Reply to Trying to handle baby + big law and failing miserably. Talk me down.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP I’m in biglaw with two kids. I had my first in law school so I’ve never known it any other way.

A nanny won’t necessarily make it better especially since your baby is doing well. Nannies have sick days, vacations, and also a quitting time just like a closing daycare.

I personally can’t leave at 5 so I don’t do pickup. My workflow just would never allow that. I have an au pair but it sounds like your DH can do it.

IME law firms are relatively chill about you coming in late. I’d keep using your mornings like you do but stay later so you’re not up til midnight every night.

Juniors should not be giving you shit. Not all firms have that kind of defective culture. I have moved firms twice making sure my culture is working for me. Just because you want to leave your firm doesn’t mean you need to leave biglaw and the paycheck. [/quote]

The problem for the more junior associates is they have no practical ability to leave at 5 and have to start dealing with OP’s requests and demands again starting at 7.  They lose two hours waiting for her to re-engage.  So of course they will throw her some shade. [/quote]

There should be few times where associates can’t use that time.  This is particularly true where this is op’s regular schedule and they should be able to plan accordingly to use that time, whether for other work, the gym, etc.  plus, there are plenty of times things aren’t so pressing that the associate would have to stay late to match op’s schedule.

At the end of the day, the more senior person largely gets to dictate schedule, within the needs of the client’s timing. [/quote]

The more senior person is the partner, and the partner will respond if the junior associates are unhappy because a mid-level or senior is leaving at 5.  It is not going to work if she is giving them things to do the same evening after 7.  Their lives matter, too. [/quote]

OP. The nature of my practice is that many of the late nights are spent on client emails requiring a same-day answer on something. Juniors are not helpful for this. I give juniors work, but only for the type of projects that are longer term, and I always specify that. But you’re nuts if you think partners aren’t emailing the juniors at 7 pm.[/quote]

Of course they are, but the partners probably aren’t cutting out at 5, plus they command more deference than you do.  You can invoke seniority, but s law firm isn’t the military.

It’s good if you’re not making same-day demands on more junior associates from the comfort of your home after 7, but it still leaves them in a position where the partners may be more likely to turn to them than to you for evening assistance.  Or perhaps you just give off the impression of being overwhelmed.  If you were more confident in your dealings with them, they would be less likely to throw shade at you and might even look at you as a role model. [/quote]

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