Reply to Big Law - HR meeting out of the blue

Forum Index » Jobs and Careers

Reply to "Big Law - HR meeting out of the blue "

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
- Having seen a lot of associates in my biglaw career, partners rarely dislike associates. Associates have great resumes, are always exceptionally bright, and went through significant interviews to ensure culture match.  Mostly, we partners would describe associates as anywhere from perfectly nice and good worker, to awesome rockstar. But nonetheless, there is a clearly different preference/energy vis a vis the rockstar associates versus the perfectly good associates. I've been in both camps at different points in my career. When you're in the former camp, everyone likes you, you get work, you get good feedback, but what's missing is the extra thing where you can tell they are grooming you for better things. It may not even be about you; it may just be that each partner in your group has an existing relationship with a rockstar associate who they prefer working with, and they will happily give you the overflow work. But you're just not getting the same access to work and clients and gossip and mentoring as those rockstars.  I could see that happening at my old firm, and that's literally why I left (despite good reviews). At my new firm, i ultimately found myself in that place for a few years (a same-year attorney actively trying to push me out of the group because she wanted all work to funnel through her), and then the other attorney left and my status changed instantly back to rockstar. But in both those periods, I was getting good feedback, I was good at my job, people liked me, but I could see that the minute the market turned, I'd be let go. The point of that story is that there is no way OP's firm is letting her go if she is a rockstar. I'm sure she is very good at her job and well liked. But the writing would have been on the wall before her leave if you were looking for it.  That is the law firm contract: They will pay you absurd amounts of money for you to make them absurd amounts of money, but if you can't do that anymore, then you are out.  You just need to be acutely aware of that on a daily basis in your job and can't ever assume that just because people like you and you do a good job, you won't get fired. This is commonly known in lawfirms and associates that put blinders on do so at their own peril. 
 
[/quote]

Thank you for writing this. I only lasted in biglaw for 6 years (at two firms), and I left each one because I knew I wasn't a rockstar. It was painfully obvious that I just wasn't getting access to the same opportunities as the rockstars. It was also interesting how the rockstars even occasionally screwed things up, and partners would bend over backwards to make excuses for them, whereas I doubt they ever would have done the same for me.

I moved on, but even a decade later in interviews, I got asked why I left the firms. The rockstar/non-rockstar explanation isn't commonly understood, so I've always explained it in terms of just wanting better opportunities, which is mostly true though not really the whole story. I just knew there was no future for me at the firms if I wasn't a rockstar.

Now, in government, but in a practice area where I spend my days going up against biglaw, it's easy to spot the rockstars in most cases. Sometimes the non-rockstars seem to be more talented, but you can tell who's getting the better opportunities and is being treated more favorably by the partners.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics