On track to bill under 600 hours Forum

[kartelite]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

[Vincent Adultman]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Lol. Sounds like you have no idea what you're talking about.

[deadpanic]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Telling a first year to pull themselves up from the bootstraps to bring in business at a large corporate firm seems ridiculous.

[Anonymous User]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

OP here - why aren't you hustling to be less of a cunt? You've not practiced a day in your life, law student.

[RaceJudicata]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? Gross.

[PeanutsNJam]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

you should totally bring up your ability to generate business in your interviews with law firms

it will definitely help you stand out from the crowd

talk about how you'll become a top rainmaker

[Anonymous User]

Quick anecdote to echo the above. I was a mid level working for one of the top 3 partners at my law firm. I gave a simple assignment to first year. Take contract from deal x and turn it for deal y. Was literally a two page contract. All she had to do was fill in blanks of specific deal.

The associate sent her work directly to the partner and it was shit. She forgot an extremely obvious change (change state x to state y).

The partner called me into her office, told me the girls work was total shit, and we would never use her again. Word spread like wildfire from this and girl's name was mud. Partner never even talked to the girl about the contract and just had me fix it.

Management gave the talk about low hours and she eventually lateralled out as nobody would use her. The bottom line is if you are good, you will get work, and there's a reason you are being shut out. Do not underestimate bad first impressions.

Law firms don't fire anyone directly or talk about performance issues because lawyers are petrified of this confrontation. You get starved, you get the talk, you continue getting starved and you hopefully bounce before it ends. The cycle has clearly started with op and you gotta leave asap when that happens.

This is really sound. Ignore the troll idiots on this thread trying to tell you to go out and develop business, that's terrible advice. Sharpen the resume, get the interview game face ready, and think of some legitimate reasons and explanations for when employers ask why you're looking one year out of law school. That last part is probably going to be the hardest. If you're considering a relocation, start doing some homework on your target locations. Things will work out, don't dwell on your situation.

[Anonymous User]

I'm also a first year that is suffering from low hours. Am looking around but want to switch practice groups because I think my particular practice group is overall not doing well (industry wide thing).

As a first year, my thoughts were networking and reaching out to some contacts, sending resumes through those contacts to those firms. For firms in which I don't have networking contacts, however, would TLS recommend either just sending a resume in or using the services of a recruiter? The issue is that since I want to switch practice groups, it would be difficult to ascertain which practice groups at a firm is in need to hire more people. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

[elendinel]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

[kartelite]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? Gross.

I don't know where you keep peanut butter, I'm not six years old any more.

But seriously, if Mark Cuban or Steve Jobs were a young associate with no work to do, do you think they would be moaning about it on a message board or at least making some effort to take their fate into their own hands?

[jaekeem]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? Gross.

I don't know where you keep peanut butter, I'm not six years old any more.

But seriously, if Mark Cuban or Steve Jobs were a young associate with no work to do, do you think they would be moaning about it on a message board or at least making some effort to take their fate into their own hands?

because those are the proper analogues that big law associates should aspire to be; the steve jobs of the world.

[sublime]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? Gross.

I don't know where you keep peanut butter, I'm not six years old any more.

But seriously, if Mark Cuban or Steve Jobs were a young associate with no work to do, do you think they would be moaning about it on a message board or at least making some effort to take their fate into their own hands?

Banned. And fuck off.

[cron1834]

That clown made my hide/foe list pretty quickly when I joined TLS three years ago. Looks like nothing much has changed

[Anonymous User]

I'm also a first year that is suffering from low hours. Am looking around but want to switch practice groups because I think my particular practice group is overall not doing well (industry wide thing).

As a first year, my thoughts were networking and reaching out to some contacts, sending resumes through those contacts to those firms. For firms in which I don't have networking contacts, however, would TLS recommend either just sending a resume in or using the services of a recruiter? The issue is that since I want to switch practice groups, it would be difficult to ascertain which practice groups at a firm is in need to hire more people. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

You and the OP better use a recruiter and anyone else who can help you. The Corporate lateral market is pretty hott right now.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Why aren't you out hustling to bring in business? Take some initiative, man. Before law school I was a manager at a consulting firm and if it ever looked like we might need some work flow I would be reaching out, grabbing lunch with contacts who could lead to engagements or at least good leads. If nothing else I would work on white papers for marketing. You sound like a little kid who tells their mommy he's hungry when there's peanut butter and jelly in the fridge and bread on the shelf. Man up and bring in some business.

Why do you keep peanut butter in the fridge? Gross.

I don't know where you keep peanut butter, I'm not six years old any more.

But seriously, if Mark Cuban or Steve Jobs were a young associate with no work to do, do you think they would be moaning about it on a message board or at least making some effort to take their fate into their own hands?

because those are the proper analogues that big law associates should aspire to be; the steve jobs of the world.

Lol, they'd never have gone to law school in the first place.

[Raiden]

That clown made my hide/foe list pretty quickly when I joined TLS three years ago. Looks like nothing much has changed

the most you realize you've been using TLS since law school but still don't have anyone on your friends list...cries.

[jarofsoup]

You are either frozen out or there are going to be stealth layoffs very soon.

Start job hunting.

[rpupkin]

You are either frozen out or there are going to be stealth layoffs very soon.

Start job hunting.

The bolded isn't necessarily true, but your parting advice is still good.

DF still has the best post in this thread. There are all sorts of reasons that a first year would be slow in his first six months that have nothing to do with associate performance or firm health. But given that OP's job might be in trouble, it makes sense for OP to start exploring lateral opportunities. In the meantime, OP, don't give up on your current job.

[Anonymous User]

is this by any chance a magic circle firm, if yes, i think i may be able to provide u with some helpful advice

I'm a 1st year at a Magic Circle firm and on pace to bill ~1200 for the year. Any helpful advice?

[Anonymous User]

OP here.

Haven't been fired or given the talk, or really anything negative, so that's nice. Hours have increased a bit, but still on track to finish absurdly low for the year. Also slightly reassuring that I'm getting staffed on deals with some senior partners.

However, still looking. Market is rough right now, haven't gotten a lot of play.