Do most firms provide work cellphones? Forum

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Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:04 pm

The V50 NYC firm that I will be spending my 2L summer has indicated that SAs will be using their personal mobile devices for work this summer. Is this is an indication that the firm will not provide work cellphones to associates when they begin full-time? I know it's not too much of a big deal, but ideally I'd want to separate my personal device from my work device (I don't want to be blasted by emails during whatever little time I have to myself) and the clause that lets the firm wipe all personal data in the case of a security breach is also ominous.

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lolwutpar

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by lolwutpar » Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm

They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?

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Bosque

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Bosque » Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:03 pm

lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
All of this, but especially the bolded.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Prudent_Jurist » Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:02 pm

lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
As if I'm think I'm gonna let those big bad biglaw partners boss me around during my free time. By God I'm a summer associate. Do you understand that I am God's frickin' gift to the legal world? If they don't get they're hiring me on my terms they've got another thing comin'.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Excellent117 » Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:08 pm

Bosque wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:03 pm
lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
All of this, but especially the bolded.
Not if you set boundaries early and don't care one bit about making partner.

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lolwutpar

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by lolwutpar » Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:14 pm

Excellent117 wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:08 pm
Bosque wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:03 pm
lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
All of this, but especially the bolded.
Not if you set boundaries early and don't care one bit about making partner.
Believe me, I don't care, don't have aspirations to make partner and am very burnt out, but checking your phone and answering emails is a very basic and fundamental part of this job.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:57 pm

Excellent117 wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:08 pm
Bosque wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:03 pm
lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
All of this, but especially the bolded.
Not if you set boundaries early and don't care one bit about making partner.
I can confirm I know of at least one first year who was fired for thinking this after the midyear review (admitedly, among other issues with poor work product).

If the firm is never going to set that boundry with a client (and no firm I know of would), what makes you think you have the power to do that, and stay employed, with your clients (i.e., the partners and senior associates employing you)? The market says you don't. You are free to try, but they can also "next" along to a junior associate who will do the job they hired you for.

Which isn't to say you don't get some latitude in off hours to respond slower, especially when you have no way of expecting the email. But if you receive an email you were not expecting at 6:45 on a Friday, there is a huge difference between responding with an "acknowledged and will respond later tonight/tomorrow morning" at 8:00 because you were out at a baseball game and didn't notice your phone buzz, and responding on Monday at 10:00 AM because it was outside of your personally defined work hours.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:15 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:57 pm
Excellent117 wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:08 pm
Bosque wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:03 pm
lolwutpar wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:41 pm
They probably don't want to deal with issuing and collecting phones just for a few weeks in summer.

Yes, nearly all firms will provide you the option to get a firm phone or reimburse you a dollar amount for your cellphone plan.

Opinions differ, but most everyone I know just uses one phone. I tried to have two phones to keep it separate but lugging around two phones everywhere you go is a pain.

...and you do understand that getting blasted by emails in your little free time is the job, yes?
All of this, but especially the bolded.
Not if you set boundaries early and don't care one bit about making partner.
I can confirm I know of at least one first year who was fired for thinking this after the midyear review (admitedly, among other issues with poor work product).

If the firm is never going to set that boundry with a client (and no firm I know of would), what makes you think you have the power to do that, and stay employed, with your clients (i.e., the partners and senior associates employing you)? The market says you don't. You are free to try, but they can also "next" along to a junior associate who will do the job they hired you for.

Which isn't to say you don't get some latitude in off hours to respond slower, especially when you have no way of expecting the email. But if you receive an email you were not expecting at 6:45 on a Friday, there is a huge difference between responding with an "acknowledged and will respond later tonight/tomorrow morning" at 8:00 because you were out at a baseball game and didn't notice your phone buzz, and responding on Monday at 10:00 AM because it was outside of your personally defined work hours.
Didn't you hear? No free time. Both are bad.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:54 pm

TBH, responsiveness is the easiest way to build credibility and make the most of your free time. Sending a simple “Sounds good, will do” can buy you many hours to days of time depending on where a deal stands. Not responding will lead to micro managing bc those making the ask are nervous nothing is happening

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papermateflair

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by papermateflair » Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:22 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:04 pm
The V50 NYC firm that I will be spending my 2L summer has indicated that SAs will be using their personal mobile devices for work this summer. Is this is an indication that the firm will not provide work cellphones to associates when they begin full-time? I know it's not too much of a big deal, but ideally I'd want to separate my personal device from my work device (I don't want to be blasted by emails during whatever little time I have to myself) and the clause that lets the firm wipe all personal data in the case of a security breach is also ominous.
My firm is no longer providing a phone to anyone, we're reimbursements only at this point. It's possible that no one has the option for separate devices at your firm - at least, not a separate device provided by the firm itself. If you want two phones then go for it, no one will stop you.

I did try to have two phones for a while because my phone was old and didn't have enough space for the firm's various required apps, and it was a disaster. I never remembered the firm phone, one time I left it AND my laptop in the office overnight (the laptop on purpose, the phone on accident), having to bring two devices with me to dinner looked ridiculous, etc. If you don't want to get notifications at all hours just turn them off at a certain time each night. The firm wiping your device of all data is basically never going, and if you care that much about all of your personal data you should be backing it up to the cloud anyway.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by jotarokujo » Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:56 pm

how long does an "understood, will do" buy someone if an email comes friday at like 7pm?

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:01 pm

jotarokujo wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:56 pm
how long does an "understood, will do" buy someone if an email comes friday at like 7pm?
Depends entirely on the context. Anywhere from 5 minutes to Monday afternoon.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by nixy » Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:18 am

FWIW, I have two phones and prefer it to having my work stuff go to my personal phone - the mental separation is important to me. But I also am usually carrying a purse so carrying 2 phones isn’t a huge deal for me. So it’s totally personal preference.

(No idea if your firm will provide one though.)

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Bosque

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Bosque » Sat Apr 24, 2021 10:03 am

nixy wrote:
Sat Apr 24, 2021 9:18 am
FWIW, I have two phones and prefer it to having my work stuff go to my personal phone - the mental separation is important to me. But I also am usually carrying a purse so carrying 2 phones isn’t a huge deal for me. So it’s totally personal preference.

(No idea if your firm will provide one though.)
I don't know about other firms, but I don't think mine is handing out free purses (unless we got some branded ones on the SWAG room I don't know about).

...sorry, couldn't resist.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Apr 24, 2021 4:42 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:01 pm
jotarokujo wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:56 pm
how long does an "understood, will do" buy someone if an email comes friday at like 7pm?
Depends entirely on the context. Anywhere from 5 minutes to Monday afternoon.
Yeah, if you are turning a purchase agreement or commitment papers or jamming for a Monday morning closing, likely that night. If it's just the partner got the email from the client and forwarded it on to you with no particular deadline, I'd probably say OK, will do Monday, if I had time to do it.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Excellent117 » Tue Apr 27, 2021 3:59 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:57 pm
Excellent117 wrote:
Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:08 pm

Not if you set boundaries early and don't care one bit about making partner.
I can confirm I know of at least one first year who was fired for thinking this after the midyear review (admitedly, among other issues with poor work product).

If the firm is never going to set that boundry with a client (and no firm I know of would), what makes you think you have the power to do that, and stay employed, with your clients (i.e., the partners and senior associates employing you)? The market says you don't. You are free to try, but they can also "next" along to a junior associate who will do the job they hired you for.

Which isn't to say you don't get some latitude in off hours to respond slower, especially when you have no way of expecting the email. But if you receive an email you were not expecting at 6:45 on a Friday, there is a huge difference between responding with an "acknowledged and will respond later tonight/tomorrow morning" at 8:00 because you were out at a baseball game and didn't notice your phone buzz, and responding on Monday at 10:00 AM because it was outside of your personally defined work hours.
Well, it's worked for me for six years and I don't plan on stopping anytime before I leave firm life for good.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:49 pm

I'm a 4th year and I've done two phones the whole time. Wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I am a man, so I have some more pocket capacity than women (something to keep in mind, as carrying two phones does take some getting used to). But I love the ability to just not bring my work phone with me places. Grocery store trip down the block? No phone. Going out for a run? No phone. Going to a baseball game on a Sunday? Maybe no phone. It's a meaningful mental boost that I won't give up. I don't have the self-control to simply mute notifications from the Mail app if I had one phone, for example.

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Apr 28, 2021 9:21 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:49 pm
I'm a 4th year and I've done two phones the whole time. Wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I am a man, so I have some more pocket capacity than women (something to keep in mind, as carrying two phones does take some getting used to). But I love the ability to just not bring my work phone with me places. Grocery store trip down the block? No phone. Going out for a run? No phone. Going to a baseball game on a Sunday? Maybe no phone. It's a meaningful mental boost that I won't give up. I don't have the self-control to simply mute notifications from the Mail app if I had one phone, for example.
In addition to the above, don't discount the ability to use one of the phones to find the other one when you lose it. Very key

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by jotarokujo » Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:20 pm

if you think you can setup boundaries without having a separate phone, or don't want boundaries, then by all means use one phone. but if you're someone who struggles with setting boundaries or saying no, and you want more boundaries, I think having a separate phone can be helpful.

also: if you use one phone, your battery life will be significantly drained and you'll probably have to carry a portable charger anyways. that's like the same amount of volume as two phones anyway

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Re: Do most firms provide work cellphones?

Post by Anonymous User » Mon May 03, 2021 9:34 am

Sorry to hijack this thread. Wondering if Cravath specifically provides iphones to first years. Verizon has a great trade-in promo happening this month that I'd like to take advantage of if Cravath doesn't provide us with new phones upon arrival. TIA.

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