Kirkland Megathread Forum

[Anonymous User]

It doesn’t matter. It’s way more important for you to do good on the stuff you do get assigned than to bill a bunch. You’re a summer, everything is getting written off. They way prefer you to get good feedback on 100 hours than to do terrible on 500.

Recruiting will let you know if there’s an issue. When I was a summer I showed up at 10, left for lunch at 11, came back at 1, and left at like 3 most days. Sometimes I’d go to the gym too.

You’re going to want to be neurotic but resist, enjoy the summer, and do your best when you do get assigned stuff.

Also, literally nobody will remember you from your summer when you start. The only exception would be if you were a mess or a psycho.

It’s not about getting an offer—hell, I almost wish they would no-offer me so I’d be forced to leave and do something more interesting. It’s about getting to do interesting/complex work. My friends at the ACLU et al are bragging about the actual substantive things they’re doing and actually putting in hours, while I’m here spinning my wheels until the tiniest scrap of work appears on my radar. I’ve gotten to do a couple interesting things but the volume is too low and I feel like I’m wasting the firm’s money and it’s wasting my time.

Like I remember interning in banking in ug and they worked me way harder. Why tf isn’t K&E doing the same? I’ve rarely stayed past 7–and I did that all the time as a summer analyst.

[Anonymous User]

It doesn’t matter. It’s way more important for you to do good on the stuff you do get assigned than to bill a bunch. You’re a summer, everything is getting written off. They way prefer you to get good feedback on 100 hours than to do terrible on 500.

Recruiting will let you know if there’s an issue. When I was a summer I showed up at 10, left for lunch at 11, came back at 1, and left at like 3 most days. Sometimes I’d go to the gym too.

You’re going to want to be neurotic but resist, enjoy the summer, and do your best when you do get assigned stuff.

Also, literally nobody will remember you from your summer when you start. The only exception would be if you were a mess or a psycho.

It’s not about getting an offer—hell, I almost wish they would no-offer me so I’d be forced to leave and do something more interesting. It’s about getting to do interesting/complex work. My friends at the ACLU et al are bragging about the actual substantive things they’re doing and actually putting in hours, while I’m here spinning my wheels until the tiniest scrap of work appears on my radar. I’ve gotten to do a couple interesting things but the volume is too low and I feel like I’m wasting the firm’s money and it’s wasting my time.

Like I remember interning in banking in ug and they worked me way harder. Why tf isn’t K&E doing the same? I’ve rarely stayed past 7–and I did that all the time as a summer analyst.

Even at firms where summers get subjected to real workloads, they are highly unlikely to get “interesting” or “substantive” work. If you want to work grueling hours analogous to IB, your time will come when you start as a first year.

[Dcc617]

Oh, junior associate work in biglaw is grueling and boring. Duh? They’re not going to trust you with anything substantive for a long time.

[Anonymous User]

Any other summers struggling to get assignments? I keep emailing the practice group contacts mentioned in the SA guide but it’s usually to no response. Really making me regret taking this over firms with centralized assignment systems tbh.

Also wtf is this focus on networking with associates? That can’t be a good use of anyone’s time.

Corp is slow everywhere. Centralized staffing doesn't fix this.

The normal purpose of SA programs is to "network" i.e. meet as many people as possible and get integrated socially/culturally into the firm. Whether that's "a good use of anyone's time," reasonable people can disagree—but it's extremely normal in biglaw.

I’m in lit tho? And idk this is the first job I’ve worked where my office has been anywhere close to this big at all, so this whole notion of networking internally for coffees in order to get work just makes no sense and is frankly almost offensive.

Is this somehow a thing you didn’t know about Kirkland?

Also, don’t worry about getting work. You’re a summer. There are summers who have billed <40 hours for the entire ten weeks who get return offers just like everyone—and if they spend time meeting people, they’ll be more successful than you at getting work when they come back.

I was told about it but I didn’t think it would be this networking oriented. I have mild/moderate social anxiety that mostly manifests when I try to reach out to people to ask them for things (see why I avoid networking like the plague), but I can usually control it and people recommended K&E to me because I apparently come off as very gregarious (I’m social chair of a couple things on campus, for example). This hasn’t tended to be an issue for me in the workplace before, but I’ve always been at very small operations by comparison. I really didn’t think it would be a problem.

Also that last bit was uncalled for. I know I’m anxious and struggle with things all you other people find easy, you don’t have to rub it in.

Sorry if the last bit stung, but it wasn't a personal criticism—we don't know each other. Rather, it was meant as direct guidance about how to prioritize your time. It was direct because you—like many people—are telling yourself an inaccurate story about how things work. Again, not a personal criticism; I also spent the wrong proportion of my time networking during my summer at K&E. Just trying to clearly state things so future summers don't have to read between any lines.

[Anonymous User]

It doesn’t matter. It’s way more important for you to do good on the stuff you do get assigned than to bill a bunch. You’re a summer, everything is getting written off. They way prefer you to get good feedback on 100 hours than to do terrible on 500.

Recruiting will let you know if there’s an issue. When I was a summer I showed up at 10, left for lunch at 11, came back at 1, and left at like 3 most days. Sometimes I’d go to the gym too.

You’re going to want to be neurotic but resist, enjoy the summer, and do your best when you do get assigned stuff.

Also, literally nobody will remember you from your summer when you start. The only exception would be if you were a mess or a psycho.

It’s not about getting an offer—hell, I almost wish they would no-offer me so I’d be forced to leave and do something more interesting. It’s about getting to do interesting/complex work. My friends at the ACLU et al are bragging about the actual substantive things they’re doing and actually putting in hours, while I’m here spinning my wheels until the tiniest scrap of work appears on my radar. I’ve gotten to do a couple interesting things but the volume is too low and I feel like I’m wasting the firm’s money and it’s wasting my time.

Like I remember interning in banking in ug and they worked me way harder. Why tf isn’t K&E doing the same? I’ve rarely stayed past 7–and I did that all the time as a summer analyst.

Did you not do any homework about what life in Big Law as a junior, and even as a summer, is like? You come across as entitled and naïve. Comparisons to work at the ACLU are a dead giveaway that you don't have a clue what Big Law work/life actually entails. You might want to prep a bit on your own for the job you walk into when it's full-time in a few years....And yes, this is personal criticism directed at you, OP.

[Anonymous User]

I hope you're not coming off irl the same way you're coming off in this thread, naive-and-entitled-summer-anon. But even if you are, it'll be fine because by the time you come back full time no one is going to remember you anyway and you'll get a fresh start. Literally the whole point is to chill out and make money and not be a neurotic mess. The good thing about K&E IME is that the people who wind up summering there are often a little less of a neurotic and defensive mess than most comparable firms, so you may be sticking out a little poorly if you're coming off like this irl.

[Baron7]

For those who are calling a complete stranger entitled, naive, and neurotic over a few posts expressing frustration with the nature of his SA experience: I would be far more worried about how you come across in real life.

[Anonymous User]

It doesn’t matter. It’s way more important for you to do good on the stuff you do get assigned than to bill a bunch. You’re a summer, everything is getting written off. They way prefer you to get good feedback on 100 hours than to do terrible on 500.

Recruiting will let you know if there’s an issue. When I was a summer I showed up at 10, left for lunch at 11, came back at 1, and left at like 3 most days. Sometimes I’d go to the gym too.

You’re going to want to be neurotic but resist, enjoy the summer, and do your best when you do get assigned stuff.

Also, literally nobody will remember you from your summer when you start. The only exception would be if you were a mess or a psycho.

It’s not about getting an offer—hell, I almost wish they would no-offer me so I’d be forced to leave and do something more interesting. It’s about getting to do interesting/complex work. My friends at the ACLU et al are bragging about the actual substantive things they’re doing and actually putting in hours, while I’m here spinning my wheels until the tiniest scrap of work appears on my radar. I’ve gotten to do a couple interesting things but the volume is too low and I feel like I’m wasting the firm’s money and it’s wasting my time.

Like I remember interning in banking in ug and they worked me way harder. Why tf isn’t K&E doing the same? I’ve rarely stayed past 7–and I did that all the time as a summer analyst.

Which office are you in? As a fellow lit summer, I dunno what to tell you, other than this seems to completely contradict my experience, which has included substantive work. At my office, attorneys are slammed and the lit summers are constantly working.

[Anonymous User]

For those who are calling a complete stranger entitled, naive, and neurotic over a few posts expressing frustration with the nature of his SA experience: I would be far more worried about how you come across in real life.

Seriously. The worst you can say about anon is that he has bad judgment for choosing Kirkland in the first place

[mardash]

It doesn’t matter. It’s way more important for you to do good on the stuff you do get assigned than to bill a bunch. You’re a summer, everything is getting written off. They way prefer you to get good feedback on 100 hours than to do terrible on 500.

Recruiting will let you know if there’s an issue. When I was a summer I showed up at 10, left for lunch at 11, came back at 1, and left at like 3 most days. Sometimes I’d go to the gym too.

You’re going to want to be neurotic but resist, enjoy the summer, and do your best when you do get assigned stuff.

Also, literally nobody will remember you from your summer when you start. The only exception would be if you were a mess or a psycho.

It’s not about getting an offer—hell, I almost wish they would no-offer me so I’d be forced to leave and do something more interesting. It’s about getting to do interesting/complex work. My friends at the ACLU et al are bragging about the actual substantive things they’re doing and actually putting in hours, while I’m here spinning my wheels until the tiniest scrap of work appears on my radar. I’ve gotten to do a couple interesting things but the volume is too low and I feel like I’m wasting the firm’s money and it’s wasting my time.

Like I remember interning in banking in ug and they worked me way harder. Why tf isn’t K&E doing the same? I’ve rarely stayed past 7–and I did that all the time as a summer analyst.

Biglaw summering is one big networking event with a little bit of work thrown in to make sure you’re literate. Wait till you and your ACLU friends start litigating full-time—the “substantiveness” will seem just as divergent when they’re working in the public interest and you’re serving the needs of (1) KE by billing, and (2) KE’s corporate clients bottom line by winning.

[Anonymous User]

Changing topic, any thoughts re mid / senior associate lateral hiring?

I know that in 2021 for example it was very aggressive and K&E was making very compelling offers to randos from a swamp in georgia. What are things like now?

[Anonymous User]

Can someone provide detailed info surrounding the website bio / photo process? how much say do you get on what's on your bio? do you submit a form? and when do most people get pictures taken? do you get a say in anything here? thanks

Yes you submit a form. Subsequent updates (for new matters you’ve worked on or whatever) are emailed to the team that handles website bios and they generally put whatever you wrote as long as it’s standard. Photos are organized by hour office (our stubs had them a few weeks ago), though if you’re a lateral I guess probably ask LRD.

How does this work for the Chicago office? Do we get our photos taken right as we show up on day 1? Week 1?

Can I schedule to have it taken at a later date? Gave birth recently and have some weight I'd like off first.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone provide detailed info surrounding the website bio / photo process? how much say do you get on what's on your bio? do you submit a form? and when do most people get pictures taken? do you get a say in anything here? thanks

Yes you submit a form. Subsequent updates (for new matters you’ve worked on or whatever) are emailed to the team that handles website bios and they generally put whatever you wrote as long as it’s standard. Photos are organized by hour office (our stubs had them a few weeks ago), though if you’re a lateral I guess probably ask LRD.

How does this work for the Chicago office? Do we get our photos taken right as we show up on day 1? Week 1?

Can I schedule to have it taken at a later date? Gave birth recently and have some weight I'd like off first.

Bump

[Anonymous User]

Can someone provide detailed info surrounding the website bio / photo process? how much say do you get on what's on your bio? do you submit a form? and when do most people get pictures taken? do you get a say in anything here? thanks

Yes you submit a form. Subsequent updates (for new matters you’ve worked on or whatever) are emailed to the team that handles website bios and they generally put whatever you wrote as long as it’s standard. Photos are organized by hour office (our stubs had them a few weeks ago), though if you’re a lateral I guess probably ask LRD.

How does this work for the Chicago office? Do we get our photos taken right as we show up on day 1? Week 1?

Can I schedule to have it taken at a later date? Gave birth recently and have some weight I'd like off first.

Bump

You'll receive an email to schedule your photo. If you don't schedule a time, then you won't have a photo on the website until next year. Ask your assistant to help.

[Anonymous User]

Can someone provide detailed info surrounding the website bio / photo process? how much say do you get on what's on your bio? do you submit a form? and when do most people get pictures taken? do you get a say in anything here? thanks

Yes you submit a form. Subsequent updates (for new matters you’ve worked on or whatever) are emailed to the team that handles website bios and they generally put whatever you wrote as long as it’s standard. Photos are organized by hour office (our stubs had them a few weeks ago), though if you’re a lateral I guess probably ask LRD.

How does this work for the Chicago office? Do we get our photos taken right as we show up on day 1? Week 1?

Can I schedule to have it taken at a later date? Gave birth recently and have some weight I'd like off first.

Bump

You'll receive an email to schedule your photo. If you don't schedule a time, then you won't have a photo on the website until next year. Ask your assistant to help.

Is this true for incoming first years as well?

[Anonymous User]

Anyone know if the houston office gym has a power rack? (Smith machine d/n count)

[Anonymous User]

Can someone provide detailed info surrounding the website bio / photo process? how much say do you get on what's on your bio? do you submit a form? and when do most people get pictures taken? do you get a say in anything here? thanks

Yes you submit a form. Subsequent updates (for new matters you’ve worked on or whatever) are emailed to the team that handles website bios and they generally put whatever you wrote as long as it’s standard. Photos are organized by hour office (our stubs had them a few weeks ago), though if you’re a lateral I guess probably ask LRD.

How does this work for the Chicago office? Do we get our photos taken right as we show up on day 1? Week 1?

Can I schedule to have it taken at a later date? Gave birth recently and have some weight I'd like off first.

Bump

You'll receive an email to schedule your photo. If you don't schedule a time, then you won't have a photo on the website until next year. Ask your assistant to help.

Is this true for incoming first years as well?

Yes.

[Anonymous User]

Any insight into culture of Kirkland DC lit or DC office generally? Was definitely the most intense of all of my interviews but accepted bc looked like a strong WC/reg enforcement group and ppl seemed friendly enough

[Anonymous User]

Any insight into culture of Kirkland DC lit or DC office generally? Was definitely the most intense of all of my interviews but accepted bc looked like a strong WC/reg enforcement group and ppl seemed friendly enough

It's a robust litigation practice group (not a surprise, it's K&E and it's in DC). But that also makes for a bit more of a gunner/hardcore focus among the more senior associates, who are gunning not just for NSP (lol) but for actual SP. Making SP is extraordinarily hard/rare in litigation, so those senior associate there don't mind throwing sharp elbows and angling for limelight with the SPs. Just something to keep in mind.

[Anonymous User]

First year starting in restructuring (chicago) in a little over a week.

What's the current vibe!?!

[Anonymous User]

Another Q: what is first year 'orientation' week like? Is it different for each group? Do we start working on matters during the first week?

[Anonymous User]

How likely is it for first years to get more than a market bonus? If I bill 2,200 hours instead of 2,000, is my bonus likely to be more than 20K?

[Anonymous User]

Another Q: what is first year 'orientation' week like? Is it different for each group? Do we start working on matters during the first week?

Corporate folks (including TIPT) had a three day event at the Ritz Carlton at Chicago. I forget what it was called. Lit folks had a watered down version of that.very unlikely to do substantive workin the first week.

[Anonymous User]

How likely is it for first years to get more than a market bonus? If I bill 2,200 hours instead of 2,000, is my bonus likely to be more than 20K?

.

[Anonymous User]

How likely is it for first years to get more than a market bonus? If I bill 2,200 hours instead of 2,000, is my bonus likely to be more than 20K?

Very likely you’ll get a slight merit bonus to take you above market (like $2,500). You can get additional money for billing high hours but it’s literally like $10/hour, so I would not make that a goal.