Summer Associate Class of 2017 Forum

[BlendedUnicorn]

Friendly reminder that telling people to to be happier with their jobs is not an appropriate use of anon.

[snowball2]

Friendly reminder that telling people to to be happier with their jobs is not an appropriate use of anon.

Calling a 10-week summer associate gig a "job" is a bit misguided.

You were just warned not to use anon for this.

[SmokeytheBear]

Friendly reminder that telling people to to be happier with their jobs is not an appropriate use of anon.

Calling a 10-week summer associate gig a "job" is a bit misguided.

This was supposed to be an ironic use of anon, right?

[A. Nony Mouse]

I'd like to think of these as "entitled people's problems." If your life is at such a point as to where actually getting what you wish for is a burden, then it' may be time to head to a monastery. Or, at the very least, spend the same 10 weeks as a bottom-third 3L in a TTTT struggling to find a paying job.

Look, I get that if you don't have the job you want that seeing this kind of thing is galling. But people are entitled to complain about their jobs if they don't like them. That doesn't mean they don't recognize that it's a great position to be in, to have a job to complain about, but they're also not required to preface every comment about it with some kind of plea for absolution for having the temerity to dislike a job that someone else wants. None of the anons here has said they are in an objectively bad situation, just that they don't like it. They're allowed not to like it and it doesn't make them bad people.

[UVA2B]

It's completely fair to say you don't like this job, even as a SA, for so many reasons. It's entirely a personal decision, and there really aren't many personal reasons that are unjustifiable. Most people who don't like the job at a firm end up justifying reasons to stay, when realistically many should just accept that it's not for them and make a move to something else when the right opportunity presents itself. People really don't need to be critical of why someone doesn't like the job. Just accept that they don't and offer words of wisdom, guidance, or support when it's asked for or warranted.

I'm sorry to those who are struggling through the summer, and I hope you figure out what it is you really want to do with this career.

[Vincent Adultman]

Biglaw sucks. And the summer associate programs across firms are a little gross when you really think about it. I totally understand why some of you are feeling this way.

I'm actually surprised I've made it almost a year here.

[BlendedUnicorn]

Biglaw sucks. And the summer associate programs across firms are a little gross when you really think about it. I totally understand why some of you are feeling this way.

I'm actually surprised I've made it almost a year here.

Bolded is where people are going wrong.

[Anonymous User]

Sorry to divert from people not enjoying their summer (and I sympathize), but anybody else here at a patent prep and pros boutique? Seems pretty solid so far, albeit I've only been here a week. Got my own office with a window, been taken to lunch twice this week, am generally left alone to get my work done and the attorneys are usually out by 6:30-7. Plus, I'm learning a lot patent wise and technology wise.

Have I hit the jackpot, or is this pretty normal for prosecution?

[Dr. Nefario]

SA life is awesome (non-nyc market). Tbf I don't think my SA is like any SA I've heard about. I'm sorry some of y'all are struggling. Truly hope you find your niche. I know if I didn't even enjoy the work or hated social events, I would not enjoy this at all.

[Anonymous User]

SA life is awesome (non-nyc market). Tbf I don't think my SA is like any SA I've heard about. I'm sorry some of y'all are struggling. Truly hope you find your niche. I know if I didn't even enjoy the work or hated social events, I would not enjoy this at all.

Same. Talking to other SAs at other firms and their perks and workloads is interesting, even within the same office. As someone who is in their mid-20s and without a partner or kids and in a city where I don't know anyone, the social events are the only time I get to interact with people casually. If I had children or felt like I couldn't take my partner (especially in a same sex couple) - that would be much more difficult.

[PeanutsNJam]

Sorry to divert from people not enjoying their summer (and I sympathize), but anybody else here at a patent prep and pros boutique? Seems pretty solid so far, albeit I've only been here a week. Got my own office with a window, been taken to lunch twice this week, am generally left alone to get my work done and the attorneys are usually out by 6:30-7. Plus, I'm learning a lot patent wise and technology wise.

Have I hit the jackpot, or is this pretty normal for prosecution?

The bolded is not unique at all outside NYC, and everyone gets taken out to lunch almost every day (every day if they're proactive about it). Your experience is pretty typical of any non-NY SA, with NY SAs having to at least share offices.

Anecdotally from TLS, it seems like patent pros is better on work/life balance than other practice areas, so maybe it is possible most attorneys leave at 6:30-7? Although, also anecdotally from TLS, patent pros is one of the less profitable practices. Not sure what that means for your boutique.

[Anonymous User]

What is the timeline for trying to switch firms after the summer? I'm not the biggest fan of where I'm summering and would like to try to go to a different firm for personal reasons. Do I mass mail when the summer program ends?

[Anonymous User]

Sorry to divert from people not enjoying their summer (and I sympathize), but anybody else here at a patent prep and pros boutique? Seems pretty solid so far, albeit I've only been here a week. Got my own office with a window, been taken to lunch twice this week, am generally left alone to get my work done and the attorneys are usually out by 6:30-7. Plus, I'm learning a lot patent wise and technology wise.

Have I hit the jackpot, or is this pretty normal for prosecution?

The bolded is not unique at all outside NYC, and everyone gets taken out to lunch almost every day (every day if they're proactive about it). Your experience is pretty typical of any non-NY SA, with NY SAs having to at least share offices.

Anecdotally from TLS, it seems like patent pros is better on work/life balance than other practice areas, so maybe it is possible most attorneys leave at 6:30-7? Although, also anecdotally from TLS, patent pros is one of the less profitable practices. Not sure what that means for your boutique.

The profitability of patent pros is a concern (if at all) only for patent groups in GP firms, because other groups might feel the pros group is not pulling its weight. It's not really a concern for boutiques because they have rate flexibility, which also has the side benefit of giving the attorneys more time to complete flat fee projects.

That being said, I did patent pros at two GP firms and one was turning down work and ramping up hiring because attorneys were so swamped, and at the other firm the pros group brought in more revenue than the lit group. Obviously circumstances differ at different firms, since Ropes spun out their patent group presumably for the aforementioned reasons.

Both firms the attorneys are quite happy with predictable (and manageable) hours, but this depends on your billing efficiency.

[georgej]

It can be a lot of fun being forced to watch sad people get drunk, actually, if you get in a proper mindset.

[Hikikomorist]

I don't understand how it's possible to be unhappy while being overpaid and fed the best food for free.

[PeanutsNJam]

I guess I would be pretty miserable if I were forced to attend social events with people I didn't like. I like the people at my firm, so I enjoy the social stuff, but my firm doesn't have a get fucked up culture at these events so we just drink moderately and chill. No drugs, no shots! shots! shots!, etc.

I would be miserable being forced to attend after work events where people get shitfaced on the reg.

[topgun400]

I keep getting staffed with a 1st year who is just not nice to work with...he isn't my mentor either. It's a small satellite office, so everyone does a lot of similar work. Advice for going about to try and get out of the current deal I'm on with him or to avoid future work with him?

Is he in the group that you want to be in? If so, it sounds like you're up shit creek it being a small office. Maybe say something to the work coordinator like, "I've done a few deals with Fuckface a few times, any chance I can get staffed with a different associate so I can work with more people to get a sense of the group?"

Is he not in the group that you want to be in? Just tell the work coordinator that you want to do more work in a different group now that you've had a few projects with Assface.

I realize that my reply is a bit after the fact, but they'll see right through that. Tred lightly.

[Gray]

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[Anonymous User]

Started my summer in California then came to the New York office for the second half of the summer. Conclusion so far: New York is miserable.

[Anonymous User]

This has been an interesting thread - I'm not miserable where I am, but the forced socialization is exhausting. The 'always being on' is mentally taxing. But I try to remember that it is temporary. Learning that big law isn't for you is very valuable but I wouldn't throw it away because you don't like the social aspect. Especially if you are in a different town than your school (which I am).
Working to get an offer will open more doors than burning bridges. It's always that way and if you're K-JD, some of the best professional advice you can get is to never quit a job until you have another lined up.

[Branch]

Started my summer in California then came to the New York office for the second half of the summer. Conclusion so far: New York is miserable.

Some people love it. It's easy to burn out quickly.

[SmokeytheBear]

Started my summer in California then came to the New York office for the second half of the summer. Conclusion so far: New York is miserable.

Some people love it. It's easy to burn out quickly.

Yeah, I think it depends on what kind of attorney you want to be and what kind of balance in life you want to achieve. As someone who really thinks balance in life is important, I cannot imagine working in NYC. The quality of life in LA offices is just too good. Also as someone who is looking to put in his five years then dust his hands of big law, I will say the thing that I envy about New York offices is that it's easier in the New York offices to be anonymous, keep a low profile, and not get staffed on things than it is in the smaller LA offices.

[Anonymous User]

I am a 2L SA at a biglaw firm in Silicon Valley. Today, a first year associate suggested that I should write thank you emails to everybody I have worked with (who are in other offices) and write thank you cards to every attorney I have worked with at this office. Is this the norm? Should I be doing this? I know that writing thank you emails after interviews has been debated a lot. Honestly, I did them last year but I think they were useless.

[PeanutsNJam]

I am a 2L SA at a biglaw firm in Silicon Valley. Today, a first year associate suggested that I should write thank you emails to everybody I have worked with (who are in other offices) and write thank you cards to every attorney I have worked with at this office. Is this the norm? Should I be doing this? I know that writing thank you emails after interviews has been debated a lot. Honestly, I did them last year but I think they were useless.

This sounds very strange. I would definitely ask another more senior associate. Maybe this first year was messing with you?

[LaLiLuLeLo]

I had a dream two of our summers didn't get offers and were crying