Staying on Part-Time after SA? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I know a patent dude who did this w/ the firm he's at now during his 3L year, and maybe 2L as well (he summered there as a 1L, not sure if he actually worked PT during 2L). Lower secondary market biglaw.

I wish my firm was in the same city as my school, I'd for sure ask and couch it in terms of wanting to get more experience/better at what I do.

[Anonymous User]

Midlaw (general practice) firms in my home state offer this all the time. My firm keeps summers on part time, but I unfortunately go to school out of state, which sucks because I'm pretty sure those kids are making good money (and going to a cheaper school).

[Anonymous User]

Partner at the firm I SA'd for worked at Cravath part-time his 3L year and got paid per hour based on first year associate salary. He said it was the most money per hour he's ever made in his life, and I was jelly as fuck.

[Anonymous User]

This seems absolutely ridiculous if its a firm like Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk, Kirkland....etc etc etc...

But if it is a smaller boutique firm, it is not ridiculous at all. They will probably be utilizing your much more than a biglaw firm, and they may appreciate your willingness to continue working.

I summered at one of the above named firms and was offered to work part-time during 3L.

Know others who worked at V10s with similar offers.

Just to be clear: In all cases I know, no one asked for or expected it. It was offered to them.

[Anonymous User]

This seems absolutely ridiculous if its a firm like Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk, Kirkland....etc etc etc...

But if it is a smaller boutique firm, it is not ridiculous at all. They will probably be utilizing your much more than a biglaw firm, and they may appreciate your willingness to continue working.

I was offered to do so at s&c/DPW/stb; though it's only a if-work-comes-up kind of thing. I was too busy with school and enjoying 3L year to pursue it though. It really doesn't hurt to ask.

[Anonymous User]

I know for a fact that Quinn does this (they mentioned it during my CB).

[Anonymous User]

friend of mine does this at a midlaw firm for $50/hr working 10 hours a week. $500 bucks extra a week when 3L is a total joke? I'd take it!

[TXIPLitigator]

...

[Anonymous User]

Those of u who got paid hourly- was it hourly or per billable bour?

[MrAnon]

Don't do this. It can only hurt you, never helps you. Basically you'll work for 2 months of the semester then panic when exams roll around and want to flee when you remember you have to keep your grades up to stay employed.

[IAFG]

Don't do this. It can only hurt you, never helps you. Basically you'll work for 2 months of the semester then panic when exams roll around and want to flee when you remember you have to keep your grades up to stay employed.

...as a 3L?!

[Renzo]

Don't do this. It can only hurt you, never helps you. Basically you'll work for 2 months of the semester then panic when exams roll around and want to flee when you remember you have to keep your grades up to stay employed.

...as a 3L?!

Fuck, I hope not. I'll be luck just to get grades of any sort.

[IAFG]

Don't do this. It can only hurt you, never helps you. Basically you'll work for 2 months of the semester then panic when exams roll around and want to flee when you remember you have to keep your grades up to stay employed.

...as a 3L?!

Fuck, I hope not. I'll be luck just to get grades of any sort.

Also if you're doing good work for the firm while in school then turn out shit grades it's hard to imagine a firm kicking you to the curb for it.

[c3pO4]

Don't do this. It can only hurt you, never helps you. Basically you'll work for 2 months of the semester then panic when exams roll around and want to flee when you remember you have to keep your grades up to stay employed.

...as a 3L?!

Fuck, I hope not. I'll be luck just to get grades of any sort.

Also if you're doing good work for the firm while in school then turn out shit grades it's hard to imagine a firm kicking you to the curb for it.

my 1L firm told me they wanted me to keep working for them, and joked that they hoped it would tank my grades so I wouldn't go somewhere else through OCI as a 2L.

it was cool and terrifying at the same time

[Anonymous User]

This seems absolutely ridiculous if its a firm like Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk, Kirkland....etc etc etc...

But if it is a smaller boutique firm, it is not ridiculous at all. They will probably be utilizing your much more than a biglaw firm, and they may appreciate your willingness to continue working.

Not absolutely ridiculous at all. I was a summer associate at one of the three firms you just mentioned, and stayed on part-time as a law clerk during my 3L year. It was a firm-wide program, maybe about 10-20 people a year. Paid $80/hour. I came into the office once a week and worked from home the rest of the time; I did substantive first year work, supervised of course, like legal research and some technology analysis (I did IP lit). Program got canned during the downturn, but I know we were looking to bring a few in this year again.

[Anonymous User]

http://www.edwardswildman.com/professio ... orney=1034

he summered at this firm as 1L, summered at antoher firm as 2L, but worked part-time at this firm in his second and third years.

[Anonymous User]

http://www.edwardswildman.com/professio ... orney=1034

he summered at this firm as 1L, summered at antoher firm as 2L, but worked part-time at this firm in his second and third years.

Those are killer eyebrows! I hope my fellow associates at the intentional firm I will be working for are just as awesome.

[Anonymous User]

haha.

this guy is likeable in person. good, but not great credentials.

[los blancos]

I know I may be jumping the gun on this slightly, but always good to think ahead, right?

Anyway, I have a SA job lined up at a fairly large IP Boutique with market pay in the same city I am going to school. When school kicks back into gear next fall (assuming I get a full time offer), is it appropriate for me to ask the firm if I can stay on part-time through the fall/spring? When are these kinds of arrangements typically made? What would a reasonable hourly rate be? (I can't imagine it would be anywhere near what the summer pay is)

Whether or not there is work to be done will vary from firm to firm, but who should be the one (me or the firm) to ask the other about part time work? Is it common for 3Ls to stay on part time with their firms through their last year of school, or do they not want to see you again until after you have passed the BAR?

It's almost unheard of, and you should neither ask nor expect it. As a summer, you (and everyone else, don't take it personally) are a huge fucking waste of salary. They pay you over the summer so that you'll come back after the bar, not because you are contributing any real value.

I used to think this was the case until I heard through our career services about a firm that had taken on 2L SAs that it knew weren't going to meet its cutoff for a full time hire.

No idea what to make of that.