Pepper Hamilton work life balance Forum

[Anonymous User]

what areas of law are you guys looking at? i have a friend who works in the ip group at PH in DC and he says the group puts emphasis on maintaining a work life balance (but when you're expected to work, you will work A LOT). the members, including partners, respect each other regardless of the positional hierarchy. i guess it really depends on the group/partner you work for.

I love hearing this. makes me even more excited to begin -- this is exactly what I was looking for.

[Anonymous User]

I have an in-office interview with them soon, and I would really appreciate a more detailed advice on the hypo. This is the only interview I got now, so I really want to do well. You said you talked to 3 different partners...that means you had 3 different hypos? Were they similar? Is the hypo read out to you in a couple of sentences? What subject matter would you categorize the hypo was on? (contracts? corporations? pro bono?) If you don't feel replying the details here, please PM me. Any advice would help!!! Thanks.

I recently had an in-office interview with PH at a satellite office. The information on their website about their interview procedure is pretty accurate. I had lunch with 2 associates, then standard interview, then an interview with a partner discussing my writing sample, then an interview with a partner and an associate discussing a hypo. The writing sample portion was really laid back, she asked me a couple questions, then generally discussed it and then moved on to talk about other more typical interview things. The hypo wasn't bad, seems they were just looking for you to issue spot and identify what other information you would want to know from the client and offer some knowledge about how to proceed. They did ask me a procedural question, which kind of surprised me, but not difficult. All in all, I know their interview style is kind of intimidating, but it really wasn't bad. My guess is if you have the grades to be interviewing there, you will be able to handle the hypo. They weren't really looking for substantive law, just your ability to issue spot and ask intelligent questions.

Take my advice as you will though, I have not received an offer from PH (but I also haven't received a ding yet either)

[Anonymous User]

I have experience working in this firm and I would avoid it. Its revenue is shaky and if anything happens to the prized partner in Phili the firm will crash.

Its a strictly eat what you can kill firm and you only get the work that flows from your assigned partner. Work is not shared.

I have also heard of partners throwing people under the bus. I was told while I was there "do not work with partnerX, he has tantrums and gets people fired."

The satellite offices are not very profitable. While I was there 3 partners and an associate lateraled to a different firm. No effort has been made to replace them.

I did like the people that I worked with directly, but its a sinking ship.

[Anonymous User]

http://www.pepperlaw.com/news.aspx?AnnouncementKey=2234

[Anonymous User]

does pepper give a bar stipend

[Anonymous User]

Yes, my stipend is $7500 for summer 2016. Not sure how that compares, but that's what it is.

[Anonymous User]

accepted my PH summer associate offer in a [tiny] satellite office. didn't get a hypo or writing sample discussion or anything for my interview