Put on Probation Biglaw V50 Forum

[Anonymous User]

1st year at V50. Was just officially put on probation. They claimed it was not a 3 month to find a new job thing, but a 3 month probation, where if I am doing well I can stay.

1. FML

2. Anyone ever hear of this move?

3. I am going to all I can to stay, but if for some reason I am not improving, do you think they will give me 3 months to find a new job after the 3 months of probation?

4. Any advice?

[Avian]

What were you doing that got you into this position? Is the firm otherwise healthy?

[JusticeJackson]

.

[Anonymous User]

1. I'm sorry to hear that--that's pretty awful

2. I've never heard of probation--only the "it's not gonna work--you have 3 months to find something" move

3. It doesn't matter (see #4 below). You need to start looking immediately.

4. I would just start looking. Your career at that firm is probably done if they went out of their way to put you on probation. Start looking. Is there another market you can lateral to? Or switch practice groups from lit to trans or vice versa? You either need to be moving markets or moving practice groups for a switch this early on to make sense--so decide which of those you would rather do.

[smaug]

Shit sucks. Good luck. Were you hitting your hours?

[Anonymous User]

I'm the above poster. I honestly disagree with JusticeJackson that you should work long hours or w/e at the current firm. Focus all your energy on getting out ASAP.

[tyroneslothrop1]

Let's hear the details. What have you been doing wrong? Probably best to start looking for another job. May be able to get out before the three month probation period ends. I would not be surprised if they've already decided to terminate you at the end of the three months, irrespective of your performance in the interim. Either way, your career at this firm is sunk.

[bear patrol]

Sorry that this happening and I hope everything works out. I would start applying for lateral positions and reaching out to recruiters (or more likely responding to the recruiters who have reached out to you). I am guessing you are pretty marketable for other big firms coming from your position.

As a fellow biglaw first year, I have not heard of this happening at my firm. It may indicate that the firm is heading south and probably a more of a reflection of the firm's finances than your work (assuming of course).

In the meantime, do you have any guesses as to why the firm did this? I would try to isolate those "problems" if there are any, seek out feedback from partners, and try to correct those issues to make the next 3 months bearable. And I would be applying to as many firms as possible.

[Desert Fox]

I'm the above poster. I honestly disagree with JusticeJackson that you should work long hours or w/e at the current firm. Focus all your energy on getting out ASAP.

Disagree. You gotta do both. If your choice is spending 2 hours job hunt or 2 hours billing, you do both and get 2 hours less sleep.

OP definitely needs to leave ASAP, but ASAP for a first year might take a lot more than 3 months. If they suspect he is winging it, they'll fire him after 3 months, and I'm not sure he'll get a severance period. Getting fired without the 3 months "find a job" thing could be a disaster.

I wouldn't assume this had anything to do with firm finances. Some partner fucking hates your guts.

[Anonymous User]

1st year at V50. Was just officially put on probation. They claimed it was not a 3 month to find a new job thing, but a 3 month probation, where if I am doing well I can stay.

1. FML

2. Anyone ever hear of this move?

3. I am going to all I can to stay, but if for some reason I am not improving, do you think they will give me 3 months to find a new job after the 3 months of probation?

4. Any advice?

1. Correct

2. Not an official "probation," but I had a similar talk with a partner once. Same sort of stuff - you need to shape up, etc. I asked him directly if this was really a message that I was being told to look around and find a job, and he said no. Well, it was, because when I got the real talk he referenced the first one and said I should have been looking the whole time. Luckily I was not a first year, though I do know some first years who were fired. It happens, and it sucks.

3. Maybe, maybe not. I didn't after my "probation". You can't bank on getting a full 3 months. If this is a type of firm that fires first years, it isn't going to be the type of firm to give you a long amount of time to find a job.

4. Start looking now. Start applying to jobs you really want first, because you do have some time. Not a lot, but enough that you don't need to cast the widest net possible and end up stuck at a place that you don't like just because they moved first. You need to have some amount of urgency, though, since lateraling can take time depending on your background, your experience, the market, your story, etc. The market isn't insane right now but it isn't dead either. Based on my experience and the experience of some friends it varies wildly from person to person. Whatever you do, do NOT waste too much of your time in a futile attempt to stay. It won't work.

Also advice: never trust your current firm when it comes to matters about your continued employment. These and other forums are littered with stories of associates trusting partners about their status (whether it's firing, partnership chances, etc.) only to be lied to, misled, have circumstances change, etc. Despite what was told to you, I would very much assume you are going to be fired and nothing you can do will change that. The only thing that may change that is a sudden, unexpected uptick in work flow.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, poor mid year review - quality of work was only thing they focused on. I believe I have a great attitude, no one once mentioned anything about attitude.

[rpupkin]

OP here, poor mid year review - quality of work was only thing they focused on. I believe I have a great attitude, no one once mentioned anything about attitude.

Two things:

First, JusticeJackson's advice upthread is excellent. Follow it.

Second, and relatedly, your poor mid-year review could be a symptom of JusticeJackson's point #4.

[Anonymous User]

I'm the above poster. I honestly disagree with JusticeJackson that you should work long hours or w/e at the current firm. Focus all your energy on getting out ASAP.

Disagree. You gotta do both. If your choice is spending 2 hours job hunt or 2 hours billing, you do both and get 2 hours less sleep.

OP definitely needs to leave ASAP, but ASAP for a first year might take a lot more than 3 months. If they suspect he is winging it, they'll fire him after 3 months, and I'm not sure he'll get a severance period. Getting fired without the 3 months "find a job" thing could be a disaster.

I wouldn't assume this had anything to do with firm finances. Some partner fucking hates your guts.

I think it depends on how everyone else is doing. If a bunch of juniors are slow, it's probably an economic layoff. If everyone is really busy but OP got frozen out, (s)he probably pissed off the wrong person or screwed something up.

If the firm is very slow (and my old ~V50 was before I left) no amount of putting in time at the office and trying to scrape hours here and there will save him.