Junior Associate Taking Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi,

I'm a bored first year in a large NYC firm with some time to kill. Happy to answer any questions that you might have about firm life, work, school, etc.

[15 styx]

Hi,

I'm a bored first year in a large NYC firm with some time to kill. Happy to answer any questions that you might have about firm life, work, school, etc.

JA here too. How long until you’re on a trial team… interview/visit clients… sit in depositions… handle a case with only minimal/moderate supervision?

(Actually, this question is for everyone who recently became a JA.)

[Anonymous User]

Hi,

I'm a bored first year in a large NYC firm with some time to kill. Happy to answer any questions that you might have about firm life, work, school, etc.

JA here too. How long until you’re on a trial team… interview/visit clients… sit in depositions… handle a case with only minimal/moderate supervision?

(Actually, this question is for everyone who recently became a JA.)

2nd year in a major market. Depends what you are working on. Smaller matters allow for more substantive experience I've found. Take advantage of pro bono opportunities and try to get staffed on cases where you are the only junior associate. You can interview clients and take depos your first year if you do these things.

[Anonymous User]

Hi,

I'm a bored first year in a large NYC firm with some time to kill. Happy to answer any questions that you might have about firm life, work, school, etc.

JA here too. How long until you’re on a trial team… interview/visit clients… sit in depositions… handle a case with only minimal/moderate supervision?

(Actually, this question is for everyone who recently became a JA.)

Hi, OP here. I'm in a transactional practice. Our practice group is a bit thin on midlevels which results in me being staffed on deals where it's just me and a senior or me and a partner. As such, I've had ample client contact opportunities.

[15 styx]

One reason I am curious is because I was recently in a deposition where one third year associate (at a V satellite firm) said that this was his first time. I found that odd. I have JA friends who have never been on a trial team. I am just curious how much different life is as a JA for those in BL versus large (but under 100 attorneys) firms. I work in a mid-ranked top ten market.

[Desert Fox]

One reason I am curious is because I was recently in a deposition where one third year associate (at a V satellite firm) said that this was his first time. I found that odd. I have JA friends who have never been on a trial team. I am just curious how much different life is as a JA for those in BL versus large (but under 100 attorneys) firms. I work in a mid-ranked top ten market.

I don't think doing your first depo as a third year is that uncommon in biglawl. Since cases are staffed absurdly, it is luck of the draw.

Most lit never goes to trial, so if you work on big matters, you can go absurdly long without going to trial. I know 5-6th years who have been to one trial and it was when they were a first year.

[bjblue01]

Question for OP: What practice group are you in and what has the learning curve been like so far?

[Anonymous User]

One reason I am curious is because I was recently in a deposition where one third year associate (at a V satellite firm) said that this was his first time. I found that odd. I have JA friends who have never been on a trial team. I am just curious how much different life is as a JA for those in BL versus large (but under 100 attorneys) firms. I work in a mid-ranked top ten market.

I don't think doing your first depo as a third year is that uncommon in biglawl. Since cases are staffed absurdly, it is luck of the draw.

Most lit never goes to trial, so if you work on big matters, you can go absurdly long without going to trial. I know 5-6th years who have been to one trial and it was when they were a first year.

i've been working for less than a year and have gone to trial and drafted sections of briefs (even one full brief) and other court docs (along with usual grunt work like research, etc.). i'm told it's because we don't get super-huge matters for super-big clients. makes sense. friends at higher-ranked V100 firms haven't done anything interesting.

[fats provolone]

yea but it's also mostly luck

[Anonymous User]

yea but it's also mostly luck

that too

[Anonymous User]

Question for OP: What practice group are you in and what has the learning curve been like so far?

Op here, I'm in the credit/banking group. Learning curve has been a bit intense - we are quite busy and lack some midlevels, leaving me with more substantive work than I probably would have gotten had we been fully staffed. I also get the sense that, since all the first years will be rotating out of the group in a few months, they do not offer as much formal training as they would to permanent banking associates. Be that as it may, I've found that most people here understand that I don't fully know what I am doing yet and are more than happy to explain things and/or (nicely) correct any mistakes.

[15 styx]

---friends at higher-ranked V100 firms haven't done anything interesting.

That’s what I am finding out through former classmates who are working in some version of BL. Their 9-5 day consists mainly of doc review. Some days I am envious and other days I am grateful that my day is slammed working various assignments with impressive and cordial partners.

[Anonymous User]

---friends at higher-ranked V100 firms haven't done anything interesting.

That’s what I am finding out through former classmates who are working in some version of BL. Their 9-5 day consists mainly of doc review. Some days I am envious and other days I am grateful that my day is slammed working various assignments with impressive and cordial partners.

Agreed, junior lit associates in my firm seem to do the most boring stuff for years.

[Anonymous User]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

[Anonymous User]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

Sounds somewhat bullshitty to me. Someone needs to do it and it's not going to be the senior who has a much higher fee. At the end of the day junior's hours are often the first to be highly discounted even in the top tier firms.

[Anonymous User]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

Sounds somewhat bullshitty to me. Someone needs to do it and it's not going to be the senior who has a much higher fee. At the end of the day junior's hours are often the first to be highly discounted even in the top tier firms.

The statement is that contract attorneys do the bulk of it.

[Desert Fox]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

I bet it is the exact opposite. They have the clients who will pay a junior to do all mundane shit, in fact, they'll pay for them to over do the mundane shit.

At least that is how it works in lit. My bro at a V5 did all doc review and I did maybe 100 hours for a contingency case. My cheap ass DLA piper clients aren't paying for me to doc review.

[Anonymous User]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

Sounds somewhat bullshitty to me. Someone needs to do it and it's not going to be the senior who has a much higher fee. At the end of the day junior's hours are often the first to be highly discounted even in the top tier firms.

The statement is that contract attorneys do the bulk of it.

Touche.

I guess it depends on the practice group and availability of contract attorneys. In my firm, juniors often do some of the same work as contract attorneys, especially on complex deals or when we're slow.

[fats provolone]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

Sounds somewhat bullshitty to me. Someone needs to do it and it's not going to be the senior who has a much higher fee. At the end of the day junior's hours are often the first to be highly discounted even in the top tier firms.

The statement is that contract attorneys do the bulk of it.

Touche.

I guess it depends on the practice group and availability of contract attorneys. In my firm, juniors often do some of the same work as contract attorneys, especially on complex deals or when we're slow.

who do you think babysits the contract attorneys?

[trbrny]

who do you think babysits the contract attorneys?

Their mommies.

[KidStuddi]

I've had interviews with different people at V5s who explained to me that their juniors (in transnational practices) do "less" mundane, due-diligencey type of work because of the V5's high fee structure.

This is complete bullshit, right?

Sounds somewhat bullshitty to me. Someone needs to do it and it's not going to be the senior who has a much higher fee. At the end of the day junior's hours are often the first to be highly discounted even in the top tier firms.

The statement is that contract attorneys do the bulk of it.

IME it's a bullshit statement. I'd wager we're about as expensive as anybody and our first and second years do all the DD. There're relatively few staff / contract attorneys in the corporate departments (as opposed to the 100+ in litigation doing doc review), and those that are housed in corporate groups typically do stuff like writing non-compete agreements or other rote, fill-in-the-blanks type exercises, not DDing multibillion dollar M&A deals.

[twenty 8]

Second year, large firm satellite office in top ten mkt. Obviously, this varies from week to week, but to generalize. 60% something somewhat interesting (meeting clients, conf calls, motions, depo, trial team, etc.). Of the remaining 40%.... two thirds research, remainder doc review. Comparable to your JA average week?

[fats provolone]

what is due diligence? like what does it consist of

[Anonymous User]

I have a question. I'm a first year. The huge case I've worked on since I started is over, and the other cases I've helped out with are slow right now. So I have nothing to do. My understanding is that things aren't too busy in the office right now. What should I do? Just be thankful for the down time and wait for things to pick up? Or go around asking for work?

[Desert Fox]

I have a question. I'm a first year. The huge case I've worked on since I started is over, and the other cases I've helped out with are slow right now. So I have nothing to do. My understanding is that things aren't too busy in the office right now. What should I do? Just be thankful for the down time and wait for things to pick up? Or go around asking for work?

Will these "other" cases take u to 2000 horas?

If yes, never ask.

If no, wait 2 weeks then ask. Unless there is a good case available now.