replacing.

[rad lulz]

How clueless do the rest of you feel? The whole "law school doesn't prepare you" schtick sounds pretty damn accurate right about now.

Very.

[IAFG]

Tell your wife tough shit

outed as never been married.

I'm a wife. I'll tell her to STFU on your behalf if necessary.

[rad lulz]

Biz caz is the best

I need more slacks though

[20160810]

How clueless do the rest of you feel? The whole "law school doesn't prepare you" schtick sounds pretty damn accurate right about now.

Very.

Yup. I'm torn between desperately wanting more work so I can establish myself and wondering if I know how to do the work I'm getting. So far I've felt good about the assiments I've had though.

Also plus to the one on needing more slacks. I've been rocking khakis and suit pants.

[20160810]

Having a password protected phone is really annoying.

[rad lulz]

.

[jd20132013]

Do y'all mind if current law students ask questions?

Definitely curious about that "clueless" feeling. How are you making sure that you're producing product that you feel confident sending to someone who actually knows the relevant area? I often felt like this during my summer associateship (obviously, not totally comparable) and tried to compensate by spending extra time--I assume that won't be possible once you start getting a full associate's workload, though.