You sound ridiculous.Hoopster wrote:Actually, orientation was very relaxing and informative. Besides, I can't be disappointing my father, who's a senior partner at a V5 in NYC, by wearing out already as a SA! In reality, I feel like I can thrive: the more work, the better. I definitely like to multi-task with different projects so it's right up my alley. I think I'm going enjoy a career in biglaw. I'm now seeing why my father so often said that working on 100-million-dollar corporate deals can be so addicting.Big Shrimpin wrote:
Having your own office/admin (some people get peeved at "secretary") isn't that uncommon. I like my single-office, but I wish I shared it with one of my fellow-SAs.
Also, if orientation wore you out, GL lasting more than 12-18 months as a 1/2nd-year.
SA-ing.....starting tomorrow Forum
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- MrKappus
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:46 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
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- Posts: 335
- Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2010 2:36 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
But if you don't, you always have your dad's fortune to fall back on...Hoopster wrote:Actually, orientation was very relaxing and informative. Besides, I can't be disappointing my father, who's a senior partner at a V5 in NYC, by wearing out already as a SA! In reality, I feel like I can thrive: the more work, the better. I definitely like to multi-task with different projects so it's right up my alley. I think I'm going enjoy a career in biglaw. I'm now seeing why my father so often said that working on 100-million-dollar corporate deals can be so addicting.Big Shrimpin wrote:
Having your own office/admin (some people get peeved at "secretary") isn't that uncommon. I like my single-office, but I wish I shared it with one of my fellow-SAs.
Also, if orientation wore you out, GL lasting more than 12-18 months as a 1/2nd-year.
- Blindmelon
- Posts: 1708
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:13 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Has to be flame... right? Please?MrKappus wrote:You sound ridiculous.Hoopster wrote:Actually, orientation was very relaxing and informative. Besides, I can't be disappointing my father, who's a senior partner at a V5 in NYC, by wearing out already as a SA! In reality, I feel like I can thrive: the more work, the better. I definitely like to multi-task with different projects so it's right up my alley. I think I'm going enjoy a career in biglaw. I'm now seeing why my father so often said that working on 100-million-dollar corporate deals can be so addicting.Big Shrimpin wrote:
Having your own office/admin (some people get peeved at "secretary") isn't that uncommon. I like my single-office, but I wish I shared it with one of my fellow-SAs.
Also, if orientation wore you out, GL lasting more than 12-18 months as a 1/2nd-year.
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- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:51 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Why do you say that?MrKappus wrote:You sound ridiculous.Hoopster wrote:Actually, orientation was very relaxing and informative. Besides, I can't be disappointing my father, who's a senior partner at a V5 in NYC, by wearing out already as a SA! In reality, I feel like I can thrive: the more work, the better. I definitely like to multi-task with different projects so it's right up my alley. I think I'm going enjoy a career in biglaw. I'm now seeing why my father so often said that working on 100-million-dollar corporate deals can be so addicting.Big Shrimpin wrote:
Having your own office/admin (some people get peeved at "secretary") isn't that uncommon. I like my single-office, but I wish I shared it with one of my fellow-SAs.
Also, if orientation wore you out, GL lasting more than 12-18 months as a 1/2nd-year.
- MrKappus
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:46 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
You cannot be serious. You managed to weave a sense of entitlement and family wealth into a narrative about your love of work on deals you won't run for a decade, if ever, and then combine it with predictions about how much you'll love a job you've done for a week and a half. It was, what's the word I'm looking for...ridiculous. HTH.Hoopster wrote:Why do you say that?
Enough about that. So that I'm not off-topic, was anyone else stunned by the lunch budget? It's glorious.
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- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:51 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
I really wonder about that. He sure doesn't act like he's rich. Our house is modest. We've never had a nanny or cleaning service. The family cars are at least 5 years old and they're definitely not Mercedes, BMW, or Lexus. I had to do chores or earn money if I want something like a Sony Playstation or iPad. Nothing was ever handed to us. We're more middle class than anything in a middle class neighborhood.Younger Abstention wrote:But if you don't, you always have your dad's fortune to fall back on...Hoopster wrote:Actually, orientation was very relaxing and informative. Besides, I can't be disappointing my father, who's a senior partner at a V5 in NYC, by wearing out already as a SA! In reality, I feel like I can thrive: the more work, the better. I definitely like to multi-task with different projects so it's right up my alley. I think I'm going enjoy a career in biglaw. I'm now seeing why my father so often said that working on 100-million-dollar corporate deals can be so addicting.Big Shrimpin wrote:
Having your own office/admin (some people get peeved at "secretary") isn't that uncommon. I like my single-office, but I wish I shared it with one of my fellow-SAs.
Also, if orientation wore you out, GL lasting more than 12-18 months as a 1/2nd-year.
-
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:51 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Sure, I'm serious. I've always wanted to be a lawyer for a big firm ever since I found out what my Dad does and he showed me around his offices and the people he worked with and the craziness and unpredictability of the deals they do. I look forward to the day I'll be presiding over those deals.MrKappus wrote:You cannot be serious. You managed to weave a sense of entitlement and family wealth into a narrative about your love of work on deals you won't run for a decade, if ever, and then combine it with predictions about how much you'll love a job you've done for a week and a half. It was, what's the word I'm looking for...ridiculous. HTH.Hoopster wrote:Why do you say that?
Enough about that. So that I'm not off-topic, was anyone else stunned by the lunch budget? It's glorious.
It sounds like biglaw isn't for you and you're projecting.
And I don't recall saying anything about family wealth. I haven't seen anything remotely wealthy in our upbringing, that's for sure.
Yeah, the lunch budget is awesome!
- MrKappus
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:46 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Fair enough, (wo?)man. I just thought it sounded a bit...off. I'm sure we'll all have great summer's, and I don't think I, or anyone, knows biglaw's for them until maybe 3rd or 4th year. But starting to find out the answer to that question is a big part of what this summer's all about. No question. That and endless schmoozin' with the higher-ups.Hoopster wrote:Sure, I'm serious. I've always wanted to be a lawyer for a big firm ever since I found out what my Dad does and he showed me around his offices and the people he worked with and the craziness and unpredictability of the deals they do. I look forward to the day I'll be presiding over those deals.
It sounds like biglaw isn't for you and you're projecting.
And I don't recall saying anything about family wealth. I haven't seen anything remotely wealthy in our upbringing, that's for sure.
Yeah, the lunch budget is awesome!
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- Posts: 431113
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Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Two questions I've had this week:
1. How much initiative should I be taking to get more work if I have some downtime? My monday was spent doing about 5 hours of work, but a decent chunk of my day (~2-3 hours) was spent waiting for my supervising attorney to get back to me on the work i did. Yesterday, i was busy until lunch, but had nothing to do for my entire afternoon/evening (i've been staying to 6 in case something drops on my desk past 5pm). i couldnt take it anymore this morning and asked for more work, so now im at a still underwhelming two projects. i know the other SAs dont have that much work either, so i dont want to seem greedy, but i dont want to waste several hours a day doing nothing. suggestions?
2. how meticulous are you guys about billing time? do you subtract things like short breaks/conversations with coworkers? what about research/prep on nonlegal matters (i.e. figuring out your firm's database system in preparation for your project)? short breaks to perform admin duties (i.e. filling out a timesheet)?
also, because i had some downtime this week, i spent extra time going over the work i did and doing extra research (that ended up being fruitless) while waiting for the attorney to get back to me; i billed none of this, which leaves a pretty big gap in my day. my firm doesnt require that your hours add up to a certain number per week, but i dont want to appear lazy, especially when i made an effort to keep busy...
1. How much initiative should I be taking to get more work if I have some downtime? My monday was spent doing about 5 hours of work, but a decent chunk of my day (~2-3 hours) was spent waiting for my supervising attorney to get back to me on the work i did. Yesterday, i was busy until lunch, but had nothing to do for my entire afternoon/evening (i've been staying to 6 in case something drops on my desk past 5pm). i couldnt take it anymore this morning and asked for more work, so now im at a still underwhelming two projects. i know the other SAs dont have that much work either, so i dont want to seem greedy, but i dont want to waste several hours a day doing nothing. suggestions?
2. how meticulous are you guys about billing time? do you subtract things like short breaks/conversations with coworkers? what about research/prep on nonlegal matters (i.e. figuring out your firm's database system in preparation for your project)? short breaks to perform admin duties (i.e. filling out a timesheet)?
also, because i had some downtime this week, i spent extra time going over the work i did and doing extra research (that ended up being fruitless) while waiting for the attorney to get back to me; i billed none of this, which leaves a pretty big gap in my day. my firm doesnt require that your hours add up to a certain number per week, but i dont want to appear lazy, especially when i made an effort to keep busy...
- thesealocust
- Posts: 8525
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:50 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Always bill time you spend on something. Always. Every minute. Partners are in charge of writing off your time, not you. It's a part of business and you don't have to be sheepish.
With respect to downtime, welcome to the profession. The culture of the firm you're at will determine the answer to this. If you're expected to hustle for work as a summer, start hustling. If you're expected to funnel everything through coordinators and not rock the boat, enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time or do some training.
With respect to downtime, welcome to the profession. The culture of the firm you're at will determine the answer to this. If you're expected to hustle for work as a summer, start hustling. If you're expected to funnel everything through coordinators and not rock the boat, enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time or do some training.
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- Posts: 4249
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:23 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Ahem.thesealocust wrote:enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time
I prefer to call it "professional reading."
- Big Shrimpin
- Posts: 2470
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:35 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Ya. Days 2, 3, and 4 involved researching current events in the NYT and WSJ.Renzo wrote:Ahem.thesealocust wrote:enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time
I prefer to call it "professional reading."
On day 4, I went up to my associate mentor and was like, "bromanchula, I'm really bored and I just crushed every NY newspaper currently in circulation...I don't wanna sound like a gunnerish, douchey SA, but like, should I be worried about not having work yet?"
He smirked. "Bro, can you grab me some supplies from the supply room, or maybe a coffee?"
"Touche," I laughed.
"Dude, you're gonna be plenty busy this summer...and when you're not, enjoy that sht, cuz when you're a full-time associate, you'll wish you were an SA...cuz the only thing we really expect from you all are socialization skills and the ability to write better than a 10th-grader," he added.
This week, I'm fcking swamped. When it rains, it pours, but I love being an SA.
- DoubleChecks
- Posts: 2328
- Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:35 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
man how much i wish that conversation was verbatim -- i feel like i come off a bit too formal and inhibited at the firm...i dont really mean to, but i guess its safer to err on the side of caution...Big Shrimpin wrote:Ya. Days 2, 3, and 4 involved researching current events in the NYT and WSJ.Renzo wrote:Ahem.thesealocust wrote:enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time
I prefer to call it "professional reading."
On day 4, I went up to my associate mentor and was like, "bromanchula, I'm really bored and I just crushed every NY newspaper currently in circulation...I don't wanna sound like a gunnerish, douchey SA, but like, should I be worried about not having work yet?"
He smirked. "Bro, can you grab me some supplies from the supply room, or maybe a coffee?"
"Touche," I laughed.
"Dude, you're gonna be plenty busy this summer...and when you're not, enjoy that sht, cuz when you're a full-time associate, you'll wish you were an SA...cuz the only thing we really expect from you all are socialization skills and the ability to write better than a 10th-grader," he added.
This week, I'm fcking swamped. When it rains, it pours, but I love being an SA.
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- swc65
- Posts: 1003
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 11:27 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Big Shrimpin wrote:Ya. Days 2, 3, and 4 involved researching current events in the NYT and WSJ.Renzo wrote:Ahem.thesealocust wrote:enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time
I prefer to call it "professional reading."
On day 4, I went up to my associate mentor and was like, "bromanchula, I'm really bored and I just crushed every NY newspaper currently in circulation...I don't wanna sound like a gunnerish, douchey SA, but like, should I be worried about not having work yet?"
He smirked. "Bro, can you grab me some supplies from the supply room, or maybe a coffee?"
"Touche," I laughed.
"Dude, you're gonna be plenty busy this summer...and when you're not, enjoy that sht, cuz when you're a full-time associate, you'll wish you were an SA...cuz the only thing we really expect from you all are socialization skills and the ability to write better than a 10th-grader," he added.
This week, I'm fcking swamped. When it rains, it pours, but I love being an SA.
Enjoy the slow times!!! Take it from me- 1L SA who is still in the office waiting on someone to change a couple of words in one clause of a contract so I can go home for the evening.
- Big Shrimpin
- Posts: 2470
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:35 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
swc65 wrote:Big Shrimpin wrote:Ya. Days 2, 3, and 4 involved researching current events in the NYT and WSJ.Renzo wrote:Ahem.thesealocust wrote:enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time
I prefer to call it "professional reading."
On day 4, I went up to my associate mentor and was like, "bromanchula, I'm really bored and I just crushed every NY newspaper currently in circulation...I don't wanna sound like a gunnerish, douchey SA, but like, should I be worried about not having work yet?"
He smirked. "Bro, can you grab me some supplies from the supply room, or maybe a coffee?"
"Touche," I laughed.
"Dude, you're gonna be plenty busy this summer...and when you're not, enjoy that sht, cuz when you're a full-time associate, you'll wish you were an SA...cuz the only thing we really expect from you all are socialization skills and the ability to write better than a 10th-grader," he added.
This week, I'm fcking swamped. When it rains, it pours, but I love being an SA.
Enjoy the slow times!!! Take it from me- 1L SA who is still in the office waiting on someone to change a couple of words in one clause of a contract so I can go home for the evening.
Welll hey - at least you can megapoast on TLS in the meantime!
- OperaSoprano
- Posts: 3417
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:54 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
-
- Posts: 4249
- Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:23 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
I disagree. Plenty of biglaw types are interested in pro bono work. The young ones get billable credit for it, and the partners get good PR for making the younger ones do it.f7u12 wrote:The active interest you perceive is likely not voluntary.OperaSoprano wrote:Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
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- Stanford4Me
- Posts: 6240
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:23 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
I did a pro bono project during my first week that was assigned by an M&A Partner who was doing the work voluntarily. At my firm plenty of people are very happy about doing pro bono, especially in slow times (since we give unlimited credit).OperaSoprano wrote:Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
- OperaSoprano
- Posts: 3417
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:54 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
This is very cool and what I wondered about. Firms talk it up, from what I've heard, but I wondered if the opportunities were realistic for people just starting their careers. I would guess by the time someone is a partner, they wouldn't take on a pro bono project absent personal interest, if they could just delegate for PR purposes. Do you guys have direct contact with PI orgs, or is everything funneled through someone in the firm?Stanford4Me wrote:I did a pro bono project during my first week that was assigned by an M&A Partner who was doing the work voluntarily. At my firm plenty of people are very happy about doing pro bono, especially in slow times (since we give unlimited credit).OperaSoprano wrote:Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
- Stanford4Me
- Posts: 6240
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:23 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Based on my limited understanding of our pro bono set-up, we have a partnership with the city volunteer association. I think this is where the bulk of our pro bono work filters through, though I know that it is not the only way attorneys can receive/complete pro bono work. Also, from my limited exposure it doesn't seem difficult at all for attorneys to do pro bono work. So long as you're completing your "for profit" projects, you're allowed to tackle pro bono issues - it is all an individual assessment of how much time you do or don't have. I have also heard stories of attorneys working together and Filling the Void in the event that one of them is unable to make a hearing, depo, etc.OperaSoprano wrote:
This is very cool and what I wondered about. Firms talk it up, from what I've heard, but I wondered if the opportunities were realistic for people just starting their careers. I would guess by the time someone is a partner, they wouldn't take on a pro bono project absent personal interest, if they could just delegate for PR purposes. Do you guys have direct contact with PI orgs, or is everything funneled through someone in the firm?
Edit: I know that our firm is a really big pro bono firm, I don't know how other firms in the city are, though.
- OperaSoprano
- Posts: 3417
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:54 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Good stuff! It seems like a win win thing for everyone, because you guys also get to work directly with clients as SAs and first years. That was a big part of the PI draw for me. It's a kind of training that the firm probably is happy about as well.Stanford4Me wrote:Based on my limited understanding of our pro bono set-up, we have a partnership with the city volunteer association. I think this is where the bulk of our pro bono work filters through, though I know that it is not the only way attorneys can receive/complete pro bono work. Also, from my limited exposure it doesn't seem difficult at all for attorneys to do pro bono work. So long as you're completing your "for profit" projects, you're allowed to tackle pro bono issues - it is all an individual assessment of how much time you do or don't have. I have also heard stories of attorneys working together and filling the void in the event that one of them is unable to make a hearing, depo, etc.OperaSoprano wrote:
This is very cool and what I wondered about. Firms talk it up, from what I've heard, but I wondered if the opportunities were realistic for people just starting their careers. I would guess by the time someone is a partner, they wouldn't take on a pro bono project absent personal interest, if they could just delegate for PR purposes. Do you guys have direct contact with PI orgs, or is everything funneled through someone in the firm?
Edit: I know that our firm is a really big pro bono firm, I don't know how other firms in the city are, though.
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- Big Shrimpin
- Posts: 2470
- Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2008 12:35 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
OperaSoprano wrote:Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
I got a pro-bono assignment during my second week. It was a typical legal research assignment, however.
- Blindmelon
- Posts: 1708
- Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:13 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
I got a pro bono client and was told my hearing was in 1 week "good luck." Interesting, but terrifying being the only person on a case.Big Shrimpin wrote:OperaSoprano wrote:Q for the people in biglaw-- do many of you have pro bono assignments? My organization sent me to a training at a firm for its SAs, and it was really cool to see how many biglaw people took an active interest in doing essentially what I'll be doing this summer. I am also very favorably surprised by the level of autonomy I have-- I guess I didn't quite expect that I would get to do substantive work, rather than simply endless research.
Glad to see people are enjoying and getting to keep a decent pace.
I got a pro-bono assignment during my second week. It was a typical legal research assignment, however.
- Other25BeforeYou
- Posts: 503
- Joined: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:19 pm
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
At my firm at least you only bill when you're working on something for a client, not for getting coffee or having non-work-related chats with coworkers or responding to e-mails that aren't about a specific client (which is half of what the poster seemed to be asking).thesealocust wrote:Always bill time you spend on something. Always. Every minute. Partners are in charge of writing off your time, not you. It's a part of business and you don't have to be sheepish.
With respect to downtime, welcome to the profession. The culture of the firm you're at will determine the answer to this. If you're expected to hustle for work as a summer, start hustling. If you're expected to funnel everything through coordinators and not rock the boat, enjoy your highly compensated WSJ time or do some training.
But if it takes you longer to do something because you're trying to figure out a system you haven't used before, definitely bill for the whole time. Partners will adjust that if it's billed to the client.
-
- Posts: 431113
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: SA-ing.....starting tomorrow
Does anyone else kind of hate being a SA? I am constantly on edge and stressing out about disappointing people with my work product... I cannot wait to be back in school without this constant sick feeling of being evaluated and coming up short.
Seriously? What are you waiting for?
Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!
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