The BigLaw hate buffet Forum

[Single-Malt-Liquor]

Humor me. Lots of firms say that they care about their associates being able to do pro bono work. Is that a straight up lie, or just a truth with an asterisk?

[thesealocust]

Humor me. Lots of firms say that they care about their associates being able to do pro bono work. Is that a straight up lie, or just a truth with an asterisk?

Truth with an asterisk. They'll encourage it, but they won't encourage it at the expense of f'realsy work.

From what I've seen, pro bono is substantially more common for litigators than corporate attorneys.

If you ever want a chuckle, look up how much pro bono Wachtell does.

[BaiAilian2013]

Humor me. Lots of firms say that they care about their associates being able to do pro bono work. Is that a straight up lie, or just a truth with an asterisk?

Depends on firm and practice. My firm has no limit on how many pro bono hours you can count towards your billables, so people can take the matters seriously. I forget which of my matters are pro bono sometimes. Partners are less involved usually, although not always, but that is largely because you have more independence on pro bono matters so you don't really need the partners. And matters come to you; I've never gone looking for pro bono matters, but that could be my practice.

[IAFG]

Ugh is it time to law AGAIN?! Already?! Stupid 2 day weekend.

[Theopliske8711]

Ugh is it time to law AGAIN?! Already?! Stupid 2 day weekend.

So you had a free weekend is what you're sayin?

[IAFG]

Ugh is it time to law AGAIN?! Already?! Stupid 2 day weekend.

So you had a free weekend is what you're sayin?

I was supposed to go in Sunday but I got taken off the matter at the last minute. So it only very minorly fucked up my Mother's Day.

[09042014]

Humor me. Lots of firms say that they care about their associates being able to do pro bono work. Is that a straight up lie, or just a truth with an asterisk?

Truth with an asterisk. They'll encourage it, but they won't encourage it at the expense of f'realsy work.

From what I've seen, pro bono is substantially more common for litigators than corporate attorneys.

If you ever want a chuckle, look up how much pro bono Wachtell does.

My firm makes everyone do the minimum to check it off that we do it. But the lit head said to forget about it after that.

And we are supposed to have it count all the way.

[worldtraveler]

I supervise some pro bono work done by associates and they all do a shit job of it, which makes me suspect they don't get a lot of time for it.

[jbagelboy]

I supervise some pro bono work done by associates and they all do a shit job of it, which makes me suspect they don't get a lot of time for it.

what type exactly? From what I can tell some of my pro bono projects may resemble what you do. feel free to pm

[worldtraveler]

I supervise some pro bono work done by associates and they all do a shit job of it, which makes me suspect they don't get a lot of time for it.

what type exactly? From what I can tell some of my pro bono projects may resemble what you do. feel free to pm

memos about the feasibility to bring claims to UN committees.

Onetime the firm did it for the wrong country.

[09042014]

I supervise some pro bono work done by associates and they all do a shit job of it, which makes me suspect they don't get a lot of time for it.

what type exactly? From what I can tell some of my pro bono projects may resemble what you do. feel free to pm

memos about the feasibility to bring claims to UN committees.

Onetime the firm did it for the wrong country.

Nobody wants to do a pro bono memo. They want actual work.

It probably got passed down and down to junior associates with little instruction.

[worldtraveler]

I supervise some pro bono work done by associates and they all do a shit job of it, which makes me suspect they don't get a lot of time for it.

what type exactly? From what I can tell some of my pro bono projects may resemble what you do. feel free to pm

memos about the feasibility to bring claims to UN committees.

Onetime the firm did it for the wrong country.

Nobody wants to do a pro bono memo. They want actual work.

It probably got passed down and down to junior associates with little instruction.

That is exactly what happens.

Usually people want to work with actual clients and do some kind of feel good project, which I feel like is often a bad idea because the last thing you should to to trafficking survivor is assign a socially stunted patent attorney to her case.

[mirroroferised7]

So, what's the deal with firms fucking over associates on health insurance/dental/vision?

[09042014]

So, what's the deal with firms fucking over associates on health insurance/dental/vision?

It's a profession of mostly single people who stay for 3-4 years. Nobody cares enough about benefits to change firms, so firms don't care.

[84651846190]

That is exactly what happens.

Usually people want to work with actual clients and do some kind of feel good project, which I feel like is often a bad idea because the last thing you should to to trafficking survivor is assign a socially stunted patent attorney to her case.

lol patent attorneys

[09042014]

That is exactly what happens.

Usually people want to work with actual clients and do some kind of feel good project, which I feel like is often a bad idea because the last thing you should to to trafficking survivor is assign a socially stunted patent attorney to her case.

lol patent attorneys

We may fear women, but at least we are nice.

Best case they get married. Win win.

[worldtraveler]

That is exactly what happens.

Usually people want to work with actual clients and do some kind of feel good project, which I feel like is often a bad idea because the last thing you should to to trafficking survivor is assign a socially stunted patent attorney to her case.

lol patent attorneys

We may fear women, but at least we are nice.

Best case they get married. Win win.

Are you proposing a side business of matching asylum seekers with awkward but nice rich men?

[09042014]

That is exactly what happens.

Usually people want to work with actual clients and do some kind of feel good project, which I feel like is often a bad idea because the last thing you should to to trafficking survivor is assign a socially stunted patent attorney to her case.

lol patent attorneys

We may fear women, but at least we are nice.

Best case they get married. Win win.

Are you proposing a side business of matching asylum seekers with awkward but nice rich men?

Not a bad plan.

[FKASunny]

http://www.tylervigen.com/view_correlation.php?id=14355

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

So, what's the deal with firms fucking over associates on health insurance/dental/vision?

It's a profession of mostly single people who stay for 3-4 years. Nobody cares enough about benefits to change firms, so firms don't care.

Huh?

The insurance package is pretty good at most biglaw places, especially compared to the average on offer in "corporate america." Are you comparing this to government benefits or something?

Don't get me wrong - lots of problems with biglaw I'm sure, even with benefits (WTF is with no 401k match!?!), but it doesn't seem like insurance is one of the problems.

[09042014]

So, what's the deal with firms fucking over associates on health insurance/dental/vision?

It's a profession of mostly single people who stay for 3-4 years. Nobody cares enough about benefits to change firms, so firms don't care.

Huh?

The insurance package is pretty good at most biglaw places, especially compared to the average on offer in "corporate america." Are you comparing this to government benefits or something?

Don't get me wrong - lots of problems with biglaw I'm sure, even with benefits (WTF is with no 401k match!?!), but it doesn't seem like insurance is one of the problems.

Its not commensurate with the pay. Sure it's better than Walmart. But it's only like 60% subsidized for single folks. That's pretty shitty. My old job did 100% for single people.

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

So, what's the deal with firms fucking over associates on health insurance/dental/vision?

It's a profession of mostly single people who stay for 3-4 years. Nobody cares enough about benefits to change firms, so firms don't care.

Huh?

The insurance package is pretty good at most biglaw places, especially compared to the average on offer in "corporate america." Are you comparing this to government benefits or something?

Don't get me wrong - lots of problems with biglaw I'm sure, even with benefits (WTF is with no 401k match!?!), but it doesn't seem like insurance is one of the problems.

Its not commensurate with the pay. Sure it's better than Walmart. But it's only like 60% subsidized for single folks. That's pretty shitty. My old job did 100% for single people.

Without naming firms, I can say for certain that this is not true for all biglaw shops, and that some subsidized at 100% for single people, while others are at like 80-90%.

Still, it is fair warning to others about the range in packages and what to expect.

[jbagelboy]

No biglaw firms do 401(k) matching? Not even like 2%?

[IAFG]

Without naming firms, I can say for certain that this is not true for all biglaw shops, and that some subsidized at 100% for single people, while others are at like 80-90%.

Still, it is fair warning to others about the range in packages and what to expect.

With naming firms, does any v20 have 80%+?

[thesealocust]

No biglaw firms do 401(k) matching? Not even like 2%?

Wachtell does, but I haven't heard of any others.