Second Year Associate, let go from first big law gig and probably about to be let go again
Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:41 pm
Hi everyone,
I am currently a second year associate at a large biglaw firm. I lateraled here after being given the firm three month handshake from my first firm. My hours are low, and in my mid year check in, this was highlighted, as well as my "choppy" work product; my partner mentor told the workflow manager for us to have a check in meeting "at the end of the summer" (i.e., right around the transition from second year to third year). While my workflow was high for the first couple weeks after that, it has since slowed down even more; if before I was billing at roughly 75% of the bonus minimum, now I am billing at (on average) 40-50% of that target on a weekly basis.
I'm no fool, and having had this happen at my last firm, it is clear where this is going. Sometime soon, probably around that time of the meeting at the end of the summer, I'll get quietly let go again, with maybe 3 or 4 months of paid website time if I am lucky. Honestly I cannot blame the firm; my work is legitimately sloppy, as I am not detail oriented and do miss things frequently.
Frankly it will almost be a relief; I have been severely depressed basically from the moment I started working in big law, stressed and frantic when I had enough work due to the pace, and frantic and anxious due to lack of hours when I wasn't. I have been aggressively paying down my loans, and should have them more or less paid off in the next few months, so no longer any need to stay for that reason. I hate everything about it and want desperately to move on. The only problem is I have no clue what to do with my life: I am one of those idiot K-JDs who just drifted into first law school, then big law out of inertia without figuring out what I wanted to do.
So my question for the forum is this: what are some good career resources, both within law and otherwise, for helping me to figure this out now, and get an early head start on figuring out my next steps before the firm makes the decision for me? I honestly believe myself to be reasonably smart and hardworking, if shitty at the things you need to be good at in order to be successful in big law. I just want to do something that doesn't keep me mired in depression to the point that it is beginning to impact my health.
Thank you in advance.
I am currently a second year associate at a large biglaw firm. I lateraled here after being given the firm three month handshake from my first firm. My hours are low, and in my mid year check in, this was highlighted, as well as my "choppy" work product; my partner mentor told the workflow manager for us to have a check in meeting "at the end of the summer" (i.e., right around the transition from second year to third year). While my workflow was high for the first couple weeks after that, it has since slowed down even more; if before I was billing at roughly 75% of the bonus minimum, now I am billing at (on average) 40-50% of that target on a weekly basis.
I'm no fool, and having had this happen at my last firm, it is clear where this is going. Sometime soon, probably around that time of the meeting at the end of the summer, I'll get quietly let go again, with maybe 3 or 4 months of paid website time if I am lucky. Honestly I cannot blame the firm; my work is legitimately sloppy, as I am not detail oriented and do miss things frequently.
Frankly it will almost be a relief; I have been severely depressed basically from the moment I started working in big law, stressed and frantic when I had enough work due to the pace, and frantic and anxious due to lack of hours when I wasn't. I have been aggressively paying down my loans, and should have them more or less paid off in the next few months, so no longer any need to stay for that reason. I hate everything about it and want desperately to move on. The only problem is I have no clue what to do with my life: I am one of those idiot K-JDs who just drifted into first law school, then big law out of inertia without figuring out what I wanted to do.
So my question for the forum is this: what are some good career resources, both within law and otherwise, for helping me to figure this out now, and get an early head start on figuring out my next steps before the firm makes the decision for me? I honestly believe myself to be reasonably smart and hardworking, if shitty at the things you need to be good at in order to be successful in big law. I just want to do something that doesn't keep me mired in depression to the point that it is beginning to impact my health.
Thank you in advance.