Yeah, this.hoosier41 wrote:You're a lit associate and have never written a memo? Are you a lit associate in biglaw? I'm just having a hard time understanding how any biglaw associate could avoid ever writing a legal memo for a more senior associate or partner. Also unclear as to how one would go about writing briefs without doing significant legal research.ClubberLang wrote:Yep, for some time now. Never written a memo (which I understand to be a synopsis of legal research). I agree that brief writing and discovery is the majority of what a litigation associate does, but that's not what OP said he was doing. Legal research is a small piece of what a lit associate does. The type of research assignments given to summers are generally related to crazy ideas that people have kicked around and have already looked into. What type of memos do you write? How long have you been a litigation associate?Halp wrote:I’m sorry, but this is egregiously wrong. Have you been a lit associate? Because I have, and that’s exactly what the job entails (at least until you’re a mid level). People read my memos, and MOST of the time the cases exist, but legal research, memo writing, brief writing (if you’re good), and discovery (depending on firm/practice group) is the vast bulk of what a ligation associate does, particularly early on.ClubberLang wrote: Despite what others here have said, in no way will the lions share of your work as an associate be legal research and/or memo writing. Yeah, it generally sucks, but you won't be spending much time looking for cases that don't exist or writing memos that nobody reads because nobody pays for that.
Anyway, someone in the thread linked to an above the law post, and its exactly right about this.
CL: I don’t want to share more information about my firm or position than I already have. I’m astounded you’re not doing legal research or writing memos. Good for you, I guess, but I very strongly disagree with telling someone that your experience is the norm. I don’t think it is at all.
