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I'm starting a Biglaw job soon. My longtime SO (5 years) is considering accepting a job on the west coast. We aren't trying to get married/engaged any time soon and don't live together.

My office is typically very laid back. Decent number of associates on PT schedules or who don't come into the office on Fridays. Once the new year hits, would it be unreasonable to ask if I could work 2 days a month in my firm's office in her city (probably a Friday and the following Monday). If it isn't per se unreasonable, what factors are gonna make it more/less reasonable (other than putting out good work product, obviously)?

This doesn't sound reasonable unless you're married or engaged. Even then, you need to have built up a lot of goodwill to ask for something like this.

It's very firm/culture dependent, but in my view it seems a little odd to try to make it an official thing (i.e. someone official at the firm emailing you that they've agreed that you can work "18 days a month in the office in NYC, 2 days a month in LA"). More commonly, you'll probably find that it's perfectly fine and acceptable for you to get a guest office out there for a few days a month, and tell anyone back in NYC, "I'll be working from the LA office for the rest of the week, here's the number if you need to reach me." No one really bats an eye at that kind of thing.

That informal strategy is probably what I'd recommend pursuing. If, however, your SO was taking that job temporarily (e.g. a clerkship) and was your fiancé, I'd feel more comfortable making it at least informally official with someone at the firm. ("Because my fiancé will be clerking in LA for the next year, I was wondering if it would be okay to occasionally work out of our LA office when I visit -- no more than 2 days a month or so.") But without engagement, or if the job she's taking is permanent, it's harder to justify. And would just raise a lot of questions about your relationship, your commitment to the office that hired you, etc.

I don't think a big firm would be open to a formally-structured arrangement like that, probably better to just try and angle as many trips to that office as you can informally. After you start try to get in good with some partners in that office and see if they can pull you onto an assignment that will land you in that office occasionally.

This is a little bit harder to negotiate because you're so junior. If you were more senior, it would be easier. It also invites the observation that you'll be leaving work a little early to catch a flight on Thursday evening and the same on Monday evening.

OP here. These are exactly the kinda things I was thinking . Thanks for the help!

Won't ever know if you don't ask...

OP. Yeah, I think I'll run it by my associate mentor once I get started.