How many hours are you working in Biglaw? Forum

A forum for applicants and admitted students to ask law students and graduates about law school and the practice of law.

How many hours are you working?

Less than 35
9
9%
35-45
2
2%
45-55
20
21%
55-65
33
34%
65+
32
33%
 
Total votes: 96

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84651846190

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Re: How many hours are you working in Biglaw?

Post by 84651846190 » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:38 pm

JohannDeMann wrote:
DELG wrote:
ebb44 wrote:I see firms with 1800-2000 (minimum?) billable hours on NALP and $140K-$160 starting pay. It seems like some firms count professional development and other work towards the minimum. How does this work in practice? Also, can you be respectable and work the minimum requirement?
Taking less money at a firm that has less work and hoping it leads to work life balance is not wise
This isn't really true. I'm pretty sure I'm profitable around the 1000 hour mark. Firms in small cities don't need associates billing even 2000 hours a year to fire people, let alone NYC hours. If you're billing 1600 hours in NYC, that is problematic because they can find 2 people to do 3 of you and your 1600 hour peeps to replace you. 1600 in Grand Rapids, Michigan? Partner track.
You will be fired, sooner rather than later.

Hutz_and_Goodman

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Re: How many hours are you working in Biglaw?

Post by Hutz_and_Goodman » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:44 pm

Biglaw_Associate_V20 wrote:
JohannDeMann wrote:
DELG wrote:
ebb44 wrote:I see firms with 1800-2000 (minimum?) billable hours on NALP and $140K-$160 starting pay. It seems like some firms count professional development and other work towards the minimum. How does this work in practice? Also, can you be respectable and work the minimum requirement?
Taking less money at a firm that has less work and hoping it leads to work life balance is not wise
This isn't really true. I'm pretty sure I'm profitable around the 1000 hour mark. Firms in small cities don't need associates billing even 2000 hours a year to fire people, let alone NYC hours. If you're billing 1600 hours in NYC, that is problematic because they can find 2 people to do 3 of you and your 1600 hour peeps to replace you. 1600 in Grand Rapids, Michigan? Partner track.
You will be fired, sooner rather than later.
I thought this was a joke originally, but maybe it was serious?
I'm not sure what you mean by "profitable." If you mean the firm makes a profit on you, then why wouldn't they just fire you and hire someone where they can make even more of a profit?

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BiglawAssociate

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Re: How many hours are you working in Biglaw?

Post by BiglawAssociate » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:07 pm

The answer? Too many hours for the pay, if you live in a high COL place.

People who say that firms pay "good money" grew up poor. HTH.

souljazz

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Re: How many hours are you working in Biglaw?

Post by souljazz » Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:17 pm

thesealocust wrote:When I worked in biglaw, I kept a receipt on my desk from the drug store across the street from the office. It was from 4:30 a.m. and was for a bottle of caffeine pills, a bottle of ibuprofen, a toothbrush and tooth paste.

It was a reminder to seek alternative employment :lol:
To be fair, if you didn't already have those things in your desk, that's a good sign.

albanach

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Re: How many hours are you working in Biglaw?

Post by albanach » Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:13 pm

souljazz wrote:
thesealocust wrote:When I worked in biglaw, I kept a receipt on my desk from the drug store across the street from the office. It was from 4:30 a.m. and was for a bottle of caffeine pills, a bottle of ibuprofen, a toothbrush and tooth paste.

It was a reminder to seek alternative employment :lol:
To be fair, if you didn't already have those things in your desk, that's a good sign.
You replied to a post from July 2015.

Isn't it funny that in the drive to $180k, no big firm said "we're going to stay at $160k and increase our class size by 10% so you all have less work to do"?

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