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A while back I saw a thread where people were talking about taking their vacation days or they will lose them. Do some biglaw attorneys actually get allocated a set number of vacation days to use? My firm says we have unlimited vacation which ironically means we never get to take vacation. Any insight?

thecatgoesmeow wrote:A while back I saw a thread where people were talking about taking their vacation days or they will lose them. Do some biglaw attorneys actually get allocated a set number of vacation days to use? My firm says we have unlimited vacation which ironically means we never get to take vacation. Any insight?

We accrue 4 weeks per year. The unlimited policy used by some firms, I believe, is a way for firms to get around having to pay out accrued vacation if you quit or are fired, with no downside to the firm, since they know that no attorney in good standing is going to be able to use over 4 weeks of vacation and remain in good standing.

Both biglaw firms I've been at have granted associates a set number of vacation days (4 weeks + 1 week for stub years). I've always used all 4 weeks without a problem.

I have four weeks per year.

My firm's policy is that you can roll over up to two weeks per year, but you have to use at least two weeks of vacation per year to be able to do so.

Same - four weeks per year, can accrue up to six weeks. I think I averaged about 2.5 weeks of vacay per years so far as a fourth year... which reminds me that I really need to work on taking more.

I'd take as much vacation as they give you tbh. No one will give you like, brownie points for not taking it: they just won't know/remember. Obvi if you dip out in the middle of a really busy period and dump the work on your team that pisses people off, so be flexible about rescheduling. (And maybe at some firms the rule is basically no one takes it, period - but that should be obvious pretty quickly)

We get 3 weeks per year, can accrue a total of 6 weeks. Usually, when "vacationing" I still check email and do some work, so I don't end up having to use my vacation days anyway. I depleted all 6 weeks to extend my maternity leave.