Summer Associate Class of 2017 Forum

[Johann]

Anyone else nonplussed at how arbitrary work distribution is? I know folks who just sit and read the WSJ all day and others who are working all weekend. The disparity is pretty nuts.

Is this work distribution or distribution of gunnerism/anxiety?

seems to be a mixture of both at my firm

we have basically a library of summer assignments that summers can check out. we tell them check out 1 for the first one cause (1) there arent a whole lot of assignments to go around and (2) dont want them overwhelmed. couple of summers checked out 3+ assignments. lol at these gunners.

[Minnietron]

Anyone else nonplussed at how arbitrary work distribution is? I know folks who just sit and read the WSJ all day and others who are working all weekend. The disparity is pretty nuts.

Is this work distribution or distribution of gunnerism/anxiety?

seems to be a mixture of both at my firm

we have basically a library of summer assignments that summers can check out. we tell them check out 1 for the first one cause (1) there arent a whole lot of assignments to go around and (2) dont want them overwhelmed. couple of summers checked out 3+ assignments. lol at these gunners.

We had a compatriot announce to the SA class that they couldn't socialize because they are doing work this weekend. (The firm highlights socializing.)

[Gray]

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[sublime]

I know someone who has already pulled an all nighter. LIKE WHY THO?

It may be different at firms with working summers, but a summer doing that already did it to themselves/ wants to be doing that.

[Vincent Adultman]

I have already made fun of a summer for staying past 5:00 pm. I think the message sunk in.

[Gray]

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[Anonymous User]

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[sublime]

Best job ever, but I wish I had food on weekends.

Buy food, Hikko.

[nick417]

I know someone who has already pulled an all nighter. LIKE WHY THO?

It may be different at firms with working summers, but a summer doing that already did it to themselves/ wants to be doing that.

I bet the SA was thinking "damn I am doing good/important work." And the associate/partner is thinking what pointless assignment can we give to a SA that we cannot bill to a client.

I will say though, you do not want to be the person who turns in an awful work product though. And if working all night is the only way to ensure that your work product isn't bad, then I guess you have to do it. But if you're working all night as a SA ... it will be a struggle when you're an associate.

[BasilHallward]

Best job ever, but I wish I had food on weekends.

My wallet has been collecting dust. I'm hungry and waiting for an email from recruiting.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Best job ever, but I wish I had food on weekends.

Buy food, Hikko.

(seriously, though, you're getting paid however-the-fuck-many thousands of dollars this summer, your complaint is awful.)

[GoneSouth]

I know someone who has already pulled an all nighter. LIKE WHY THO?

It may be different at firms with working summers, but a summer doing that already did it to themselves/ wants to be doing that.

I bet the SA was thinking "damn I am doing good/important work." And the associate/partner is thinking what pointless assignment can we give to a SA that we cannot bill to a client.

I will say though, you do not want to be the person who turns in an awful work product though. And if working all night is the only way to ensure that your work product isn't bad, then I guess you have to do it. But if you're working all night as a SA ... it will be a struggle when you're an associate.

I think I'm going to have to do some work this weekend not because it's taking me a long time to do these assignments but because there's so much shit going on during the week (trainings, summer events, coffees, lunches, dinners, etc.) that I don't have time to actually sit down and get the work done.

[Anonymous User]

A partner told me that when he summered he came in every weekend...


Because he was too hungover during the week to get anything done.

[PvblivsScipio]

I know someone who has already pulled an all nighter. LIKE WHY THO?

It may be different at firms with working summers, but a summer doing that already did it to themselves/ wants to be doing that.

I bet the SA was thinking "damn I am doing good/important work." And the associate/partner is thinking what pointless assignment can we give to a SA that we cannot bill to a client.

I will say though, you do not want to be the person who turns in an awful work product though. And if working all night is the only way to ensure that your work product isn't bad, then I guess you have to do it. But if you're working all night as a SA ... it will be a struggle when you're an associate.

I think I'm going to have to do some work this weekend not because it's taking me a long time to do these assignments but because there's so much shit going on during the week (trainings, summer events, coffees, lunches, dinners, etc.) that I don't have time to actually sit down and get the work done.

Is your deadline Tuesday? If not, I don't see the point.

[Johann]

Best job ever, but I wish I had food on weekends.

Buy food, Hikko.

[Johann]

I know someone who has already pulled an all nighter. LIKE WHY THO?

It may be different at firms with working summers, but a summer doing that already did it to themselves/ wants to be doing that.

I bet the SA was thinking "damn I am doing good/important work." And the associate/partner is thinking what pointless assignment can we give to a SA that we cannot bill to a client.

I will say though, you do not want to be the person who turns in an awful work product though. And if working all night is the only way to ensure that your work product isn't bad, then I guess you have to do it. But if you're working all night as a SA ... it will be a struggle when you're an associate.

it would be a major red flag to me if a summer could not finish the work assigned to them in reg business course days and had to pull all nighter. plus as a summer, the gol really is herd mentality (do whatever everyone else is doing without standing out) and meet your peers.

[Dr. Nefario]

There are several summers who show up before 8 everyday and leave after 6. Like what are these people even doing? It was the first week.

[accessislife]

There are several summers who show up before 8 everyday and leave after 6. Like what are these people even doing? It was the first week.

these people should probably try to go to the gym before or after work instead of just sitting there faking it - TRYING TO AVOID THE SUMMER 10 so hard (I'm halfway there already bc finals..and laziness)

[landshoes]

If they are in NY they might just have a shitty apartment with no A/C

[buckiguy_sucks]

I don't know who they're trying to impress because there are no attorneys in the office that early

[landshoes]

seriously people those SAs clearly just hate their douchey roommate and don't have friends IRL or a paycheck to spend in the bars yet. I bet you all $1 they'll stop after they get their first big check.

[Anonymous User]

I dunno, it really does seem like some people just get screwed and have deadlines that force them to stay late/come in on the weekends. Some folks are just gunners who want to work like a dog for some reason, but some of it is just getting staffed on a bad assignment. Seems like lit summers get screwed more often.

NYC BigLaw with centralized staffing here. The disparity is really bizarre.

[sublime]

Lol

[Anonymous User]

Definitely don't consider myself a gunner and I had to spend 14 hours on an assignment one day last week. Stayed up till 3, deadline was the next day. Pumped out a 6 page double spaced memo. Don't see how it could have been done faster - my assignment was to look at a 20 page filing from 10 years ago and update the caselaw (so it was basically a research assignment for every issue in the filing wrapped into one). For what it's worth, I'm at a firm in a non-NYC market.

I think some people just get unlucky.

[Minnietron]

I just found out a friend received an assignment via email on Saturday. Partner wanted more research with a Sunday deadline.

While I assume most SAs staying late are gunnery, there are SOL outliers.