Lounge Lawyers Rate your Summer Associate Screw Ups Forum

[Holly Golightly]

That person sounds pretty shitty/like they don't deserve an offer, but I'm also wondering who gives a summer a "critical" writing assignment.

[Anonymous User]

That person sounds pretty shitty/like they don't deserve an offer, but I'm also wondering who gives a summer a "critical" writing assignment.

Anon who originally posted this summer story.

Apparently the idea was for the summer to write the first draft and the first-year would then edit and pass up the chain for approval before sending out. It would give the summer good exposure to actual work without risking poor quality product . . . assuming the summer could've gotten it done on time. Wah wah. First-year still edited and got partner approval, it just happened on a Saturday instead of a Wednesday.

[Anonymous User]

No real story, but why am I so damn neurotic about getting no-offered?

SA at V5 NYC firm with enormous class. I just feel like people aren't that impressed with my work. Had a call with someone I just turned in work to, and he said "I think you did a fair job in doing XYZ, and your communication during the assignment was good." Don't know why, but I thought the use of "fair" was devastating--as in poor-fair-good-excellent. Most of my assignments get turned in and I never hear from the person assigning it again.

Reviews have all been good, but also like 30 seconds ("You're doing fine, good bye).

Do I have anything to worry about? I don't think I do, but wondering if anyone else is as neurotic as me.

[Danger Zone]

I'm about as neurotic right now, but it's just because we're so close to the finish line. Just keep repeating the percentage of SAs who received offers last summer in your head over and over again. We're all gonna make it.

[peanut123]

No real story, but why am I so damn neurotic about getting no-offered?

SA at V5 NYC firm with enormous class. I just feel like people aren't that impressed with my work. Had a call with someone I just turned in work to, and he said "I think you did a fair job in doing XYZ, and your communication during the assignment was good." Don't know why, but I thought the use of "fair" was devastating--as in poor-fair-good-excellent. Most of my assignments get turned in and I never hear from the person assigning it again.

Reviews have all been good, but also like 30 seconds ("You're doing fine, good bye).

Do I have anything to worry about? I don't think I do, but wondering if anyone else is as neurotic as me.

Not a lawyer, so I hope it's okay if I respond to this. But I had a similar feeling last summer at a firm in the category you gave. I think it's just how partners are. As a general matter, they don't buy into the "special snowflake" mindset, and aren't big on giving praise just for the sake of it. I was told my work was "fine," which made me a little anxious too. It's highly, highly unlikely that a summer associate will do "good" work, by a partner's terms. Especially a partner at a firm like that. But that doesn't mean you're doing poorly. We just don't know anything yet. Honestly, it is more meaningful to our career development to be told something is "fair." At least he read it and didn't just tell you it was great when he'd thrown it away without a look.

[Anonymous User]

Closing SA dinner, told a story about how I got drunk after my senior prom and was very hungover the next day. Was not wasted at the time I told the story--just relevant to the conversation I was having with SA recruiting coordinator and other young associates. At the time, it seemed funny. Looking back, could have probably made a better decision....

[gk101]

Closing SA dinner, told a story about how I got drunk after my senior prom and was very hungover the next day. Was not wasted at the time I told the story--just relevant to the conversation I was having with SA recruiting coordinator and other young associates. At the time, it seemed funny. Looking back, could have probably made a better decision....

meh. not bad at all. offer

[Anonymous User]

Golf outing yesterday, driving golf cart with partner. I was a little over-eager with the cart on a hilly area and we were a second away from tipping over and hitting a tree (but recovered). Next week is my last week.

[Anonymous User]

Haven't been properly tracking hours. In the office for 8-10 hrs/day, working for most of those hours, but "billables" (lol) reflect like 25hrs/week for past few weeks.

[smallfirmassociate]

No real story, but why am I so damn neurotic about getting no-offered?

SA at V5 NYC firm with enormous class. I just feel like people aren't that impressed with my work. Had a call with someone I just turned in work to, and he said "I think you did a fair job in doing XYZ, and your communication during the assignment was good." Don't know why, but I thought the use of "fair" was devastating--as in poor-fair-good-excellent. Most of my assignments get turned in and I never hear from the person assigning it again.

Reviews have all been good, but also like 30 seconds ("You're doing fine, good bye).

Do I have anything to worry about? I don't think I do, but wondering if anyone else is as neurotic as me.

Not a lawyer, so I hope it's okay if I respond to this. But I had a similar feeling last summer at a firm in the category you gave. I think it's just how partners are. As a general matter, they don't buy into the "special snowflake" mindset, and aren't big on giving praise just for the sake of it. I was told my work was "fine," which made me a little anxious too. It's highly, highly unlikely that a summer associate will do "good" work, by a partner's terms. Especially a partner at a firm like that. But that doesn't mean you're doing poorly. We just don't know anything yet. Honestly, it is more meaningful to our career development to be told something is "fair." At least he read it and didn't just tell you it was great when he'd thrown it away without a look.

^This. Partners, and lawyers in general, are notoriously terrible at giving feedback. I went an entire summer with no feedback whatsoever, then was told at the end of the summer when they offered me that I did super awesome and shit. Really, the partners have no incentive to give detailed feedback to SA's, and there are downsides to doing so (e.g. if the firm later decides to no-offer that person, she is going to be pissed off and confused).

[09042014]

Haven't been properly tracking hours. In the office for 8-10 hrs/day, working for most of those hours, but "billables" (lol) reflect like 25hrs/week for past few weeks.

offer. Doesn't even look bad.

[Danger Zone]

Haven't been properly tracking hours. In the office for 8-10 hrs/day, working for most of those hours, but "billables" (lol) reflect like 25hrs/week for past few weeks.

offer. Doesn't even look bad.

What if it's closer to 10 /wk

[Anonymous User]

screwed up --> DUI

no offer based on C&F?

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

screwed up --> DUI

no offer based on C&F?

Is the DUI in any way related to the summer program? A DUI after the "Summers and Associates Happy Hour!" will likely scare the firm a lot more than something that happened last December (but was still post-OCI).

[Anonymous User]

screwed up --> DUI

no offer based on C&F?

Is the DUI in any way related to the summer program? A DUI after the "Summers and Associates Happy Hour!" will likely scare the firm a lot more than something that happened last December (but was still post-OCI).

post-OCI at the beginning of the summer. how bad?

[09042014]

OFFER to 10 hours and DUI

[Anonymous User]

screwed up --> DUI

no offer based on C&F?

Is the DUI in any way related to the summer program? A DUI after the "Summers and Associates Happy Hour!" will likely scare the firm a lot more than something that happened last December (but was still post-OCI).

post-OCI at the beginning of the summer. how bad?

<----- summered the year after a DUI (DUI was pre-OCI, tho). Recd offer. Not sure firm even knew.

[El Pollito]

No one cares if lawyers are drunks.

[Anonymous User]

screwed up --> DUI

no offer based on C&F?

Is the DUI in any way related to the summer program? A DUI after the "Summers and Associates Happy Hour!" will likely scare the firm a lot more than something that happened last December (but was still post-OCI).

post-OCI at the beginning of the summer. how bad?

<----- summered the year after a DUI (DUI was pre-OCI, tho). Recd offer. Not sure firm even knew.

hoping the same thing happens. also, pretty sure my firm knows. another summer/ guy from school talked about it earlier today as a senior associate walked by. she gave me a weird look

[Anonymous User]

Let it slip to an associate that I couldn't attend a client meeting out of town because I'd be at an interview... in the same city at the same time.

[seespotrun]

No one cares if lawyers are drunks.

Yeah, this. Unless your firm is in FL or one of those other notoriously-strict C&F states, you should be fine.

[Anonymous User]

On the DUI front - wouldn't firms worry about C&F? If they fire you for failing the bar 2x - couldn't this be cause for concern? Post offer the only thing I'm worried about is C&F. Are NY, NJ and PA strict? Would you take the bar where it's the least strict? Does the work even require bar passage, or is it all prestige?

[Anonymous User]

No one cares if lawyers are drunks.

Yeah, this. Unless your firm is in FL or one of those other notoriously-strict C&F states, you should be fine.

what are the notoriously strict C&F states? i'm not in nyc

[El Pollito]

On the DUI front - wouldn't firms worry about C&F? If they fire you for failing the bar 2x - couldn't this be cause for concern? Post offer the only thing I'm worried about is C&F. Are NY, NJ and PA strict? Would you take the bar where it's the least strict? Does the work even require bar passage, or is it all prestige?

You're not going to fail C&F for a DUI.

[PepperJack]

Let it slip to an associate that I couldn't attend a client meeting out of town because I'd be at an interview... in the same city at the same time.

Not a lawyer but it sounds like you're unhappy there if you're interviewing at other firms. Many assume that it's a virtual lock you'll get an offer so you'll only look elsewhere if you're unhappy. This may be why somehow everyone starts having dentist appointments in July.