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I know NYC biglaw can be pretty brutal (depending on your standards). I'm sure biglaw in smaller cities also require lots of hours, weekends, etc but I was wondering if anyone knows whether biglaw in a smaller city like Boston or Philly is a little bit better of a work/life balance than NYC biglaw?

I don't know I only work in the a law firm in NYC but from my interaction with the DC branch - it's just as bad.

At least the COL in Boston is a bit cheaper than NYC?

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COL of Boston is definitely lower which is a plus.. but NYC is a lot more awesome too. Yeah, the feeling I get is that Boston offices are, in general, a bit more laid back (but still very intense for big law obviously). I have no proof of this in law but I do think this is the case for finance. For example, a friend of mine is an analyst at Wellington. While it's not a big law firm, Wellington analysts in NYC work pretty long hours whereas she says everyone is usually gone by 6pm. She is an analyst herself and her hours are fine. This is definitely different from my finance friends in NYC who work quite a bit more.

paratactical wrote:I once called a Boston firm that was co-counsel for my NYC biglaw firm. They aren't huge, but they aren't small. I needed to know who to address a package to for Saturday delivery. They told me that their building shut down over the weekend. No NYC firm I've ever come across has closed buildings on the weekends. I don't know how representative that is, but NYC is definitely brutal.

Not even a security guard or receptionist?

paratactical wrote:I once called a Boston firm that was co-counsel for my NYC biglaw firm. They aren't huge, but they aren't small. I needed to know who to address a package to for Saturday delivery. They told me that their building shut down over the weekend. No NYC firm I've ever come across has closed buildings on the weekends. I don't know how representative that is, but NYC is definitely brutal.

I do not believe this. From personal experience and talking with friends working in big Boston firms this is not true. People go in on weekends. Maybe you won't see everyone in on a weekend, but I have yet to talk to anyone working at a big Boston firm about their work schedule that hasn't said maybe one weekend per month they go into the office on average...at least in normal economic times.

Even during this drought I know people still are going in on weekends depending on practice group.

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interesting responses. looks like in general, smaller markets are a little bit more laid back compared to nyc.

anyone know what san fran big law is supposed to be like?

I've talked to a lot of Boston biglaw associates. Its just as brutal from what I hear. The market pay is usually the same so I guess they have the same expectations. Those I've talked to in smaller markets (Atlanta particularly) seem to sound more laid back.

how about san francisco? is san fran considered a major market like nyc or a midmarket like boston?

AlanShore wrote:how about san francisco? is san fran considered a major market like nyc or a midmarket like boston?

It's a 'mid-sized' market and there aren't a lot of jobs available ITE. NYC is a much safer horse to bet on, despite the crash.

postitnotes wrote:

AlanShore wrote:how about san francisco? is san fran considered a major market like nyc or a midmarket like boston?

It's a 'mid-sized' market and there aren't a lot of jobs available ITE. NYC is a much safer horse to bet on, despite the crash.

interesting article regarding what you said--

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_ ... osers.html

AlanShore wrote:how about san francisco? is san fran considered a major market like nyc or a midmarket like boston?

I had an admissions interview with a V20 associate in SF. Very nice guy, pretty laidback. I wore a suit, he didn't even have a tie. This was the Monday after Thanksgiving, so not a holiday.

To be fair, for some reason SF as a city dresses down a lot. Ties and suits somewhat less common than elsewhere. Makeup on women over 35 is way less common.

After Heller and Thelen, SF is definitely not immune to the downturn.

paratactical wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

paratactical wrote:I once called a Boston firm that was co-counsel for my NYC biglaw firm. They aren't huge, but they aren't small. I needed to know who to address a package to for Saturday delivery. They told me that their building shut down over the weekend. No NYC firm I've ever come across has closed buildings on the weekends. I don't know how representative that is, but NYC is definitely brutal.

I do not believe this. From personal experience and talking with friends working in big Boston firms this is not true. People go in on weekends. Maybe you won't see everyone in on a weekend, but I have yet to talk to anyone working at a big Boston firm about their work schedule that hasn't said maybe one weekend per month they go into the office on average.

Maybe the firm isn't big enough in your mind. I'm just relating a personal experience I had.

Either way, one weekend a month is fucking nothing compared to what happens in NYC on a regular basis.

EDIT: Also, mods, I'd like to see this person outed. There's nothing in this post that needs to be anonymous.

Original anon poster here. I posted it as anon because I've provided information in my other posts but do not provide that I worked at a Boston firm. Call me paranoid, but to lessen chances of someone figuring out who I am I'd rather keep my Boston connection separate from my posts.

If the Anon feature doesn't protect this, I'll just stop posting. At this point (as a 3L), I'm not really getting any personal benefit anyways...I'm doing it more to try to help others.