You might be wondering what you should show up on your first day with. Well, I think you could ask the recruiting coordinator in advance if there are specific things he/she wants you to bring (hey guys and gals, did you see I said he/she...yippee!!). Anyway, I would bring (1) yourself, of course, properly attired; (2) perhaps a briefcase or other appropriate business-like looking bag; (3) if you like, a portfolio with notepad (4) a couple pens (5) your cell phone -- you don't want to use firm phones for long distance and some calls that seem "local" but under firm's plan are not -- they will require a code and your cell is cheaper; (6) identification cards for work eligibility, pretty much all employers will require this -- check in advance, as I mentioned before and get your docs out; (7) usual stuff you would have of course such as wallet, etc. (I assume that is obvious but I throw it out anyway).
When you arrive, you will usually be greeted by the recruiting assistant, or office administator or your advisor - well, someone involved in the program. In BigLAW firms, you will usually have a formal orientation program with an agenda laid out. Make sure you do not set up outside lunch plans (with friends, etc) as the firm usually wants to send you out to lunch (often with your paired associate or other advisor). Take a look at the agenda so you can familiarize yourself with whom you are meeting. Keep your phone on silent or vibrate so it is not ringing away with calls from friends while you are in your meetings. Tell your friends and fam that you will be tied up most of the day and you will report back later.
You will be meeting lots of new people and it can be overwhelming. At least learn your assistant's name and make sure you greet them each day. They can be your best friend in the firm because they usually know more than a lot of the lawyers. And, usually firms will assign the very experienced assistants to the summers. If they make suggestions, listen. Say please, say thank you. If you are going to be in a meeting for a while or out of the office say, watching a deposition, let them know and let them know how to reach you. Remember, they can look out for you, but they will also let someone know if you are an a-hole. We listen - we don't believe everything, but if I hear about rudeness to staff, especially from more than one -- I do listen and it can be a factor.
Also, regarding your associate advisor, yes, he/she (see - I did it again, HP really getting PC!) can also be a great source of information and guidance. BUT, do not confuse advisor with your wife/husband/partner (PC Alert!) or best friend. They frequently sit in meetings with the hiring partner and may discuss things you've said - like you said "I hated working with Joe." Well, if Joe's group is only group hiring, that may be a problem.
How did I do? Did post properly address concerns of female and male readers? C'mon all, it's not ALL about gender. Sometimes it is just about the workplace, working hard, doing a great job, and showing everyone what a fabulous lawyer you are or can be. I'm just trying to get you off to a good start, the rest is up to you. :)
HP.
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26 comments:
I would only add that you might be filling out state and federal withholding forms on the first day, so it's good to look up the forms online and make sure you have all the information you need.
Very informative post, especially regarding advisors. I think too many summers equate BigLaw advisor with college advisor. Nope. Different roles, different goals.
Good post, HP. What, if anything, is a work-appropriate bag for a man besides a briefcase?
Best post yet. Thanks.
another bag: business style messenger bag (e.g., leather).
thx, but my favorite posts are the informative/amusing ones (see, e.g. holiday party) and the ones on professionalism that touch on broader topics in the workplace, and networking topics. But I'm glad you found it helpful.
Good post. I'd love to see a post on choosing which practice group to seek out work from.
Will it be apparent which practice groups are busiest? I want to make sure I align myself with partners in groups with lots of work.
My summer program starts in less than 2 weeks. God I hate finals. I plan on keeping it strictly business for the entire summer, although I'm not sure I would have acted otherwise even in a good economy. There's no motivation quite like the prospect of 150k in debt and no job to get you going in the morning.
When you get there, you'll also receive a summer associate handbook. Make sure you read the whole thing at some point in the evening during that first week. It will have a lot of good information in it and allow you to fine tune the questions you ask your mentors.
After the first week or two when things start to settle down a little, I highly recommend reading the associate handbook as well. It might take some searching, but it will be on the firm intranet somewhere. It's good to know exactly what the firm will expect from you if you choose to come back as an associate. For example, in addition to expecting the standard 2000 billable hours, my firm also expects another 200 firm citizenship hours, 25 of which need to be writing and 25 of which need to be business development. Not that you can change any of it, but it's good to know what you're getting into. It will also give you an idea of the metrics used to evaluate associates.
Question on the cell phone issue, my position is never to use my phone in the office unless I am explicitly allowed too, I know now a days people use them ALL the time, but even a work call on a cell phone can give the appearance of personal calls on work time. For that reason I tend to make calls on the work phone.
Can you address this? I thought that was a surprising comment.
Nice to seem that some look beyond the doom and gloom and see the lighter side...
http://abovethelaw.com/2009/04/cleary_encourages_home_cooking.php
HP, I'd love to see a post on how to choose a practice group. One concern of mine is what exist options are available to obtuse practice groups that seem to only exist in big law?
Are there some practice groups that are better for exit options than other? Some that are terrible?
I have a question about thank you cards during the summer program. If there is a summer associate party at a partner's house should you write a thank you? What if a partner just invites a small group of summers out to dinner, an event, etc. Are the rules any different if it is an associate rather than a partner hosting?
I would also be interested in hearing about exit options as a function of practice group.
Also, can you say something about how approaching people for questions works in a large firm culture? Say you need clarification on an assignment. Is it best to send an e-mail asking if you can drop by (allowing the partner or associate to respond when it suits him/her)? Is a phone call OK? Are there people you shouldn't ever call and only approach by e-mail or via their secretary because they are too busy and important?
(You would think that I'm a 20-year-old inexperienced with the concept of a work place, but I'm asking this from the perspective of someone whose career so far has been in a much more informal field.)
4:54pm - I'm not an etiquette expert, but I'll share what I did. Generally, I sent handwritten thank you notes to the people who invited me to their homes, and sent e-mail thank you notes for everything else (lunches, dinners, events, etc.). For the most part, I did not differentiate between associate host or partner host - same etiquette rules apply - but if a partner was really old-school (and you can usually tell), I would default to a handwritten note. When in doubt, I asked their secretaries for tips, and they were always happy to clue me in.
And yes, I sent thank you notes for almost every lunch / event. Doesn't have to be long, gushing, involved - just "thanks for taking me out, I had a great time getting to know you, look forward to working with you over the rest of the summer, etc, etc." You get the idea.
e @ 6:24pm - you should absolutely feel free (and should remember) to ask the assigning attorney what his / her communication preferences are. "How would you like me to follow up with you? Do you want me to go through your secretary if I need further clarifications?" Get it straight from them, and you won't ever have to second-guess anything.
If you're in one of those systems where HR hands you the assignment, and you don't have the chance to speak with the attorney (unlikely though it may be), then either check with the HR person who gave you the assignment sheet, or with the assigning attorney's secretary for the optimal method(s).
HP, love your blog, but I'm sad to see you bow to the pressures of the GenderPC-Police. Symbolism in pronouns is a waste of everyone's time and an artifact of our germanic language (these problems don't exist in romance languages, for example). Nothing is worse than seeing "Alumni/Alumnae" in communiques from my co-ed alma mater.
To beat an old, OT horse: when we speak of the ruination of the profession by old guys with banker-envy, this is the sort of problem we mean: http://abovethelaw.com/2009/04/breaking_sad_day_at_kilpatrick.php#comments
(To preempt the inevitable: No, we don't know for certain why he killed himself. No, mental illness is not solely caused by BigLaw. No, it isn't the life for everyone. No, you aren't your brother's keeper.)
I wish we could avoid pointless calls for changes in associate treatment. It isn't going to happen as long as associate salaries are this high. Move to smaller market big law and you'll see better treatment.
To HP: I'd also be interested in hearing about the effect of practice groups with regards to exit options.
10:12/4:36/8:19:
How are salaries to fall if we don't express our willingness to take lower salaries for better conditions? And why should the profession not police misbehavior in its ranks and a degradation of its culture?
Also, do you really think you need to ask for the same damn thing three times? It's pretty certain HP got your message (or, alternately, won't get it from one more comment), and so your tone just comes off as pushy and demanding. HP'll either choose to answer your request or not; badgering is unhelpful.
Is there an even remotely generalizable answer to the exit option question? Off the top of my head I can think of so many variables that would affect the richness or availability of one's options - firm reputation, individual's reputation, current location, desired location, what exactly you did in your practice, what kind of practice you want to aim for, size of current firm vs. size of targeted firm, targeted industry, and of course - what's hot in the economy.
Three years ago people would have said real estate and financial products provide great exit options - deals to be had in every direction! Clearly not true anymore. So I honestly don't think it's reliable if somebody tells you right now, "M&A means job security," or "You'll be set if you go do employment law."
It's similar to the discussion about which college major will give you more job options - well, it all depends. Everybody said I was doomed as an English major. Yes - definitely doomed for technical jobs, but plenty of options awaited in communications, sales, marketing, and now law.
Yes, market demands will have an impact on your choices, and you should absolutely consider that, but you can't let it drive your decision 100%. If you're a summer or a new associate, I would suggest you actively seek out mentors and advisors to discuss what they are doing, whether their work meshes with your career goals / vision, etc. And if you don't have a clear goal yet, that's alright, you can start talking to people to give it some shape. At some point people figure out, at the very least, whether they enjoy transactions, or regulatory, or litigation. That's a good start already.
To me the more relevant and informative question is - what can you do to maximize your exit options, regardless of which practice you choose or get assigned into? That goes back to everything HP has said before - work ethic, professionalism, quality, networking / marketing, self-education, etc. Not to sound like an old fogie, but I can speak from experience that those are ultimately the "practices" that will give you the broadest and most meaningful exit options.
10:18,
That's fine, but here isn't the place. Write some articles, start a group at your law school, etc....but don't bug a partner who is taking time out of his busy schedule to help out junior associates/law students.
I was merely agreeing with the above posters that I would also like to see that question answered.
-8:19
f-3, what if HP just did a post explaining what typical exit options are for a variety of practice areas?
Other than knowing that it is probably easier to go in-house with some corporate / compliance experience, I'm quite clueless. So for me it would be valuable just to learn more about the range of options out there.
Exit options right now are a) the unemployment line or b) living in your parents basement.
Ah - you meant options outside of the law. Sorry I misunderstood. I agree that the question would make a valuable post. The ex-lawyers I know have gone on to become business owners, management consultants, HR managers, and as you mentioned - in-house counsel. I hope more people join in the discussion because many people in our peer group tend to focus only on legal opportunities (myself included).
By the way, check out bitterlawyer.com. They interview former lawyers who are now doing off-the-beaten-path things. Not the typical options you are asking about, but nonetheless good for spurring creativity and possibilities. And not all of them are completely jaded by their former legal careers.
f-3, I would consider in-house counsel still within the law. You are still a practicing attorney, but you are providing legal advice to the company for whom you work. This is sort of general, as I'm sure different companies have different needs (i.e. I'm sure Goldman Sachs is going to hire more lawyers with a background in securities than say McDonalds).
I guess the question maybe of us are looking to have answered is how do we get to the holy grail of in-house counsel? Do all practice groups allow for this exit? It's unclear to me whether in-house counsel will be a continuation of your expertise that you practiced in big law. I assume you'd need to widen the breadth of your practice.
Yes - you are correct. Don't know why I lumped that in there. Mushy brains today, obviously!
No problem. It happens to the best of us. Your advice is always appreciated.
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