Summer Associates 2014: Thoughts, Anxieties, Experiences... Forum

[Druid]

Fuck Dechert. Actual comment by my screening interviewer last year at OCI: "I don't know why they send us here. We wouldn't callback anyone from [my T2 school]."

That's actually amazing.

[09042014]

Fuck Dechert. Actual comment by my screening interviewer last year at OCI: "I don't know why they send us here. We wouldn't callback anyone from [my T2 school]."

That's actually amazing.

180

[Anonymous User]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

[Nelson]

That ten week recruiting program is really good huh?

[Danger Zone]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

The story is absolutely true you fucking shill. I didn't say anything about their financial health. In fact, I said it would be "surprising" if the story were about Dechert.

[Mal Reynolds]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

Hilarious.

[Anonymous User]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

The story is absolutely true you fucking shill. I didn't say anything about their financial health. In fact, I said it would be "surprising" if the story were about Dechert.

Sounds like whoever interviewed you then had very poor judgment. I don't know how anyone could think saying that could be beneficial.

[Anonymous User]

Yeah. I got mine a couple weeks ago, and the firm is keeping me on a while longer. I just got it the same time as everyone else (which was the second to the last day of the program officially ending).

Why are they keeping you on longer? That's awesome. Can't imagine any of the work we do is generally worth 3k a week.

Not sure if this is why, but some SAs have to start later because their schools are on the quarter system (SLS, Chicago) and sometimes the firm will let them make it up after the SA program officially ends.

This is part of the reason; I did start late, and they were going to let me stay long enough to make it up. A partner told me though that they were actually billing enough of my hours to clients to justify keeping me around longer, so I'm staying and working until about a week before school starts. It's a pretty sweet deal, for sure.

[jbagelboy]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

The story is absolutely true you fucking shill. I didn't say anything about their financial health. In fact, I said it would be "surprising" if the story were about Dechert.

Sounds like whoever interviewed you then had very poor judgment. I don't know how anyone could think saying that could be beneficial.

duuuuuuude. you're taking this way personal. you aren't a goddamn equity partner why do you care so much. you really think attorneys at "your firm" don't say insensitive shit or that the firm isn't prestige conscious and that isn't occasionally reflected in an unsavory way?

drinking that kool aid

[Mal Reynolds]

drinking that kool aid

Said bagel, without a hint of irony.

just having finished my first summer in lit at a V30-something firm (in a secondary market, where this firm is far more prominent than its NYC office), so outside the V20 but not far outside. I'll comment briefly, and transparently, on the work product: I did zero doc review, drafted briefs or large sections of the supporting briefs, and wrote many other research memos that were essentially copy pasted or incorporated into briefs ultimately written by the senior associate, on motions that went before the court during my summer. On the IP side, I did a bunch of invalidity & non-infringement claim charting analysis, which will be part of our report. So that was pretty cool. I also did a bunch of business development work that's less directly "substantive", whether on a pitch or community development. A little pro bono too.

For corporate, the "top clients at top vault firms" thing is pretty accurate. That's not what I've seen in litigation. Nearly every case I worked on was for either a household name client or a F100 that's just in a more anonymous industry. Honestly, this is because these are the only clients that can afford our rates. One of the start-ups I started the summer working on as a client wound up having to go with a boutique firm because they were defaulting on payment to the megafirm.

I will say that I found it interesting how while listed opposing counsel was almost always another large firm, the cases in SDNY or EDNY were against Cravath, Davis Polk, ect. The ones in other parts of the country had much more variety, i.e., Jenner, MoFo, Sidley, Irell, Sheppard Mullin, Quinn, whatever. This only reinforced my impression of vault as a new york phenomenon.

It looks like I'll probably be at a V10 (or V15, whatever) next summer so I can compare the experience.

[Druid]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

Lol fuck yourself.

[jbagelboy]

drinking that kool aid

Said bagel, without a hint of irony.

How long did it take you to find some quote intended to be anon from another dead thread to repost here to fail to make a useless point? Proud of that time?

[Mal Reynolds]

drinking that kool aid

Said bagel, without a hint of irony.

How long did it take you to find some quote intended to be anon from another dead thread to repost here to fail to make a useless point? Proud of that time?

It took like two seconds because it was only a few weeks ago when you were guzzling down the koolaid.

[Anonymous User]

There's no Kool Aid being drunk. Mentioning a firm possibly no offering someone should require at least the basic due diligence of checking if ATL posted they gave 100% offers. It takes 2 seconds.

[Danger Zone]

Assuming Danger Zone's story is accurate, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with one person from a large firm. Still, there's no reason to make stuff up about them that lacks a basis in reality. Dechert has been very profitable, treated all of the summers well, and gave 100% offers. There was never any indication that we would not be 100% as long as we did a decent job. There was no snobbery anywhere, and it is uncool for you to take one bad experience, and allege information that a simple google search would disprove in 2 seconds. Considering the diversity of the schools represented in the summer program, and the easy going nature of most everyone there, I have doubts that Danger Zone's story is true. Even if it were, it's not a basis to make up info about how they treated summers, and their financial health. How would you feel if someone made up information about your firm? It's not very nice, bro.

The story is absolutely true you fucking shill. I didn't say anything about their financial health. In fact, I said it would be "surprising" if the story were about Dechert.

Sounds like whoever interviewed you then had very poor judgment. I don't know how anyone could think saying that could be beneficial.

And this shit head works at your firm. "Not very nice," is it?

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

drinking that kool aid

Said bagel, without a hint of irony.

How long did it take you to find some quote intended to be anon from another dead thread to repost here to fail to make a useless point? Proud of that time?

It took like two seconds because it was only a few weeks ago when you were guzzling down the koolaid.

And, as someone who has never worked in biglaw, Mal is an EXPERT on what koolaid drinking looks like.

[20141023]

.

[Mal Reynolds]

And, as someone who has never worked in biglaw, Mal is an EXPERT on what koolaid drinking looks like.

I don't follow.

[Druid]

And, as someone who has never worked in biglaw, Mal is an EXPERT on what koolaid drinking looks like.

I don't follow.

That's because it was a non-seq.

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

And, as someone who has never worked in biglaw, Mal is an EXPERT on what koolaid drinking looks like.

I don't follow.

That's because it was a non-seq.

There's nothing non-seq about it.

Calling someone out on "drinking the koolaid" implicitly suggests knowledge of what biglaw is "actually like." It's funny to me that Mal likes to claim such knowledge despite having never worked there in any capacity.

[Mal Reynolds]

So you're saying that SAs receive meaningful work during their summer and that the firm doesn't have an interest in fostering this perception?

[gk101]

just having finished my first summer in lit at a V30-something firm (in a secondary market, where this firm is far more prominent than its NYC office), so outside the V20 but not far outside. I'll comment briefly, and transparently, on the work product: I did zero doc review, drafted briefs or large sections of the supporting briefs, and wrote many other research memos that were essentially copy pasted or incorporated into briefs ultimately written by the senior associate, on motions that went before the court during my summer. On the IP side, I did a bunch of invalidity & non-infringement claim charting analysis, which will be part of our report. So that was pretty cool. I also did a bunch of business development work that's less directly "substantive", whether on a pitch or community development. A little pro bono too.

For corporate, the "top clients at top vault firms" thing is pretty accurate. That's not what I've seen in litigation. Nearly every case I worked on was for either a household name client or a F100 that's just in a more anonymous industry. Honestly, this is because these are the only clients that can afford our rates. One of the start-ups I started the summer working on as a client wound up having to go with a boutique firm because they were defaulting on payment to the megafirm.

I will say that I found it interesting how while listed opposing counsel was almost always another large firm, the cases in SDNY or EDNY were against Cravath, Davis Polk, ect. The ones in other parts of the country had much more variety, i.e., Jenner, MoFo, Sidley, Irell, Sheppard Mullin, Quinn, whatever. This only reinforced my impression of vault as a new york phenomenon.

It looks like I'll probably be at a V10 (or V15, whatever) next summer so I can compare the experience.

I can't wait for part 2 of this story where he runs a trial as a summer at his V10.

[Druid]

And, as someone who has never worked in biglaw, Mal is an EXPERT on what koolaid drinking looks like.

I don't follow.

That's because it was a non-seq.

There's nothing non-seq about it.

Calling someone out on "drinking the koolaid" implicitly suggests knowledge of what biglaw is "actually like." It's funny to me that Mal likes to claim such knowledge despite having never worked there in any capacity.

Oh fuck, you were referring to the Mal's kool-aid accusation toward jbagelboy, not the anon @ Dechert. My bad.

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

So you're saying that SAs receive meaningful work during their summer and that the firm doesn't have an interest in fostering this perception?

No, I'm saying that you personally have no ability to make any judgement calls about what firms do or do not do until you get some personal experience.

[Mal Reynolds]

So you're saying that SAs receive meaningful work during their summer and that the firm doesn't have an interest in fostering this perception?

No, I'm saying that you personally have no ability to make any judgement calls about what firms do or do not do until you get some personal experience.

So I'm right but I can't say it. Makes sense.