Job Responsibilities
Researching questions about the law; drafting internal memos and
court papers (some advocacy, some administrative). I usually
have a pro bono case going. Right now I'm drafting a brief
seeking asylum for a client. I have a fair amount of client
interaction as well.
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Job Requirements
NYU Law School is academically rigorous. The classes are all top-
notch - demanding, interesting and challenging. I loved my law
school education. Grading is tough - a strict curve; few As. The
professors are wonderful: accessible and smart and often very
well-known in their field. Getting classes is not an issue. The
workload is significant throughout all three years.
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Uppers
Occassionally it is very interesting and challenging. The people in the
profession are smart. The work is valuable to the clients. The compensation is
on the high end of jobs. With more experience, there can be an incredible amount
of responsibility and control over very important, high-profile cases.
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Downers
Often tedious, uninteresting work. Often, the work is hard and
you can dread getting a brief or the like started. Often high
stress and long hours with little control.
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Lifestyle
Not a lifestyle job. Client service business means available to work anytime. To
do high-quality lawyering takes a lot of hours. Not much travel, few social
events, business casual dress, relatively diverse workplace.
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Compensation
Base for a third year associate at a large national law firm is
around $160k with a $30 bonus if about 2000 hours are billed for
the year. It is not always possible to bill that many hours so
the bonus should not be considered a given. Benefits are standard.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Good outlook for lawyers at high-quality firms. Paralegal first
at a big firm to decide whether it's the right thing for you.
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