Am I Just a Terrible Associate? Forum

[Anonymous User]

OP, please provide rough estimates of hours totals for each year, thank.

I can’t remember all but this is what I remember:

2017 - 1500 (no bonus)
2018 - 1500 (no bonus)
2019 - 1750 (no bonus)
2020 - 2350 (bonus)
2021 - 1650 (no bonus)

I lateraled a couple of times, so that’s why some years are abnormally low.

I'm glad I asked, bud.

As others have said, you've got a good distribution here. Ideally you either hit 2001 hours (or whatever is barely over your firm's minimum) or you're below 1600 hours. In certain years 1600 is not even abnormally low in certain specialist groups (can't speak specifically to ECB).

But just a philosophical point: I can't speak to whether you are a good associate or not, but it bears repeating that in general the only reward for good work is getting to do everyone else's. The top 5% might make partner and the bottom 5% might get fired, but the middle 90% is largely proceeding on the same path and it's just a matter of who's getting bonus year to year. I will pass no judgment on your pride or your expectations of yourself, but just from a survival perspective, mediocrity really is king. Not so shitty that you piss people off, but enough so that people just passively don't get interested in working with you, EXCEPT for one or two partners who you like/are the least stressful that you'll do good work and be responsive for. Those partners will feed you enough hours to stay on the bell curve enough to be off management's radar and will mildly go to bat for you (as in, you're not getting their endorsement but they will find you useful enough to object to your firing).

OP, you don't need this advice--as you have apparently accidentally approximated this strategy for years--but hopefully it saves one of you youngins some grief.

Came here to say this. Jealous of your ability to coast as I have no friends, no life and hate my job.

[Anonymous User]

I’ve been at a few firms. I’ve always received average to great reviews (never really negative reviews). My hours have always been abysmal though. I got my bonus once in 5+ years. And in some years, I was a few hundred hours off.

Some people say I should feel lucky to be in this predicament, but I have constant anxiety because I’m not as busy as I think I’m supposed to be…

Anyone else in the same position? For what it’s worth, I don’t think the other associates in my group are hitting their hours either.

I was similar when I was in biglaw. Highest was 2000 one year early on. Hours got lower as years went… down to about 1600 or 1700. Lasted 8 years and went in-house. Sooo much better.

[Anonymous User]

worst case scenario is probably getting a soft push-out, right?

Idk. Not so bad.