Can juniors get canned in a month? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I just got chewed out all morning for not getting the formatting right on a motion. It was my first time working on such motion and first work product at my firm. The substance is good but I kept messing up on formatting due to poor communication with the partner, i.e., look at x as a sample, but that sample had the same mistake he wanted fixed. Partner doesnt really have open door policy.

4 associates all left on their own around the same time cuz they couldnt deal w him. There are 4 new ones now, including me, who started recently but 1 of them had enough and is already leaving to a new practice group. This partner is an equity partner. Other non-equity partners around me gave me heads up that my partner is difficult to work with so they asked me to come talk to them for support when things get rough.

I hate coming to work to an angry boss and I feel like my work product is shit due to so many revisions over formatting. He ended up fixing the mistakes himself. I feel like I might get canned soon judging by the partner's temper tantrum.

[Johann]

probably only in a bad recession

[Voyager]

No one is terminating you after 1 month.

End of first year? Maybe.

But not 1 month in. Not even 6 months in.

Sorry about your boss, but remember that lawyers have zero real leadership experience and so many of them are awful to work for.

This guy may actually be a great opportunity for you, however: no associates will work for him and he hates all of you anyway. If you could swallow your pride and work hard to learn from him and not make the same mistakes twice, you will quickly become a superstar in his eyes.

Then you are set. Big time. Seriously.

I've had 2 friends ride the above dynamic out and end up getting on the partnership track.

[dixiecupdrinking]

In biglaw, doubtful. If this is some small firm somewhere all bets are off

[Anonymous User]

In biglaw, doubtful. If this is some small firm somewhere all bets are off

This. In biglaw, people probably start getting fired at the beginning of their second year. Small firms just do whatever they want.

[nealric]

I just got chewed out all morning for not getting the formatting right on a motion. It was my first time working on such motion and first work product at my firm. The substance is good but I kept messing up on formatting due to poor communication with the partner, i.e., look at x as a sample, but that sample had the same mistake he wanted fixed. Partner doesnt really have open door policy.

4 associates all left on their own around the same time cuz they couldnt deal w him. There are 4 new ones now, including me, who started recently but 1 of them had enough and is already leaving to a new practice group. This partner is an equity partner. Other non-equity partners around me gave me heads up that my partner is difficult to work with so they asked me to come talk to them for support when things get rough.

I hate coming to work to an angry boss and I feel like my work product is shit due to so many revisions over formatting. He ended up fixing the mistakes himself. I feel like I might get canned soon judging by the partner's temper tantrum.

There are some partners that just operate like that. They think if they find something to chew the associate out about, it will improve quality. That, or they are just difficult. If it wasn't the formatting, it probably would have been something else. There is always SOMETHING they can find wrong in any work product.

With partners that have a reputation like that, understand that it's probably not anything you did specifically. Though there are some miserable types that try to get almost everyone who works for them fired, that's not necessarily the case. Some of them just like having a whipping boy. If this is a large law firm, your best option is to try to build bridges with other equity partners. Do some side projects, establish a good reputation, and you will at least have people to defend you if this partner decides to try and throw you under the bus. If it's a small firm and this guy is the only game in town, try to build that reputation with other firms you work with and keep your ear to the ground for other opportunities.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Is 1 month in too soon to leave? I want to start applying elsewhere. There are other firms hiring right now for more pay and in the practice area I am interested in. But even for a major city, law practice is a small field and I'm scared my boss will find out and I get canned. Also, would it look bad on my resume to have 1 month experience? Considering my current gig is biglaw, other biglaw firms would take interest now than when I am out of a job right?

[Anonymous User]

I am in a similar situation but worked at a big law firm for a year and a half and lateralled into a shit situation.

Put your head down and work hard. Plan on leaving but you need to get atleast 7 months to a year in before a move.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of abusive assholes in this profession. So you need to be careful before leaving.

[lawhopeful100]

Just general advice while you are still there. Try not to take anything personal. I know it's easier said than done done, but as long as you are putting in a good faith effort and improving don't let the comments effect you. You already said everyone knows your boss is like that so just accept his criticism, try and improve but at the same time don't get down / angry about it. The check will still clear every two weeks no matter what he says.

[Anonymous User]

The soonest I've seen a junior get the talk is at their first review. That was at a firm that's notorious for cutting people early and aggressively if the circumstances dictated it.

I don't think a mere formatting error would cause you to be bounced or even be cause for major concern. If you had filed it and it ended up stricken with no chance to fix... that would be a different story.

[fxb3]

Yeah, as someone else said, some partners are just like that. They justify themselves by this mindset of "thank God I'm here to correct these idiots!" And they are just generally miserable and like having someone to yell at.

My coping mechanism was to tell myself, "it's not me, it's the partner's mental illness," because there is something fundamentally wrong and ill with taking that attitude toward your junior co-workers and employees.

You aren't going to get canned. You yourself said that the four previous associates left because they couldn't stand this guy. He knows he can't afford to fire you, and the firm undoubtedly knows what he's like so if he went to the firm to "demand" that you be terminated they'd probably be like, "lol, you ruined another one already?" and wouldn't do it. I do agree with the previous poster that there's a possibility that coping and sticking it out with this guy will make you a star in his eyes. I had that happen at my first firm, where working for someone difficult -- as painful as it was -- got me a ton of admiration and respect in my reviews.

Learn from your mistakes. Apologize if you've screwed up. Do better next time. Don't take it personally. And drink in healthy moderation whenever you get home every day. You're actually doing fine.

[Anonymous User]

I was in a similar situation a few months in. It was hell, really stressful, but I walked away without any negative consequences after the matter got cold. Know that this has undoubtedly happened before to other people many of whom went on to have perfectly fine firm careers and some who are probably junior partners. As long as you do acceptable first year work for rational partners, you will be fine. Nobody is going to tell this guy to stop what he is doing, because he is probably a rainmaker or senior partner, but nobody is going to ding you for trying and failing. (But they aren't going to give enough of a shit to keep you from quitting if he burns you out.)

The other thing to remember is that there has probably never been a first-year who lives up to this guy's standards because first-years generally suck. This is also probably someone that has a hard time getting senior associates to do his work because anyone who is halfway decent finds someone who is more sane to work for. It's not your fault that he is requiring you to turn in senior associate level work (i.e. read his mind and know what he wants before he does.) It is not a statement on your abilities or whether you will be successful generally.

[84651846190]

*inhales deeply* ANYTHING IS POSSIBUUUUUUUH