How can anyone WANT to do BigLaw? read reviews Forum

[BetterCallSaul]

See, I would be content digging ditches all day if I knew I was being useful. What would suck is being told to dig a ditch, then fill it in, then re-dig it, then fill it in...that's biglaw.

How is it that you're so convinced of this?

Do you know anyone in biglaw who can/will talk frankly about the work they do? I know more than a handful and what I wrote above comes up over and over when they talk about work. Sure, I exaggerated and they've got some shining moments, but the "my work is pointless and duplicated" complaint dominates.

It's not that the work isn't "important" enough for my big brain, it's that my work would be useless. I would rather go some place where I'm needed, even if it means taking a pay cut and doing "paralegal" work half the time--so long as I'm actually serving a purpose.

Edit: I don't begrudge anyone who does it for the money. Law school is expensive and money is great. Just not my bag.

Where you're "needed"? They don't really NEED you anywhere, especially a place that does lower level "paralegal" work as you say.

Smaller firms and public interest orgs need lawyers who are "lawyers" but who are not afraid of copy machines.

[ToTransferOrNot]

Here's a point for you: If you know that work is being duplicated, point it out to your supervisor, and score some points. If the supervisor isn't amicable to having it pointed out (if they are intentionally duplicated work to overbill, for example,) then hush up and be thankful for your $160k.

And Good God, you act like lawyers in biglaw firms don't get their hands dirty with copying machines. Newsflash: shuffling everything off on paralegals is a quick way to get yourself hated, and paralegals absolutely have the lawyers by the balls. Piss your paralegals off, and you're going to find your work environment is incredibly unpleasant.

[Jay-Electronica]

Its all for pecuniary gain, and people will justify it anyway they can. Mo' Money Mo' Money Mo' Money

[ToTransferOrNot]

Its all for pecuniary gain, and people will justify it anyway they can. Mo' Money Mo' Money Mo' Money

99% of people work for pecuniary gain. As many people in this thread have pointed out, people work almost as much as biglaw hours for 1/3-1/2 biglaw pay.

[BetterCallSaul]

Here's a point for you: If you know that work is being duplicated, point it out to your supervisor, and score some points. If the supervisor isn't amicable to having it pointed out (if they are intentionally duplicated work to overbill, for example,) then hush up and be thankful for your $160k.

This is the situation my friends are in. They're working for the $$$ and looking to bail in the next few years for slightly less money and a lot more purpose--for now, they do butt loads of pro bono to make the rest bearable.

[BobSacamano]

Because some people aren't afraid of hard work?

And some people genuinely enjoy the work that they do. Sure, document review for months on end isnt' appealing to anyone but there's always the chance you'll go to trial or pick up a sweet pro bono case. If you generally like law and find it interesting, it's not bad.

Let's face it, you're not scrubbing toilets 24/7.

Ahhhh, to be an 0L again...

(just poking fun... but really, the vast, vast, VAST majority of BigLaw associate work not be further from "interesting." Drafting pleadings is boring, tedious work.

[chloe18]

I'm not sure why the OP thinks Skadden represents all biglaw firms.

You will work quite a bit at any biglaw firm, but 55-60hrs a week (though often more like 45 one week and 65 the next) is more typical.

I'm not sure why you think that I think that Skadden represents all biglaw firm. I never said that

Thanks to everyone who posted.

[underdawg]

Because some people aren't afraid of hard work?

And some people genuinely enjoy the work that they do. Sure, document review for months on end isnt' appealing to anyone but there's always the chance you'll go to trial or pick up a sweet pro bono case. If you generally like law and find it interesting, it's not bad.

Let's face it, you're not scrubbing toilets 24/7.

going to trial?

lol

[Kohinoor]

Because some people aren't afraid of hard work?

And some people genuinely enjoy the work that they do. Sure, document review for months on end isnt' appealing to anyone but there's always the chance you'll go to trial or pick up a sweet pro bono case. If you generally like law and find it interesting, it's not bad.

Let's face it, you're not scrubbing toilets 24/7.

Ahhhh, to be an 0L again...

(just poking fun... but really, the vast, vast, VAST majority of BigLaw associate work not be further from "interesting." Drafting pleadings is boring, tedious work.

[Holly Golightly]

.

[ToTransferOrNot]

C: Eventually, the kind of work you do in big firms really is "better work" than smaller firms, though you do have to put in your gruntwork time, as with any office heirarchy aside from the top management consulting firms.

Yeah...I worked at a small firm that regularly goes up against biglaw, and this is complete and utter bullshit.

I suppose I should note that I'm coming at things more from a corporate/transactional/bankruptcy angle. Small firms do small-time work in those fields, for the most part. Litigation can be a different beast.

[Holly Golightly]

I suppose I should note that I'm coming at things more from a corporate/transactional/bankruptcy angle. Small firms do small-time work in those fields, for the most part. Litigation can be a different beast.

Okay, I can see that. I was talking lit.

[Flanker1067]

??? Either I am missing something obvious or this is too nerdy for me. Explain?

[rupert.pupkin]

??? Either I am missing something obvious or this is too nerdy for me. Explain?

nose candy

[Flanker1067]

Ha, that is pretty good.

[nealric]

I'm not sure why you think that I think that Skadden represents all biglaw firm. I never said that

It was strongly implied. The jist of the original post was basically:

Look how awful biglaw is! Here, read this rant about Skadden.

[chloe18]

I'm not sure why you think that I think that Skadden represents all biglaw firm. I never said that

It was strongly implied. The jist of the original post was basically:

Look how awful biglaw is! Here, read this rant about Skadden.

Here's what was strongly implied:
"Of course not ALL lawfirms are like this, there are exceptions (like with everything else in this universe). However, generally MANY biglaw firms do have environments similar to Skadden."