Job Responsibilities
I take assignments from partners and write up court documents --
typically motions for summary judgment. I make my own schedule,
but I probably work 40-45 hours per week.
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Job Requirements
At my law school, the classes were high-quality because we had
some of the best professors in the country. This situation has
changed somewhat as a few professors have left to become deans
at rival schools.
Getting popular classes could be a challenge. Classes were
awarded on a lottery basis, so you had to choose your priorities
carefully. You could also try to get into a class during
drop/add. I was able to get into popular classes that way on at
least two occasions.
Grading is on a curve, which is standard for law school. My
school used a B curve.
The work was hard, but that will be the case at any law school,
I think. Studying occupied the majority of any given day, most
especially at finals time.
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Uppers
I work at a very small law firm, so I get to do a lot of substantive work. I
have worked at a large firm too, and I did not get the same level of substantive
work. I enjoy research and writing, so that is probably the best part of my job.
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Downers
The pay is less than I would like to make, although it is very
good for the area where I live. Also, my firm is not as
prestigious as the firms where many of my classmates ended up.
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Lifestyle
The work hours are great. At a big firm, I would be working 60+ hours per week.
Here, even the partners work maybe 50 hours a week, and I typically clock in at
about 40-45. So far, I have not had the opportunity for business travel and we
have not had any company social events.
The dress code is pretty relaxed. We are permitted to wear jeans on Fridays.
As a woman, I wear twin sets and pants or skirts most days, and I am probably the
most dressed up woman in the office.
My office has no diversity. All the attorneys are men, all the staff are women,
and everyone is white.
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Compensation
I make $25/hour, which is a good salary for this area.
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Advice to Jobseekers
I recommend thinking carefully about what kind of experience is
going to propel your career forward. I initially didn't like
the idea of working at such a small firm, but it gave me the
opportunity to have a lot of partner contact and to do
substantive work projects and have client contact. Compared to
a big firm, I got a lot more practical experience. The trade-
off is how prestigious it looks on the resume and how much
currency it will have when I apply for positions as an associate.
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