First Year Associate Expectations Forum

[Anonymous User]

If no one is reviewing your docs thoroughly before they go out, it’s likely because they aren’t important enough where a mistake will matter. I don’t want to overemphasize this, because it’s important to own responsibility for preventing errors, but if something truly gets fucked up, it’s not really on you and you’ll still likely be fine.

Appreciate your perspective. Some of these seem to be actually important documents. It's causing me so much anxiety that I'm already looking at exit opportunities as soon as I hit the 1 year mark. My experience seems abnormal from talking to others in their first year in other practice groups/firms.

Well I must be a huge wimp because I’m looking to leave at the 6 month mark lol

Lol honestly I'd leave earlier but for financial reasons.

Tbh the only thing keeping me from going back to my chill, ok-paying job before law school and just going on IBR is the embarrassment of having done nothing with my HYS JD. I feel like leaving this early is just...not done.

[Anonymous User]

Tbh the only thing keeping me from going back to my chill, ok-paying job before law school and just going on IBR is the embarrassment of having done nothing with my HYS JD.

fuck what people think man. what, are people supposed to act optimally in every decision of their lives? this is coming from YSH kid who went to law school with 0 reasoning

[Anonymous User]

Tbh the only thing keeping me from going back to my chill, ok-paying job before law school and just going on IBR is the embarrassment of having done nothing with my HYS JD.

fuck what people think man. what, are people supposed to act optimally in every decision of their lives? this is coming from YSH kid who went to law school with 0 reasoning

I passed the CA bar today and I can barely muster up any excitement. Got some great feedback from my supervisor, couldn't care less. All I do is fantasize about my life pre-biglaw. Pre-law school, really. I feel like I'm trapped with everyone telling me how terrible it looks to leave a job without at least making it a full year.

[TUwave]

Good thing I'm not trying for partner, then.

How about: in practice, they mean the same thing for what you should do with your laptop.

yes. thx

Forget fast track to partnership, you’re already there! Got the lingo down pat... pls fix thx.

[Anonymous User]

One thing to watch out for is being TOO nervous yourself. Remember your goal is to hang here for at least a few years and stack that $$$. If you start being afraid of your shadow and worrying you're doing it wrong too extremely, your quality of life might suffer and you might burn out. Try hard, but also relax after you press 'send.'

This is me. I feel like I’m suffering in a way that’s not proportionate to my hours, because I’m scared all the time. I can’t seem to shake the constant fear of doing something wrong and it’s making me want to start looking at alternative careers already.

I vibe with this for sure

I had the same problem when I started but it went away about a year in

[avenuem]

Good thing I'm not trying for partner, then.

How about: in practice, they mean the same thing for what you should do with your laptop.

yes. thx

Forget fast track to partnership, you’re already there! Got the lingo down pat... pls fix thx.

As much as I agree with you in spirit, I think I have a few more years to go. I'll remember you if you ever want to lateral up.

[TUwave]

Good thing I'm not trying for partner, then.

How about: in practice, they mean the same thing for what you should do with your laptop.

yes. thx

Forget fast track to partnership, you’re already there! Got the lingo down pat... pls fix thx.

As much as I agree with you in spirit, I think I have a few more years to go. I'll remember you if you ever want to lateral up.

lol I'm good at my lowly V30 for a couple more years until I go in-house to get away from people who actually think the way you troll.

[avenuem]

Good thing I'm not trying for partner, then.

How about: in practice, they mean the same thing for what you should do with your laptop.

yes. thx

Forget fast track to partnership, you’re already there! Got the lingo down pat... pls fix thx.

As much as I agree with you in spirit, I think I have a few more years to go. I'll remember you if you ever want to lateral up.

lol I'm good at my lowly V30 for a couple more years until I go in-house to get away from people who actually think the way you troll.

My condolences. I'll have my secretary send flowers.

[Anonymous User]

Probably not the right thread for this, but does anyone have a sense of how a firm would react to a junior leaving around 5-6 months in? I've been pretty miserable since I started and have done a couple of interview recently. Massive paycut, obviously, but was told there'd be 8-hour workdays. Do firms generally just confirm dates of employment when they're contacted by prospective employers? And is this just something that HR does? Are people going to be pissed off that they wasted months paying/training me? I'm sure this is also a factor for associates who leave later in their careers, but by then they would have at least been profitable for the firm...

I probably shouldn't care but it's tough because the people I work with are really nice. I'm just not cut out for the grind.

[Sackboy]

Probably not the right thread for this, but does anyone have a sense of how a firm would react to a junior leaving around 5-6 months in? I've been pretty miserable since I started and have done a couple of interview recently. Massive paycut, obviously, but was told there'd be 8-hour workdays. Do firms generally just confirm dates of employment when they're contacted by prospective employers? And is this just something that HR does? Are people going to be pissed off that they wasted months paying/training me? I'm sure this is also a factor for associates who leave later in their careers, but by then they would have at least been profitable for the firm...

I probably shouldn't care but it's tough because the people I work with are really nice. I'm just not cut out for the grind.

That's their problem to worry about, not yours. Your firm has hired a whole HR team to take care of this. Enjoy your new job.

[Anonymous User]

Probably not the right thread for this, but does anyone have a sense of how a firm would react to a junior leaving around 5-6 months in? I've been pretty miserable since I started and have done a couple of interview recently. Massive paycut, obviously, but was told there'd be 8-hour workdays. Do firms generally just confirm dates of employment when they're contacted by prospective employers? And is this just something that HR does? Are people going to be pissed off that they wasted months paying/training me? I'm sure this is also a factor for associates who leave later in their careers, but by then they would have at least been profitable for the firm...

I probably shouldn't care but it's tough because the people I work with are really nice. I'm just not cut out for the grind.

That's their problem to worry about, not yours. Your firm has hired a whole HR team to take care of this. Enjoy your new job.

Thank you, this helps. I need to stop making it personal.