Job Responsibilities
I am an associate at a huge law firm. Most of my work is task-
driven as opposed to matter-driven. In other words, I am not in
charge of major cases, but I provide support for those who are.
Every day is different. Some days, I am doing research on laws
of different states where our clients are considering doing
business. Some days, I am meeting with clients to allay their
concerns about disputes in which they are involved. Some days, I
am helping prepare presentations for senior attorneys with
speaking engagements.
|
Job Requirements
Law school was the best three years of my life, intellectually.
I am a much more educated citizen now. I understand the news
much better than before and I have a more thorough grasp of the
history of this country. I went to two of the best law schools
in the U.S., so my professors were all superstars. My fellow
students had incredible insights. The workload was whatever you
wanted it to be. You could easily spend every waking minute in
law school studying cases, contemplating legal theories, and
reading articles in law reviews. On the other hand, some people
only showed up for final exams. Supposedly, some people spent an
entire year of law school as MBA students at a business school in
another city.
|
Uppers
Clearly, the salary is a major upper. On the flipside, because we get paid so
much, expectations are that we are available 24/7. Another nice aspect of the
work is that it is constantly changing, so one can't get bored. You never know
what disputes will arise in this litigious society. Because I work for a
well-respected firm, our clients are sophisticated, so they use our advice
productively and ask good questions. I can't imagine that an ambulance chaser
would have the same quality of life. Our clients have healthy budgets, so I
usually have the freedom to do thorough analyses.
|
Downers
This job requires a commitment to do whatever it takes to meet
deadlines. As a result, it is difficult to do much planning
ahead. I never know when I will be expected to be available for
some task. I also find the general arrogance of attorneys to be
annoying.
|
Lifestyle
Hours are manageable, but there's always the risk that I'll be expected to stay
later than planned. I generally work from 9 to 7 or so, Monday through Friday.
Since my commute is about an hour each direction, that puts me away from my wife
and kids for a huge portion of the day.
I travel a few times a year, generally for quick trips to review documents.
Company social events are common, but I spend enough time at the office as it
is, so I rarely am eager to spend my free time continuing to see the same faces.
The dress code is business casual. People usually look pretty snappy. Suits
are in order when one meets with a client.
Diversity is a bit lacking. This is probably of function of the fact that
diversity in Boston is a bit lacking. The firm seems to be relatively
representative of Boston overall.
|
Compensation
$145,000 base salary with up to $30k available in bonuses. Other
benefits include help with health insurance (although it's still
pretty expensive), cable, and cell phone coverage.
|
Advice to Jobseekers
Be prepared to be in debt unless you can score some huge
scholarships. There is always going to be a demand for lawyers.
Go to the best school you get into to make yourself marketable
and so you won't feel intimidated by your adversaries. We have a
team of paralegals that all have law degrees. They went to
mediocre schools. While you can't take their education away from
them, it's arguable whether their law school choices made sense
financially.
Job seekers entering this field should consider that people love
to beat up on lawyers (until they need one). The cheap shots get
tiresome. If you generally want people's faces to light up when
you tell them what you do, this is not the field for you.
|
|
