Real NYC Big Law Hours Forum

[Thelaw23]

I was wondering if some people who are associates at NYC biglaw could tell me the hours they actually work?

I heard anywhere from 50 hours to the ridiculous 80-100 hours a week. I was just wondering which one is closer to reality. Also what do the work hours look like? 9am - 7pm?


Also, do you kind of pick your own schedule? Meaning can you leave at say, 2 p.m. to go to the gym for an hour and a half and then come back at 3:30?

[kellyfrost]

In before this thread gets beat to shreds.


I'm going to hurry and go pop some popcorn and watch the responses come in.

[zot1]

Obviously the people who come here over and over again to complain about the long hours are just whining and being overdramatic. You'll likely just have 50 hour weeks.

[jarofsoup]

I work till 10pm or 11 pm every night. 5 pm or so on weekends. I leave the office at 7 but work from home.

Hours are worse when there is a fire drill.

[Thelaw23]

^^

See so who do I believe

Or does it vary so significantly from firm to firm?

[WhiteCollarBlueShirt]

1. YMMV (firm, practice area, partner, luck of the draw, etc.).
2. People often leave biglaw to get more regular hours, such as 8-6, 9-7, etc.
3. The number 1 complaint is not the gross number, but that many have minimal to zero control over their schedule Monday through Sunday and beyond.
4. Many in NYC can split for a little midday or the whole day, provided that they are not too busy.

I thought I could hack it, and I was both right/wrong. It's an easy job, but I found it did not align with my lifestyle/interests and left (still work with NYC'ers on a daily basis, and if you like the work, don't have friends/family, and are not big on outdoor activities, then it's probably a pretty good job).

Good luck!

[Thelaw23]

1. YMMV (firm, practice area, partner, luck of the draw, etc.).
2. People often leave biglaw to get more regular hours, such as 8-6, 9-7, etc.
3. The number 1 complaint is not the gross number, but that many have minimal to zero control over their schedule Monday through Sunday and beyond.
4. Many in NYC can split for a little midday or the whole day, provided that they are not too busy.

I thought I could hack it, and I was both right/wrong. It's an easy job, but I found it did not align with my lifestyle/interests and left (still work with NYC'ers on a daily basis, and if you like the work, don't have friends/family, and are not big on outdoor activities, then it's probably a pretty good job).

Good luck!

I work 7-5 now 6 days a week, which comes out to 60 hours. I still manage to go to the gym, kickboxing, spend time with the girlfriend etc...

So that will all go to shit in biglaw, yes?

That's fucked, is midlaw a lot better in the hours or lifestyle?

[zot1]

OP, I'm obviously trolling. There can't be that mane people that whine about something without some of it being true.

Keep in mind that billing hours is not the same as working hours. For example, you could be at the office 8-5 and only bill one hour because it was a slow day. No matter how you put it, there will be several other days where you'll work a lot longer to come up with the billing.

And part of the problem, as someone else stated, is that you don't have control over your schedule. You might have awesome dinner plans tonight at 7, but a partner might come back at 5 and ask you to have it done before the morning. At that point, bye bye dinner plans.

But! The money and the prestige are good. Never forget.

[A. Nony Mouse]

OP, there are lots and lots of discussions of this in the legal employment forum, if you search around. That's not saying you can't ask the question, just that there is a lot of info about this out there already.

However 0Ls aren't allowed to post questions in the legal employment forum, so I'm moving this to the correct forum.

[zot1]

OP, there are lots and lots of discussions of this in the legal employment forum, if you search around. That's not saying you can't ask the question, just that there is a lot of info about this out there already.

However 0Ls aren't allowed to post questions in the legal employment forum, so I'm moving this to the correct forum.

But Nony, he's asking for the *real* NYC biglaw hours. No one has asked for the real ones before.

[lymenheimer]

OP, there are lots and lots of discussions of this in the legal employment forum, if you search around. That's not saying you can't ask the question, just that there is a lot of info about this out there already.

However 0Ls aren't allowed to post questions in the legal employment forum, so I'm moving this to the correct forum.

But Nony, he's asking for the *real* NYC biglaw hours. No one has asked for the real ones before.

Dont forget about the midlaw position with great pay and great work life balance. Why has nobody thought of going there?

[WhiteCollarBlueShirt]

I work 7-5 now 6 days a week, which comes out to 60 hours. I still manage to go to the gym, kickboxing, spend time with the girlfriend etc...

So that will all go to shit in biglaw, yes?

That's fucked, is midlaw a lot better in the hours or lifestyle?

Your mileage may vary is always the correct response. Unless you're a 0L, it's too late now, so give biglaw a shot.

Midlaw can be worse (same lifestyle, less pay). For me, moving to a small market has allowed me to take most weekends off entirely and come home for dinner 98% of the time. However, the hours are considered "bad" for this market--so it takes sometime in NYC to appreciate the differences. (I certainly wouldn't ever be on TLS if I was still in NYC).

[whysoseriousbiglaw]

Yup, lack of control is the worst. I'd estimate average hours is 60-65 hours a week in the office, billing part of those.

Hours are completely irregular. I have worked most weekends in biglaw (like maybe 70%).

[ArtistOfManliness]

Yup, lack of control is the worst. I'd estimate average hours is 60-65 hours a week in the office, billing part of those.

Hours are completely irregular. I have worked most weekends in biglaw (like maybe 70%).

All for those free meals