First-year Associate Taking Questions Forum

[Anonymous User]

6 months in at NLJ 250 firm doing corporate work in NYC. Went to T30 part-time. This site helped me immensely going through school, OCI, etc. Figured I would try and return the favor.

Ask me anything.

[Desert Fox]

Do you hate it yet.

[Anonymous User]

Do you hate it yet.

Some aspects of it. (OP)

[20170322]

When do you typically get into/leave the office? Weekends?

[Avian]

Went to T30 part-time.

GW? How did you find the transition to NY? What kind of work have you done so far (doc review, memos, something more substantive)?

[mvp99]

Do you hate it yet.

What aspects? if you hate work but like the money then you pretty much hate everything about it.

[Anonymous User]

When do you typically get into/leave the office? Weekends?

Most people get in at about 9:30-9:45. I usually get in 9:00 to enter my time from the previous day. Have been leaving between 6:45-7:30 most nights with the occasional 8 o'clock departure. Weekends have been pretty free so far. If I need to work late I usually go home at 7ish and finish up at home. Been a pleasant surprise so far on the hours front. (OP)

[Anonymous User]

Went to T30 part-time.

GW? How did you find the transition to NY? What kind of work have you done so far (doc review, memos, something more substantive)?

First couple of months was nothing really substantive. A lot of doc review, diligence, etc. Recently been getting more substantive, client contact, etc. I'm in a really small subset corporate group so that helps with the substantive end of it, although many time I feel like I have no idea what I am doing.

[Anonymous User]

Do you hate it yet.

What aspects? if you hate work but like the money then you pretty much hate everything about it.

Hate the fact that my firm is not the same as they showed me in the summer. I.e. In the summer every single thing is sugar-coated and once I started for real I realized that it is all about business, and they really couldn't care less for me as a person. (maybe I was being naive)

Another thing is if you get stuck on a deal with an unpleasant partner, it can have a serious effect on your life/sleep/etc. Need to get used to the fact that some people are just generally unpleasant.

Finally, the biggest issues are made over the smallest details. i.e. misplacing a comma or a little typo will be made out as if you made the biggest mistake in the world. (OP)

[mvp99]

Do you hate it yet.

What aspects? if you hate work but like the money then you pretty much hate everything about it.

Hate the fact that my firm is not the same as they showed me in the summer. I.e. In the summer every single thing is sugar-coated and once I started for real I realized that it is all about business, and they really couldn't care less for me as a person. (maybe I was being naive)

Another thing is if you get stuck on a deal with an unpleasant partner, it can have a serious effect on your life/sleep/etc. Need to get used to the fact that some people are just generally unpleasant.

Finally, the biggest issues are made over the smallest details. i.e. misplacing a comma or a little typo will be made out as if you made the biggest mistake in the world. (OP)

I'll try to keep my expectations low.

[Charger]

Do you hate it yet.

What aspects? if you hate work but like the money then you pretty much hate everything about it.

Hate the fact that my firm is not the same as they showed me in the summer. I.e. In the summer every single thing is sugar-coated and once I started for real I realized that it is all about business, and they really couldn't care less for me as a person. (maybe I was being naive)

If you don't mind sharing, can you explain a little? What have you heard or seen that makes you feel this way?

[Anonymous User]

Do you feel as if remaining in biglaw for the next 5+ or so years is possible/sustainable? If you have a SO, how has she/he reacted to the long work hours?

[Desert Fox]

Do you hate it yet.

What aspects? if you hate work but like the money then you pretty much hate everything about it.

Hate the fact that my firm is not the same as they showed me in the summer. I.e. In the summer every single thing is sugar-coated and once I started for real I realized that it is all about business, and they really couldn't care less for me as a person. (maybe I was being naive)

If you don't mind sharing, can you explain a little? What have you heard or seen that makes you feel this way?

Firms don't even pretend to care. Summer is literally wining and dinning

First day back for the real job, no welcome party. Just here is some shitty vids on not using the n word and there is your office. Someone will be in touch to give u work soon. kbye

[rpupkin]

First day back for the real job, no welcome party. Just here is some shitty vids on not using the n word and there is your office. Someone will be in touch to give u work soon. kbye

Sounds pretty sweet. I didn't even get the n-word video. Firm jumped straight to the "here's some work; do it" part.

Yeah kids, your summer experience does not resemble your experience as an actual associate, though your firm may tell you otherwise. Your summer associate experience prepares you for your junior associate experience in the same way that the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland prepares you for being boarded by armed Somali pirates in the middle of the ocean.

[dixiecupdrinking]

OP, your hours are more pleasant than almost any NYC corp associate I've ever heard of. What practice area?

[El Principe]

OP, since I'll be summering at a firm, what, if anything, should I do to get a better perspective on how the firm is for actual associates?

[desertlaw]

OP, since I'll be summering at a firm, what, if anything, should I do to get a better perspective on how the firm is for actual associates?

Not OP, but 2nd year associate at big firm. You should just get to know junior/mid-level associates. If you're at a big firm, there's bound to be 2-3 people that will be completely honest with you about the life. Don't ask them on your first lunch, but over time, you'll gain trust and relationships with these associates and then they'll shoot straight with you.

[Anonymous User]

OP, since I'll be summering at a firm, what, if anything, should I do to get a better perspective on how the firm is for actual associates?

Not OP, but 2nd year associate at big firm. You should just get to know junior/mid-level associates. If you're at a big firm, there's bound to be 2-3 people that will be completely honest with you about the life. Don't ask them on your first lunch, but over time, you'll gain trust and relationships with these associates and then they'll shoot straight with you.

This is great advice. Be careful who you trust but there should be people generally, doesn't mean they are unhappy, but associates that will be open with you about the actual environment.

My firm is not a terrible work environment by any means. My biggest mistake, not that I could have done anything about it, was that I expected it to feel like the summer program. the summer is totally not representative of real life at a firm. If you come in knowing that, you are already way ahead of where I was when I began. (OP)

[Anonymous User]

OP, your hours are more pleasant than almost any NYC corp associate I've ever heard of. What practice area?

Its a small subset of corporate/banking. I will not disclose because it will out me. From what it seems, since the work is mostly substantive, the more senior you are in my group the more intense the hours. Right now my knowledge base is limited, as a result so are my hours. I think. (OP)

[Anonymous User]

Do you feel as if remaining in biglaw for the next 5+ or so years is possible/sustainable? If you have a SO, how has she/he reacted to the long work hours?

I think it is sustainable because I feel like a big issue with being so junior is feeling incompetent. The more I understand whats going on the better I feel and the better my work is. As a result, I feel like a few years in I will feel even more confident, plus have more control over my matters. So yes, it feels sustainable, although blood pressure meds may be on the horizon if I/you end up working for certain partners or clients, but that's just the nature of the business.

To answer your other question, it has been an adjustment for my wife, but she gets the idea, so she has been supportive. Also, I try to leave at a normal time and work from home when I can, has definitely helped a lot. (OP)

[Saddle Up]

What is worse, being slammed 8A-10P and weekends, or suddenly having nothing to do?

[Anonymous User]

What is worse, being slammed 8A-10P and weekends, or suddenly having nothing to do?

I think as a first year the former is worse, because there is a general feeling, at least at my firm and I have heard from others, that you can be slow your first year and not be affected. Later on, I would imagine the latter option can be potentially scary. (OP)

[Desert Fox]

What is worse, being slammed 8A-10P and weekends, or suddenly having nothing to do?

I think as a first year the former is worse, because there is a general feeling, at least at my firm and I have heard from others, that you can be slow your first year and not be affected. Later on, I would imagine the latter option can be potentially scary. (OP)

It should be this way, but when you aren't busy your first year you don't realize you should just roll with it.

[Anonymous User]

What is worse, being slammed 8A-10P and weekends, or suddenly having nothing to do?

I think as a first year the former is worse, because there is a general feeling, at least at my firm and I have heard from others, that you can be slow your first year and not be affected. Later on, I would imagine the latter option can be potentially scary. (OP)

It should be this way, but when you aren't busy your first year you don't realize you should just roll with it.

I mean, when I have been slow I have asked for work. If nobody has work for me not sure what I can do about that. I imagine as you get more senior that feeling would suck. Enough senior associates have told me to enjoy the downtime while it lasts that I actually believe them. (OP)

[Worker and Parasite]

OP: how's your health been? (exercise/diet)