What I like about firm life, by IAFG Forum

[IAFG]

A couple posters have mentioned me like I am the poster child for Bitter Lawyers Club, but the truth is, there's a lot I like about my job. Some days I'm even happy to be here. The fact is, I was just surprised by what sucked, and how much it sucked, that I wish I could tell my 0L/law student self certain things to help me brace myself. But, here are some things that make me glad to be here:

Working with sincerely smart people is a joy. Also, being really sure the person I am working for is smarter than me, and has better instincts. Working in environments without those things can really suck.

My firm has let me go to some networking/CLE type stuff, some of which was great: chatting with judges, geeking out over recent cases, free booze, etc.

A great library and librarian. My librarian doesn't care if what I am asking for is my own geeky curiosity or for a client, and I have tons of resources to help me get the information I am after. I really can't imagine leaving my firm for a firm without a library and librarian, because these have saved my butt so many times.

I've worked on some cases that were covered by the financial news, which was cool, but honestly it might even be more fun to work on small, quirky cases that no one will ever hear about. Things that are odd are fun because you find yourself arguing by analogy and looking more broadly for precedent. Smaller cases are also where I have gotten to do my most brag-worthy work, because they're more leanly staffed.

The "worst" week I have had, measured by lack of sleep or hours billed, was also the most fun. I'm a procrastinator by nature, but I get a high out of putting out fires. So whereas I feared crazy weeks as a 0L/law student, now I think it matters more what the emergency is. Rushing through doc review is never fun, but prepping for trial is a blast.

Working with teams. The People's Therapist has a post about how people at large law firms rarely work together. And I guess it is mostly solitary work, but I have gotten to work with teams and enjoyed it a lot. I've started gravitating toward work that I know will force more face time.

Perks I'm intentionally leaving off:

Free lunches/dinners. I would rather buy my own and choose my dining companions.

Bonuses. They're not even close to being worth trying to gun for.

[Brettanomyces]

Thank you for this post.
I was sure "by IAFG" was either a typo or a clever joke before I opened it.

[Theopliske8711]

Aren't bonuses generally lockstep so long as you make the hour requirements?

[IAFG]

Aren't bonuses generally lockstep so long as you make the hour requirements?

Not everywhere, but I am also saying I would not scramble to make hours for the sake of a few grand after tax.

[kalvano]

The "worst" week I have had, measured by lack of sleep or hours billed, was also the most fun. I'm a procrastinator by nature, but I get a high out of putting out fires. So whereas I feared crazy weeks as a 0L/law student, now I think it matters more what the emergency is. Rushing through doc review is never fun, but prepping for trial is a blast.

I'll second this. Not the trial part (transactional for the "I don't have to care about Rules of Procedure" win!) but just that kind of day is the most fun at the end. I love to be busy and start work at 7:30 and look up and it's time to go home and I've no idea where the day went. Those are also the type of days where partners usually notice you, for better or worse. Partners love associates that can handle their work and keep things moving smoothly even when everything is blowing up.


Sorry to hijack IAFG's lovefest for Biglaw.

[IAFG]

The "worst" week I have had, measured by lack of sleep or hours billed, was also the most fun. I'm a procrastinator by nature, but I get a high out of putting out fires. So whereas I feared crazy weeks as a 0L/law student, now I think it matters more what the emergency is. Rushing through doc review is never fun, but prepping for trial is a blast.

I'll second this. Not the trial part (transactional for the "I don't have to care about Rules of Procedure" win!) but just that kind of day is the most fun at the end. I love to be busy and start work at 7:30 and look up and it's time to go home and I've no idea where the day went. Those are also the type of days where partners usually notice you, for better or worse. Partners love associates that can handle their work and keep things moving smoothly even when everything is blowing up.


Sorry to hijack IAFG's lovefest for Biglaw.

Nah feel free to hijack. Someone tried to start this thread like a week ago but I shat on it out of spite. Might as well get it going for real.

[suzige]

Sucks that there's not better bonus payouts.
Thanks for the post.

[09042014]

Fires = playing waterboy for outside council

[IAFG]

not every part of hearing prep is glamorous.

[dwil770]

Aren't bonuses generally lockstep so long as you make the hour requirements?

Not everywhere, but I am also saying I would not scramble to make hours for the sake of a few grand after tax.

But who knows what they'll be this year!

[IAFG]

Aren't bonuses generally lockstep so long as you make the hour requirements?

Not everywhere, but I am also saying I would not scramble to make hours for the sake of a few grand after tax.

But who knows what they'll be this year!

Clever scheme, eh?

Honestly, I don't care about money. Maybe it's a form of golden handcuffs, but I can bankroll my (expensive) lifestyle on my monthly salary and I am not willing to stay extra evenings for... What? 2% of my loan balance? One high end handbag? Not that it matters because I could only "gun" for a few extra hours a month. The work I can get is mostly set in stone.