Summer Associate Class of 2016 Forum

[Anonymous User]

Have no work for second work day in a row and dying of boredom

[BigZuck]

Try and find some enjoyment out of being paid $100 an hour to surf the internet

[Br3v]

For real, go invite a cool associate out to coffee presumably on the firm

[Anonymous User]

For real, go invite a cool associate out to coffee presumably on the firm

Should we be doing more of this if we have no work? Do associates get annoyed when summers email them asking to go to coffee or lunch lol. I find myself not wanting to be annoying.

[Anonymous User]

Have you guys been getting immediate feedback from your assigning attorneys?

Most of the work I've had so far has not involved all that much writing, but I just turned in an assignment that I have a sinking feeling about and would rather know sooner than later if I fucked it up.

[Anonymous User]

For real, go invite a cool associate out to coffee presumably on the firm

Should we be doing more of this if we have no work? Do associates get annoyed when summers email them asking to go to coffee or lunch lol. I find myself not wanting to be annoying.

Also a summer so grain of salt, but why would they mind (assuming they have time in their schedule)? They get to go outside for a bit and free (fancy) lunch.

[Anonymous User]

For real, go invite a cool associate out to coffee presumably on the firm

Should we be doing more of this if we have no work? Do associates get annoyed when summers email them asking to go to coffee or lunch lol. I find myself not wanting to be annoying.

I'm at a free assignment firm and the culture is all about asking attorneys to lunch/dinner and networking because you'll likely be more reliant on informal work assignments. We have a pretty decently high budget for them, so the attorneys can go to really nice places when they take the summers (esp for dinner). Win-win. So far the attorneys seem happy when summers ask, so it can't be that annoying.

[lavarman84]

For real, go invite a cool associate out to coffee presumably on the firm

Should we be doing more of this if we have no work? Do associates get annoyed when summers email them asking to go to coffee or lunch lol. I find myself not wanting to be annoying.

I doubt it. Why email though? Go ask them in person. I've found that a lot of attorneys at my firm want to do lunch with the summers.

Have no work for second work day in a row and dying of boredom

Enjoy it. I have too much work. If I were in your shoes, I'd use the downtime to go chat up lawyers at my firm and seek out meetings to sit in on.

[20160810]

Have you guys been getting immediate feedback from your assigning attorneys?

Most of the work I've had so far has not involved all that much writing, but I just turned in an assignment that I have a sinking feeling about and would rather know sooner than later if I fucked it up.

I've evaluated a number of summer associates, and I'll give you some advice. Don't just sit around waiting for feedback, especially positive feedback. Be very proactive about soliciting it. Next time you turn in an assignment via email, approach the partner in his or her office exactly one hour later. Sit down on the floor and say, without elaboration, "I'll leave when you praise me." They'll know what to do.

[Glasseyes]

I'm surprised anybody is doing work that's billed to a client at all. When I said "bill," we're just told to track the hours we're working and bill it to an SA acct #. I haven't done a single minute of work that actually earned the firm money. We're told that if we do work that's going to be billed to a client, the assigning attorney will let us know.

Dat tax doe.

Yeah, we "bill" to the extent we punch in some confusing SA codes to account for the endless non-work that swallows the day (basically send a ton of emails, schedule some lunches and coffee dates then inevitably reschedule them all when something comes up). It's like the Monopoly version of billing. I think it's really just to teach us the billing software and make us feel vaguely accountable for our time.

[20160810]

I'm surprised anybody is doing work that's billed to a client at all. When I said "bill," we're just told to track the hours we're working and bill it to an SA acct #. I haven't done a single minute of work that actually earned the firm money. We're told that if we do work that's going to be billed to a client, the assigning attorney will let us know.

Dat tax doe.

Yeah, we "bill" to the extent we punch in some confusing SA codes to account for the endless non-work that swallows the day (basically send a ton of emails, schedule some lunches and coffee dates then inevitably reschedule them all when something comes up). It's like the Monopoly version of billing. I think it's really just to teach us the billing software and make us feel vaguely accountable for our time.

To a certain degree summers are evaluated on billing, but it's definitely not a more-is-better kind of evaluation. A couple stories from a friend's firm:

1.) They had a summer who billed 54 hours on a relatively straightforward research memo. This went over poorly.

2.) Another summer obviously inflated his hours (e.g., he would bill 1.5 for interoffice conferences where the other party to said conference billed, if anything, like a .4). This too went over poorly.

Basically summer billing matters only insofar as you understand that it's something you need to do every day and you do it accurately and reasonably.

[gk101]

just ask for a reasonable estimate and work accordingly. If the partner doesn't tell you, I am sure other associates in the practice group can give you an idea.

[EzraFitz]

To reiterate the above, ask for coffee and usually lunch in person, just stop by. Maybe email for lunch if you're scheduling a day ahead, but just pop your head in. You'll either get a yes or a raincheck, no one will be pissed that you did.

[Tiago Splitter]

I'd appreciate if a summer asked me to lunch. Just leave it open ended because sometimes the associate has to say no but will always look to reschedule.

[20160810]

I'd appreciate if a summer asked me to lunch. Just leave it open ended because sometimes the associate has to say no but will always look to reschedule.

Ya I've never once said no or been put off by the request. At worst if I'm slammed I'll propose a rain check later in the week.

[2014]

I know of zero associates who are off put by either a lunch or coffee request in any form. They may feel bad if they repeatedly have to say no but it will be them feeling bad about their own schedule, not your effort.

[First Offense]

I know of zero associates who are off put by either a lunch or coffee request in any form. They may feel bad if they repeatedly have to say no but it will be them feeling bad about their own schedule, not your effort.

This - and if you're flexible they can be flexible too. Remember one guy that had to work through lunch but knew he was going to be done early, so we made it a dinner instead.

If they're too busy, they'll let you know, but everyone likes free food at nice restaurants.

[esrom55]

What happened here? Everyone so swamped with work that they have no time to post? Or more likely, is everyone else so saturated with fine wines and expensive dinners that they are physically unable to post?

[Anonymous User]

What happened here? Everyone so swamped with work that they have no time to post? Or more likely, is everyone else so saturated with fine wines and expensive dinners that they are physically unable to post?

We're at the party, and it's nice. No reason to invite anyone else.

[gaddockteeg]

I'd appreciate if a summer asked me to lunch. Just leave it open ended because sometimes the associate has to say no but will always look to reschedule.

Ya I've never once said no or been put off by the request. At worst if I'm slammed I'll propose a rain check later in the week.

Yep. Honestly, I think it's flattering. We're all full of ourselves so when you ask, it makes us feel like we're special and you look up to us.

[PennBull]

Invite me out to lunch because I'm too busy to think of it myself but I'll usually make time to have a free lunch as well

I don't think you're annoying unless you are actually annoying

[Anonymous User]

All this drinking is going to wear me out.

Meanwhile a fellow summer with a girlfriend hits on me incessantly while drunk and forgets it when sober...don't know how to approach that. At least he's cute?

[20160810]

All this drinking is going to wear me out.

Meanwhile a fellow summer with a girlfriend hits on me incessantly while drunk and forgets it when sober...don't know how to approach that. At least he's cute?

Blow him

[Slytherpuff]

It seems like everyone in my summer class has a significant other, I doubt we'll have any SA hookups here.

[Kratos]

All this drinking is going to wear me out.

Meanwhile a fellow summer with a girlfriend hits on me incessantly while drunk and forgets it when sober...don't know how to approach that. At least he's cute?

he probably doesn't forget