1st year corporate associate taking questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

Shoot.

[Master Tofu]

What have you been working on so far?

[Mce252]

Hours and work environment?

[MattThiessen]

What industry? How did you get the job?

[rman1201]

What school range did you go to? (T6, HYS, T25, etc)

[adt231]

Hours and work environment?

+1000

[Bumi]

How many of your coworkers think they made a terrible mistake by going to law school?

[Anonymous User]

What have you been working on so far?

A few deals. Some securities work.

Hours and work environment?

Hours vary day to day. Some days are around 9-6, other days are 830am-1:30am. The later nights are more the exception rather than the rule though. I hardly ever take a lunch break (just wolf it down quickly), but that's by choice. I do it so I can try to get home earlier.

Weeks are never less than 50 hours and haven't been much more than 70 so far. Average is probably 55-60.

Work environment is excellent. No screamers, very supportive and collaborative.

[dougroberts]

What's your pre-law school background, including whether you had any prior business experience and/or business undergrad major(s)?

Has your background been helpful as a corp. attorney?

[beachbum]

What is your perception of the legal market (and particularly legal hiring)? Improving? Mostly stagnant?

[Anonymous User]

School you went to? Salary?

[Anonymous User]

I went to a T2. Got the job through OCI. Not really sure what person means by industry. I have some previous business experience, but it was unrelated to corporate work. I was a liberal arts major.

How many of your coworkers think they made a terrible mistake by going to law school?

None that have expressed it to me. People generally enjoy their job.

[adt231]

thanks for doing this!

[Anonymous User]

Did you graduate top 10%? and how much are you making?

[Anonymous User]

What is your perception of the legal market (and particularly legal hiring)? Improving? Mostly stagnant?

Things are definitely improving, no question. There's more lateral movement in-house, high demand for mid-level associates, and summer associate classes are expanding again. Salary is market. I was top 10% after 1L.

[LLB2JD]

Do you work in a big law or a mid-law firm?

[beachbum]

What is your perception of the legal market (and particularly legal hiring)? Improving? Mostly stagnant?

Things are definitely improving, no question. There's more lateral movement in-house, high demand for mid-level associates, and summer associate classes are expanding again. Salary is market. I was top 10% after 1L.

Awesome, thanks a lot.

[Anonymous User]

Do you work in a big law or a mid-law firm?

Big law middish in V100.

[Bumi]

Region? This doesn't sound like what I've heard about NYC firms.

[Anonymous User]

Nope, not NYC. It's a major market on east coast. I'll leave it at that.

[Anonymous User]

Region? This doesn't sound like what I've heard about NYC firms.

Also, remember people like to exaggerate their hours. During my 70 hour weeks I was billing slightly over 50 hours. If you do the math, that would put me on pace to bill 2500+ hours for the year with 2 weeks vacation. Very few people bill 2500+ hours a year.

[dpk711]

First, OP thanks for taking time in answering our questions.

My question is: do you see yourself doing this long term? Do you feel yourself emotionally or physically drained after one year of law-firm work?

[Anonymous User]

First, OP thanks for taking time in answering our questions.

My question is: do you see yourself doing this long term? Do you feel yourself emotionally or physically drained after one year of law-firm work?

I could see myself doing it long term. I really love the work and the people. That said, I haven't been here a full year yet and I don't have kids. Tough to say what the future will bring, but I could see myself being here for the long haul.

[Mce252]

First, OP thanks for taking time in answering our questions.

My question is: do you see yourself doing this long term? Do you feel yourself emotionally or physically drained after one year of law-firm work?

I could see myself doing it long term. I really love the work and the people. That said, I haven't been here a full year yet and I don't have kids. Tough to say what the future will bring, but I could see myself being here for the long haul.

Are you married?

[Wholigan]

Is your firm in the same city/region as your school? How many callbacks/offers did you get from OCI? If more than one offer, what made you pick the firm you're with? Considering the size of many T2 OCIs, did you try or have any success at applying to firms that didn't come to OCI?