The fundamental problem with 0L's. Forum

[09042014]

Thanks bk that helps. I guess what I'm wondering about is whether or not certain juniors are "selected" for good projects and what goes into that selection. Clearly its not something that they have any direct control over, but I read in another thread recently that some people are just intentionally assigned better work from the beginning and that school prestige and other factors can play a role in that. I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is any truth to this.

At my firm HYS get the good assignments. CCN gets the shit assignments but still substantive.

MPVB get the procedural stuff

DNCG get doc review only for the first 18 months

Below T14 are unofficially told on day one that they are not partner track. Sometimes paralegals give them assignments.

[anyriotgirl]

Thanks bk that helps. I guess what I'm wondering about is whether or not certain juniors are "selected" for good projects and what goes into that selection. Clearly its not something that they have any direct control over, but I read in another thread recently that some people are just intentionally assigned better work from the beginning and that school prestige and other factors can play a role in that. I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is any truth to this.

At my firm HYS get the good assignments. CCN gets the shit assignments but still substantive.

MPVB get the procedural stuff

DNCG get doc review only for the first 18 months

Below T14 are unofficially told on day one that they are not partner track. Sometimes paralegals give them assignments.

you joke, but sometimes I tell one of the dozo grads at my firm how to do his job.

[09042014]

Thanks bk that helps. I guess what I'm wondering about is whether or not certain juniors are "selected" for good projects and what goes into that selection. Clearly its not something that they have any direct control over, but I read in another thread recently that some people are just intentionally assigned better work from the beginning and that school prestige and other factors can play a role in that. I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is any truth to this.

At my firm HYS get the good assignments. CCN gets the shit assignments but still substantive.

MPVB get the procedural stuff

DNCG get doc review only for the first 18 months

Below T14 are unofficially told on day one that they are not partner track. Sometimes paralegals give them assignments.

you joke, but sometimes I tell one of the dozo grads at my firm how to do his job.

The lower school people seem smarter/hard working to me. Top 1% from W&L is probably smarter/more hard working than below median at Harvard.

[anyriotgirl]

Thanks bk that helps. I guess what I'm wondering about is whether or not certain juniors are "selected" for good projects and what goes into that selection. Clearly its not something that they have any direct control over, but I read in another thread recently that some people are just intentionally assigned better work from the beginning and that school prestige and other factors can play a role in that. I guess what I'm wondering is whether there is any truth to this.

At my firm HYS get the good assignments. CCN gets the shit assignments but still substantive.

MPVB get the procedural stuff

DNCG get doc review only for the first 18 months

Below T14 are unofficially told on day one that they are not partner track. Sometimes paralegals give them assignments.

you joke, but sometimes I tell one of the dozo grads at my firm how to do his job.

The lower school people seem smarter/hard working to me. Top 1% from W&L is probably smarter/more hard working than below median at Harvard.

tbf to this guy he's just a little green, no clue how smart he actually is.

[09042014]

tbf to this guy he's just a little green, no clue how smart he actually is.

Are you senior to him?

A ton of people who never worked a day in their life get caught up on some weird shit. Like how to write an email.

[anyriotgirl]

tbf to this guy he's just a little green, no clue how smart he actually is.

Are you senior to him?

A ton of people who never worked a day in their life get caught up on some weird shit. Like how to write an email.

haha no I'm a 0L paralegal (that was the joke, should have mentioned that) but he's new to the team he's on now and he gets caught up on dumb shit that I have to tell him to chill out about because I've done a million of the same cases and it doesn't change.

[09042014]

tbf to this guy he's just a little green, no clue how smart he actually is.

Are you senior to him?

A ton of people who never worked a day in their life get caught up on some weird shit. Like how to write an email.

haha no I'm a 0L paralegal (that was the joke, should have mentioned that) but he's new to the team he's on now and he gets caught up on dumb shit that I have to tell him to chill out about because I've done a million of the same cases and it doesn't change.

Yea, us first years don't really know anything about procedural stuff.

[TheWalrus]

You want to talk about crippling, I screwed around doing undergrad, graduated in 3 years with with honors yet no work experience. Graduated with a history degree and have been working pt jobs at 9 an hour, unable to get a better job. Quitted some job I hated and ended up living out of my car for a month. The struggle is real, so while I take out 35 a year to attend a t14, and live better than since undergrad stop talking about, and this isn't just directed at op, how 160k, which I'm not even going for big law, could only look a lot to some in poverty, you look like a pompous dick.

[bjsesq]

You want to talk about crippling, I screwed around doing undergrad, graduated in 3 years with with honors yet no work experience. Graduated with a history degree and have been working pt jobs at 9 an hour, unable to get a better job. Quitted some job I hated and ended up living out of my car for a month. The struggle is real, so while I take out 35 a year to attend a t14, and live better than since undergrad stop talking about, and this isn't just directed at op, how 160k, which I'm not even going for big law, could only look a lot to some in poverty, you look like a pompous dick.

Bro, you are going to KILL legal writing.

[09042014]

You want to talk about crippling, I screwed around doing undergrad, graduated in 3 years with with honors yet no work experience. Graduated with a history degree and have been working pt jobs at 9 an hour, unable to get a better job. Quitted some job I hated and ended up living out of my car for a month. The struggle is real, so while I take out 35 a year to attend a t14, and live better than since undergrad stop talking about, and this isn't just directed at op, how 160k, which I'm not even going for big law, could only look a lot to some in poverty, you look like a pompous dick.

If you can't find a real job, you probably won't find a decent legal job. You won't suddenly stop sucking at life since you have a JD. Turds be turds.

[TheWalrus]

You want to talk about crippling, I screwed around doing undergrad, graduated in 3 years with with honors yet no work experience. Graduated with a history degree and have been working pt jobs at 9 an hour, unable to get a better job. Quitted some job I hated and ended up living out of my car for a month. The struggle is real, so while I take out 35 a year to attend a t14, and live better than since undergrad stop talking about, and this isn't just directed at op, how 160k, which I'm not even going for big law, could only look a lot to some in poverty, you look like a pompous dick.

Bro, you are going to KILL legal writing.

Typing from my phone.

[sd5289]

Also just to chime in: if you have any mental health issues before entering law school (depression, anxiety, tendency to abuse substances, etc.) law school and legal practice will seriously aggravate what might have been a manageable issue before.

QFT. My girlfriend had undiagnosed anxiety prior to entering law school (was always kinda anxious about weird shit, but just figured she was a higher strung person). She managed to get through 1L but when 2L hit (note time, clinic, etc.), shit just hit the fan. I've never seen anything like it. Even with meds/treatment it was a rough 2L year (for both of us).

Get your stuff in order before you walk through that door or you'll make yourself (and anyone unfortunate enough to be around you) miserable.

[bjsesq]

You want to talk about crippling, I screwed around doing undergrad, graduated in 3 years with with honors yet no work experience. Graduated with a history degree and have been working pt jobs at 9 an hour, unable to get a better job. Quitted some job I hated and ended up living out of my car for a month. The struggle is real, so while I take out 35 a year to attend a t14, and live better than since undergrad stop talking about, and this isn't just directed at op, how 160k, which I'm not even going for big law, could only look a lot to some in poverty, you look like a pompous dick.

Bro, you are going to KILL legal writing.

Typing from my phone.

I make decent money and come from a poor background, so your lecture falls a bit flat with me. Once your student loans buttfuck your check, it's very little money to work with.

[IAFG]

We live check to check on $200k/yr. Loans, taxes and childcare are no fucking joke.

[thesealocust]

We live check to check on $200k/yr. Loans, taxes and childcare are no fucking joke.

Financial Advisor TheSeaLocust suggests: more dollar pizza

[IAFG]

We live check to check on $200k/yr. Loans, taxes and childcare are no fucking joke.

Financial Advisor TheSeaLocust suggests: more dollar pizza

Fewer $100 date nights would help.

[rayiner]

We live check to check on $200k/yr. Loans, taxes and childcare are no fucking joke. We're bad with money, which is how we got $400k in debt for law school.

[rpupkin]

you joke, but sometimes I tell one of the dozo grads at my firm how to do his job.

The lower school people seem smarter/hard working to me. Top 1% from W&L is probably smarter/more hard working than below median at Harvard.

I've noticed this as well. And there's evidence that the grads from lower-ranked schools who make big law are more successful than their T14 counterparts:

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... ower-tier/

Most of the working attorneys ITT (myself included) are special snowflakes who went to "elite" law schools. We're the most susceptible to big-law-induced misery. The lower-tier grads who somehow make it to big law are just so happy to be there it makes me want to vomit. For them, big law seems like a SCOTUS clerkship.

[kalvano]

you joke, but sometimes I tell one of the dozo grads at my firm how to do his job.

The lower school people seem smarter/hard working to me. Top 1% from W&L is probably smarter/more hard working than below median at Harvard.

I've noticed this as well. And there's evidence that the grads from lower-ranked schools who make big law are more successful than their T14 counterparts:

http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ ... ower-tier/

Most of the working attorneys ITT (myself included) are special snowflakes who went to "elite" law schools. We're the most susceptible to big-law-induced misery. The lower-tier grads who somehow make it to big law are just so happy to be there it makes me want to vomit. For them, big law seems like a SCOTUS clerkship.

I was super happy to get offered what meager crumbs were tossed my way for Biglaw. Happy I left, though.

[baloneydanza]

Seriously though, what if associates went on strike? What if law firms democratized? The conditions are shit but they don't have to be. Although I imagine anyone who's in debt will want to make as much money as possible to pay it off, so in that case they might better off with the status quo.

[worldtraveler]

Also just to chime in: if you have any mental health issues before entering law school (depression, anxiety, tendency to abuse substances, etc.) law school and legal practice will seriously aggravate what might have been a manageable issue before.

QFT. My girlfriend had undiagnosed anxiety prior to entering law school (was always kinda anxious about weird shit, but just figured she was a higher strung person). She managed to get through 1L but when 2L hit (note time, clinic, etc.), shit just hit the fan. I've never seen anything like it. Even with meds/treatment it was a rough 2L year (for both of us).

Get your stuff in order before you walk through that door or you'll make yourself (and anyone unfortunate enough to be around you) miserable.

Yeah every person I know who had minor issues with depression, anxiety, etc. just had it get worth in law school or after graduation. I feel like this should be a stickied warning somewhere.

[jbagelboy]

Seriously though, what if associates went on strike? What if law firms democratized? The conditions are shit but they don't have to be. Although I imagine anyone who's in debt will want to make as much money as possible to pay it off, so in that case they might better off with the status quo.

Lol. At-will contracts dude, no unions in biglaw. All the attorneys would just be laid off and the firm could contract out PT work to unemployed T30 grads as staff attorneys in the meantime until they easily fill in the class w/ new meat that summer at OCI. You're more expendable than you know in today's market

Besides no one would do this

[rpupkin]

Seriously though, what if associates went on strike?

Uh....they'd fire the associates and hire replacements from the (ever-growing) pool of underemployed lawyers and law students who would be grateful for the income. Junior associates are fungible.

[baloneydanza]

viva la revolucion


Maybe I should just work a shitty 9-5

[rayiner]

If you actually pulled it off, the partners would all flee to other firms, the firm would collapse, and you'd never work as a lawyer again.

Besides. Its not the firms' fault you took out a ton of debt and signed up for a job when you didn't know what it was like. Most firms don't try to make things miserable on purpose. Its a side effect of an over saturated profession with declinging demand and exploding supply.