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Why wouldn't associates bleed to make partner? What other jobs can there possibly be for a mid-level associate who's used to making hundreds of thousands of $$$?

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jmjones wrote:Why wouldn't associates bleed to make partner? What other jobs can there possibly be for a mid-level associate who's used to making hundreds of thousands of $$$?

Some in-house positions are fairly lucrative. I wonder what happens to litigators, though.

i don't think anyone would really rather be an associate than a partner. i think lots of people would rather bill 2300 or whatever as a midlevel than bill 3000 as a midlevel (and do all sorts of business promotion type stuff to impress the partners)...and some people want to bounce as soon as possible.

It's hard to make partner....very hard....From the informal conversations I have had with partners hard work is not enough, good work is not enough, only great work for 8+ years will allow you to attain that status and doing great work and billing lots of hours are not the same thing, you need both to make partner.

At big firms, the majority of people, even the majority of people who want to make partner, won't make partner. Therefore you have two choices:
1) work yourself to death for 8-10 years hoping against odds that you get tapped for partner from among many of your peers who worked just as hard. (SInce this decision will be made on how well you're liked, internal firm politics, and your ability to bring in clients, hard work won't make it more likely--and there's really no way to predict it)

2) do the math, realize your odds at partnership are terrible no matter how hard you work, and look for an alternative path early. (For many this just involves taking a step down the law firm food chain to a less prestigious firm, and becoming partner there.)

Renzo wrote:At big firms, the majority of people, even the majority of people who want to make partner, won't make partner. Therefore you have two choices:
1) work yourself to death for 8-10 years hoping against odds that you get tapped for partner from among many of your peers who worked just as hard. (SInce this decision will be made on how well you're liked, internal firm politics, and your ability to bring in clients, hard work won't make it more likely--and there's really no way to predict it)

2) do the math, realize your odds at partnership are terrible no matter how hard you work, and look for an alternative path early. (For many this just involves taking a step down the law firm food chain to a less prestigious firm, and becoming partner there.)

3) Even if you succeed in making partner, it won't be equity.

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