First Year in Biglaw Forum

[Danger Zone]

First years who just started what have your billables been like? I feel pretty slow.

Started at the beginning of setember. Have been averaging about 16-17 hours a week.

Very typical at many offices, even throughout your entire stub year (September to December 31). Just enjoy it.

This is common advice on TLS, but just to add a contrary experience, I got reamed out at my six month review for being low on hours (was averaging ~100 per month). The partners were not happy at all and no one went to bat for me. It happens.

[Anonymous User]

First years who just started what have your billables been like? I feel pretty slow.

Started at the beginning of setember. Have been averaging about 16-17 hours a week.

Very typical at many offices, even throughout your entire stub year (September to December 31). Just enjoy it.

Just a month ago or Sept 2016? 17 hours a week seems really, really slow. How busy is everyone else? Do you feel like you're starting to get traction?

Thanks smokey. Anon here. Sep 2017. Talked to some other people who started and it varies with some people being as slow and some people not. I've just been chilling throughout he day and the few hours I did bill often come in the evening and into the night.

[Anonymous User]

First years who just started what have your billables been like? I feel pretty slow.

Started at the beginning of setember. Have been averaging about 16-17 hours a week.

Technically my first year (but a second year) after a clerkship and I am extremely slow. Sometimes 6 hours a week.. sometimes less. Have reached out. Told to chill..that it's normal. I don't think its normal. Also finding out the work I was told was here/hired to do ... exists in very small quantities. If these 2-3 partners that do it leave... I'm screwed.

[Saltnpeppa1]

I don't mean to sound condescending, but just relax. No one expects anything from you, and you truthfully haven't shown anybody anything substantive for them to decide you are incapable. Two partners controlling your work can be nerve wracking, but, if you can, try to diversify and get some other work streams. If you don't, it's not the end of the world.

It takes a while for the big wheels of work to finally turn enough to include you. For some practices, it's a flood or nothing. For others, it's starts to come in a steady stream. Just be patient, and the work will start coming. When it comes, work your hardest to leave a good first impression.

[Anonymous User]

When associates in my group (m&a) a year above me told me they did nothing their first three months I thought it was hyperbole. Holy crap they were right on a literal level. It's really weird to be at a job where you aren't actually working.

[TLSModBot]

I was told to enjoy the downtime when I could get it. One year later I understand much better.

[Anonymous User]

Just as another data point, started in September, have billed 350-400 so far. V5 corp. We’ve been slammed.

[Anonymous User]

Started first week in september. Have about 220 hours as of 10/31.

[Anonymous User]

Started last week of August, as of 10/31 I'm at around 330

[Anonymous User]

146 billable. Started oct 5

[Danger Zone]

WOW COOL GOOD JOB HARD WORKERS

[deepseapartners]

WOW COOL GOOD JOB HARD WORKERS

I took those posts more to mean that experiences may vary, and just as you shouldn’t freak out if you don’t bill 200+ per month during your stub year, you also shouldn’t expect to coast through to January 1.

[Anonymous User]

Remember the old law school adage "the first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death ..."?

The first year of biglaw is (or I should say, might, as people, even in my relatively small office, have quite varying experiences) like 1L in the sense that the shittiest parts will be more stress-related rather than being overworked.

You will absolutely feel overworked, but that will be largely due to learning how to juggle, which in turn, creates stress.

Unlike law school, though, it never really gets better: each career phase has its own shitty aspects.

TL;DR It's a tough job. That's why they pay you the big bucks.

[Anonymous User]

Are vacation days use it or lose it in most NYC big law firms? We have 5 days of vacation in our stub year and it's already November 13th and I've seen maybe only one or two other first years take a day or two off so far.

[Anonymous User]

I've only billed 35 hours this month (started in September) and barely nothing the last two weeks. Should I be worried? Feel like I'm getting paid for no reason -- go into the office and sit for 8 hours and come back home. Other people in my class look busy including my office mate.

[jd20132013]

No

[Anonymous User]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

[Anonymous User]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

I can relate. I basically do nothing until 4-5pm, then my workday starts.

It's pretty disheartening.

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

I can relate. I basically do nothing until 4-5pm, then my workday starts.

It's pretty disheartening.

It never stops either!

[smokeylarue]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

LOL 3500 hrs, has to be on suicide watch

[Anonymous User]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

I can relate. I basically do nothing until 4-5pm, then my workday starts.

It's pretty disheartening.

It never stops either!

Oh man, and I was hoping it would get better!

Being on call all the time is exhausting. How do people make plans to do something as simple as running errands?

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

I can relate. I basically do nothing until 4-5pm, then my workday starts.

It's pretty disheartening.

It never stops either!

Oh man, and I was hoping it would get better!

Being on call all the time is exhausting. How do people make plans to do something as simple as running errands?

You don’t for like three years and then you either quit or just pay people to do all the stuff you can’t

[Mr. Peanutbutter]

But in seriousness, you get a flow down and start to get good at predicting. You also learn to (very selectively) say no.

[Anonymous User]

Anon here with the 30 hours this month. I get that other stub year people have lowish hours too, but my firm is not one with a coordinated/central assigning system, or where I would only get work from one associate. It's free market, so I'm worried people just don't like working with me, or that I need to go out and introduce my self to new associates/partners. I guess I wouldn't mind but I feel like because it's free market, the owness is on me to be proactive so it doesn't look like I'm lazy or not fitting in with my low hours.

[jd20132013]

I started in mid September and have around 200 hours as of now. Last few weeks have been 20 or 30 hours and I had a 25 hour weekend which sucked. I would say I spend about 60% of my work day doing nothing though. Most of my hours are night and weekend work as the associate who gives me the most work is on pace to clear 3500 hours and doesn't have time for me during the day.

Is 3500 a joke?