Laptop sticker? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Incoming associate. Presumably everyone is going to have the same thinkpad or whatever. Can I put a 4x4 sticker on my laptop to distinguish it or is this socially unacceptable? Sticker would probably be some meme animal, like a corgi or frog or whatever. No words.

[Anonymous User]

Weird and unprofessional. You work at a law firm (I.e. a client facing professional services firm), not at a tech startup.

[Anonymous User]

The above response is correct. Another way of thinking about it is: do you want to be *that* conscious of how your doge sticker will be perceived by someone every time you bring your laptop with you? A senior associate, a partner? I assume this is why you're asking this question here. There are enough things to worry about as a first-year without having something like this factoring in for no real benefit. If you're that worried about losing your laptop in a sea of similar ones, you could add a tiny name sticker discreetly.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Fair enough. I'll try the nametag idea. Thanks!

[Anonymous User]

Why would anyone care? It's your laptop. Clients are not going to see your laptop. Just, make sure it's actually cute and not edgy (eg, Kermit OK, pepe not OK).

[Anonymous User]

Are you really expecting there to be circumstances where you can't tell your laptop from someone else's? Where I work everyone has the same laptop, but I've never been in a situation where the laptops were stacked up closed and I didn't know which one was mine or something.

[Anonymous User]

This is squarely in the can vs. should category. Can you? Probably. I doubt any firm would fire you for it. Should you? Probably not. As others ITT have said you're never going to find yourself in a situation where you'd get your laptop confused with another's, and it's probably not worth the risk of your colleagues judging you for it, even if it is stupid for them to do so.

"Why intentionally stand out in a potentially bad way when you don't have to?" - Pretty much every lawyer, ever.

[Bosque]

At some point in your career, you might end up sitting in court at a counsel table, at a conference table across from the C suite of your client, or at a congressional hearing. Big important event. At this event, you will have your laptop. And inevitably, the back of your laptop will be facing the Judge/CEO/Senators.

If you would be comfortable with them seeing the sticker, put it on. If not, then don't.

[Bosque]

Why would anyone care? It's your laptop. Clients are not going to see your laptop. Just, make sure it's actually cute and not edgy (eg, Kermit OK, pepe not OK).

Clients absolutely will see your laptop.

[blair.waldorf]

I’m in corporate and hopefully will never be in a courtroom. I’ve also never had clients see my laptop. I work from home now, but when we went back to the office at my old firm I had a sticker on my laptop and no one seemed to care. Never even really thought about how it could be an issue honestly.

[Anonymous User]

If you're actually concerned about distinguishing your laptop then a "socially acceptable" sticker such as your college/law school or favorite sports team (assuming its not something weird) would probably be acceptable but I would leave it to one in the corner.

[Anonymous User]

There's a chance that someone might perceive it as childish or unprofessional so don't do it. It's really unlikely that your laptop will get mixed up with someone else's, even if they're all identical. You never really relinquish custody of your laptop when you're in the office so the chances of it getting mixed up are low.

[makerbreaker]

Depends on the firm and location I’d say. Cravath? Probably very noticeable and not in a good way. Gunderson? Don’t think anyone will care.

[Anonymous User]

Corporate associate here. You do you, but just a practical observation. Clients have seen my laptop on many occasions (e.g., at the printer, attending board meetings, random in person meetings). However, I have never been in a situation where my laptop might get mixed up with my colleagues’. It’s hard to even think of when that might happen. I suppose if there was an all hands training in a conference room immediately followed by an on-site happy hour, maybe it’s possible. But even then, I almost always have something identifiable next to my laptop, like my bag, a pen, a mug or something. Or a Post-it sticking out if it.

[Anonymous User]

Don't do it. You don't need it to tell your laptop apart from others. It'd also look kind of immature. A meme animal sticker is the kind of thing that would make you stick out in a bad way, imo. My firm isn't particularly conservative or stuffy , and I don't think I've ever seen anyone with anything like that on their work laptop.

[existentialcrisis]

Corporate associate here. You do you, but just a practical observation. Clients have seen my laptop on many occasions (e.g., at the printer, attending board meetings, random in person meetings). However, I have never been in a situation where my laptop might get mixed up with my colleagues’. It’s hard to even think of when that might happen. I suppose if there was an all hands training in a conference room immediately followed by an on-site happy hour, maybe it’s possible. But even then, I almost always have something identifiable next to my laptop, like my bag, a pen, a mug or something. Or a Post-it sticking out if it.

This.

[Anonymous User]

If you're actually concerned about distinguishing your laptop then a "socially acceptable" sticker such as your college/law school or favorite sports team (assuming its not something weird) would probably be acceptable but I would leave it to one in the corner.

I agree with this. I used a small "I voted" sticker for this purpose and it worked well. The one time I was asked about it, I explained that it is to help me and my spouse (who is also a lawyer) make sure we weren't taking each other's laptops. I definitely wouldn't use something large or a doge meme.

[persia1921]

Just put a small plain circle sticker on it and be done with it. No one will give it a second thought.

[Anonymous User]

Geez, this forum is sometimes completely insane. I’m a partner at a V10 firm. Put a sticker on your laptop if you want a sticker on your laptop. Don’t put a marijuana sticker or an “I’d rather be at the beach” sticker on your laptop; use your reasonable judgment. But the idea that a sticker of your pet or a favorite vacation destination or whatever is “immature” or would be judged is one of the most insane, out-of-touch law student neurotic comments I’ve seen here. Anyone who said this to me in seriousness in real life would definitely get judged hard for extreme try-hardness.

[Anonymous User]

Geez, this forum is sometimes completely insane. I’m a partner at a V10 firm. Put a sticker on your laptop if you want a sticker on your laptop. Don’t put a marijuana sticker or an “I’d rather be at the beach” sticker on your laptop; use your reasonable judgment. But the idea that a sticker of your pet or a favorite vacation destination or whatever is “immature” or would be judged is one of the most insane, out-of-touch law student neurotic comments I’ve seen here. Anyone who said this to me in seriousness in real life would definitely get judged hard for extreme try-hardness.

I don't understand why people like you have such a strong reaction to advice play it safe. Do you really think law firms are going to be a safe space for budding individuality? Is being risk averse truly that terrible? You have a remarkably one-sided view on this and offer the indefensible take that nobody would care, ever. You may be right that it's stupid to care and that you should judge those people in return, but you're wrong that nobody cares.

For example, I judged people hard back in law school for donning stickers on their laptops, and would do so now if someone had the balls put one on a work computer. Am I going to recommend an associate with a sticker get fired? Hell no. But will I make snap judgments on their maturity and ability to go before clients? Absolutely. Call me crazy, out of touch, or a try-hard, but people like me definitely exist, and you can't pretend like we don't by flashing your V10 partnership credentials.

Should OP care about people like me? That's the question we're debating: is the sticker is worth the risk of 1) someone like me existing and 2) judging them? You obviously don't care, and that's fine. But that's also just like, your opinion man. Stop pretending like it's ubiquitous or the only one out there.

[Anonymous User]

Geez, this forum is sometimes completely insane.

For example, I judged people hard back in law school for donning stickers on their laptops [...] Call me crazy, out of touch, or a try-hard, but people like me definitely exist, and you can't pretend like we don't by flashing your V10 partnership credentials.

Not that guy, but yes, you are literally crazy. You're judging people hard for an inconsequential sticker? What are you, 16?

[Anonymous User]

Geez, this forum is sometimes completely insane. I’m a partner at a V10 firm. Put a sticker on your laptop if you want a sticker on your laptop. Don’t put a marijuana sticker or an “I’d rather be at the beach” sticker on your laptop; use your reasonable judgment. But the idea that a sticker of your pet or a favorite vacation destination or whatever is “immature” or would be judged is one of the most insane, out-of-touch law student neurotic comments I’ve seen here. Anyone who said this to me in seriousness in real life would definitely get judged hard for extreme try-hardness.

I'm the anon who said it would look immature. I'm not a law student and haven't been for a while. If an incoming associate asked me in real life whether they should put a doge or similar "meme animal" sticker on their work laptop (the actual question at issue here), I would give them the same response I did here. It has nothing to do with try-hardness. You might be fine with it -- congrats on being a "cool" partner -- but plenty of people wouldn't. There's a reason I've literally never seen that kind of sticker on anyone's laptop at my firm, which as I noted before, is hardly one of the firms known for being stuffy or traditional.

[Anonymous User]

Here's a more pretentiously philosophical take: I don't get the point of putting a sticker on your work laptop. It's a work tool, it's not a personal item, and it'll get changed out when old or returned when you leave the firm. I get the point of humanizing/personalizing your office space to the extent necessary that you're happy working there, but putting a sticker on your laptop seems to be a tiny example of making work your life in a way I'd encourage people not to do.

Don't get me wrong, though, this is a really minor issue in the grand scale of your career. Some people could be judgy but I don't think it's going to outweigh your actual work quality and relationships. If you're someone who's worried enough this kind of impression about it to ask a question here, I'd maybe err on the side of caution because it might cause you stress, but it's really not a big deal. But the issue of mixing up your laptop with other people's isn't really a thing so there isn't any practical necessity for a sticker.

[jotarokujo]

but putting a sticker on your laptop seems to be a tiny example of making work your life in a way I'd encourage people not to do.

i disagree with this quote and agree with the above partner that not putting the sticker is too try-hard. the more you allow work to dictate or cause you to stray from your natural behavior, the more you are "making work your life". i align decorating laptop with decorating office for the most part, so you can within reason

[Anonymous User]

but putting a sticker on your laptop seems to be a tiny example of making work your life in a way I'd encourage people not to do.

i disagree with this quote and agree with the above partner that not putting the sticker is too try-hard. the more you allow work to dictate or cause you to stray from your natural behavior, the more you are "making work your life". i align decorating laptop with decorating office for the most part, so you can within reason

Yeah this is such a weird take. Is putting up pictures in your office also bad suddenly? Having a fridge in your office? Cmon guys be normal. You don't have to live like a prisoner.

The only thing I'd worry about is like an edgy type meme (or one that could be mistaken as such). But just a cute personal touch? Any senior that would judge you for it is a psycho.