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

[Ludo!]

From the posts on this thread I'm a little surprised. From my first week (V10 NYC), being a summer associate is no fucking joke. We've had people working till 8-9 at night relatively regularly and had a summer get yelled at already. I'm surprised about the respones here but maybe its just the firm/market I'm in.

What did the summer get yelled at for? Was it in front of everybody?

[20121109]

From the posts on this thread I'm a little surprised. From my first week (V10 NYC), being a summer associate is no fucking joke. We've had people working till 8-9 at night relatively regularly and had a summer get yelled at already. I'm surprised about the respones here but maybe its just the firm/market I'm in.

The hell? Someone yelled at a summer in their first week? Isn't that a bit harsh considering we really have no idea what we're doing so soon?

[Anonymous User]

has anybody found that they can finish/polish up work projects at home (not billing of course)?

Not to sound like a gunner, but I live in a Texas suburb w/ no TV and extracurricular life is boring as hell

[blurbz]

has anybody found that they can finish/polish up work projects at home (not billing of course)?

Not to sound like a gunner, but I live in a Texas suburb w/ no TV and extracurricular life is boring as hell

Why not billing? If you're doing the work, bill the time.

[Anonymous User]

has anybody found that they can finish/polish up work projects at home (not billing of course)?

Not to sound like a gunner, but I live in a Texas suburb w/ no TV and extracurricular life is boring as hell

Why not billing? If you're doing the work, bill the time.

that defeats the purpose of bringing work home/makes me look so much less productive. And its kindof awkward to write in: 1130 pm- 1:20am on my billing record

[Anonymous User]

Today is my first day - is there anything I should take with me?

[keg411]

From the posts on this thread I'm a little surprised. From my first week (V10 NYC), being a summer associate is no fucking joke. We've had people working till 8-9 at night relatively regularly and had a summer get yelled at already. I'm surprised about the respones here but maybe its just the firm/market I'm in.

The hell? Someone yelled at a summer in their first week? Isn't that a bit harsh considering we really have no idea what we're doing so soon?

Yeah, that whole thing sounds seriously TTT. You need to warn people away from your V10 because if it's that awful your first week as a SA, I'd imagine it must be absolute hell on earth for regular junior associates.

[SFConfidential]

has anybody found that they can finish/polish up work projects at home (not billing of course)?

Not to sound like a gunner, but I live in a Texas suburb w/ no TV and extracurricular life is boring as hell

Why not billing? If you're doing the work, bill the time.

that defeats the purpose of bringing work home/makes me look so much less productive. And its kindof awkward to write in: 1130 pm- 1:20am on my billing record

After a few months of being an actual associate, that might be a relatively common time stamp.

But seriously, bill it. Let the partner choose to write it off, don't ding it yourself.

The point of bringing work home is to allow you to work from anywhere, not to get you to stop billing but keep working. Firm doesn't even have a chance of
making any money if you are working hours for free.

[20121109]

From the posts on this thread I'm a little surprised. From my first week (V10 NYC), being a summer associate is no fucking joke. We've had people working till 8-9 at night relatively regularly and had a summer get yelled at already. I'm surprised about the respones here but maybe its just the firm/market I'm in.

The hell? Someone yelled at a summer in their first week? Isn't that a bit harsh considering we really have no idea what we're doing so soon?

Yeah, that whole thing sounds seriously TTT. You need to warn people away from your V10 because if it's that awful your first week as a SA, I'd imagine it must be absolute hell on earth for regular junior associates.

Probably Cravath.

If it was Cravath, the poster probably would have said V5 or V3! PRESTIGE IS IMPORTANT.

[swc65]

has anybody found that they can finish/polish up work projects at home (not billing of course)?

Not to sound like a gunner, but I live in a Texas suburb w/ no TV and extracurricular life is boring as hell

Why not billing? If you're doing the work, bill the time.

that defeats the purpose of bringing work home/makes me look so much less productive. And its kindof awkward to write in: 1130 pm- 1:20am on my billing record

After a few months of being an actual associate, that might be a relatively common time stamp.

But seriously, bill it. Let the partner choose to write it off, don't ding it yourself.

The point of bringing work home is to allow you to work from anywhere, not to get you to stop billing but keep working. Firm doesn't even have a chance of
making any money if you are working hours for free.

Nobody cares about your efficiency. All you are doing is making it appear as though you are working less than you actually are.

[Anonymous User]

Just met and exchanged contact information with the executive partner of my firm and the Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel of Goldman Sachs.

Today is a good day.

[nymario]

Just met and exchanged contact information with the executive partner of my firm and the Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel of Goldman Sachs.

Today is a good day.

I'll leave it to Neil DeGrasse Tyson to deal with this one...

[Dany]

Just met and exchanged contact information with the executive partner of my firm and the Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel of Goldman Sachs.

Today is a good day.

I'll leave it to Neil DeGrasse Tyson to deal with this one...

[Anonymous User]

Just met and exchanged contact information with the executive partner of my firm and the Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel of Goldman Sachs.

Today is a good day.

I'll leave it to Neil DeGrasse Tyson to deal with this one...

I actually meant that I was happy about it! Not trying to brag..I don't even see how you could brag about that :/

[dixiecupdrinking]

I actually meant that I was happy about it! Not trying to brag..I don't even see how you could brag about that :/

Is the problem that you've never bragged before or that you're bragging all the time without even realizing it?

[Anonymous User]

I actually meant that I was happy about it! Not trying to brag..I don't even see how you could brag about that :/

Is the problem that you've never bragged before or that you're bragging all the time without even realizing it?

neither. God...forget it.

[Anonymous User]

Any first day stories from the people that started today? I was supposed to start today but I'm in Chicago so the program got delayed because of the NATO summit. Did any other Chicago firms do that?

[dixiecupdrinking]

I actually meant that I was happy about it! Not trying to brag..I don't even see how you could brag about that :/

Is the problem that you've never bragged before or that you're bragging all the time without even realizing it?

neither. God...forget it.

Sorry. Sounds like you had an interesting day. No need to shit on a random stranger going through the same stressful process as I am.

[northwood]

Regarding the goatee question, shave it off for day one and see how the attorneys present themselves. Do what you can to fit in and not stand out for looks.... Stand out for a solid work ethic and work product though... Don't over think this too much.

[alabamabound]

Any first day stories from the people that started today? I was supposed to start today but I'm in Chicago so the program got delayed because of the NATO summit. Did any other Chicago firms do that?

I know of at least two (though you might be at one of them, conceivably).

[Anonymous User]

V10 NYC (one of the nicer ones, apparently) SA. Looks like the summer is going to be a blast and pretty low stress. Everybody I've met has been terrific and it sounds like it's going to be fairly easy to get my hands on work that I want to do. Plenty of summer activities lined up, including Broadway shows, Mets games, Yankees games, Shakespeare in the Park, a pre-theater-release private screening of the Dark Knight movie, cooking classes, outdoorsy stuff, fancy dinners, etc., etc., etc. Wasn't anxious going in and nothing I've seen has changed that.

[Anonymous User]

V10 NYC (one of the nicer ones, apparently) SA. Looks like the summer is going to be a blast and pretty low stress. Everybody I've met has been terrific and it sounds like it's going to be fairly easy to get my hands on work that I want to do. Plenty of summer activities lined up, including Broadway shows, Mets games, Yankees games, Shakespeare in the Park, a pre-theater-release private screening of the Dark Knight movie, cooking classes, outdoorsy stuff, fancy dinners, etc., etc., etc. Wasn't anxious going in and nothing I've seen has changed that.

We're at the same firm! Agree that everything today confirmed my perceptions going in. Everyone has been so nice. I left today before 6pm, but not looking forward to hours of computer training!

The previous poster EDIT- who works at a firm other than Davis Polk- (yelling, working until 8-9) needs to out that firm. Sounds terrible.

[r6_philly]

I actually meant that I was happy about it! Not trying to brag..I don't even see how you could brag about that :/

Is the problem that you've never bragged before or that you're bragging all the time without even realizing it?

neither. God...forget it.

I am actually sincerely happy for you. I feel the same way about things I got to work on.

[Anonymous User]

V10 NYC (one of the nicer ones, apparently) SA. Looks like the summer is going to be a blast and pretty low stress. Everybody I've met has been terrific and it sounds like it's going to be fairly easy to get my hands on work that I want to do. Plenty of summer activities lined up, including Broadway shows, Mets games, Yankees games, Shakespeare in the Park, a pre-theater-release private screening of the Dark Knight movie, cooking classes, outdoorsy stuff, fancy dinners, etc., etc., etc. Wasn't anxious going in and nothing I've seen has changed that.

We're at the same firm! Agree that everything today confirmed my perceptions going in. Everyone has been so nice. I left today before 6pm, but not looking forward to hours of computer training!

The previous poster (yelling, working until 8-9) needs to out that firm. Sounds terrible.

Yeah, from what I've gathered, summer associates leaving at or before six is definitely not going to be out of the ordinary, even as the summer progresses. Glad to hear that you're happy with your choice of firm. Looks like we've got a pretty good group of people this year.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone else already almost tired in a way?

I've billed 8+ hours since I started working and have been doing substantive work the entire time. It's almost as grueling as gunning it up during the school year.

I mean, this is not a bitching post. I actually LIKE the work and I don't mind being tired by it. But it is certainly nice to come home and rest for a bit. I feel like I could stay at the firm till 7 or 8 if they didn't want us to leave around 5 or so.