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Just curious if any other associates out there have noticed this amongst their SAs, but I get the distinct vibe that ours don't really remember/feel the weight of the recession the same way we did. I'm a first year, so not that far removed from the current summer class in terms of "age" (I took 5 years off after UG so I'm actually a couple years older) but every time I interact with them at events I'm blown away by how secure/generally not worried they all seem to be about their career prospects/"making it" in big law. My firm doesn't no-offer people so they don't have any real reason to be nervous, but my entire summer class (myself included) was so neurotic/paranoid I'm wondering if the additional distance from the recession might explain the difference in demeanor...thoughts?

I think that might be more because the SAs are sort of expected to be positive/confident when interacting with associates/partners. I bet they are more nervous/insecure when they are among themselves.

Interesting. Makes sense every year might make people a bit more cavalier. Many people in the law school class of 2017 were like sophomores in high school when Lehman collapsed right?

I do think it's probably got more to do with the specific personalities involved though.

My class has a pretty sharp split between K-JDs and "non-traditional" students. The K-JDs tend to be more cavalier and willing to actually enjoy the summer whereas the non-traditional students are more reserved. I wouldn't be surprised if all of us are still nervous and treating it as a summer-long interview, but the recession weighs heavier on the older people for sure.

Anonymous User wrote:I think that might be more because the SAs are sort of expected to be positive/confident when interacting with associates/partners. I bet they are more nervous/insecure when they are among themselves.

Yeah I was always cheerful and tried to be confident with everyone I met when I was an SA, but when I would talk with the other SAs in private we would still be getting paranoid and neurotic over the dumbest things.

An SA in my class didn't know law firms fired in droves only 7 years go.

Anonymous User wrote:An SA in my class didn't know law firms fired in droves only 7 years go.

Woah. That's actually outrageous.

bromance wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:An SA in my class didn't know law firms fired in droves only 7 years go.

Woah. That's actually outrageous.

The SA's rebuttal, "but the partners here have been here for like 20+ years."