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I'm a first year corporate associate at a west coast office of a V10 firm. Staffing is a de facto free market system and my hours have really been up and down all year-- and really slow as of late. I've been asking around for work and showing enthusiasm for taking on new matters, but I haven't been getting much traction. There's a senior associate who likes me and staffs me pretty consistently, but it's usually not enough to fill a day. I'm taking on whatever bullshit I can (e.g. doc review, pro bono, etc) just to get hours. While I'm not impervious to first-year growing pains, I have gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback from all of my supervisors, both formally (in my mid-year review) and informally. I'm not sure what more I can do at this point.

I don't really care about not getting a bonus. I'm more worried about getting fired since I still have approximately $140k left in student debt to pay off. Hours are down for corporate associates at my office as a whole so far this year, so I don't think it's a problem that's unique to me, but at the same time it makes me even more concerned because falling revenues = more likely to get shitcanned.

Should I start looking to switch firms now? I'm a HYS grad with good grades (to the extent that shit matters anymore).

Anonymous User wrote:I'm a first year corporate associate at a west coast office of a V10 firm. Staffing is a de facto free market system and my hours have really been up and down all year-- and really slow as of late. I've been asking around for work and showing enthusiasm for taking on new matters, but I haven't been getting much traction. There's a senior associate who likes me and staffs me pretty consistently, but it's usually not enough to fill a day. I'm taking on whatever bullshit I can (e.g. doc review, pro bono, etc) just to get hours. While I'm not impervious to first-year growing pains, I have gotten overwhelmingly positive feedback from all of my supervisors, both formally (in my mid-year review) and informally. I'm not sure what more I can do at this point.

I don't really care about not getting a bonus. I'm more worried about getting fired since I still have approximately $140k left in student debt to pay off. Hours are down for corporate associates at my office as a whole so far this year, so I don't think it's a problem that's unique to me, but at the same time it makes me even more concerned because falling revenues = more likely to get shitcanned.

Should I start looking to switch firms now? I'm a HYS grad with good grades (to the extent that shit matters anymore).

What year, how many hours, which area of corporate?

If everyone's slow and your reviews have been good you're probably fine. Even if you got shitcanned, with your credentials I imagine you'd be one of the first to land on your feet.

Totally normal to feel this way early on, but chill out and stay put. It's slow-ish right now in corporate groups across LA. There are pockets of busyness, but generally slow.

Pokemon wrote:What year, how many hours, which area of corporate?

First year, about 10 months in at this point. 910 hours. General corporate - mostly securities/cap markets and M&A at this point.

I took a week off to get married earlier this year. I'm now kicking myself for not just taking a full honeymoon.

Anonymous User wrote:

Pokemon wrote:What year, how many hours, which area of corporate?

First year, about 10 months in at this point. 910 hours. General corporate - mostly securities/cap markets and M&A at this point.

I took a week off to get married earlier this year. I'm now kicking myself for not just taking a full honeymoon.

Yeah you should be kicking yourself. It's the one time that everyone basically understands that they have to leave you alone. But that's hard to have the balls to do your first year.

Oh wow. 910 is pretty bad. I might brush up the ol resume, not necessarily because I would be worried about getting fired, but because I'd be worried about whether the office will get you the work you need to develop as an attorney.

Have you reached out to partners in the NYC office for work?

Anonymous User wrote:

Pokemon wrote:What year, how many hours, which area of corporate?

First year, about 10 months in at this point. 910 hours. General corporate - mostly securities/cap markets and M&A at this point.

I took a week off to get married earlier this year. I'm now kicking myself for not just taking a full honeymoon.

Same boat kinda but I'm at just over 400 hours lol. I'll laugh if I don't get shitcanned but w/e I'm already looking. Like someone else said, LA has been pretty slow, and when it's slow people hoard work for themselves.

Haven't reached out to anyone in NYC yet, though I've been in contact with a few associates I have worked with out of the Chicago and LA offices who keep promising to staff me on something.

Would it be a mistake to talk to our associates committee representative about this? I know they're "here to help" but I'm not sure how helpful and/or trustworthy they are. My mentor keeps brushing my concerns off as "it's just a normal thing for first years" and "you do great work, you'll be fine." The other first years keep telling me the same thing.

Anonymous User wrote:Haven't reached out to anyone in NYC yet, though I've been in contact with a few associates I have worked with out of the Chicago and LA offices who keep promising to staff me on something.

Would it be a mistake to talk to our associates committee representative about this? I know they're "here to help" but I'm not sure how helpful and/or trustworthy they are. My mentor keeps brushing my concerns off as "it's just a normal thing for first years" and "you do great work, you'll be fine." The other first years keep telling me the same thing.

Yeah seems like you just gotta take it easy and relax. If you're that concerned, yeah maybe start shopping around (though the first year corporate market isn't that robust). You may be out of a bonus, but you've still got a great salary. Just reach out to NYC/Chicago office (Kirkland?) if you're extra worried about it--no one will be offended.

If your hours are in line with the average of the other first years (I'm talking like within 100 hours or something), I think you have nothing to worry about. My worry for you would be you're basically not developing as an attorney, but in terms of job security, I wouldn't worry too much.

Your hours are low but do not think that is unheard for first year particularly if you are counting months before your actual billable year starts. In corporate you can have months billing 250 and then nothing or in your case potentially, nothing followed by a few crazy months.
I would be a bit careful over reaching out to other offices. Is there some administrative person that helps with staffing, maybe first reach to them.

Do you mean 910 as of today or annualized? If former, is that considered slow?....