Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

We closed a deal that morning in NY in a building across from the WTC (1 Liberty). You do what you have to do. Nobody really knew what to do anyway. Eventually we evacuated. It wasn't a horrible job. It was a horrible DAY.

That's good for you. Really. It was enough for me to realize that I wanted to spend my day with my kids doing things important to my family (not my client).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

We closed a deal that morning in NY in a building across from the WTC (1 Liberty). You do what you have to do. Nobody really knew what to do anyway. Eventually we evacuated. It wasn't a horrible job. It was a horrible DAY.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still remember the partner coming in to tell me that just because some planes had crashed into the WTC that morning didn't mean we weren't flying out to client meeting later that day. And another partner calling a child to explain why it made more sense to stay at the office and get some work done that day.

I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

Similar experience at my old law firm that day. Also got an email that night from a partner telling people that would have to come in the whole week and following weekend to work on a filing.That was the beginning of the end of my life at a firm.

I totally empathize with this, and I think judgment is important, but now that I am more senior and no longer an associate, I really empathize with clients, and realize that as a lawyer I am a professional, and clients hire my firm because they have problem. It may only be about who gets money, but their problem is really important to them. And you never know whether what will be significant on hindsight. So on some level I actually understand this partner asking you to work though of course don't know the context. You may have lost the case or a strategic position that helped leverage in negotiations.

Not an asshat really. I just see both sides.

I don't disagree with you. I made partner that year (Dec 2001) but the 9-11 experience further convinced me that this just wasn't how I wanted to live my life or the people I wanted to spend my day with (rather than my children). We're not doctors or other emergency personnel, we're not the White House personnel, we're not the military, we're not Verizon techs trying to restore phone service, we're not working on a habeas corpus motion to keep someone off death row. I'm just trying to help Apple get richer by stopping the importation of Samsung smart phones. I think lawyers (and other workaholics) really lose perspective about what is important in life. (Un)Fortunately for me, DH was a partner across town who didn't even break up the meeting he was in with clients. I mean, the clients couldn't get out of town anyway, might as well get the work done, right? Got it. See ya.

My firm didn't close on 9-11 either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still remember the partner coming in to tell me that just because some planes had crashed into the WTC that morning didn't mean we weren't flying out to client meeting later that day. And another partner calling a child to explain why it made more sense to stay at the office and get some work done that day.

I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

Similar experience at my old law firm that day. Also got an email that night from a partner telling people that would have to come in the whole week and following weekend to work on a filing.That was the beginning of the end of my life at a firm.

I totally empathize with this, and I think judgment is important, but now that I am more senior and no longer an associate, I really empathize with clients, and realize that as a lawyer I am a professional, and clients hire my firm because they have problem. It may only be about who gets money, but their problem is really important to them. And you never know whether what will be significant on hindsight. So on some level I actually understand this partner asking you to work though of course don't know the context. You may have lost the case or a strategic position that helped leverage in negotiations.

Not an asshat really. I just see both sides.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still remember the partner coming in to tell me that just because some planes had crashed into the WTC that morning didn't mean we weren't flying out to client meeting later that day. And another partner calling a child to explain why it made more sense to stay at the office and get some work done that day.

I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

Similar experience at my old law firm that day. Also got an email that night from a partner telling people that would have to come in the whole week and following weekend to work on a filing.That was the beginning of the end of my life at a firm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my worst (now, in hindsight, funniest) moments was when I was a mid-level associate. The partner I worked for had a well-deserved reputation for being a ball-buster in litigation -- the type who never consented to adjournments and would send out massive, excessive discovery requests to adversaries before long weekends.

One day this partner asked me to cover a motion on one of his cases because he had to be in court on another matter. When I showed up to cover his motion, the judge asked why the partner hadn't come himself and then added that I was going to wish he had. The judge then proceeded to reprimand our firm for our sleezy tactics and ordered $10,000 sanctions. I had the "fun" task of getting to tell the managing partner about that. I've never forgiven the partner for setting me up as his fall guy.

Fun times.

Hmm....interesting. My judge when I was clerking used to ask that of associates when they came in to argue motions that were particularly absurd or annoying. He would predict whether or not the firm would send associates and partners and if a motions was particularly awful, he'd say, "No way are they sending in a partner for this. Some poor associate is going to be sent to argue this piece of junk."

One of the most memorable (and cringe-inducing) memories of my clerkship was when the judge verbally flayed a junior partner who had come to argue against discovery of some documents (in camera review). It would have been a decent argument except she hadn't checked her associates' redactions, which were lousy, and ended up not being able to justify many of them. The judge really went to town. I felt terrible for her ... but it was extremely instructive for me.

Anonymous wrote:One of my worst (now, in hindsight, funniest) moments was when I was a mid-level associate. The partner I worked for had a well-deserved reputation for being a ball-buster in litigation -- the type who never consented to adjournments and would send out massive, excessive discovery requests to adversaries before long weekends.

One day this partner asked me to cover a motion on one of his cases because he had to be in court on another matter. When I showed up to cover his motion, the judge asked why the partner hadn't come himself and then added that I was going to wish he had. The judge then proceeded to reprimand our firm for our sleezy tactics and ordered $10,000 sanctions. I had the "fun" task of getting to tell the managing partner about that. I've never forgiven the partner for setting me up as his fall guy.

Fun times.

Hmm....interesting. My judge when I was clerking used to ask that of associates when they came in to argue motions that were particularly absurd or annoying. He would predict whether or not the firm would send associates and partners and if a motions was particularly awful, he'd say, "No way are they sending in a partner for this. Some poor associate is going to be sent to argue this piece of junk."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sexual harassment at every firm I worked.

I'm in another field now, and definitely do not miss the sexual harassment at my old law firm. Not that my current profession doesn't have harassment issues, but it's a lot better than law firm harassment.

My supervising partner told a client that I put myself through law school by stripping (I DID NOT!) and then the client hit on me.

The guy that I currently work for has a huge Mardi Gras party for clients, judges and attorneys every year that includes strippers and hookers. He makes sure the judges get whatever "services" they want.

this is 100% bullshit

Anonymous wrote:One of my worst (now, in hindsight, funniest) moments was when I was a mid-level associate. The partner I worked for had a well-deserved reputation for being a ball-buster in litigation -- the type who never consented to adjournments and would send out massive, excessive discovery requests to adversaries before long weekends.

One day this partner asked me to cover a motion on one of his cases because he had to be in court on another matter. When I showed up to cover his motion, the judge asked why the partner hadn't come himself and then added that I was going to wish he had. The judge then proceeded to reprimand our firm for our sleezy tactics and ordered $10,000 sanctions. I had the "fun" task of getting to tell the managing partner about that. I've never forgiven the partner for setting me up as his fall guy.

Fun times.

I worked for a partner who always sent me on the losing motions. Jackass.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sexual harassment at every firm I worked.

I'm in another field now, and definitely do not miss the sexual harassment at my old law firm. Not that my current profession doesn't have harassment issues, but it's a lot better than law firm harassment.

My supervising partner told a client that I put myself through law school by stripping (I DID NOT!) and then the client hit on me.

The guy that I currently work for has a huge Mardi Gras party for clients, judges and attorneys every year that includes strippers and hookers. He makes sure the judges get whatever "services" they want.

One of my worst (now, in hindsight, funniest) moments was when I was a mid-level associate. The partner I worked for had a well-deserved reputation for being a ball-buster in litigation -- the type who never consented to adjournments and would send out massive, excessive discovery requests to adversaries before long weekends.

One day this partner asked me to cover a motion on one of his cases because he had to be in court on another matter. When I showed up to cover his motion, the judge asked why the partner hadn't come himself and then added that I was going to wish he had. The judge then proceeded to reprimand our firm for our sleezy tactics and ordered $10,000 sanctions. I had the "fun" task of getting to tell the managing partner about that. I've never forgiven the partner for setting me up as his fall guy.

Fun times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still remember the partner coming in to tell me that just because some planes had crashed into the WTC that morning didn't mean we weren't flying out to client meeting later that day. And another partner calling a child to explain why it made more sense to stay at the office and get some work done that day.

I know a team of litigators who kept working on 9-11 because they had a court filing due.

Totally different, although most courts ended up closing.

DC firm overlooking the White House and DC evacuations. Could see smoke fromPentagon burning and court was ITC (in DC). I quit shortly thereafter.

Anonymous wrote:Sexual harassment at every firm I worked.

I'm in another field now, and definitely do not miss the sexual harassment at my old law firm. Not that my current profession doesn't have harassment issues, but it's a lot better than law firm harassment.

worked for a dude who treated associates as 1099 contractors, despite having had the IRS find against him numerous times. he would make us front money for postage when filing stuff, too (he was almost always out of town on vacation, so if the post office account was drained, we had to front the $$. he didn't even trust us with a credit card number.)