all-nighters at the firm? Forum

[motiontodismiss]

I truly don't understand why anyone would want to live that type of life, even for $200,000 a year... Growing fat and pale while your wife cheats on you. But at least you'd have lots of money (that you won't have time to spend).

Don't marry a gold-digging whore at all, and you won't have a problem.

[Apple Tree]

I've had plenty of all nighters and 80+ hour weeks in public accounting ... hence an interest in big law ... maybe I'll only have to work 75 hours / week

and plenty more hookers and blow. accountants don't know how to party

Not true.

[Bosque]

I have only pulled one all nighter at my firm this summer, although it was my own damn fault. I figured out the day before a memo was due that I had researched completely the wrong thing, so I had to start over from scratch. In general, I get the impression that unless something goes wrong that we cannot control or get pushed back, no one here pulls all nighters for work. I only did it because I had already had to ask for an extension so I could sit in on a Mediation and a pretrial conference, so I didn't want to ask again.

[Grizz]

another thing: she said all workers check emails outside office hours. I find this very cool. I really hate the idea that people actually bother to check emails but never respond to them 'cos it's past office-hours (like the people at an administrative office where I worked for a short while)

Until you have to answer them. Then it sucks.

[Apple Tree]

Im midlaw in NY.. First Year associate.. this week...
Mon 7:30am to 7:45pm
Tues 915sm to 7pm
Wed 8:45am to 645pm
Thur 9am to 6:30pm
Fri 9am to 6:30pm (emails back and forth with firm managing partner all night and into saturday morning...)
Saturday 12:30pm to 9ish probably not sure yet...
Sunday 9am to 1pm (im going to my friend's wedding in Philly no matter what).

Total compensation 70k or so.. lots of experience though, etc..

In short, this career is not for everyone.. Make sure you want to do it. This is by far not the worst week I've had, but is pretty close to typical. This also fails to factor in the work I tend to do or at least plan out at home and the non-stop responding to the f$%%&^# blackberry

Psh, 54:15 hours, you slacker.

Anyways, the real myth is not so much the all nighters that do happen. The real myth is the 40 hour work week in any profession. My sister works at a company doing advertising and she works consistent 50-60 hour weeks and gets paid like 40k.

I work less than 40 hours a week (about 37) get paid more than that (by a fair amount). Maybe I souldn't go to law school...

[SaintClarence27]

I've had plenty of all nighters and 80+ hour weeks in public accounting ... hence an interest in big law ... maybe I'll only have to work 75 hours / week

and plenty more hookers and blow. accountants don't know how to party

Not true.

No, it is true. (I'm channeling Eddie Izzard here).

[SaintClarence27]

Im midlaw in NY.. First Year associate.. this week...
Mon 7:30am to 7:45pm
Tues 915sm to 7pm
Wed 8:45am to 645pm
Thur 9am to 6:30pm
Fri 9am to 6:30pm (emails back and forth with firm managing partner all night and into saturday morning...)
Saturday 12:30pm to 9ish probably not sure yet...
Sunday 9am to 1pm (im going to my friend's wedding in Philly no matter what).

Total compensation 70k or so.. lots of experience though, etc..

In short, this career is not for everyone.. Make sure you want to do it. This is by far not the worst week I've had, but is pretty close to typical. This also fails to factor in the work I tend to do or at least plan out at home and the non-stop responding to the f$%%&^# blackberry

Psh, 54:15 hours, you slacker.

Anyways, the real myth is not so much the all nighters that do happen. The real myth is the 40 hour work week in any profession. My sister works at a company doing advertising and she works consistent 50-60 hour weeks and gets paid like 40k.

I work less than 40 hours a week (about 37) get paid more than that (by a fair amount). Maybe I souldn't go to law school...

Government?

[stratocophic]

Im midlaw in NY.. First Year associate.. this week...
Mon 7:30am to 7:45pm
Tues 915sm to 7pm
Wed 8:45am to 645pm
Thur 9am to 6:30pm
Fri 9am to 6:30pm (emails back and forth with firm managing partner all night and into saturday morning...)
Saturday 12:30pm to 9ish probably not sure yet...
Sunday 9am to 1pm (im going to my friend's wedding in Philly no matter what).

Total compensation 70k or so.. lots of experience though, etc..

In short, this career is not for everyone.. Make sure you want to do it. This is by far not the worst week I've had, but is pretty close to typical. This also fails to factor in the work I tend to do or at least plan out at home and the non-stop responding to the f$%%&^# blackberry

Psh, 54:15 hours, you slacker.

Anyways, the real myth is not so much the all nighters that do happen. The real myth is the 40 hour work week in any profession. My sister works at a company doing advertising and she works consistent 50-60 hour weeks and gets paid like 40k.

I work less than 40 hours a week (about 37) get paid more than that (by a fair amount). Maybe I souldn't go to law school...

And this is just occurring to you?

[Apple Tree]

Im midlaw in NY.. First Year associate.. this week...
Mon 7:30am to 7:45pm
Tues 915sm to 7pm
Wed 8:45am to 645pm
Thur 9am to 6:30pm
Fri 9am to 6:30pm (emails back and forth with firm managing partner all night and into saturday morning...)
Saturday 12:30pm to 9ish probably not sure yet...
Sunday 9am to 1pm (im going to my friend's wedding in Philly no matter what).

Total compensation 70k or so.. lots of experience though, etc..

In short, this career is not for everyone.. Make sure you want to do it. This is by far not the worst week I've had, but is pretty close to typical. This also fails to factor in the work I tend to do or at least plan out at home and the non-stop responding to the f$%%&^# blackberry

Psh, 54:15 hours, you slacker.

Anyways, the real myth is not so much the all nighters that do happen. The real myth is the 40 hour work week in any profession. My sister works at a company doing advertising and she works consistent 50-60 hour weeks and gets paid like 40k.

I work less than 40 hours a week (about 37) get paid more than that (by a fair amount). Maybe I souldn't go to law school...

Government?

No, just a regular company. My friend who works in a big 4 works about 10-20 hours more than me a week, and she only gets paid $1000 more (granted that's just her compensation. I'm sure she gets a nice bonus at year end).

It's not the work is not substantial. There's just no pressure to please any client. It's more like an attitude of "if you can't get it done today, get it done tomorrow. Just do it well." Oh man, who am I kidding, this is heaven!!

[paratactical]

.

[SaintClarence27]

Totally late to this, but every single biglaw firm I've worked at or been in, has had seperate showers for men and women along with at least one room with a couch big enough for naps.

I'd rather sleep on the floor, assuming I have my own office.

[paratactical]

.

[SaintClarence27]

Totally late to this, but every single biglaw firm I've worked at or been in, has had seperate showers for men and women along with at least one room with a couch big enough for naps.

I'd rather sleep on the floor, assuming I have my own office.

I worked on a case where at team of 14 of us were in a conference room 6am-12midnight everyday. When the hours were extended until 2am, we brought in a couch and took shifts taking naps. We did this for 6.5 weeks straight.

Aw, HELL no. I'd go home in between then. I'd rather sleep on the floor.

[Bosque]

Totally late to this, but every single biglaw firm I've worked at or been in, has had seperate showers for men and women along with at least one room with a couch big enough for naps.

We have showers here, one in both the mens and the womens bathroom on every floor. However, no one uses them because they sleep here. They use them because they go running/biking during lunch, or in the morning, or after 5.

Of course, TBF I am in a secondary market this summer. Life is not this good at firms in the major markets.

[TommyK]

M&A?

Mergers and Acquisitions.

Murders & Executions

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[nealric]

I'm guessing tax lawyers have a ton of work on and around April 15th.

Not at law firms. You won't be working on filing anybody's tax return at a firm- that's what accounting firms do.