SA-ing.....starting tomorrow Forum

[stayway]

With my SA jerb starting tomorrow, it's impossible to Bluebook cite check right now for the Writing comp. FML

[Rotor]

Happy second week, SAs!!! Today is payday for us. I can't express how happy I am to finally be pulling in a paycheck again!!!

The only thing remotely on the "don't like" side of my firm: paper checks all summer. It's especially hard today bc I'm on an out of office assignment. Hopefully I'll be able to makeit back before accounting closes THEN make it to the bank before the branch closes. Else I'm gonna have a little problem paying both rents tomorrow.

[IzziesGal]

Happy second week, SAs!!! Today is payday for us. I can't express how happy I am to finally be pulling in a paycheck again!!!

The only thing remotely on the "don't like" side of my firm: paper checks all summer. It's especially hard today bc I'm on an out of office assignment. Hopefully I'll be able to makeit back before accounting closes THEN make it to the bank before the branch closes. Else I'm gonna have a little problem paying both rents tomorrow.

+1. Paper checks for summers since it takes so long for direct deposit to even go through. I'm going to try to get to the bank during the day....but I need to cash my check first at the bank that issued it and THEN deposit it at my bank, otherwise the full amount won't be available in time to pay my CA rent. Fun times lol

And out of office assignment, Rotor?? Fancy!!

[Stanford4Me]

+1 on Pay day...+1 on paper checks.

[stayway]

CASE NOTE DONE! SA GIG HERE I COME!

[Anonymous User]

Hey all! My SA gig starts next week, but I have still not heard any details about the first day. Is this normal? About when do firms give you a heads up? Thanks for your help!

[Sup Kid]

Hey all! My SA gig starts next week, but I have still not heard any details about the first day. Is this normal? About when do firms give you a heads up? Thanks for your help!

It's not uncommon, but there's no harm in giving the recruitment department a call if you have any questions. Otherwise, show up by 9am, wear a suit, bring a pad and a pen.

[What the f.supp?]

Ditto on waking up from a dream!

First day was a breeze; we all just walked around the office with a program coordinator, introduced to our assistants, learned how to bill, taught how to use a blackberry (c'mon), met randoms, learned where everything was located, no sexual harassment, long group lunch, etc. etc.

By the looks of the orientation agenda, the projects should start on Thursday. No longer nervous and very excited for the summer! Just need to do something about the crappy a/c in my rental apartment. Hmph.

[stayway]

So the attorney i work for is at trial. secretary told me to find a way to kill 3 hrs.great.

[Ty Webb]

I was invited to an all expense paid cocktail party at the firms headquarters in a different city. My firm urges us to go. I have never been to one.

Can I just order a beer and nurse it throughout the night? If so, what kind of beer do I order (i'm a novice)

If beer is not appropriate, what's a good drink to order? (Is gin & tonic appropriate?)

Sorry, I am just lost when it comes to this.

Just, wow.

I feel sort of sorry for people like this.

[Moxie]

Hey all! My SA gig starts next week, but I have still not heard any details about the first day. Is this normal? About when do firms give you a heads up? Thanks for your help!

It's not uncommon, but there's no harm in giving the recruitment department a call if you have any questions. Otherwise, show up by 9am, wear a suit, bring a pad and a pen.

This is credited advice, but I'd email or call the recruitment department to ensure that 9am is the correct time to show up. One of my friends had to get there at 8am on the first day, and I'm sure it would be embarrassing to be an hour late on the first day.

[rundoxierun]

Happy second week, SAs!!! Today is payday for us. I can't express how happy I am to finally be pulling in a paycheck again!!!

WTF?.. I dont get paid until 6/15 (after starting last week) hooray for 2 weeks of poverty!

[IzziesGal]

Happy second week, SAs!!! Today is payday for us. I can't express how happy I am to finally be pulling in a paycheck again!!!

WTF?.. I dont get paid until 6/15 (after starting last week) hooray for 2 weeks of poverty!

If it makes you feel any better, it is only for one week and one day. It just means you will get a big fat check for 3 weeks on the 15.

[2LLLL]

I started last week but just saw this thread now.

The e-mail they sent telling us when to show up got routed to my spam-box. I show up at 8:30 to be bright and early since (as far as I knew) I hadn't heard anything. The e-mail said to show up at 10- which is when the person running the summer program planned on coming in. Sat around in the lobby for 1.5 hrs reading the WSJ. Really awkward, but hopefully it shows that I was ready to get started...

[thesealocust]

I started last week but just saw this thread now.

The e-mail they sent telling us when to show up got routed to my spam-box. I show up at 8:30 to be bright and early since (as far as I knew) I hadn't heard anything. The e-mail said to show up at 10- which is when the person running the summer program planned on coming in. Sat around in the lobby for 1.5 hrs reading the WSJ. Really awkward, but hopefully it shows that I was ready to get started...

Uh, I mean it shows that you're ready to get started, but also that you can't be bothered to call and ask a question in an uncertain situation and also have intuition/judgment that tells you showing up at an office 30 minutes before traditional office work start time would under any circumstances be a good idea for the first day of work

[2LLLL]

.

[thesealocust]

Uh, I mean it shows that you're ready to get started, but also that you can't be bothered to call and ask a question in an uncertain situation and also have intuition/judgment that tells you showing up at an office 30 minutes before traditional office work start time would under any circumstances be a good idea for the first day of work

In my defense though it gave me a chance to have a chat with a named partner, who just so happened to go to my LS, and just so happened to give me a research assignment that I just so happened to knock out of the park. So I think all in all it worked out...

I mean it's definitely not fatal. Until you're puking on partners / swimming naked in the river / blowing deadlines for no reason you're probably doing alright

[Anonymous User]

Question about taking assignments - would you take an assignment if you have something to work on already? Associates ask us if we can take an assignment - if we have a deadline we need to meet, would you still take it anyway because it looks better that way? I'm just not sure how to turn down an assignment without looking douchey. I mean they tell us to be honest and let them know if we have too many assignments, but I don't know if this is real advice or not. I'm just concerned because most of our assignments have very short deadlines (3 days or at least less than a week), so I feel uncomfortable taking on too many projects at once. What would you do in this situation? Be honest and let them know you are working on another assignment? Or what?

[Renzo]

Question about taking assignments - would you take an assignment if you have something to work on already? Associates ask us if we can take an assignment - if we have a deadline we need to meet, would you still take it anyway because it looks better that way? I'm just not sure how to turn down an assignment without looking douchey.

Say, "I'm working on ____ for ____ and it needs to be done by ____, so as long as you don't need your ______ before ______, I'd love to do it."

[thesealocust]

Question about taking assignments - would you take an assignment if you have something to work on already? Associates ask us if we can take an assignment - if we have a deadline we need to meet, would you still take it anyway because it looks better that way? I'm just not sure how to turn down an assignment without looking douchey. I mean they tell us to be honest and let them know if we have too many assignments, but I don't know if this is real advice or not.

First, everybody works on multiple things at once. I have 3 active projects right now.

Second, this is a legitimately tricky thing, especially when you're new. You have to learn to manage your own time. When it comes down to the wire, you have to say no if you can't do something. If you're rushing on a deadline in 2 hours and somebody asks you to do a 2 hour project immediately, you just have to say no and it's OK.

In more borderline scenarios, the thing to remember is you can have a conversation instead of saying yes or no. Say "Right now I'm working on X and Y, and X is due at Z time, so if I can fit your project inbetween I can take it on" or some such. Also know that while you'll be getting a due date for every project you take, many of those are for keeping trains running on time and not "real" due dates. If you're helping a partner write an article and somebody asks for your help on a court filing or a closing, you can go to the partner and say "something else has come up, would it be OK to push this deadline back?" and manage from there.

It's impossible to discuss or hypothesize about the entire universe of events, but the important thing to remember is everyone around you is a human and was new once too. Just talk through things.

[liLtuneChi]

anyone else working on substantive matters that are actually interesting?

I'm actually writing part of a brief that is due in court in a week or so. Its pretty cool cause I'm working one on one with the partner on the case.

are there other summers doing equally exciting work?

[Stanford4Me]

I rejected a project today, realized I should have accepted it, called and tried to get it but failed...great.

[stayway]

Day 2. No assignment yet. Freaking out.

[Sup Kid]

anyone else working on substantive matters that are actually interesting?

I'm actually writing part of a brief that is due in court in a week or so. Its pretty cool cause I'm working one on one with the partner on the case.

are there other summers doing equally exciting work?

Advice: Don't try creating another flame a mere 3 days after being called out for the last one (http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3#p4443543) or you'll just get banned, which would be a shame, since the last one was was pretty hilarious.

[Big Shrimpin]

Day 2. No assignment yet. Freaking out.

Don't sweat it, dood, just seek it out. If your assignments are pending some developments beyond your control (e.g. client hasn't yet given greenlight for suit/deal, parties are negotiating settlement, whatever...), then take advantage of the free time. Work comes in ebbs and flows. When it rains, it pours.