Top Law Schools

What is the work environment like in a biglaw firm?

I always imagined them to be hustling and bustling, with lots of interaction between the attorneys and working in teams (probably more so in certain practice areas than others).

However, everytime I visit a law firm (interview) it's very quiet. Each attorney is in their own office doing their own thing. Maybe my view of what a firm is like is totally off but I find it very surprising.

My previous employment had a shared open workspace (no cubicles... think "The Office"). Sure it had its disadvantages but working with coworkers and being able to interact made the day go by so much faster. Also, those who didn't want to work with others were able to work alone.

Not saying I want to interact 24/7 but every firm I've been in, the attorney is sitting quietly in his desk in front of the computer. Not what I imagined working a firm is like, especially when you're working 80 hours a week.


Just curious about your inputs

why would people working 80 hours a week want to prolong their time in the office any longer by interacting with their coworkers more than they had to

Your view of firms being team-based or hustle/bustle is incorrect for every firm I've been in (DC mainly).

Associates sit in their offices and read/review documents, search for things on westlaw, and write memos or portions of larger memos. Meetings with other associates and partners are brief and rushed so that you can get back to your documents and westlaw.

Law firm work consists of 95% sitting alone in an office all day. You'll probably write/reply to upwards of 150-200 emails a day. You'll spend a great deal of time filing emails into various folders and responding to partners with catch phrases like "will do," and "I'll get right on it." You'll also inexplicably write "Thanks" at the end of emails. At first you'll start to think this is weird, but eventually the novelty will fade into drudgery and you'll be too sad/tired/upset to think about why you do this.

Occasionally you'll participate in conference calls, which is by far the most entertaining part of the job. You'll hear things like barking in the background, or a kid screaming, and you'll smile to yourself because it's easier then contemplating how the fuck you would up in this line of work in the first place.

Anonymous User wrote:Law firm work consists of 95% sitting alone in an office all day. You'll probably write/reply to upwards of 150-200 emails a day. You'll spend a great deal of time filing emails into various folders and responding to partners with catch phrases like "will do," and "I'll get right on it." You'll also inexplicably write "Thanks" at the end of emails. At first you'll start to think this is weird, but eventually the novelty will fade into drudgery and you'll be too sad/tired/upset to think about why you do this.

Occasionally you'll participate in conference calls, which is by far the most entertaining part of the job. You'll hear things like barking in the background, or a kid screaming, and you'll smile to yourself because it's easier then contemplating how the fuck you would up in this line of work in the first place.

The practice of law, at least for litigation, seems to be "95% sitting alone in an office all day." Does this ever get better? The nature of the work is something that's been bothering me already...even the partners at my firm, when they're not in court or mediation, spend most of their days just grinding away at their desks. The whole experience is very lonely.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Law firm work consists of 95% sitting alone in an office all day. You'll probably write/reply to upwards of 150-200 emails a day. You'll spend a great deal of time filing emails into various folders and responding to partners with catch phrases like "will do," and "I'll get right on it." You'll also inexplicably write "Thanks" at the end of emails. At first you'll start to think this is weird, but eventually the novelty will fade into drudgery and you'll be too sad/tired/upset to think about why you do this.

Occasionally you'll participate in conference calls, which is by far the most entertaining part of the job. You'll hear things like barking in the background, or a kid screaming, and you'll smile to yourself because it's easier then contemplating how the fuck you would up in this line of work in the first place.

The practice of law, at least for litigation, seems to be "95% sitting alone in an office all day." Does this ever get better? The nature of the work is something that's been bothering me already...even the partners at my firm, when they're not in court or mediation, spend most of their days just grinding away at their desks. The whole experience is very lonely.

I can see that in lit but what about transactional?
This is very depressing. Not at all what I expected. But I guess most work places are like this.

Post removed.

mornincounselor wrote:Actually sounds like heaven. Work, work, work, bill, bill, bill. No interruptions; gotta get that bonus, gotta get the firm that $$.

how did i know u were an 0L

How central is the phone? What percentage of the work are you guys usually able to do with headphones in?

I would appreciate being able to burn through some tunes while doing doc review or diligence.

You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

Cogburn87 wrote:You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

False. Keurig makes some really good coffee, depending on who makes the K-Cup.

Cogburn87 wrote:You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

180 post.

Cogburn87 wrote:You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

Doesn't seem like you're exaggerating much. At the end of the day, is the job worth it?

Keeping busy is usually not a way to ask if ur tarded bro, but to instead start a converstation about how biglaw sucks.

Desert Fox wrote:Keeping busy is usually not a way to ask if ur tarded bro, but to instead start a converstation about how biglaw sucks.

Understood. Will try to be more careful in the future. Thanks.

Cogburn87 wrote:You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

You sound more angsty about your coffee than biglaw, tbh.

sooo QOL Houston > NYC?

Anonymous User wrote:sooo QOL Houston > NYC?

Money wise? Sure. If you don't like the work, it won't matter all that much.

mornincounselor wrote:Actually sounds like heaven. Work, work, work, bill, bill, bill. No interruptions; gotta get that bonus, gotta get the firm that $$.

hhahahhaa

Maybe my practice and experiences are atypical (white collar investigations / antitrust), but I'd say my breakdown is closer to 15/20% social interactions and 85/80% solo work. The white collar part of my job seems to lend itself a lot to groups of people in a room trying to figure out wtf our clients did exactly and what we're going to do about it. There's also a fair amount of interviewing / preparing for interviews too, even as a junior associate. If that's the kind of "teamwork" you were looking for, maybe that's a practice you should try and break into.

I also don't hate my job nearly as much as most people here, maybe there's some correlation.

Cogburn87 wrote:You will spend the majority of your waking moments alone in your office, where you will perform tasks so glaringly meaningless that you will wonder just how stupid your client is to be willing to pay for the hours you bill. You will constantly daydream about having any other job. (Oh, look! The shoeshine guy is making his rounds. That doesn't seem like that bad of a job. At least he seems happy...) There is a distinct possibility that you will cry at your desk on a semi-regular basis, even on the days where no one yells at you.

When you do venture from your office, perhaps to get an unsatisfying cup of Keurig coffee, you will be accosted by coworkers who will prod you with questions such as "Keeping busy?" (the answer is yes, because if you're not overwhelmed with important drudgery it means there is something wrong with your work-product or with you, and there is nothing wrong with you, is there? You're not falling behind the other members of your class in hours, are you?); or "Any fun plans for the weekend" (no, because you no longer have any friends or hobbies, and what little free time you have is spent lying nearly comatose on the couch with the TV running unwatched because you simply don't have the energy to do anything else).

When you get back to your office with your cup of not-really-even-coffee, you will experience a sensation of crushing despair as you notice the little red flashing light on your Cisco phone: a partner you despise called you while you were out. A matter you are working on has just begun to "heat up" (translation: the partner had some work he was sitting on for the past few weeks because he thought he would be handle it himself, but now he can't). You will spend the weekend working at the office.

If this sounds profoundly alienating, it's because it is.

If this is surprising, it really shouldn't be. This has been a psychologically brutal and dehumanizing profession for quite some time.

bumping bc legit

mornincounselor wrote:Actually sounds like heaven. Work, work, work, bill, bill, bill. No interruptions; gotta get that bonus, gotta get the firm that $$.

Cool Suits avatar! you sound fun

i read cogburn's post to my girlfriend and was laughing throughout.

man, gotta love being a lawyer. and sometimes you must laugh to keep from crying.

Anonymous User wrote:Law firm work consists of 95% sitting alone in an office all day. You'll probably write/reply to upwards of 150-200 emails a day. You'll spend a great deal of time filing emails into various folders and responding to partners with catch phrases like "will do," and "I'll get right on it." You'll also inexplicably write "Thanks" at the end of emails. At first you'll start to think this is weird, but eventually the novelty will fade into drudgery and you'll be too sad/tired/upset to think about why you do this.

Occasionally you'll participate in conference calls, which is by far the most entertaining part of the job. You'll hear things like barking in the background, or a kid screaming, and you'll smile to yourself because it's easier then contemplating how the fuck you would up in this line of work in the first place.

Are you me? This is SPOT THE FUCK ON.

MidW13 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Law firm work consists of 95% sitting alone in an office all day. You'll probably write/reply to upwards of 150-200 emails a day. You'll spend a great deal of time filing emails into various folders and responding to partners with catch phrases like "will do," and "I'll get right on it." You'll also inexplicably write "Thanks" at the end of emails. At first you'll start to think this is weird, but eventually the novelty will fade into drudgery and you'll be too sad/tired/upset to think about why you do this.

Occasionally you'll participate in conference calls, which is by far the most entertaining part of the job. You'll hear things like barking in the background, or a kid screaming, and you'll smile to yourself because it's easier then contemplating how the fuck you would up in this line of work in the first place.

Are you me? This is SPOT THE FUCK ON.

Close, except I don't file my emails....I just search my outbox/inbox whenever I need something