Reunion

Every year when law-firm recruiting season starts, law students start buzzing about the enormous starting salaries at Big Law firms. (It’s $215,000+ in NYC now, I understand.)

A heavy dose of reality is needed.

At my 10-year high school reunion, I spoke with a classmate who’d gone straight from college to a T14 law school, and then to a top-ten, “white shoe” firm in NYC. He’d just finished three full years as an associate there.

-The reunion was the first evening he’d had off in 3 years.
-Not the first weekday evening. The first evening.

Then there was the senior associate I knew who kept a sleeping bag, pillow, and alarm clock under his desk at all times, “just in case.”

-There were six reported, “just-in-case” overnights that year.
-Those were on top of several weekend all-nighters at home.

Third is the junior associate whose apartment building lacked stable internet (as was common in the day).

-She kept a make-shift bed in the back of her car.
-She lamented that many of her hours were wasted “driving from one all-night diner to another to find a quiet corner with good Internet and no wait staff or cleaners to scurry over me.”

***
Parts of Big Law do seem glamorous, that’s for sure.

$215,000+ pay
Fancy suits & shoes.
Extensive training & skills.
Cases for big, high-profile clients.
Big-City dining, entertainment & networking.

But it’s just not all like that. Understand that there are many, many long, hard days and nights in between.

And so,

🔹 If you do choose the Big Law route, I’ll stand 100% behind you. I’ll share with you all the lessons that I learned the hard way. Just know what you’re getting into.

🔹 And, if you thought you wanted Big Law but don’t get it during summer recruiting, don’t despair. Big Law makes up only a tiny fraction of lawyers. There are so many other, great options.

(And hey, that way, you might not end up having a story in my collection.)

Fondly,
💌 Amanda

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