ITT: Summer Associates Post About Their Anxiety (2012) Forum

[Old Gregg]

When do firms Inform you if u are going to get an offer? Last day of work or before?y last day is next Friday and I've been getting extra assignments and good reviews

For the 100 billionth time: it varies.

[Old Gregg]

A lot of you guys are worried about mistakes you made, even small ones. There are two kinds of mistakes: ones out of laziness and ones out of lack of experience. The former is unacceptable, the latter isn't. To expect yourself to produce perfect stuff after just two years of school, and a fraction of which actually taught you legal writing (and zero of which taught you how to do deals) is to have the most deluded expectations about yourself.

And yes, we can tell when mistakes arise from the former and not the latter.

[09042014]

Eh cold offer from 100% historical firms aren't that bad. You can find something at 3l lolci because 100% firms are usually good ones.

[alabamabound]

Lol at any bitchmade associate or partner who gets angry over a small number of grammar errors. It's a sign of a small mind.

I don't know what "bitchmade" means, but I couldn't disagree more. While we all make them once in a while, I feel like grammatical errors and typos suggest laziness, stupidity, a second-class education or some combo of all of the above.

First of all, written weird is to communicate. If it is clear and unambiguous who cares. Second, most grammar rules people harp on are style choices.

No offering a guy for using that instead of which is retarded.

example: DF says "written weird is to communicate," and you still understand what he meant. language is resilient; your poor grammar won't hurt it much.

Whether or not I can discern what you mean (e.g., bitchmade = bitchmaid possibly?), I'm still judging you. So are your supervisors and clients.

[fatduck]

example: DF says "written weird is to communicate," and you still understand what he meant. language is resilient; your poor grammar won't hurt it much.

Whether or not I can discern what you mean (e.g., bitchmade = bitchmaid possibly?), I'm still judging you. So are your supervisors and clients.

maybe if you had the humility to crack open an urbandictionary now and then you wouldn't be so confused by words you don't understand

[IAFG]

Fuckin law students. It takes a special kind of asshole to us one's own ignorance as evidence of superiority.

[los blancos]

I'm like 70% certain my firm doesn't have enough business to make me an offer at the end of the summer, and a 2L grade swoon is gonna make it almost impossible to get anything comparable.

Fuck. My. World.

I'm worried about this too, though my worries may be completely unfounded.

Hmmmm

Always going to be the case at a smaller firm. Though if recent observations are anything to go by, they're swamped with work.

[09042014]

We need a term for Billing more hours today than you've slept all work week.

[r6_philly]

We need a term for Billing more hours today than you've slept all work week.

Meeting the goal.

[ben4847]

Yesterday I worked till 1130 (after going home at 845). Putting the "associate" back into "summer associate".

[alabamabound]

example: DF says "written weird is to communicate," and you still understand what he meant. language is resilient; your poor grammar won't hurt it much.

Whether or not I can discern what you mean (e.g., bitchmade = bitchmaid possibly?), I'm still judging you. So are your supervisors and clients.

maybe if you had the humility to crack open an urbandictionary now and then you wouldn't be so confused by words you don't understand

I think you've misunderstood the point. Also, I'm pretty taken aback by the desire to defend laziness, entitlement and ignorance as acceptable in a relatively highly-paid profession known for an ability to focus on the details. Possibly I should take my Boomer apologist notions to the Boomer Hate thread.

[dixiecupdrinking]

example: DF says "written weird is to communicate," and you still understand what he meant. language is resilient; your poor grammar won't hurt it much.

Whether or not I can discern what you mean (e.g., bitchmade = bitchmaid possibly?), I'm still judging you. So are your supervisors and clients.

maybe if you had the humility to crack open an urbandictionary now and then you wouldn't be so confused by words you don't understand

I think you've misunderstood the point. Also, I'm pretty taken aback by the desire to defend laziness, entitlement and ignorance as acceptable in a relatively highly-paid profession known for an ability to focus on the details. Possibly I should take my Boomer apologist notions to the Boomer Hate thread.

Dude everyone knows that writing good is important. Chill.

[romothesavior]

Yesterday I worked till 1130 (after going home at 845). Putting the "associate" back into "summer associate".

I've been working some late hours this week as well. Was at the office til 10 yesterday and 8:30 today. Gonna put in 2 more hours before I go to bed. Our firm doesn't usually demand a whole lot out in terms of hours from the summers, basically just make sure you get your stuff in and enjoy getting to know everyone. I don't think I've billed over 40 hours in a week yet. I'm usually at work 40-50 hours and bill 30-35, once you figure in lunch and all the other non-billable SA stuff. I kinda am enjoying this week though, I actually feel like I'm engaged in a project that needs me as opposed to picking up little scraps here and there. It's a little more of the "real world" flavor, though still pretty tame.

[Ludo!]

Yeah I've been a lot busier in the last week or so. Trying to wrap things up. Next week is my last week already

[fl0w]

We need a term for Billing more hours today than you've slept all work week.

Tuesday.

Billing to 11. <see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven>

[fl0w]

Yesterday I worked till 1130 (after going home at 845). Putting the "associate" back into "summer associate".

I've been working some late hours this week as well. Was at the office til 10 yesterday and 8:30 today. Gonna put in 2 more hours before I go to bed. Our firm doesn't usually demand a whole lot out in terms of hours from the summers, basically just make sure you get your stuff in and enjoy getting to know everyone. I don't think I've billed over 40 hours in a week yet. I'm usually at work 40-50 hours and bill 30-35, once you figure in lunch and all the other non-billable SA stuff. I kinda am enjoying this week though, I actually feel like I'm engaged in a project that needs me as opposed to picking up little scraps here and there. It's a little more of the "real world" flavor, though still pretty tame.

yesterday all the summers went out till about midnight. several of us are struggling today. It's the last couple of weeks and all of the associates have encouraged us to start wrapping things up and not really take on much in the way of new things. Just looking for shorter term research things to do while i nurse the hangover.

[Anonymous User]

I literally had to draw a diagram for my secretary today to explain the concept of patent families. I explained it 3 different ways to her before I drew the diagram and she got it. She's been here for years.

[wiseowl]

I literally had to draw a diagram for my secretary today to explain the concept of patent families. I explained it 3 different ways to her before I drew the diagram and she got it. She's been here for years.

not really her job to care.

i wonder how many flowcharts she would have to draw for you for the stuff she does for the partners that pay your salary.

[Anonymous User]

I literally had to draw a diagram for my secretary today to explain the concept of patent families. I explained it 3 different ways to her before I drew the diagram and she got it. She's been here for years.

not really her job to care.

i wonder how many flowcharts she would have to draw for you for the stuff she does for the partners that pay your salary.

She works as a "Patent/Trademark Administrator" so when the partner asks her to send him a foreign patent family member and she has to come to me to figure out what that means, I feel like it's her job to care at that point.

[shoeshine]

Nevermind.

[Emma.]

Yesterday I worked till 1130 (after going home at 845). Putting the "associate" back into "summer associate".

I've been working some late hours this week as well. Was at the office til 10 yesterday and 8:30 today. Gonna put in 2 more hours before I go to bed. Our firm doesn't usually demand a whole lot out in terms of hours from the summers, basically just make sure you get your stuff in and enjoy getting to know everyone. I don't think I've billed over 40 hours in a week yet. I'm usually at work 40-50 hours and bill 30-35, once you figure in lunch and all the other non-billable SA stuff. I kinda am enjoying this week though, I actually feel like I'm engaged in a project that needs me as opposed to picking up little scraps here and there. It's a little more of the "real world" flavor, though still pretty tame.

yesterday all the summers went out till about midnight. several of us are struggling today. It's the last couple of weeks and all of the associates have encouraged us to start wrapping things up and not really take on much in the way of new things. Just looking for shorter term research things to do while i nurse the hangover.

Samsies. Including the hangover.

[Big Shrimpin]

Yesterday I worked till 1130 (after going home at 845). Putting the "associate" back into "summer associate".

I've been working some late hours this week as well. Was at the office til 10 yesterday and 8:30 today. Gonna put in 2 more hours before I go to bed. Our firm doesn't usually demand a whole lot out in terms of hours from the summers, basically just make sure you get your stuff in and enjoy getting to know everyone. I don't think I've billed over 40 hours in a week yet. I'm usually at work 40-50 hours and bill 30-35, once you figure in lunch and all the other non-billable SA stuff. I kinda am enjoying this week though, I actually feel like I'm engaged in a project that needs me as opposed to picking up little scraps here and there. It's a little more of the "real world" flavor, though still pretty tame.

yesterday all the summers went out till about midnight. several of us are struggling today. It's the last couple of weeks and all of the associates have encouraged us to start wrapping things up and not really take on much in the way of new things. Just looking for shorter term research things to do while i nurse the hangover.

ENJOY IT.

[Anonymous User]

Left early at 4 because I figured that was preferable to puking at work. Not because of a hangover, though, just because life hates me.

[Anonymous User]

Most important partner in the officer: "I liked the way you wrote this memo, but I disagree with everything you said." He goes on to question my legal conclusions and case interpretation.

I piss my pants, terrified that this is going to lead to a no-offer. I scrap the whole thing (client advice/case analysis memo) and redo it based on partner's suggestions. We go through about four versions. I can't sleep all week and begin looking at OCI/mass mailing a lot more seriously.

Partner finally reads the cases I cite in my original memo. He concludes I was originally spot on; we redraft and essentially send a better-written version of my original memo to the client.

Lesson: I need to deal with stress more effectively.

[fl0w]

Most important partner in the officer: "I liked the way you wrote this memo, but I disagree with everything you said." He goes on to question my legal conclusions and case interpretation.

I piss my pants, terrified that this is going to lead to a no-offer. I scrap the whole thing (client advice/case analysis memo) and redo it based on partner's suggestions. We go through about four versions. I can't sleep all week and begin looking at OCI/mass mailing a lot more seriously.

Partner finally reads the cases I cite in my original memo. He concludes I was originally spot on; we redraft and essentially send a better-written version of my original memo to the client.

Lesson: I need to deal with stress more effectively.

and always save old drafts. I had something that started as 5pgs. I was told to winnow it to 1pg. Then submitted it and was told to flesh it out to 5 again. People like options. Save all of them.