Summer Associate Class of 2016 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Describe being "froze out" to me please, is that because in the july-august setting people tend to get work done themselves and things are slowing down because of vacations and stuff? Or because people are disppointed- anyway, I'm not getting the experience at all.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else starting to hate practice?

I mean some of the work is interesting, but always worrying about how someone will perceive your work is exhausting. I hate the feeling of just being in limbo.

Billable hours scare me. I've been swamped this week but I'm only billing like 8 hours a day. Which is basically what you have to bill to hit your hours as an associate. It's sobering to realize that. Because I feel like I have way too much work but it's actually the appropriate amount.

I hope it gets less overwhelming with experience.

How long of a day have u worked to bill 8??? Even on my worst days I can't bill a whole 8 this summer. (Billing ethically)

[mrs.miawallace]

Anyone else starting to hate practice?

I mean some of the work is interesting, but always worrying about how someone will perceive your work is exhausting. I hate the feeling of just being in limbo.

Billable hours scare me. I've been swamped this week but I'm only billing like 8 hours a day. Which is basically what you have to bill to hit your hours as an associate. It's sobering to realize that. Because I feel like I have way too much work but it's actually the appropriate amount.

I hope it gets less overwhelming with experience.

How long of a day have u worked to bill 8??? Even on my worst days I can't bill a whole 8 this summer. (Billing ethically)

I billed 10. 3/ 11.0/9.6 (some hours are billed as goodwill for client but still hours doing hardcore R&W) this week and have been arriving around 7am and leaving before 9. So not scary hours at all.

[PeanutsNJam]

Why are people doing 7-8? Cravath?

[El Pollito]

lol at people freaking out about being slow

it's not easy to make up work for a summer, and many associates won't even bother to do it

that's why you're slow

not bc people hate you

no one cares about you

[LaLiLuLeLo]

I liked being slow. More time to food coma and tinder.

[kaysta]

NOTHING SHALL BE DESCRIBED TO YOU until you conjugate correctly boy, we run a tight ship here

youre fine, just cool it with the neurosis. SAs dont get no offered like this. enjoy it whil eyou can

[lavarman84]

Anyone else starting to hate practice?

I mean some of the work is interesting, but always worrying about how someone will perceive your work is exhausting. I hate the feeling of just being in limbo.

Billable hours scare me. I've been swamped this week but I'm only billing like 8 hours a day. Which is basically what you have to bill to hit your hours as an associate. It's sobering to realize that. Because I feel like I have way too much work but it's actually the appropriate amount.

I hope it gets less overwhelming with experience.

How long of a day have u worked to bill 8??? Even on my worst days I can't bill a whole 8 this summer. (Billing ethically)

11-12 hours in the office. Plus, I had a steady stream of work and a tight deadline so I didn't dick around like I normally do and socialize.

[Anonymous User]

Never started earlier than 9 or left later than 6 (usually 5 though). Basically been in the office 8 hrs a days. Add an hour for lunch. On average been billing 4 hours a day but as low as 0 when doing a day of non-billable work or as much as 7 when doing research and writing.

[TheoO]

I liked being slow. More time to food coma and tinder.

*Turns Tinder on in the office after returning from a 3 hour lunch*

"So how's your week been?"
"Pretty busy, firm life can be so stressful."

[PennBull]

lol at people freaking out about being slow

it's not easy to make up work for a summer, and many associates won't even bother to do it

that's why you're slow

not bc people hate you

no one cares about you

allllllllllllllll of this

summers are a godsend when I have a bunch of small shit to do but mostly it's a chore to think of what I can keep them occupied with

[stannis]

lol at people freaking out about being slow

it's not easy to make up work for a summer, and many associates won't even bother to do it

that's why you're slow

not bc people hate you

no one cares about you

it seems like most of my work is associates emailing me a question a partner asks them to do a research memo on. If my memo sucks, they do it themselves, and if my work product is good, they copy and past (some of) it.

whats not easy about it? asking genuinely, i'm a summer so idk anything, just trying to learn whats actually going on.

[stannis]

Anyone else starting to hate practice?

I mean some of the work is interesting, but always worrying about how someone will perceive your work is exhausting. I hate the feeling of just being in limbo.

Billable hours scare me. I've been swamped this week but I'm only billing like 8 hours a day. Which is basically what you have to bill to hit your hours as an associate. It's sobering to realize that. Because I feel like I have way too much work but it's actually the appropriate amount.

I hope it gets less overwhelming with experience.

How long of a day have u worked to bill 8??? Even on my worst days I can't bill a whole 8 this summer. (Billing ethically)

takes me about 11 to get 8.
one hour for lunch.
1-1.5 hours of bathroom/coffee breaks and screwing around
.5-1 hours of small talk with attys around the office

[PennBull]

whats not easy about it? asking genuinely, i'm a summer so idk anything, just trying to learn whats actually going on.

in transactional work, almost everything either (i) needs to be done within a very short time frame or (ii) is way too high level for a summer to be doing

so I'm often battling the dilemma to do something myself to meet the time frame requested or give it to a summer and hope they dont fuck up

when training first years, you feel a bit more inclined to do the latter because youre going to need the help at some point; with summers theyre gone before you know it and its not helpful

[El Pollito]

lol at people freaking out about being slow

it's not easy to make up work for a summer, and many associates won't even bother to do it

that's why you're slow

not bc people hate you

no one cares about you

it seems like most of my work is associates emailing me a question a partner asks them to do a research memo on. If my memo sucks, they do it themselves, and if my work product is good, they copy and past (some of) it.

whats not easy about it? asking genuinely, i'm a summer so idk anything, just trying to learn whats actually going on.

because you delay the turnaround time and we can't trust your work product

also if you're not in lit idk what you can easily pass off to a summer

[Single-Malt-Liquor]

lol at people freaking out about being slow

it's not easy to make up work for a summer, and many associates won't even bother to do it

that's why you're slow

not bc people hate you

no one cares about you

it seems like most of my work is associates emailing me a question a partner asks them to do a research memo on. If my memo sucks, they do it themselves, and if my work product is good, they copy and past (some of) it.

whats not easy about it? asking genuinely, i'm a summer so idk anything, just trying to learn whats actually going on.

because you delay the turnaround time and we can't trust your work product

also if you're not in lit idk what you can easily pass off to a summer

I think this is exactly it. I was lucky my summer and was staffed on a deal. I spent my first week or so getting up to speed by reading everything pertaining to the deal. Still, everything I did came back with more red ink on it than I'd ever seen in my life (think every other sentence). I didn't feel too bad because it was shit I had no reason to know and my coordinating attorney told me as much. Point being, I just can't imagine most attorney's willing to put that much effort in. So yeah, you're worthless right now and your only job is not to be an ass and/or go out of your way to fuck something up.

[Johann]

i think its also just not wanting to burden the summers. there are plenty of things a smart person with no legal experience could help me with, but i just want them to focus on one assignment at a time and have fun meeting their peers. multiple times partners have given me something at friday 11 am and told me to get summers to help, but i just do it all myself because the summer has a lunch planned and then the weekend and i dont want them to stress from 130-430 pm to crunch something. i also dont want them to think ill be in the office until midnight on a friday or doing saturday/sunday work sometimes.

the work product i have reviewed from summers is usually fine, so its not a work product thing at all.

[barkschool]

i think its also just not wanting to burden the summers. there are plenty of things a smart person with no legal experience could help me with, but i just want them to focus on one assignment at a time and have fun meeting their peers. multiple times partners have given me something at friday 11 am and told me to get summers to help, but i just do it all myself because the summer has a lunch planned and then the weekend and i dont want them to stress from 130-430 pm to crunch something. i also dont want them to think ill be in the office until midnight on a friday or doing saturday/sunday work sometimes.

the work product i have reviewed from summers is usually fine, so its not a work product thing at all.

Why don't you want a summer to think you'll be working on the weekend?

[LaLiLuLeLo]

i think its also just not wanting to burden the summers. there are plenty of things a smart person with no legal experience could help me with, but i just want them to focus on one assignment at a time and have fun meeting their peers. multiple times partners have given me something at friday 11 am and told me to get summers to help, but i just do it all myself because the summer has a lunch planned and then the weekend and i dont want them to stress from 130-430 pm to crunch something. i also dont want them to think ill be in the office until midnight on a friday or doing saturday/sunday work sometimes.

the work product i have reviewed from summers is usually fine, so its not a work product thing at all.

Why don't you want a summer to think you'll be working on the weekend?

Other than Cravath (and maybe a few others) associates are supposed to paint a relatively rosy picture of firm life.

[makerbreaker]

Came to office at 10:30pm on a Saturday and the floor was empty. Relieved.

[Avian]

Came to office at 10:30pm on a Saturday and the floor was empty. Relieved.

Don't be, they could be working remotely.

[BizBro]

Yea as a summer my firm has not been hiding the ball. I'm copied on emails from associates and partners all the time on weekends or super late at night, granted they don't ever reach out to me specifically for stuff outside of normal hours.

Also to the poster above, most people work remotely from home on weekends or late at night.

[barkschool]

Came to office at 10:30pm on a Saturday and the floor was empty. Relieved.

Don't be, they could be are working remotely.

[makerbreaker]

Came to office at 10:30pm on a Saturday and the floor was empty. Relieved.

Don't be, they could be working remotely.

I'm relieved that at least no one had to stay in the office that late. WFH is a given.

[RaceJudicata]

Anyone else have their mid summer review this week? So far, I've gotten good feedback, but damn, I'm nervous.