Think I'm ready to quit biglaw Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm only about eight months in, and I don't think I can take it anymore. I'm exhausted. I look and feel like shit. Looks like I will break 330 hours this month. Won't be able to sleep tonight or tomorrow night because of workload, as is the case at least one night a week almost every week. I finally broke and told some of the partners I'm working for that I just can't do this anymore. They politely didn't give a shit. I work with a lot of great people, but I also work with a lot of assholes and I don't like interacting with them. Most days, while walking to work (slowly, because my muscles have turned to gelatin and my high blood pressure makes my chest feel tight), I hope that a slow-moving bus will hit me in a crosswalk. Don't worry---I don't want to die. I just want to be injured badly enough that someone will put me in a comfortable bed and turn on reruns of Jeopardy and The O.C. (from the early days, when it was good) and let me stay there for a while and tell anyone who tries to bother me that "OP needs rest."

[Anonymous User]

i feel you OP. Fuck this shit. How much do you still owe?

[ballouttacontrol]

330 is pretty wild this is a short month too

[Desert Fox]

First things first just start blowing deadlines. Partners can't tell if you are working 250 or 330 until you do your time. Go to sleep at 12 pm and wake up 7am to matter what. If someone emails at 12:01 you reply at 7:05 saying you just woke up.

There isn't a firm that fires people for sleeping.

But start looking for other work.

Really you can stop answering between 6:30 and 9:30 and then answer between 9:30 and mid night and still be cnnsidered a hard worker.

[Anonymous User]

In the same boat as you, OP - although I'm billing less thankfully. Tying to game out how long I can last before quitting/getting fired. I think I have at least a few months in either event.

I think it's important to try to last a year. There's a big mental difference between 11 and 12 months in employers' minds.

[Anonymous User]

In the same boat as you, OP - although I'm billing less thankfully. Tying to game out how long I can last before quitting/getting fired. I think I have at least a few months in either event.

I think it's important to try to last a year. There's a big mental difference between 11 and 12 months in employers' minds.

That's what I keep telling myself. But here I am, at 2:06 in the morning, wondering if I can keep my shit together for four more months. I think I might snap and go out in George Constanta-esque fashion, which would be a net negative on my resume.

[Anonymous User]

First things first just start blowing deadlines. Partners can't tell if you are working 250 or 330 until you do your time. Go to sleep at 12 pm and wake up 7am to matter what. If someone emails at 12:01 you reply at 7:05 saying you just woke up.

There isn't a firm that fires people for sleeping.

But start looking for other work.

Really you can stop answering between 6:30 and 9:30 and then answer between 9:30 and mid night and still be cnnsidered a hard worker.

Even when I was entering time on time, it didn't seem to matter. Now, ironically, I've reached the point where I'm too busy to enter my time.

I don't think I'm cut out for this work at all. I care about pulling my weight on a team and doing good work, and it's just not in me to blow a deadline. But I find most of the work boring and meaningless, and I don't give a shit about the "mission" or whatever Kool-Aid the gunner-be-partners are drinking. So I'm just stuck here on autopilot, doing whatever it is I'm doing in the middle of the night because I can't turn it off and the only way to kill it is to let it run out of gas.

[Anonymous User]

which city and practice? any way you could switch one of them to help you get throigh the year at the same firm?

[1styearlateral]

Really you can stop answering between 6:30 and 9:30 and then answer between 9:30 and mid night and still be cnnsidered a hard worker.

I have employed this tactic the last six months and have received positive feedback from the partners in my group. Could I respond to a client's/opposing counsel's e-mail at 5:30? Sure. But there's a great benefit to doing so at 9:30/10 PM while on the couch at home. The partners cc'd think I'm still working, and quite possibly still in the office as my e-mail signature for Outlook/iPhone are indistinguishable. Plus, they have the added comfort of knowing I'm always reachable and attentive.

[silenttimer]

This sounds terrible -- try to stick it out for a year and lateral. I feel you. Good luck!

[Anonymous User]

In the same boat as you, OP - although I'm billing less thankfully. Tying to game out how long I can last before quitting/getting fired. I think I have at least a few months in either event.

I think it's important to try to last a year. There's a big mental difference between 11 and 12 months in employers' minds.

That's what I keep telling myself. But here I am, at 2:06 in the morning, wondering if I can keep my shit together for four more months. I think I might snap and go out in George Constanta-esque fashion, which would be a net negative on my resume.

I think all you really need is one to two months more. Then you can literally just not do work for two to three months before anyone notices. Start applying as for other positions as soon as you can't take it anymore. You'll make it to September/October no problem.

[Anonymous User]

My plan is to stay till Jan so I can at least say 2016-2018 on the ol CV and not be lying

[Pokemon]

Really you can stop answering between 6:30 and 9:30 and then answer between 9:30 and mid night and still be cnnsidered a hard worker.

I have employed this tactic the last six months and have received positive feedback from the partners in my group. Could I respond to a client's/opposing counsel's e-mail at 5:30? Sure. But there's a great benefit to doing so at 9:30/10 PM while on the couch at home. The partners cc'd think I'm still working, and quite possibly still in the office as my e-mail signature for Outlook/iPhone are indistinguishable. Plus, they have the added comfort of knowing I'm always reachable and attentive.

Let's also not forget the benefit of the other party not responding until tomorrow. Absolutely hate when those fuckers respond half an hour after you send an email as you are about to go home.

[Anonymous User]

I'm gonna hit 300 billed hours this month. It has involved me being in the office working every single day of the month, some nights until past midnight. My SO thinks I'm a stranger to her now since we see so little of each other, even though we technically live together (I travel a lot). I cannot fathom billing 330. Maybe those 30 hours are a product of me not billing time for certain activities where I don't think I'm adding value to the client (like working with staff or getting up to speed on a new issue or travel), so I'm really only billing 80-90% of my worked time. Idk. Still, I feel for you.

I *think* I have the stamina to do this (250-300 hrs) for one more month. If it goes into June like this, I won't make it. Fortunately I have an out, but I may just leave early if I can't get the hours down to something more reasonable like 200 (which is still batshit, FYI).

[Anonymous User]

I'm gonna hit 300 billed hours this month. It has involved me being in the office working every single day of the month, some nights until past midnight. My SO thinks I'm a stranger to her now since we see so little of each other, even though we technically live together (I travel a lot). I cannot fathom billing 330. Maybe those 30 hours are a product of me not billing time for certain activities where I don't think I'm adding value to the client (like working with staff or getting up to speed on a new issue or travel), so I'm really only billing 80-90% of my worked time. Idk. Still, I feel for you.

I *think* I have the stamina to do this (250-300 hrs) for one more month. If it goes into June like this, I won't make it. Fortunately I have an out, but I may just leave early if I can't get the hours down to something more reasonable like 200 (which is still batshit, FYI).

What's your out?

[TLSModBot]

I've barely broken 225 the past few months and I feel like death (but factoring in 3 small children probably plays a part in that). This month is gonna get close to 250 and I want to murder something

This is not encouraging. I love my job and the work but the hours are just getting worse and worse.

[sadpandayolo]

I'm gonna hit 300 billed hours this month. It has involved me being in the office working every single day of the month, some nights until past midnight. My SO thinks I'm a stranger to her now since we see so little of each other, even though we technically live together (I travel a lot). I cannot fathom billing 330. Maybe those 30 hours are a product of me not billing time for certain activities where I don't think I'm adding value to the client (like working with staff or getting up to speed on a new issue or travel), so I'm really only billing 80-90% of my worked time. Idk. Still, I feel for you.

I *think* I have the stamina to do this (250-300 hrs) for one more month. If it goes into June like this, I won't make it. Fortunately I have an out, but I may just leave early if I can't get the hours down to something more reasonable like 200 (which is still batshit, FYI).

What's your out?

+1 curious here too

[shelob]

If you're maintaining 250 or more without gaps for months you're well outside the norm for your firm, pretty much no matter where you are.

Or you pad like a motherfucker.

[umichman]

Can you guys say which groups and cities this is in? I would imagine if it's lit and ur in a trial or corp and have a bunch of deals closing at the same time it might be more temporary

[Anonymous User]

I'm gonna hit 300 billed hours this month. It has involved me being in the office working every single day of the month, some nights until past midnight. My SO thinks I'm a stranger to her now since we see so little of each other, even though we technically live together (I travel a lot). I cannot fathom billing 330. Maybe those 30 hours are a product of me not billing time for certain activities where I don't think I'm adding value to the client (like working with staff or getting up to speed on a new issue or travel), so I'm really only billing 80-90% of my worked time. Idk. Still, I feel for you.

I *think* I have the stamina to do this (250-300 hrs) for one more month. If it goes into June like this, I won't make it. Fortunately I have an out, but I may just leave early if I can't get the hours down to something more reasonable like 200 (which is still batshit, FYI).

What's your out?

+1 curious here too

OP of this post. leaving for another clerkship. big pay cut of course so we are saving almost everything we make right now.

[thegrayman]

Try to get a lateral move if you can, if for no other reason than to put your 2 weeks in and coast until you start the new gig. Interviewing laterally can be tough to squeeze in but you need to be more selfish about this shit and put yourself first.

[Lacepiece23]

Id just stop doing work and let them fire me. Id say no to everything. Make up excuses and start looking aggressively for a new job. Way better than quitting and giving up the paychecks before you really have to.

[Anonymous User]

Id just stop doing work and let them fire me. Id say no to everything. Make up excuses and start looking aggressively for a new job. Way better than quitting and giving up the paychecks before you really have to.

The issue with this is that a lot of jobs (and esp, all government jobs) will ask for multiple references. You don't want to burn bridges. I'd rather leave on my own terms than get fired.

[Anonymous User]

OP, do you have debt? If not, YOLO.

[Anonymous User]

If you have debts, still YOLO -- like, as a fact. It's just a more depressing one.