Anyone have positive things to say about BigLaw? Forum

[84651846190]

Is the 'revolving door' between biggov and biglaw real? If so how does it work? Thanks

WTF? No. There are like 45 biglaw jobs for each biggov job, and a lot of biggov jobs go to people without biglaw experience (like DAs). You should *not* plan on getting a biggov job from biglaw.

Granted, I just pulled that number out of my ass, but do this:

1) Go on USAjobs.gov.
2) Count how many attorney openings there are.
3) Go on every biglaw firm's website.
4) Add up how many biglaw jobs are available.

The number of biglaw jobs will surely be greater, probably by several orders of magnitude.

[V20Associate]

Hmm, well then that does stink. OP, and applicants generally, perhaps you should make a point to ask about the quality of training on a second visit when applying and try to get a sense of it at a specific firm, because it sounds like the quality of training might vary.

I don't believe you are really a biglaw associate. I don't know of any biglaw firms that give as much training as you claim your firm does. Maybe you're just in a really good practice group or something. *shrug*

I am in a very large practice group (think gen. corp. or gen. lit.) and am truly trying to be honest about my experience. If my opinion about what I've received does not match yours either we have different expectations or have had different experiences. I'm sure either is possible. The strange thing would be if we're at the same firm, which given your handle is entirely possible. Feel free to PM.

[t-14orbust]

Is there a significant difference between QOL at V5/10/20(NYC/DC/LA)? If there is, is the sliding scale of prestige worth the added misery?

[84651846190]

Hmm, well then that does stink. OP, and applicants generally, perhaps you should make a point to ask about the quality of training on a second visit when applying and try to get a sense of it at a specific firm, because it sounds like the quality of training might vary.

I don't believe you are really a biglaw associate. I don't know of any biglaw firms that give as much training as you claim your firm does. Maybe you're just in a really good practice group or something. *shrug*

I am in a very large practice group (think gen. corp. or gen. lit.) and am truly trying to be honest about my experience. If my opinion about what I've received does not match yours either we have different expectations or have had different experiences. I'm sure either is possible. The strange thing would be if we're at the same firm, which given your handle is entirely possible. Feel free to PM.

nffi

[84651846190]

Is there a significant difference between QOL at V5/10/20(NYC/DC/LA)? If there is, is the sliding scale of prestige worth the added misery?

*sigh*

For the millionth time, prestige is not determined by Vault ranking. The most prestigious firms don't even appear in the top Vault spots (Susman, Bartlit, etc.).

Misery does not correlate with prestige either.

These kinds of posts are so bad that it's hard to tell if they're flame or not.

[V20Associate]

Hmm, well then that does stink. OP, and applicants generally, perhaps you should make a point to ask about the quality of training on a second visit when applying and try to get a sense of it at a specific firm, because it sounds like the quality of training might vary.

I don't believe you are really a biglaw associate. I don't know of any biglaw firms that give as much training as you claim your firm does. Maybe you're just in a really good practice group or something. *shrug*

I am in a very large practice group (think gen. corp. or gen. lit.) and am truly trying to be honest about my experience. If my opinion about what I've received does not match yours either we have different expectations or have had different experiences. I'm sure either is possible. The strange thing would be if we're at the same firm, which given your handle is entirely possible. Feel free to PM.

nffi

Just no pleasing you...

[LegalReality]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

Biglaw is still the best outcome available from law school. The lesser paying jobs are cut and paste litigation mills with similar or worse hours. Does it suck? Yes. But at least we get paid. I hope the takeaway from this thread is to avoid law school at all costs rather than do law school and avoid biglaw.

[Danger Zone]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

[dresden doll]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

Probably a better outcome than being in love with someone who makes less than your secretary while working longer hours.

[t-14orbust]

Is there a significant difference between QOL at V5/10/20(NYC/DC/LA)? If there is, is the sliding scale of prestige worth the added misery?

*sigh*

For the millionth time, prestige is not determined by Vault ranking. The most prestigious firms don't even appear in the top Vault spots (Susman, Bartlit, etc.).

Misery does not correlate with prestige either.

These kinds of posts are so bad that it's hard to tell if they're flame or not.

Gotta learn somehow. How do I find out about these unranked firms?

[IAFG]

How do I find out about these unranked firms?

If I knew I would write a guide. Some unranked smaller firms are good. Others suck. Some offices of the same firm suck or are really tolerable.

[09042014]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

Biglaw is still the best outcome available from law school. The lesser paying jobs are cut and paste litigation mills with similar or worse hours. Does it suck? Yes. But at least we get paid. I hope the takeaway from this thread is to avoid law school at all costs rather than do law school and avoid biglaw.

It's not the best, fed gov probably is. But just because it's nearly the best, doesn't mean it's good.

That's the point. It all fucking sucks, don't go.

[IAFG]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

Biglaw is still the best outcome available from law school. The lesser paying jobs are cut and paste litigation mills with similar or worse hours. Does it suck? Yes. But at least we get paid. I hope the takeaway from this thread is to avoid law school at all costs rather than do law school and avoid biglaw.

It's not the best, fed gov probably is. But just because it's nearly the best, doesn't mean it's good.

That's the point. It all fucking sucks, don't go.

How can someone on track to bill 900 hours be so bitter? You are entitled to the bitterness of an SA.

[09042014]

I dated someone in shitlaw making 35k at an insurance mill. She worked way more hours than me and I actually dumped her because I saw no point in dating someone who worked longer hours than me and made less than my secretary.

Biglaw is still the best outcome available from law school. The lesser paying jobs are cut and paste litigation mills with similar or worse hours. Does it suck? Yes. But at least we get paid. I hope the takeaway from this thread is to avoid law school at all costs rather than do law school and avoid biglaw.

It's not the best, fed gov probably is. But just because it's nearly the best, doesn't mean it's good.

That's the point. It all fucking sucks, don't go.

How can someone on track to bill 900 hours be so bitter? You are entitled to the bitterness of an SA.

I've had a full last half of march and april. Billed 210 in April. I'll hit 2k this year easily. got put on a big ass, gaia sized, juicy case.

[rad lulz]

.

[wons]

I'm also another one of the biglaw associates who really likes my job. I haven't found the personalities here to be any worse than at any other place I've worked, and I wasn't K-JD. In fact, I'd say the folks here are better - I've had some really good personal experiences with partners (i.e, when I had a extremely sick parent, making calls to get immediate appointments for my parent at a doctor who otherwise had a 2 month+ wait). I'm pretty tight personally with a bunch of other folks in my practice group; we socialize a bit (not too much, but occaisionally) outside of work, which I think really helps.

The problem with Biglaw is not biglaw. It is that:
(a) it is difficult, if not impossible, to know if you will like the work before you start;
(b) ballpark, about half the people who enter biglaw will dislike the work
(c) you work ~60 hours a week in Biglaw. This is a very big chunk of your awake time. If you don't like your work, it will drive you crazy, just like being locked in a room for 60 hours a week with someone you disliked would drive you nuts.
(d) if you have a lot of debt, you are trapped, and have to spend 60 hours a week doing something you dislike over, and over, and over for years.

So if you go to law school, you have to understand that there is NO way - NONE - to know whether you'll like Biglaw or not (slightly better chance if you're older / not K-JD, but not a huge difference) and if you don't like it, it will drive you insane.

But if you do like the work, its pretty damn fun. You get to do cool, difficult work, learn skills that you can turn into $$ down the road, you get paid well, you work with intelligent, interesting people. I think there are very few people who really enjoy biglaw work who don't like biglaw b/c of the culture; the complaints about culture and personality stem mostly from people who dislike the work and then transitively take it out on other aspects of the job.

[El Pollito]

I'm on track to do 2k but with roghly 40 hr/wk

yours sounds worse

People aren't allowed to be on track to anything until October. HTH.

[rad lulz]

I'm on track to do 2k but with roghly 40 hr/wk

yours sounds worse

People aren't allowed to be on track to anything until October. HTH.

Fair enough

[09042014]

It's not the best, fed gov probably is. But just because it's nearly the best, doesn't mean it's good.

That's the point. It all fucking sucks, don't go.

How can someone on track to bill 900 hours be so bitter? You are entitled to the bitterness of an SA.

I've had a full last half of march and april. Billed 210 in April. I'll hit 2k this year easily. got put on a big ass, gaia sized, juicy case.

I'm on track to do 2k but with roghly 40 hr/wk

yours sounds worse

TBF, it's actually not bad. I went HAM in April to catch up to my pace. As long as this case doesn't settle, it's pretty much a billable vending machine were I turn the knob and hours fall out. I'm going to do 40 a week while I can, and I'm sure firedrills will happen to make up some of the ground I need to get to 1950.

And the client doesn't have a budget so I don't have to worry about efficiency or whatever. I'm allowed to bill for rando technolgical research.

It's still a lot of work, but its better than most people have it right now.

[rad lulz]

Those are the best matters bro

Maybe it's shitty saying that but that's how the incentives are orgnized

[rayiner]

Cases that are cost-insensitive are great. Can bill 200 per month without breaking too terribly much of a sweat because of the steady flow of work.

[09042014]

Those are the best matters bro

Maybe it's shitty saying that but that's how the incentives are orgnized

Part of the problem is that the technical issues havent been narrowed at all. So we have to be prepped for anything. Which means a lot of learning.

[Theopliske8711]

Man, big law is damn inefficient.

[IAFG]

Man, big law is damn inefficient prestigious.

FTFY

[09042014]

Man, big law is damn inefficient prestigious.

FTFY

BIG CASES BIG BILLS