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

[Anonymous User]

My commute to work is SO MUCH BETTER than my commute to school and I'm loving it. Waking up at 7 (actually 7:18 cause I snooze twice) to get to there at 8:30 is amazing. But getting up that early is still hard as eff.

Wow, how bad is your commute to school?

And I feel you on the waking up early thing. I've been getting up at 6, which is pretty much the worst thing ever. This is the earliest I've had to wake up since I was back in middle school and my first class started at 7.

Like 45 min but I have to leave at least an hour before or I'll be late. My commute to work is like 15 mins but I leave 30 before so I'm not rushed/accidentally late

I had to wake up this early before law school for work but it sucked just as much then. I don't think I'll ever be good at waking up early regularly.

[20141023]

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[Anonymous User]

How big is everyone's summer class? Anyone with a smaller class / you're the only summer at that office?

You aren't alone. I'm one of three summers at a mid size firm.

[echooo23]

How often are there HH or dinner events that are not on the official summer events schedule? I'm back in my hometown this summer but I've been hesitant to make plans with friends for dinner on workday evenings for fear of having to stay late or because an impromptu after work event might pop up. Am I being overly cautious?

[AllDangle]

How big is everyone's summer class? Anyone with a smaller class / you're the only summer at that office?

I'm the only SA at a smaller satellite office of a big firm and I am more than slightly intimidated (haven't started yet).

[BaiAilian2013]

How often are there HH or dinner events that are not on the official summer events schedule? I'm back in my hometown this summer but I've been hesitant to make plans with friends for dinner on workday evenings for fear of having to stay late or because an impromptu after work event might pop up. Am I being overly cautious?

During my summer there were none; everything firm-sponsored was planned. Sometimes the other summers would organize happy hours day of, but you're not gonna get dinged for not going to an event organized by other summers. (I literally never went.) The firm knows attendance at an unplanned event would be low, because people have lives.

[Anonymous User]

taxi driver that took me into the city and I had a conversation about my summer employment etc. I spoke candidly. I think I might have said that many people working in big law firms will leave after 2-3 years because they are overworked - I probably told him this was my plan / that my gf didn't want to be in this city. I also said that many lawyers/law students suck as people. At some point in the conversation, I remember the driver saying "you know people in this town talk . . ."

did I fuck up? the guy would have know a) know which firm I am working for (I didn't say it but I probably gave enough information that one could connect the dots) and b) would have to know people there/tell them what the summer associate said in the taxi. IDK why the guy said "you know people in this town talk . . ." but I can't stop thinking about it. give me your thoughts.

[brotherdarkness]

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[NYSprague]

taxi driver that took me into the city and I had a conversation about my summer employment etc. I spoke candidly. I think I might have said that many people working in big law firms will leave after 2-3 years because they are overworked - I probably told him this was my plan / that my gf didn't want to be in this city. I also said that many lawyers/law students suck as people. At some point in the conversation, I remember the driver saying "you know people in this town talk . . ."

did I fuck up? the guy would have know a) know which firm I am working for (I didn't say it but I probably gave enough information that one could connect the dots) and b) would have to know people there/tell them what the summer associate said in the taxi. IDK why the guy said "you know people in this town talk . . ." but I can't stop thinking about it. give me your thoughts.

Why would you do this? The driver was probably just warning you to keep your mouth shut because if you keep talking and acting inappropriately someone is going to find out/ you will hurt yourself. You don't know who knows who in the world of big law new york, which is actually quite small.

[brotherdarkness]

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[Anonymous User]

taxi driver that took me into the city and I had a conversation about my summer employment etc. I spoke candidly. I think I might have said that many people working in big law firms will leave after 2-3 years because they are overworked - I probably told him this was my plan / that my gf didn't want to be in this city. I also said that many lawyers/law students suck as people. At some point in the conversation, I remember the driver saying "you know people in this town talk . . ."

did I fuck up? the guy would have know a) know which firm I am working for (I didn't say it but I probably gave enough information that one could connect the dots) and b) would have to know people there/tell them what the summer associate said in the taxi. IDK why the guy said "you know people in this town talk . . ." but I can't stop thinking about it. give me your thoughts.

You're being paranoid. You're fine.

How would this get back to you? Some taxi driver takes stabs in the dark at which firm you work for, starts cold calling various firms, and tells the receptionist that a summer associate told him that people flame out after a few years? C'mon now.

Don't worry.

Idk why I said what I said. That kind of talk is pervasive in law school/on TLS so I must have just gotten too comfortable openly discussing the shitty aspects of law firm life. I also told him how fortunate I felt to have the job/how i was excited for training and all that - so not all bad.

The thing that makes me paranoid about the whole thing is that the place I am staying (i.e., where he dropped me off) is in the FiDi. When he said bye, he said he'd see me around . . . "everyone around here hangs out at the same rooftop bars" is what he said.

lets assume the guy did know which firm I am at and that he is friends with people at my firm or works for them or has some connection with them, and that he tells them what I said (i plan to leave after two years, lawyers/law students suck) - how bad would this look for me?

[brotherdarkness]

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[Anonymous User]

Speaking poorly of other law students, other lawyers, your firm, or the city your firm is in looks bad. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the taxi--what's done is done. Learn your lesson and keep this in mind in the future when you feel like kvetching about your circumstances.

duly noted

[transferror]

Idk why I said what I said. That kind of talk is pervasive in law school/on TLS so I must have just gotten too comfortable openly discussing the shitty aspects of law firm life. I also told him how fortunate I felt to have the job/how i was excited for training and all that - so not all bad.

The thing that makes me paranoid about the whole thing is that the place I am staying (i.e., where he dropped me off) is in the FiDi. When he said bye, he said he'd see me around . . . "everyone around here hangs out at the same rooftop bars" is what he said.

lets assume the guy did know which firm I am at and that he is friends with people at my firm or works for them or has some connection with them, and that he tells them what I said (i plan to leave after two years, lawyers/law students suck) - how bad would this look for me?

He's not going to say anything. Ratting on his business is no better for him than complaining about your bosses is for you. Even if he somehow knew who you were and relayed this convo to someone he happens to know at your firm and they happen to give a shit, just deny the whole thing. If, on the one-in-a-million chance this ever happened, just say you and the guy had a big disagreement about a fare or something and he's taking a cheap shot at you because you pissed him off. Stop worrying.

[NYSprague]

Speaking poorly of other law students, other lawyers, your firm, or the city your firm is in looks bad. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the taxi--what's done is done. Learn your lesson and keep this in mind in the future when you feel like kvetching about your circumstances.

duly noted

Complaining about anything, even the weather, is one of the biggest things to avoid as an SA. No one wants to deal with whiners when they are working long hours. Just be positive and upbeat.

[Old Gregg]

You're being paranoid, but for god's sake be careful what you say to people you don't know or around people you don't know. You should already know this.

[NYSprague]

PSA because of another thread. NYC is harsh about open container drinking (though somehow drinking wine in central park during symphony and opera concerts was ok). If you are from a place that doesn't care, which I've heard exist, don't do that here. The cops will hate you.

[gregfootball2001]

How big is everyone's summer class? Anyone with a smaller class / you're the only summer at that office?

I'm the only summer in my office. It's good overall, I think.

[Anonymous User]

Oh man, starting tomorrow and I'm super nervous.

[mr.hands]

How big is everyone's summer class? Anyone with a smaller class / you're the only summer at that office?

I'm the only summer in my office. It's good overall, I think.

My class is also itty bitty. For me, I assume that means they're not interested in hiring or that I have an excellent shot at getting a job. (My firm for the first half of the year hasn't hired summers in a while but they're open to it. I guess i just need to make a good impression and do the best I can...)

[Person1111]

Speaking poorly of other law students, other lawyers, your firm, or the city your firm is in looks bad. There's nothing you can do about what happened in the taxi--what's done is done. Learn your lesson and keep this in mind in the future when you feel like kvetching about your circumstances.

duly noted

Complaining about anything, even the weather, is one of the biggest things to avoid as an SA. No one wants to deal with whiners when they are working long hours. Just be positive and upbeat.

Exception: if you are working in LA, it is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to complain about traffic (in moderation). It's part of the culture. Agreed that complaining about your firm to strangers is a poor idea, though.

[Anonymous User]

I'm the only summer at a small firm. It's intimidating to be the only one who is new/doesn't know what they're doing.

[Kikero]

How often are there HH or dinner events that are not on the official summer events schedule? I'm back in my hometown this summer but I've been hesitant to make plans with friends for dinner on workday evenings for fear of having to stay late or because an impromptu after work event might pop up. Am I being overly cautious?

During my summer there were none; everything firm-sponsored was planned. Sometimes the other summers would organize happy hours day of, but you're not gonna get dinged for not going to an event organized by other summers. (I literally never went.) The firm knows attendance at an unplanned event would be low, because people have lives.

It probably varies firm by firm though, we already had an unplanned event my first week, and from talking to some of the first year associates who summered it seems there were quite a few during their summer.

[brotherdarkness]

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[nucky thompson]

http://ehmunnell.com/posts/best-practic ... le-charts/