What should I hope to "get" out of this summer? Forum

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What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:08 am

SA in large NY firm. What should I hope to "get" out of this summer? I guess another way of asking it is, What should my goals be for this summer? #1 is obviously don't fuck up, but that's not really what I'm asking.

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Hutz_and_Goodman » Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:15 am

Talk to associates in different practice groups about what their day to day in that group is actually like.

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by NotMyRealName09 » Thu Apr 10, 2014 10:05 am

Try and get your hands on as wide a variety of different work as you can. Be proactive about it, tell whoever needs to know that you want broad exposure. Sometimes this isn't an option if your firm is hiring to fill a specific need in a specific group, but try and sample some litigation vs. transnational stuff. You want to learn what sort of work you HATE, so you don't get pigeonholed into doing it forever.

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84651846190

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by 84651846190 » Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:41 pm

If your firm historically has a 100% offer rate for SAs, use your time to figure out which partners/senior associates are assholes, which practices are busy/slow, who gives you good experience right out of the gate, who gives you client contact and who works people to death.

If your firm doesn't historically have a 100% offer rate, focus 100% of your energy on pleasing everyone and doing A+ work (i.e., work that is well done and on time).

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Stanford4Me » Thu Apr 10, 2014 3:42 pm

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:If your firm historically has a 100% offer rate for SAs, use your time to figure out which partners/senior associates are assholes, which practices are busy/slow, who gives you good experience right out of the gate, who gives you client contact and who works people to death.

If your firm doesn't historically have a 100% offer rate, focus 100% of your energy on pleasing everyone and doing A+ work (i.e., work that is well done and on time).
180.

Also, if the opportunity is available (I know every firm is different) dabble in various practices areas. I swore I would hate securities litigation but got thrown on a project and have loved it ever since.

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IAFG

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by IAFG » Thu Apr 10, 2014 5:14 pm

When I was a summer, associates told me about their fun projects, because that's what people naturally want to talk about. I wish I had asked someone to take me hour by hour through a typical week. And then maybe a bad one.

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Apr 12, 2014 7:16 pm

OP here, thanks for the responses. Aside from getting a sense of what different practices areas are like, is there anything else I should focus on?

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Old Gregg » Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:19 pm

Anonymous User wrote:OP here, thanks for the responses. Aside from getting a sense of what different practices areas are like, is there anything else I should focus on?

Getting to know people. Focus on being social in addition to producing whatever good work product you need to produce.

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Re: What should I hope to "get" out of this summer?

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:00 pm

Friendly bump.

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