Just found out I made partner in biglaw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm torn because OP sounds like a nice person and you worked hard and it must feel great.

I Guess to each their own, though. I don't really get how someone would feel rewarded by - what, money? fame? prestige? on their death beds.

What is the impact you are having on the world?

What impact are you or 99.9% of people having on the world?

I hope and am striving to reduce global poverty. Whether or not I'm achieving impact, I don't know. But I am trying.
I get that the vast majority of people don't work for socially-oriented enterprises or nonprofits. I also get that putting food on the table is important.
But while I never would say this in real life, I don't get people who kill themselves to... what, have a nice boat? House?... I just don't see how having cold, hard cash can mean giving up what it sounds like law partners give up - and for what? To make a client richer?

You probably aren't having much impact. So in your eyes, someone who isn't (in your subjective opinion) doing "good" with their career shouldn't feel rewarded or proud by career accomplishments? Is the above just something you are telling yourself to justify having a job that doesn't pay well?

Maybe. I mean, I could probably have made a lot more money and I do think about that. And I do think it's awesome for the OP- whatever your profession it's nice to excel. I just guess i Would have a hard time feeling really excited about putting efforts toward something that doesn't matter, really. I put efforts toward something that I care about. I dont see how a person can really care enough to work 14+ hour days toward something that doesn't matter. I know it sounds snarky and I'd never voice this in real life.

You have an incredibly limited world view. People wouldn't pay lawyers if what they did didn't "matter." Do you even know what lawyers do? Let me explain this to you with some examples - one case I had involved a mid-sized manufacturer whose IP had been stolen by a much larger competitor, resulting in significant financial losses driving company to edge of bankruptcy. Thousands of working class and middle class jobs were at risk. At the end of the day our work resulted in a settlement that let them keep paying their employees. I think those people are pretty happy to keep their paychecks and I'm sure they'd rather be people with good jobs than getting handouts from your anti-poverty program (if your program even provides direct help to the poor). Another client is an artist - I make sure people don't rip off his works. The private sector is the source of just about everything in our society, our food, our phones, our buildings, our computers, and the money that funds our anti-poverty programs. It takes all kinds of people to make the whole system work, from the people who sweep the floors to the guys on the assembly line to the accountants and lawyers. And yeah, the work done by all of those people matters. And by the way, you are NOT better than the janitor who supports his family by cleaning the bathrooms. He is the one fighting poverty by working his butt off not to be poor. His work matters a hell of a lot more than yours.

Lawyer (Liar) saves the day!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Im the PP who "shamed" the OP with posting (gloating) about his/her promotion to partner. Most people whom I know have chosen a legal career primarily for the big $$ compensation as a big law partner. They don't make a secret about it. The work is long hours, dry, nasty and robs you of your soul so why do it? Given all of this, I would have expected OP who labored (suffered) much to earn the promotion to at least spend Thanksgiving with loved ones, rather than go on an anonymous board seeking approval and congratulations from total strangers. Strange..

OP here. I spent Wednesday - Sunday last week with loved ones and did maybe an hour of work. I took a few minutes to make this thread. You seem to be "dry, nasty and rob[bed] of your soul," to use your words. I hope that you can find peace.

Hey OP, im not the PP who attempted to shame you. Sadly, i agree with the OP is some way however. Ironcally, aren’t lawyers generally described the way describe the PP - “dry, nasty, and robbed of soul”? Hilarious!

You ESL?

no...no Me NFL

[Anonymous]

Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

It matters the way that any promotion matters, but also more.

Unlike a promotion from one tier of employee to the next, you are being promoted from labor to owner.

Financially, it matters because you become a shareholder of the firm. This means you need to pony up significant money as a capital contribution. It also means that you get to share in the profits of the firm, as opposed to simply trading your labor for a salary as a wage employee. This has the promise of being far more lucrative, of course.

Professionally, it matters because it means that you have succeeded, and passed another test. It means that the other shareholders have confidence in you and have elected you to become their peer, rather than their employee. It matters because you have likely realized a long-held professional ambition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

It matters the way that any promotion matters, but also more.

Unlike a promotion from one tier of employee to the next, you are being promoted from labor to owner.

Financially, it matters because you become a shareholder of the firm. This means you need to pony up significant money as a capital contribution. It also means that you get to share in the profits of the firm, as opposed to simply trading your labor for a salary as a wage employee. This has the promise of being far more lucrative, of course.

Professionally, it matters because it means that you have succeeded, and passed another test. It means that the other shareholders have confidence in you and have elected you to become their peer, rather than their employee. It matters because you have likely realized a long-held professional ambition.

Translation: slave becomes master. Partnerships are pure evil forms of enterprise in our society.

[Anonymous]

In addition to the above, the overall percentage of lawyers who make partner in biglaw is in the low single digits (and even among those working as lawyers in biglaw is probably well under 20% because most move on or get pushed out of biglaw).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

It matters the way that any promotion matters, but also more.

Unlike a promotion from one tier of employee to the next, you are being promoted from labor to owner.

Financially, it matters because you become a shareholder of the firm. This means you need to pony up significant money as a capital contribution. It also means that you get to share in the profits of the firm, as opposed to simply trading your labor for a salary as a wage employee. This has the promise of being far more lucrative, of course.

Professionally, it matters because it means that you have succeeded, and passed another test. It means that the other shareholders have confidence in you and have elected you to become their peer, rather than their employee. It matters because you have likely realized a long-held professional ambition.

Translation: slave becomes master. Partnerships are pure evil forms of enterprise in our society.

In your analogy, getting a job as a "slave" is highly competitive and slaves are paid $180-400k per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

It matters the way that any promotion matters, but also more.

Unlike a promotion from one tier of employee to the next, you are being promoted from labor to owner.

Financially, it matters because you become a shareholder of the firm. This means you need to pony up significant money as a capital contribution. It also means that you get to share in the profits of the firm, as opposed to simply trading your labor for a salary as a wage employee. This has the promise of being far more lucrative, of course.

Professionally, it matters because it means that you have succeeded, and passed another test. It means that the other shareholders have confidence in you and have elected you to become their peer, rather than their employee. It matters because you have likely realized a long-held professional ambition.

Translation: slave becomes master. Partnerships are pure evil forms of enterprise in our society.

In your analogy, getting a job as a "slave" is highly competitive and slaves are paid $180-400k per year.

Ask any pro athlete. They get paid upwards of $20m per year but still consider themselves a "slave" in the scheme of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is making partner that big of a deal? Sorry I know nothing about corporatw law.

It matters the way that any promotion matters, but also more.

Unlike a promotion from one tier of employee to the next, you are being promoted from labor to owner.

Financially, it matters because you become a shareholder of the firm. This means you need to pony up significant money as a capital contribution. It also means that you get to share in the profits of the firm, as opposed to simply trading your labor for a salary as a wage employee. This has the promise of being far more lucrative, of course.

Professionally, it matters because it means that you have succeeded, and passed another test. It means that the other shareholders have confidence in you and have elected you to become their peer, rather than their employee. It matters because you have likely realized a long-held professional ambition.

Translation: slave becomes master. Partnerships are pure evil forms of enterprise in our society.

In your analogy, getting a job as a "slave" is highly competitive and slaves are paid $180-400k per year.

Ask any pro athlete. They get paid upwards of $20m per year but still consider themselves a "slave" in the scheme of things.

And do you think that's a reasonable stance?

[Anonymous]

OP here - it became official this week. I was invited into the partner meeting after they voted, I was announced along with the others in the firm who made it this year (other offices were on via conference call).

Pretty cool and surreal experience.

I know, this is totally meaningless to some of you. Sorry to waste your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - it became official this week. I was invited into the partner meeting after they voted, I was announced along with the others in the firm who made it this year (other offices were on via conference call).

Pretty cool and surreal experience.

I know, this is totally meaningless to some of you. Sorry to waste your time.

Congrats Op! I enjoyed your post, and the insight as someone who just left the federal government to join a firm as a 5th year.