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Do big-firms provide you with office supplies and desk, or do they give you a budget to get your own.... I hope the latter: check out this bad boy
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/ikea-bekant-desk/

I figured the standing desk fad would be over

How does a standing desk work in your office, DF? Can you just request it?

Anonymous User wrote:How does a standing desk work in your office, DF? Can you just request it?

My firm is too cheap to give you one. But I've heard of others where you can request it.

But several people have bought their own.

not a fad DF they're pretty fucking great

yeah you look weird as shit but oh well

Some of the staff attorneys in our federal courthouse recently got fancy-schmancy, adjustable standing desks because of the whole use-it-or-lose-it approach to the annual budget. (A few of those attorneys said "thanks, but no thanks," but the desks were forced upon them anyway. Because federal budget.) They are pretty sweet. Now they can deny habeas petitions while standing in Tree.

Ron Don Volante wrote:not a fad DF they're pretty fucking great

yeah you look weird as shit but oh well

Any chance you can get your firm to pay for the standing desk b/c being unable to sit down for 12 hours is a disability?

I don't know about firms, but in the federal government if you can get your doctor to certify that you need a standing desk for your back, they'll buy you a nice one.

mvp99 wrote:

Ron Don Volante wrote:not a fad DF they're pretty fucking great

yeah you look weird as shit but oh well

Any chance you can get your firm to pay for the standing desk b/c being unable to sit down for 12 hours is a disability?

1L so IDK; had one at my pre-ls job

My firm just bought everyone adjustable standing desks and it's like a little bit of Heaven reached down and touched the Earth ever so gently.

Everyone I know with adjustable desks use it for like 3 weeks and then slowly stop. After 2 months it might as well be always down.

This seems relevant - some current thoughts on the benefits of standing at work:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/health ... avi,37957/

We have adjustable standing desks by default in some offices, not in others. It's a bit random. The firm will buy you one if your office doesn't have one, but you have to provide a doctor's note saying you are physically able to stand up for at least 11 hours straight (which is hilarious).

If you can, get a desk you can motor up and down. Sometimes you just don't want to sit down and sometimes you just don't want to stand. But being able to choose either is the greatest thing.

Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

catinthewall wrote:Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

Bar certificate and JD are weird. Every attorney has them, and you're not a doctor trying to impress laypeople in your office every day. The only people who will visit your office are other lawyers and other law firm employees. Different story I guess if you're at a small firm where you actually do get laypeople in to discuss their will or something on a regular basis. Everything else mentioned is normal.

whats so great about a standing desk? seems dumb

Ron Mexico wrote:whats so great about a standing desk? seems dumb

Don't you have to chop your own wood in winter or something? You probably don't need one, but sitting for 8 hours every day isn't good for you.

And I would say about 80% of people in my government office have their law school diplomas and bar admissions framed in their office. Most federal judges whose chambers I've seen do, too.

Anonymous User wrote:

catinthewall wrote:Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

Bar certificate and JD are weird. Every attorney has them, and you're not a doctor trying to impress laypeople in your office every day. The only people who will visit your office are other lawyers and other law firm employees. Different story I guess if you're at a small firm where you actually do get laypeople in to discuss their will or something on a regular basis. Everything else mentioned is normal.

Almost every person in biglaw and in government has their diploma and bar certificate on the wall. It's not weird but rather the norm. It has nothing to do with trying to impress people (for most people)--it's about being a part of a profession. Even very senior partners usually have it up on the wall. Although it's also perfectly fine not to have it if you prefer.

I don't think I ever actually opened my bar certificate. Pretty sure it's still in the mailing tube.

Anonymous User wrote:

catinthewall wrote:Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

Bar certificate and JD are weird. Every attorney has them, and you're not a doctor trying to impress laypeople in your office every day. The only people who will visit your office are other lawyers and other law firm employees. Different story I guess if you're at a small firm where you actually do get laypeople in to discuss their will or something on a regular basis. Everything else mentioned is normal.

Every office I went into during callbacks had their JD on the wall at least, many had bar certificates as well. I never thought of it as "trying to impress" anyone, just seems the norm for any profession requiring advanced degrees.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

catinthewall wrote:Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

Bar certificate and JD are weird. Every attorney has them, and you're not a doctor trying to impress laypeople in your office every day. The only people who will visit your office are other lawyers and other law firm employees. Different story I guess if you're at a small firm where you actually do get laypeople in to discuss their will or something on a regular basis. Everything else mentioned is normal.

Almost every person in biglaw and in government has their diploma and bar certificate on the wall. It's not weird but rather the norm. It has nothing to do with trying to impress people (for most people)--it's about being a part of a profession. Even very senior partners usually have it up on the wall. Although it's also perfectly fine not to have it if you prefer.

I work in biglaw and have never seen a diploma or bar certificate on the wall. Maybe this is a regional thing?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

catinthewall wrote:Somewhat related:

What do you bring in to have in your office? I don't have much in my current office, but it's a clerkship, so I am only here for a little while. I'm thinking ahead to my next office in NYC. Should I bring my framed JD and bar wall certificate? Books? Art? Plants? Thanks in advance.

Bar certificate and JD are weird. Every attorney has them, and you're not a doctor trying to impress laypeople in your office every day. The only people who will visit your office are other lawyers and other law firm employees. Different story I guess if you're at a small firm where you actually do get laypeople in to discuss their will or something on a regular basis. Everything else mentioned is normal.

Almost every person in biglaw and in government has their diploma and bar certificate on the wall. It's not weird but rather the norm. It has nothing to do with trying to impress people (for most people)--it's about being a part of a profession. Even very senior partners usually have it up on the wall. Although it's also perfectly fine not to have it if you prefer.

I work in biglaw and have never seen a diploma or bar certificate on the wall. Maybe this is a regional thing?

I'm going to BigFed (DOJ) in NYC, not BigLaw. Sounds like it varies from office-to-office. Guess I'll wait and see what the other attorneys have when I get there. Thanks!

I'd like to put my JD and bar admission in my office, but I've been too cheap to get them framed. Mostly because there isn't anywhere else I'd like to put them (I certainly don't want them up in my home).

I think most attorneys I've seen have their diplomas on the wall, in firms and in government. Academia too, now that I think about it.
Not sure about bar certificates.

I probably wouldn't bother if I were there just for a year clerkship, though.