Biglaw: Is it really that bad? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

[Anonymous User]

This whole “people who complain about biglaw must never have worked before” comes up a lot and I think it’s kind of unfair. It’s true that adjusting to the work world can be difficult and a lot fewer people are going to end up in jobs they find passionately fulfilling than expect or hope to. But it’s one thing to find your work boring, and it’s another to find your work boring AND be utterly swamped with that work AND be on call all the time and not be able to make/keep plans for evenings/the weekends AND work for difficult people. Not all biglaw jobs involve all those things, but some do, and more involve at least some. If your biglaw experience doesn’t involve any of those things, or you have no problem with any of those things, that’s great for you. But that doesn’t mean that people who complain just don’t know what the work world is like.

Well, sure. That is why biglaw pays a lot of money (at least one of the reasons why). And this comes from someone who worked at a job with relatively good hours and a predictable schedule before law school.

[Anonymous User]

As someone who worked in a high-paying white-collar job before law school... yes, biglaw is that bad.

I left my previous job because I hated the industry, but I was at least done by 7:30 most days and had a life outside of work. On the other hand, I quite like the substance of law practice, but the need for constant availability--I haven't gone a day without working in months, including Christmas and New Year's--just grinds you down after a while.

Hard to say if I regret the move, I was stagnating in different ways in my prior career, but biglaw strikes me as almost uniquely brutal.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

Personally the only thing that would cure my ennui is all three of those.

But in all seriousness, some truly bizarre stockholm syndrome hostages sounding off in here, you love to see it. You must be right though, since all law jobs are equally boring and numbing, that explains why no one leaves big law and all the ones who do leave come rushing back at the next opportunity.

[Anonymous User]

This whole “people who complain about biglaw must never have worked before” comes up a lot and I think it’s kind of unfair. It’s true that adjusting to the work world can be difficult and a lot fewer people are going to end up in jobs they find passionately fulfilling than expect or hope to. But it’s one thing to find your work boring, and it’s another to find your work boring AND be utterly swamped with that work AND be on call all the time and not be able to make/keep plans for evenings/the weekends AND work for difficult people. Not all biglaw jobs involve all those things, but some do, and more involve at least some. If your biglaw experience doesn’t involve any of those things, or you have no problem with any of those things, that’s great for you. But that doesn’t mean that people who complain just don’t know what the work world is like.

Well, sure. That is why biglaw pays a lot of money (at least one of the reasons why). And this comes from someone who worked at a job with relatively good hours and a predictable schedule before law school.

Of course that’s why it pays a lot of money. But it paying a lot of money doesn’t have anything to do with whether you actually enjoy the experience.

Thinking you should be paid the same amount but not have to answer to these kinds of biglaw demands (which I do think comes across as kind of naive) is very different from recognizing that biglaw has these demands, deciding that the money/exit options make biglaw worth it you, and nonetheless hating it. Believing that it’s the best career option for you at this time doesn’t make it magically enjoyable. And people will complain about what they dislike, even when they believe the long term benefits outweigh the short term misery.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

Personally the only thing that would cure my ennui is all three of those.

But in all seriousness, some truly bizarre stockholm syndrome hostages sounding off in here, you love to see it. You must be right though, since all law jobs are equally boring and numbing, that explains why no one leaves big law and all the ones who do leave come rushing back at the next opportunity.

It’s the funniest. “Big law is so bad, I should be a CEO because I got a 4.0 at my ivies history program and went to a t6.”

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

A lot of people find it boring to work on something they have no emotional investment in, and they find it hard to get emotionally invested in mergers of big companies. Some people find it really boring to complete discrete tasks as part of a larger strategy which they have little input into/control over and would rather play a part in coming up with the strategy. Some people find it really boring to sit in an office and stare at a computer all day and would rather get up, move around, talk to people more and/or be more physically active. Some people find it really boring to do paperwork stuff and would rather actually build or create something.

I mean there are a million reasons why any given person would find biglaw boring.

But if you don’t have the skills or abilities to create or build something why are you complaining? Go find your passion drawing art for nfts or singing opera not complaining on a messaging board. It’s the weirdest thing people blame the profession for lacking their passion. How bout this, maybe it’s you? Maybe no one cares about your passion or enjoying work but you?

[nixy]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

A lot of people find it boring to work on something they have no emotional investment in, and they find it hard to get emotionally invested in mergers of big companies. Some people find it really boring to complete discrete tasks as part of a larger strategy which they have little input into/control over and would rather play a part in coming up with the strategy. Some people find it really boring to sit in an office and stare at a computer all day and would rather get up, move around, talk to people more and/or be more physically active. Some people find it really boring to do paperwork stuff and would rather actually build or create something.

I mean there are a million reasons why any given person would find biglaw boring.

But if you don’t have the skills or abilities to create or build something why are you complaining? Go find your passion drawing art for nfts or singing opera not complaining on a messaging board. It’s the weirdest thing people blame the profession for lacking their passion. How bout this, maybe it’s you? Maybe no one cares about your passion or enjoying work but you?

I don’t think anyone’s blaming the profession, just explaining why they don’t like the work? I get that when someone says the work is boring, they really mean that they personally find it boring (because not everyone does), and at some level, sure, that’s on them for picking a job they find boring. But I think plenty of people go into biglaw for instrumental reasons (pay off debt, get the experience necessary for their preferred exit option) and don’t plan to stay, and I don’t think that means they’re not allowed to complain that they think the work is boring. I don’t think anyone thinks studying for the bar is interesting but they know they have to do that to practice law. Just because they signed up for it themselves doesn’t mean they can’t complain about it.

I get that one person’s boredom level doesn’t necessarily provide a reason for anyone else to think they’ll hate biglaw (as opposed to the more objective stuff like hours, lack of control over your time, and working with jerks). I agree that “it’s a bad job because it’s boring” isn’t the most compelling argument because it’s subjective, but TBF, lots of people do seem to find it boring, and that’s not useless information.

(I don’t know anyone passionate about drawing art for nfts though.)

[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

A lot of people find it boring to work on something they have no emotional investment in, and they find it hard to get emotionally invested in mergers of big companies. Some people find it really boring to complete discrete tasks as part of a larger strategy which they have little input into/control over and would rather play a part in coming up with the strategy. Some people find it really boring to sit in an office and stare at a computer all day and would rather get up, move around, talk to people more and/or be more physically active. Some people find it really boring to do paperwork stuff and would rather actually build or create something.

I mean there are a million reasons why any given person would find biglaw boring.

But if you don’t have the skills or abilities to create or build something why are you complaining? Go find your passion drawing art for nfts or singing opera not complaining on a messaging board. It’s the weirdest thing people blame the profession for lacking their passion. How bout this, maybe it’s you? Maybe no one cares about your passion or enjoying work but you?

If you're the same anon, then you came into this thread unprovoked asking what other passions they might possibly have, someone answered you, and then said "LOL no one gives a fuck what your passions are."

Whether they can make a living on it is not the question you asked. You asked what wouldn't be boring to people, most of whom would rather be doing almost anything else than italicizing commas. Most people can't make a functional living out of the shit they'd really like to do so they take boring jobs. It's not exactly groundbreaking that it's a huge problem particularly acute in American society. But sure pal, go ahead and tell people they have no right to feel bad about their unfulfilling job if they're not a high-level artist/athlete or otherwise willing to live in poverty if it makes you feel superior.

[Anonymous User]

If you are not gunning for partner and can stand some unpredictability, then no biglaw is not bad.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

Totally wrong. Plenty of people do 2-3 years at McKinsey and become executives at small to mid-sized companies. Being a consultant at McKinsey is VASTLY better than biglaw in its own right, and being an executive at a company, and doing actual work rather than being the world's leading comma expert, is also VASTLY better than biglaw. Biglaw is really a uniquely miserable existence, and it is delusional to pretend otherwise.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

Totally wrong. Plenty of people do 2-3 years at McKinsey and become executives at small to mid-sized companies. Being a consultant at McKinsey is VASTLY better than biglaw in its own right, and being an executive at a company, and doing actual work rather than being the world's leading comma expert, is also VASTLY better than biglaw. Biglaw is really a uniquely miserable existence, and it is delusional to pretend otherwise.

This is an opinion, not a fact.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

Yes.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

Totally wrong. Plenty of people do 2-3 years at McKinsey and become executives at small to mid-sized companies. Being a consultant at McKinsey is VASTLY better than biglaw in its own right, and being an executive at a company, and doing actual work rather than being the world's leading comma expert, is also VASTLY better than biglaw. Biglaw is really a uniquely miserable existence, and it is delusional to pretend otherwise.

This is an opinion, not a fact.

Agreed and the McKinsey analysis here is not really true. Analysts from management consulting firms are not becoming the heads of small businesses after 2 years.

But, taking this posters nonsense as true, why aren’t you and all other posters who are salivating for “business roles” in the c suite banging down door for management consulting jobs? Why did you go to a t14 etc? If you really think being the CFO of a family owned fertilizer company based out of Boise is that much better than biglaw, again why aren’t you grinding it out in “X” sector where your passion is?

It’s always your fault your doing biglaw. The counter factual doesn’t really answer the question and explain the grass is greener, “every other profession offers a secure financial future with normal working hours” attitude that’s pervasive on this website.

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

Totally wrong. Plenty of people do 2-3 years at McKinsey and become executives at small to mid-sized companies. Being a consultant at McKinsey is VASTLY better than biglaw in its own right, and being an executive at a company, and doing actual work rather than being the world's leading comma expert, is also VASTLY better than biglaw. Biglaw is really a uniquely miserable existence, and it is delusional to pretend otherwise.

This is an opinion, not a fact.

Agreed and the McKinsey analysis here is not really true. Analysts from management consulting firms are not becoming the heads of small businesses after 2 years.

But, taking this posters nonsense as true, why aren’t you and all other posters who are salivating for “business roles” in the c suite banging down door for management consulting jobs? Why did you go to a t14 etc? If you really think being the CFO of a family owned fertilizer company based out of Boise is that much better than biglaw, again why aren’t you grinding it out in “X” sector where your passion is?

It’s always your fault your doing biglaw. The counter factual doesn’t really answer the question and explain the grass is greener, “every other profession offers a secure financial future with normal working hours” attitude that’s pervasive on this website.

Being in the C suite is not the same as "becoming the head of a small business." Try to actually read what is written.

People go to law school, and not into management consulting, because they are genuinely interested in the legal thinking and analysis, and would like a job that revolves around those things. That being the case, there is no reason that biglaw need be set up in a way that is 1,000x more toxic than management consulting, treating highly skilled associates like worthless idiots who can't be trusted to sharpen a pencil. There is no reason that biglaw can't treat associates the same way that MBB treats management consultants - as highly valued team members whose thoughts and opinions matter from day 1, and who are expected to engage with the highest levels of management of major companies.

Biglaw has decided to create a uniquely miserable associate experience, driving the vast majority of associates quickly out of the system, and retaining only the most horrible, the most toxic, the most totally lacking in personality and the most money and status obsessed.

It is perfectly reasonable to point out how awful biglaw is, with no necessity to be so, and to push for changes to make it more like management consulting or other fields where junior team members are treated with respects rather than attitude.

[LBJ's Hair]

Being in the C suite is not the same as "becoming the head of a small business." Try to actually read what is written.

People go to law school, and not into management consulting, because they are genuinely interested in the legal thinking and analysis, and would like a job that revolves around those things. That being the case, there is no reason that biglaw need be set up in a way that is 1,000x more toxic than management consulting, treating highly skilled associates like worthless idiots who can't be trusted to sharpen a pencil. There is no reason that biglaw can't treat associates the same way that MBB treats management consultants - as highly valued team members whose thoughts and opinions matter from day 1, and who are expected to engage with the highest levels of management of major companies.

Biglaw has decided to create a uniquely miserable associate experience, driving the vast majority of associates quickly out of the system, and retaining only the most horrible, the most toxic, the most totally lacking in personality and the most money and status obsessed.

It is perfectly reasonable to point out how awful biglaw is, with no necessity to be so, and to push for changes to make it more like management consulting or other fields where junior team members are treated with respects rather than attitude.

i'm very sorry to burst your bubble, but literally the first post on the "crazy management consultants" Instagram meme page is a "pls fix by 9am" joke

https://www.instagram.com/crazymgmtconsultants/?hl=en

not a defense of biglaw 'work-life integration', but professional services jobs are just generally shit in that regard. clients suck, and McKinsey has the same ones your firm does. they might even be working on the same deals.

(if you think the work sounds more interesting tho, MBB interviews lawyers for consultant roles)

[Anonymous User]

Being in the C suite is not the same as "becoming the head of a small business." Try to actually read what is written.

People go to law school, and not into management consulting, because they are genuinely interested in the legal thinking and analysis, and would like a job that revolves around those things. That being the case, there is no reason that biglaw need be set up in a way that is 1,000x more toxic than management consulting, treating highly skilled associates like worthless idiots who can't be trusted to sharpen a pencil. There is no reason that biglaw can't treat associates the same way that MBB treats management consultants - as highly valued team members whose thoughts and opinions matter from day 1, and who are expected to engage with the highest levels of management of major companies.

Biglaw has decided to create a uniquely miserable associate experience, driving the vast majority of associates quickly out of the system, and retaining only the most horrible, the most toxic, the most totally lacking in personality and the most money and status obsessed.

It is perfectly reasonable to point out how awful biglaw is, with no necessity to be so, and to push for changes to make it more like management consulting or other fields where junior team members are treated with respects rather than attitude.

i'm very sorry to burst your bubble, but literally the first post on the "crazy management consultants" Instagram meme page is a "pls fix by 9am" joke

https://www.instagram.com/crazymgmtconsultants/?hl=en

not a defense of biglaw 'work-life integration', but professional services jobs are just generally shit in that regard. clients suck, and McKinsey has the same ones your firm does. they might even be working on the same deals.

No, you are wrong. It is a totally different system. MBB Partners are expected to be personable and charismatic, and actually have to recruit associates to join on their projects. The miserable and unbearable Kirkland partner treating associates like chattel is never going to be an MBB Partner. Unlike law, it isn't enough to just sit in your office and grind out work product to make partner, you actually have to be outgoing and sociable enough to get clients to choose to give you work.

The biglaw experience is 1,000x worse than management consulting, or basically any field other than banking.

[jbagelboy]

Biglaw sucks

[Sackboy]

Biglaw sucks

/thread

[Anonymous User]

Genuine question for the long list of posters who bitch moan and complain about how boring or numb this job is, what wouldn’t be boring to you? Being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Playing in the NFL? Working as an artist on a hot new nft??????

I mean, is that the idea that all white collar jobs are terrible? How about being on the management team of a company, whether large or small? Being a C suite executive is a massively better job than biglaw, in every possible law.

Right… so to answer the question, you want to be a C suite executive and that’s your comp for your daily big law job. Most C suite executives do boring jobs (on par or worse) than big law for decades before getting there. The idea is all jobs have a grind/boring mentality and biglaw people for some reason believe they should be c suite executives without suffering decades of truly banal work. Like managing numbers of Walmart stores or global supply chains. Those management teams? Those people generally do a long number of years in consulting which is equally repetitive as big law.

Totally wrong. Plenty of people do 2-3 years at McKinsey and become executives at small to mid-sized companies. Being a consultant at McKinsey is VASTLY better than biglaw in its own right, and being an executive at a company, and doing actual work rather than being the world's leading comma expert, is also VASTLY better than biglaw. Biglaw is really a uniquely miserable existence, and it is delusional to pretend otherwise.

This is an opinion, not a fact.

Agreed and the McKinsey analysis here is not really true. Analysts from management consulting firms are not becoming the heads of small businesses after 2 years.

But, taking this posters nonsense as true, why aren’t you and all other posters who are salivating for “business roles” in the c suite banging down door for management consulting jobs? Why did you go to a t14 etc? If you really think being the CFO of a family owned fertilizer company based out of Boise is that much better than biglaw, again why aren’t you grinding it out in “X” sector where your passion is?

It’s always your fault your doing biglaw. The counter factual doesn’t really answer the question and explain the grass is greener, “every other profession offers a secure financial future with normal working hours” attitude that’s pervasive on this website.

hmm….because I wanted to be a lawyer? I think you are generalizing here. Don’t forget the fact that a vast majority of lawyers don’t come here and complain about how the job sucks because they actually like what they do, whether corporate or litigation.

[Anonymous User]

As with everything, it all depends on perspective. Is it "bad" to be 31 years old and have made so much money the last 6 years to have paid off $300k in student loans, bought a house, have $350k+ in savings (after having supported spouse through school), being able to support my immigrant parents who still work for $15/hr? Not bad at all from that perspective. There's also something to be said for the sense of "accomplishment" you get when you sign/close deals (or win cases) for some of the most influential companies and people in the world.

But yeah, when you don't see your family/friends who supported you to get to where you are very often to even know what's going on in their day-to-day lives, can't plan a vacation with your wife and kid and know you'll be off, or just sit on the damn couch and watch some tv, it's pretty bad.

I came into biglaw out of genuine interest for the work and stayed for the financial necessity. I know people (seemingly) have families, friends and appear happy if they stay long-term, but I just don't see how that could possibly work for me. If it does for you, that's awesome. I'm headed for the door soon.

Serious question... how did you manage to save (including loan payoff) an average of 108k per year?????

[forthelols]

I think there's just a lot of variance and those who post are more likely to be on the brutal side. i'm at a market paying lit boutique and i've had the same experience as you. but this does't mean we should disbelieve everyone who is saying it's brutal.

Also at a market paying lit boutique, and while my hours are definitely more than 1600, they are not unmanageable. The difference I see between my situation and my friends in biglaw is that my hours are fairly predictable and I have a decent ability to plan my days and weeks in advance, and weekends/late nights are an unusual occurrence as there are rarely fire drills. Whereas friends in biglaw get rush assignments at 7pm that need to be done that night and which sometimes end up not being used at all, that never happens to me. Also I can bill steadily each day -- I am never waiting for work, there is always something to be done, so I can easily and regularly bill 8 hours in a 9 hour work day, and I find the substantive part of much of my work to be really interesting, which helps the time pass without it feeling like a slog. So, yes, totally agree that a lot depends on the firm, its style, and its work flow.

Can you PM me? Would be interested in hearing about this firm.

[eastcoast_iub]

Being in the C suite is not the same as "becoming the head of a small business." Try to actually read what is written.

People go to law school, and not into management consulting, because they are genuinely interested in the legal thinking and analysis, and would like a job that revolves around those things. That being the case, there is no reason that biglaw need be set up in a way that is 1,000x more toxic than management consulting, treating highly skilled associates like worthless idiots who can't be trusted to sharpen a pencil. There is no reason that biglaw can't treat associates the same way that MBB treats management consultants - as highly valued team members whose thoughts and opinions matter from day 1, and who are expected to engage with the highest levels of management of major companies.

Biglaw has decided to create a uniquely miserable associate experience, driving the vast majority of associates quickly out of the system, and retaining only the most horrible, the most toxic, the most totally lacking in personality and the most money and status obsessed.

It is perfectly reasonable to point out how awful biglaw is, with no necessity to be so, and to push for changes to make it more like management consulting or other fields where junior team members are treated with respects rather than attitude.

i'm very sorry to burst your bubble, but literally the first post on the "crazy management consultants" Instagram meme page is a "pls fix by 9am" joke

https://www.instagram.com/crazymgmtconsultants/?hl=en

not a defense of biglaw 'work-life integration', but professional services jobs are just generally shit in that regard. clients suck, and McKinsey has the same ones your firm does. they might even be working on the same deals.

No, you are wrong. It is a totally different system. MBB Partners are expected to be personable and charismatic, and actually have to recruit associates to join on their projects. The miserable and unbearable Kirkland partner treating associates like chattel is never going to be an MBB Partner. Unlike law, it isn't enough to just sit in your office and grind out work product to make partner, you actually have to be outgoing and sociable enough to get clients to choose to give you work.

The biglaw experience is 1,000x worse than management consulting, or basically any field other than banking.

What did you expect? Of course the job is unpleasant, that’s why you’re getting paid an amount of money the vast majority of people will never come anywhere close to in their lifetimes, in many cases with very little or no prior professional work experience. If you don’t like it go do something else, there are plenty of opportunities out there for someone with a big law pedigree and experience. The entitlement on here is staggering sometimes, people need to zoom out and see the big picture and appreciate how fortunate they are.

Also you are grossly exaggerating the difference between big law and management consulting.

[Anonymous User]

What did you expect? Of course the job is unpleasant, that’s why you’re getting paid an amount of money the vast majority of people will never come anywhere close to in their lifetimes, in many cases with very little or no prior professional work experience. If you don’t like it go do something else, there are plenty of opportunities out there for someone with a big law pedigree and experience. The entitlement on here is staggering sometimes, people need to zoom out and see the big picture and appreciate how fortunate they are.

Also you are grossly exaggerating the difference between big law and management consulting.

OP: Is biglaw bad?

Posters: yes

eastcoast_iub: WOW SHUT THE HELL UP WITH THAT ENTITLEMENT