Junior associate at Big Law -- help!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

That's not very nice. BUT, having been an associate and a partner, I (and most lawyers reading this know) know what she's doing. She's putting in fake "face time". She gets to the office at 9 so she can turn on the lights, throw her jacket over the chair (most men do this), mess some papers around, then "set up her computer" (yes, two seconds). Now it looks like she is in the office at 9:00 when she's actually really there at 10:00. Everyone in bigfirm law knows these tricks. Some guys even leave a second jacket on the back of their chair and lights on so if anyone walks by their office at midnight, it looks like he's still at work somewhere in the firm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

Reminds me when I worked for the fed gov't. The hardened bureaucrats would start packing up at 4:40pm because they had to shut their computer down and so on.

[Anonymous]

I don't get why if you wake up at 5:30 am and don't shower, etc, until after you workout, why you leave the house at 6:30-7 am? If you are going to work out, shower, and dress at the office, just pack everything up the night before, get up at 5:30 and be out the door at 5:45. Go straight to the gym, your commute will be shorter leaving that early, and work out, then head to the office.

[Anonymous]

OP, should we assume that your insane commute includes time for kid drop off/pick up? Because if not then I agree with everyone else that it is ridiculous and not sustainable in biglaw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get why if you wake up at 5:30 am and don't shower, etc, until after you workout, why you leave the house at 6:30-7 am? If you are going to work out, shower, and dress at the office, just pack everything up the night before, get up at 5:30 and be out the door at 5:45. Go straight to the gym, your commute will be shorter leaving that early, and work out, then head to the office.

Seems like the OP needs better time management if she isn't going to leave BIGLAW.

[Anonymous]

Hang in there OP! And listen to the advice you've been given. These posters now of what they speak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

That's not very nice. BUT, having been an associate and a partner, I (and most lawyers reading this know) know what she's doing. She's putting in fake "face time". She gets to the office at 9 so she can turn on the lights, throw her jacket over the chair (most men do this), mess some papers around, then "set up her computer" (yes, two seconds). Now it looks like she is in the office at 9:00 when she's actually really there at 10:00. Everyone in bigfirm law knows these tricks. Some guys even leave a second jacket on the back of their chair and lights on so if anyone walks by their office at midnight, it looks like he's still at work somewhere in the firm

Ha, my awesome old-school secretary used to do that stuff for me if I was running late. Ms D now retired down in Florida, you were the best!

[Anonymous]

OP, you need to schmooze with the right partners and start padding your time.

the other advice in here about how to make it in biglaw is horseshit.

[Anonymous]

I think "responses to team members on cases I'm not on" means chatting with people who work near her about the cases they're on. Which isn't crazy, but shouldn't take up so much of your day that you're including it in your list of shit that takes up your time.

That period between 5:30 am and 10am when you actually start billing is way too inefficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read the replies, OP, but want to say, if you are in the DC area, consider a job with the Feds.

I used to work in Big Law, and my DH still does. I ended up becoming a SAHM because it was either that or have strangers raise our kids while we slaved away. We are 20 years into it now, fyi.

A few years back, DH took a Fed job that was only for a couple years, and we moved to NoVA. The lifestyle of the attorney who works for the Feds cannot be beat. Sure the money isn't great, but the local Catholics and public schools are...really, it was wonderful. And it seems like everyone has a "flex-day" or work from home day, and hell, one snowflake in the sky and everyone gets the day off.

We are in CA now and the way the state is run, you need a lot more money to have that kind of lifestyle.

Tactless. It's good you quit working, you would gave got the boot.
20 years ago? Your advice is meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Why are people recommending the Feds like it's easy to get hired on? The Fed hiring process itself is slow and arduous; not to mention you WILL be competing against Veterans with preference and more experienced candidates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

Putting to one side the setting up the computer and then going to the gym, it takes FOREVER to log on at my firm. We have laptops but those laptops are mirrors to virtual machines on the network. So if you do any work offline, the machines take a while to sync up, map network drives, sync Outlook, etc. maybe not 30 minutes but easily 15 minutes. I usually put my computer on the docking station and go to Starbucks and get back just as it is finishing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

Putting to one side the setting up the computer and then going to the gym, it takes FOREVER to log on at my firm. We have laptops but those laptops are mirrors to virtual machines on the network. So if you do any work offline, the machines take a while to sync up, map network drives, sync Outlook, etc. maybe not 30 minutes but easily 15 minutes. I usually put my computer on the docking station and go to Starbucks and get back just as it is finishing.

Yes, agreed. This isn't OP'a issue - her understanding of law firm life is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still hung up on the amount of time being spent to "set up the computer."

Haha, same. OP must be 80 years old.

Reminds me when I worked for the fed gov't. The hardened bureaucrats would start packing up at 4:40pm because they had to shut their computer down and so on.

Ha! My experience too. Work ended promptly at 5 p.m., but precisely at 4:35 p.m., they began their "shut down for the day" activities. This included going to the bathroom, "straightening" up the desk, then spraying windex on the top, then switching into "walking to metro shoes," and then at a couple minutes before 5, turning off the computer.

[Anonymous]

Mommy track job or high level job, good question. Sounds like you've already made up your mind and you are looking for affirmation. Nonprofits, schools, and small biz would embrace you, affirm you, and let you go pick up your sick child early.