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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Law student here - this board is scaring the heck out of me.  So, if I have kids, I will never be able to work at firm?  What about small firms?  They supposedly have better culture?  Or does everything hinge on the billable requirement?[/quote]

I work at a large firm, have long hours, and enjoy it.  I also have kids, who, by all accounts, are normal and appear to like me.  So, I don't think you should conclude out-of-hand that it is not for you.

That being said, it is clearly the case that a large percentage of people (disproportionately women, but plenty of men) decide that firms are not the right place for them. Not all of them are making this decision because they think its incompatible with family life. Some are doing it because they don’t like the work, don’t feel like they’re being challenged enough, don’t feel like they’re making a big enough difference in the world, or any number of other reasons.

But given how many people decide it is not for them, you should certainly be wary of large firms and think about whether it is a good fit.

Here are a few characteristics I have that I think make a firm easier for me to enjoy. If you think “this isn’t me at all,” I would be careful before going the large firm route:

-	If I had to choose between (1) a 40-hour-a-week job where I am staring at the clock from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM desperately waiting to punch out; and (2) a 60-hour-a-week job where I am so focused I look up at the clock and am surprised it is 6:30 PM, I would choose job #2. If you would choose job #1, be careful with a firm.

-	My spouse has a very close group of friends and is close to her family. We love spending time together, but I am not a critical cog in my spouse's social life and my spouse does not feel lonesome and alone in my absence.

-	Although I need some “alone time,” I don’t need a ton of time just chilling, watching T.V. or reading a book. If the only things I achieved on a particular week were putting in a good effort at work, being a good parent, and spending some quality time with my spouse, I would consider that a decent week.

-	I am relatively flexible about sudden changes in schedule. I care more about the total work on my plate than when I need to do it. I am roughly as comfortable working three late evenings in a row and then taking an impromptu day off as I am working four normal work days.

I think if I didn’t have several of these characteristics, I would like my job a lot less.

I am going to pass on answering your “are small firms better” question because I think it will quickly side track the conversation. The short answer is that I think that, on balance, the benefits of starting your career at a larger firm outweighs the benefits of starting your career at a smaller firm, if both are options for you.
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