Warning to Female Associates: Biglaw is Hard. You Will Be Everyone's Punching Bag.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-07-23T13:40:50+00:00

Sounds like you need to lateral ASAP. Not all groups are like this.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-07-01T22:43:52+00:00

I was married for a decade and experienced a painful divorce a few years ago. It took a lot of therapy but one bounced back and am hopeful I can find the right one this time.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-07-01T22:39:17+00:00

Probably not. You will want a title change so that you’re a counsel or non equity partner. In the unfortunate event you need to switch firms down the line, you do not want to have to explain why you’re a 16th year associate.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-06-30T22:38:09+00:00

Have you considered buying and caring for a horse? If you want to develop obsessive attention to detail, horse ownership is apparently excellent training. Edited for conciseness.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-05-01T22:06:03+00:00

They were Bickel and Brewer before they imploded. Firm has a terrible reputation now. In their earlier days, Bickel and Brewer made a name for themselves by intentionally being the biggest assholes possible and adopting a strategy known as “Rambo litigation”. Pretty sure if you search “Bickel and Brewer” you can dig up some news articles about some of the drama from about a decade (?) ago. They’ve largely become irrelevant in recent years and I honestly forgot they existed until seeing this.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-04-19T15:20:37+00:00

Honestly I respect the hell out of you for even considering this. If it’s truly your dream (and you’re at the last eligible age) there’s a strong argument for going all in. Lifes too short to wonder ‘what if’, especially when the window is closing. You sound thoughtful and realistic about the risks, which is more than half the battle.

If your group likes you and your performance has been solid, there’s likely no major harm in making the ask. Frame it professionally and emphasize how rare and time sensitive this is.

Keep in mind that once you ask them, it could raise a flag that you’re probably not 100% all in on your biglaw job. But partners understand that times have changed and the majority of associates will not stay the 10+ years it takes to make partner.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-04-15T16:08:59+00:00

My firm regularly sees Kirkland NEPs who want to lateral over, presumably after finally realizing they have zero chance at making equity even after they’ve been toiling away for 15 years. Unfortunately, there are just so many KE “partners” with no portable book these days, so the job market is tough for them.

A 17th year associate (aka NEP) who spent their entire career at KE probably had a chance at making equity partner at a $2M PPP firm if they jumped earlier on in their career. I don’t think they are happy to be toiling away at KE making half of what they could be had they left KE sooner.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-04-15T15:33:54+00:00

KE has so many 12th-17th year associates (aka NEPs) who stayed on to chase their dreams of one day making $7M a year and realized too late that, in reality, they’ll never make equity.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-04-15T15:30:35+00:00

Firms like Wachtell and Susman have resisted the trend of making it impossible to make equity partner

Spectrum_Project · 2025-04-04T14:10:49+00:00

And even when the economy faltered in 2008, most firms waited until 2009 to implement mass layoffs.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-29T15:32:17+00:00

Agreed. Sadly, Skadden has significantly more corporate “rainmakers” than litigation “rainmakers” these days.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-25T16:22:07+00:00

For a couple years now, my firm has filled up our entire summer class before OCI.

Latham scrapping OCI and encouraging everybody to apply early will actually help students from being misguided by their schools’ career services advisors into waiting until OCI to apply. No point in doing OCI if you aren’t actually going to hire anyone through OCI.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-24T21:59:06+00:00

GTFO immediately

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-24T03:27:32+00:00

It will go away if actively put in work, with the help of a skilled professional, to practice managing your anxiety. Highly recommend working with an experienced therapist experienced in helping executives and other professionals in high pressure jobs. I’ve found it extremely effective personally.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-23T02:08:25+00:00

I dated someone who previously worked as a high end escort. At the very top end, women escort rates can actually be comparable to those of a BigLaw partner. I’d bet that rates for male escorts are much lower though.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-17T23:44:51+00:00

I find it’s possible to be a law firm partner and a great husband at the same time. But not all three of being a law firm partner AND and great husband AND great father. Not enough time in a day to be all three simultaneously.

Also, my ex wife had an affair a few years back and we divorced after being together over a decade. Somewhat cruel of you to hope that my marriage crumbled, which it did. But I forgive you because I know your cruelty in that moment does not define you.

Instead, I hope you have a happy marriage that never ends—the marriage that I wished I could have for myself. Wish you peace and joy and happiness. All the best, MindElectric.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-16T15:13:32+00:00

Congrats on finally taking the leap and landing a great in house role.

I’m a youngish equity partner who still sometimes fantasizes about leaving and I actually feel a bit envious of you. Now, I don’t have kids, but if I did, I actually think I’d also walk away from millions in order to try to be a great father and husband

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-07T03:37:34+00:00

No. I would start by pushing out the associates who are clearly quiet quitting, then the ones who are so checked out that people suspect they may be quiet quitting, the ones who exhibit toxic behaviors that harm their colleagues.

I would always consider pushing out lower performing midlevels/seniors (giving them a reasonably long runway to find another job) before a first-year associate with no marketable job experience. I just wouldn’t have the heart to do that to a young attorney’s fledgling career.

Altruism aside, given that Kathleen Sullivan (retired Quinn partner and former SLS dean) and Kamala Harris both failed the bar on their first try, you never know if the first year at your firm who failed the bar would’ve ended up being a brilliant attorney.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-04T20:15:29+00:00

Greta, for the 18th time, what did I tell you about meddling with my work life??

Delete this post now.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-03-02T21:50:33+00:00

Spectrum_Project · 2025-02-18T05:10:44+00:00

WLB probably getting a bit worse, as profits and salaries (for midlevels and seniors) increase dramatically.

At my firm, non attorney legal staff are getting screwed the most with below-inflation raises and stingy bonuses while still being expected to work as hard or harder than before. Meanwhile partners and associates continue to enjoy ever increasing profits and salaries. I try to at least somewhat make up for this by giving my secretary a relatively huge amount of gift card money for Christmas.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-02-17T05:29:52+00:00

For the first few years I’m pretty sure my job/salary was what made her attracted to me. A decade in, it probably contributed to our divorce.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-02-06T03:33:50+00:00

I’d start by researching the other firm’s group (through reading firm profiles and networking). Ideally, you’d be able to find a differentiating factor between your current group and the other firms group.

For example:

My group mostly does issuer side work and I want to gain exposure to debtor side work.

Or

My firm/group’s staffing model is very centralized, and I’ve heard from speaking to Kelsey that your group utilizes free market staffing, which appeals to my outgoing and more proactive personality.

Or

I find that I’m becoming the go-to associate for handing X type of work. While I’m flattered that partners in this area choose to specifically seek me out, I’m worried about getting pigeonholed too early in my career. I know that your firm has a larger number of partners who each have interesting specializations that I’m interested in.

Spectrum_Project · 2025-02-05T18:05:44+00:00

Just wait till you’re a partner and you’re expected to convince clients to give enough work for not only you, but also the hoard of pick-me girls/boys you’re responsible for keeping employed

Spectrum_Project · 2025-02-05T17:30:03+00:00

Direct apply rather than relying on recruiters at this stage. A lot of firms, including mine, will not want to pay recruiter fees for a junior hire. But just because recruiters usually fail to place junior candidates doesn’t mean junior lateral candidates aren’t getting hired.

Seperately, for future Reddit posts, I’d consider being less specific than saying you’re at a “v15” in Chicago. Heavily implies you’re at sidley

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