PSA: Closed Doors Doesn't Matter Forum

[Old Gregg]

I see a lot posts here discounting firms on callback or follow-up interviews because a lot of attorneys have closed doors. For that, only one thing needs to be said:

Stop being an idiot and try to think harder.


People close their doors for many reasons. Me? I have a lot of foot traffic in the area. More importantly, I often get sensitive calls that even other attorneys shouldn't be listening to. It's way too cumbersome to start the call, get up, and shut the door rather than keep it shut the whole time.

Just because a door is shut, that doesn't mean that the attorneys are less willing to talk or help or whatever. I am more than happy to talk to anyone who knocks.

That is all.

[fatduck]

would you say that you WORK HARD, PLAY HARD?

[Old Gregg]

Fuck no. All I want is sleep.

[r6_philly]

Fuck no. All I want is sleep.

So do you get to sleep with your doors closed?

[Old Gregg]

Fuck no. All I want is sleep.

So do you get to sleep with your doors closed?

I'm sure some do, but I have a lot of coffee to stop that from happening to me.

[thelawyler]

Fuck no. All I want is sleep.

Do you WORK HARD SLEEP HARD?

[Morgan12Oak]

PSA: CLOSED DOORS MATTER

This thread is dumb. Closed doors is just one of many things that tells you about the culture of a firm, and its not dispositive, but nothing is, even if someone says they hate their firm.

If people tell you "most people close their doors" it tells you about their culture.

Oh and PSA: saying PSA before your thread doesn't make you seem less douchey.

[jd20132013]

PSA: CLOSED DOORS MATTER

This thread is dumb. Closed doors is just one of many things that tells you about the culture of a firm, and its not dispositive, but nothing is, even if someone says they hate their firm.

If people tell you "most people close their doors" it tells you about their culture.

Oh and PSA: saying PSA before your thread doesn't make you seem less douchey.

i think i'll trust a practicing biglaw attorney over a 2L

no offense, of course

[Anonymous User]

As a summer associate, open doors were great. Closed doors definitely would have cut back on how often I interacted with attorneys and other summers. I'm really glad I took it into consideration when making my choice on firms.

[Old Gregg]

Plenty of people socialize at my firm. Closed doors doesn't mean anything other than that you should knock. Anything else that inhibits you from interacting with another attorney is entirely self-inflicted.

[Anonymous User]

i think i'll trust a practicing biglaw attorney over a 2L

no offense, of course

Or, you know, different things matter to different people. You don't think I could find a practicing biglaw attorney who thinks that open doors are the greatest thing ever?

[fatduck]

As a summer associate, open doors were great. Closed doors definitely would have cut back on how often I interacted with attorneys and other summers. I'm really glad I took it into consideration when making my choice on firms.

open door firms must be extremely rare if you needed to post this anonymously


also, counterpoint: as a summer associate, if i went to go talk to another attorney, the status of their door meant nothing except that if the door was closed i'd glance in to see if they were on the phone. CHILLING EFFECTS.

[Morgan12Oak]

I obviously agree that theres points at where you need to close your door, but I'm just saying as a summer/first year, it would be nice to be at a firm where everyone has their door open by default, and when the door is closed that means that you should not enter because you are busy/on the phone.

It's easier/nicer not having to knock and take the chance that you're actually interrupting.

[Old Gregg]

LOL.

Figures some guys wouldn't get my point. It wasn't that people shouldn't take socialization into consideration. It was that there is no correlation between closed doors and said socialization, which is why that's a dumb factor to look at.

[fatduck]

It's easier/nicer not having to knock and take the chance that you're actually interrupting.

you're interrupting whether the door is open or closed.

[Old Gregg]

It's easier/nicer not having to knock and take the chance that you're actually interrupting.

Aspie alert?

If you were interrupting, the attorney would not respond to your knock. That's the point of the knock...

[Old Gregg]

As a summer associate, open doors were great. Closed doors definitely would have cut back on how often I interacted with attorneys and other summers. I'm really glad I took it into consideration when making my choice on firms.

open door firms must be extremely rare if you needed to post this anonymously


also, counterpoint: as a summer associate, if i went to go talk to another attorney, the status of their door meant nothing except that if the door was closed i'd glance in to see if they were on the phone. CHILLING EFFECTS.

To be fair, there are very few summer associates out there that are open doors.

[Morgan12Oak]

I wasn't talking about me, I'm just saying these are general reasons why closed doors might matter to some people.

PSA: people have different preferences

PSA: Am I speaking your language now? (edit: almost forgot the PSA)

[Anonymous User]

Plenty of people socialize at my firm. Closed doors doesn't mean anything other than that you should knock. Anything else that inhibits you from interacting with another attorney is entirely self-inflicted.

At my firm, open door = I'm free to talk / drop in if you have a question or want to chat; and closed door = I'm busy / don't disturb me. At your firm, closed door = I'm free to talk / I'm asleep / I'm working on something sensitive and you can't come in / I don't want to be disturbed / I'm out of the office. It just seems like the first system makes more sense to me. I also just think that open doors are less intimidating to very junior associates at the firm. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[Morgan12Oak]

Plenty of people socialize at my firm. Closed doors doesn't mean anything other than that you should knock. Anything else that inhibits you from interacting with another attorney is entirely self-inflicted.

At my firm, open door = I'm free to talk / drop in if you have a question or want to chat; and closed door = I'm busy / don't disturb me. At your firm, closed door = I'm free to talk / I'm asleep / I'm working on something sensitive and you can't come in / I don't want to be disturbed / I'm out of the office. It just seems like the first system makes more sense to me. I also just think that open doors are less intimidating to very junior associates at the firm. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

I don't even know what = the fuck you just said. And why you post something = incomprehensible anonymously is odd / weird / beta as fuck.

[Old Gregg]

And hence the purpose of the PSA:

Closed door does not mean you can't talk or that the associate doesn't want to be disturbed. Any inhibition you feel is entirely self-imposed, so drop it,

[jess]

.

[Old Gregg]

Does anyone ever knock?

Plenty.

[IAFG]

Who the fuck wants to work with their door open.

[Rurik]

Who the fuck wants to work with their door open.

Me. My assistant is right out the door and I can yell things to her without getting up. It's a very effective system.