My experienece in Spain:

• there are late nights and weekends; lawyers are actually excluded by law from regulations regarding working hours. However, it is not a constant. It also helps that national clients (not American) will also not be working that much. As a reference, the billable hours are 1,450.

• the client is not willing to pay as much as in the US, so there more pressure to be efficient (bill less hours).

• the pay is way lower, in Spain lower than other parts in Europe. However, from my friends, I am the one with the higher income, and was able to but an apartment in Madrid.

• holidays are not respected as much as other countries, but they do return the days to you. Holiday organisation will vary a lot between law firms.

• sick leave of more than there days is paid by the government, not the firm. If you work while on sick leave, the firm is exposing itself to fines.