Soonest quitting as a first-year Forum
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Soonest quitting as a first-year
What is the soonest any of you have heard of someone quitting biglaw as a first year? Momentarily indulging my fantasy of walking out and never looking back...
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
any time under a year would be weird to "quit" (as opposed to moving to something that's better) but if you can afford it somehow who cares
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I know I am just curious as to your stories and anything funny/interestingjd20132013 wrote:any time under a year would be weird to "quit" (as opposed to moving to something that's better) but if you can afford it somehow who cares
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
When I was a first year one of my fellow first years quit about 2-3 weeks in. It was stunning. Most of us hadn't even finished training and gotten real first assignments yet.Anonymous User wrote:What is the soonest any of you have heard of someone quitting biglaw as a first year? Momentarily indulging my fantasy of walking out and never looking back...
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
One colleague quit 6 months in to become a law professor. Pretty sweet exit there.
Not fitting the topic, but another was fired after several months.
Not fitting the topic, but another was fired after several months.
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- heythatslife
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Just out of curiosity, what did they end up doing?Anonymous User wrote:When I was a first year one of my fellow first years quit about 2-3 weeks in. It was stunning. Most of us hadn't even finished training and gotten real first assignments yet.Anonymous User wrote:What is the soonest any of you have heard of someone quitting biglaw as a first year? Momentarily indulging my fantasy of walking out and never looking back...
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I don't think they had a job for a while. Eventually they found something vaguely public policy/non-profit/think tank-y but that took like over a year and I don't think it pays a ton. I would guess they didn't have as much debt as I do but I didn't get the sense they were super rich or had none. Seemed like a bad outcome. We had another person get fired like 9 months in for performance issues. They never really got anything else.heythatslife wrote:Just out of curiosity, what did they end up doing?Anonymous User wrote:When I was a first year one of my fellow first years quit about 2-3 weeks in. It was stunning. Most of us hadn't even finished training and gotten real first assignments yet.Anonymous User wrote:What is the soonest any of you have heard of someone quitting biglaw as a first year? Momentarily indulging my fantasy of walking out and never looking back...
It's bad.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
How do you not even make it a month in? That's the easiest month!
We have a guy leave about 8 months in because his group was absolutely brutal. Didn't have a single weekend off, crazy hours, and one partner in particular was a complete jerk to him. Went to another biglaw firm though, but I think is a lot happier.
We have a guy leave about 8 months in because his group was absolutely brutal. Didn't have a single weekend off, crazy hours, and one partner in particular was a complete jerk to him. Went to another biglaw firm though, but I think is a lot happier.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
The first month was great! I remember building a lot of marshmallow towers for "team building exercises".
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
What were the performance issues? Low hours?
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
No absolutely not. Most everyone involved thought the person deserved to be fired from what I heard. This person had personality issues. More importantly, they disappeared at certain key points in major deals with little explanation. They were warned and did it again within days of the warning.Anonymous User wrote:What were the performance issues? Low hours?
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
- jkpolk
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Yeah I know a couple ppl who quit after like 3 or 4 months. One always wanted to do PD work and got picked up immediately. One became a professional gambler.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I knew someone in a big group in a big firm that just stopped showing up.
They paid him for 3 months before firing him, and then he got 3 months severance to look for a job.
Outright quitting is wasting free money.
They paid him for 3 months before firing him, and then he got 3 months severance to look for a job.
Outright quitting is wasting free money.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I quit with no job lined up (after about 4-5 years in biglaw though). I relaxed for awhile and then eventually got a public sector job. It pays little but life is much better. To supplement my income, I dabble in trading and am doing ok (gains of around high five 5 figs this year). Eventually, I'm thinking of doing something more entrepreneurial.
If you are OK with never returning to the legal private sector, quitting with no job lined up is perfectly fine. However, you should never burn bridges - government jobs will call all of your references and ask if you were fired, what your reputation is, etc. It is better to leave money on the table and quit on your own terms than be fired.
If you are thinking of leaving law altogether, then I don't think having a gap on your resume matters at all.
I think a lot of people in law are just extremely risk averse and are unwilling to make changes in their life unless they are 100% certain of the outcome. If you are really unhappy and are financially stable enough (i.e., no student loans, have some savings, can live with parents for awhile), then quitting with no job to find something you want to do is fine IMO. I, obviously, am biased and much more of a risk taker than most lawyers. But I strongly believe that if you are reluctant to change your life, then you will be stuck forever. So save up some money, or if you are financially OK, figure out what you want to do and do it. It's not the end of the world to leave law - most lawyers end up doing it anyway.
Note - I am not recommending quitting if you have loans. But quitting with no job lined up is not the end of the world.
If you are OK with never returning to the legal private sector, quitting with no job lined up is perfectly fine. However, you should never burn bridges - government jobs will call all of your references and ask if you were fired, what your reputation is, etc. It is better to leave money on the table and quit on your own terms than be fired.
If you are thinking of leaving law altogether, then I don't think having a gap on your resume matters at all.
I think a lot of people in law are just extremely risk averse and are unwilling to make changes in their life unless they are 100% certain of the outcome. If you are really unhappy and are financially stable enough (i.e., no student loans, have some savings, can live with parents for awhile), then quitting with no job to find something you want to do is fine IMO. I, obviously, am biased and much more of a risk taker than most lawyers. But I strongly believe that if you are reluctant to change your life, then you will be stuck forever. So save up some money, or if you are financially OK, figure out what you want to do and do it. It's not the end of the world to leave law - most lawyers end up doing it anyway.
Note - I am not recommending quitting if you have loans. But quitting with no job lined up is not the end of the world.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I need this emailshock259 wrote:Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Shockingly, I am in possession of said email but did not summer at this firm.jd20132013 wrote:I need this emailshock259 wrote:Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Anonymous User wrote:Shockingly, I am in possession of said email but did not summer at this firm.jd20132013 wrote:I need this emailshock259 wrote:Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
Pm me the text please, don't need any identifying info
- almondjoy
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Ooh would love a pm. Or just post the email and redact as necessary!jd20132013 wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Shockingly, I am in possession of said email but did not summer at this firm.jd20132013 wrote:I need this emailshock259 wrote:Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
Pm me the text please, don't need any identifying info
- landshoes
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Yeah just post it. What could possibly go wrong?
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Omg yes post it or pm me.almondjoy wrote:Ooh would love a pm. Or just post the email and redact as necessary!jd20132013 wrote:Anonymous User wrote:Shockingly, I am in possession of said email but did not summer at this firm.jd20132013 wrote:I need this emailshock259 wrote:Someone rage quit 6 months in. Started in January, and at like 11pm in May, he sent a long, rambling, angry email to the summer class about how much big law ruins your life and how he was destined to be a photographer. And he told them all to quit immediately and to "not make the same mistakes I did."
And then he just walked out and never came back. Apparently some people still talk to him and he's doing better now.
Pm me the text please, don't need any identifying info
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Ok I win this thread. FOUR DAYS. This associate did not make it a full week.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
I quit after 4 days as well cuz I got a higher paying job that turned out to be life sucking.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Sorry for fighting the hypo here... Buddy quit as a summer.
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Re: Soonest quitting as a first-year
Multiple people quit within the first year that I started: at least 1 lateral within NYC; multiple laterals to different states or countries; and at least 1 realizing very quickly that big law was not for them (I think it took more than 4 days if I remember correctly). Following up on the above, I also know a handful that rode out the summer, but did not accept offers to go to banking or McK instead.
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