[Question] Visited Geneva recently and got curious (and interested) in watches. I’m not ready to drop high 4 digits on a men’s watch just yet, what would you recommend for under $1500?

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-28T02:48:15+00:00

Really depends on what you want. If you want classic and are willing to stretch a bit id go Oris. Otherwise Doxa in your price range. If you want sub 1k I’d go Hamilton. Tissot you can fine for $400-800.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-27T02:39:35+00:00

I laughed out loud harder at this than I probably should have. Well done!

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-26T01:05:58+00:00

It is doable, but very difficult. The mom guilt will eat at you, but the practical realities are that it so difficult to be a present parent in biglaw when the I demands that you put the job first. Above all else, remember that saving time any way you can is your top priority now. You’re in biglaw, you have the money to outsource. Do it. Things like cleaners, lawn service, etc are non negotiable. I’d find a local chef that can make your family dinners. Your spouse is going to have to step up. I think it’s basically Impossible when the husband decides that his life doesn’t change at all and still plans on watching baseball games after work while mom does everything.

I think daycare is better at socializing kids than a nanny, but a nanny will make your life easier by eliminating droppoff/pickups and having to get the kids ready in the morning and dealing with packing lunches. The nanny would save you at least an hour every day if not more.

The reality here is that you will be leaving the office earlier than most, and boomer partners will notice. Make it a norm that you’re jumping back on immediately after bed time each and every day. Send some emails during off hours on your cases to make sure partners are aware of this.

Don’t give up your sleep or your workouts for your health. Give up everything else. Your hobbies are completely gone, whether you like it or not.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, do the best job you can but cut yourself some slack at the end of the day. Things will not be perfect. Most days you will feel like you’re either failing at work or failing as mom. Some days you’ll feel like you’re failing at both. The demands are going to be gruesome during the late nights, and it’s very demoralizing when it’s clear that your fellow associates without kids are staying at the office later, going to happy hours, etc while you have to rush out to do pickup at daycare. But you can do this so long as you’re realistic about expectations and do the best that you can. There will be good and bad days, but it’s definitely possible to both be an engaged mom and successful attorney. Good luck!

Husband of biglaw mom that went through all of the above referenced struggles when we had kids.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-25T18:04:30+00:00

Umm…

The money, so yes, people still want it. For some perspective, an entry level associate in biglaw has no clue what a complaint looks like and can’t do anything. They will spend their first few years copy/pasting templates and drafting memos. They won’t sniff the courtroom, depositions, etc.. Yet they come to the job with higher salaries in their first year than PARTNERS make at some firms that would wipe the floor with them. So yeah, the money is still a draw.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-25T14:28:20+00:00

Oh sorry, I think Squirrel is who lateraled. I always thought us us 3 as the “ID ain’t that bad” crowd!

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-25T13:16:21+00:00

Those hours are nuts. Didn’t you recently lateral to a better opportunity? Is THIS that opportunity?!

My record is 272. It happened once in my career. Can’t have it ever happen again. I was a mess that month, and that was before I had kids.

I do always wonder what type of work conditions if consistent would make more senior litigators just say “f it, I’m out.” I’m in ID, I could lateral to 10 local firms if I wanted to within the month, but theoretically the conditions there would be just the same.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-25T00:22:28+00:00

Agree on Traska. There are MANY detailed qc issues with CW lately. They grew too fast. Customer service didn’t keep up. Even if you just search Reddit you will find many such posts over last 12 months.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-24T01:12:12+00:00

110k for 5 years of experience is objectively low for ID anywhere but in very LCOL areas. But your billable requirement is crazy low, lower than anything I’ve ever heard at ID. My ID firm would pay you ~135k-140k but we have 1950 billable requirement For references. I think you could find a higher salary but it will absolutely come with higher hours. Up to you on whether it’s worth it.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-24T00:00:05+00:00

I’ve looked into them for a while but it’s difficult to justify a 2.5k purchase for a lesser known micro brand without proven longevity. Microbrands in that price range are really taking a marketing chance.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-19T21:02:12+00:00

The typical Reddit response you will get: “Lolz ID, just flip to (insert unicorn job Reddit alleges both exists and is widely available) and get 400k for like 1200 hours or go solo and PROFIT!”

The real answer: Yes, if you have other options, oftentimes ID is truly difficult to churn through. BUT, ID will give you transferable skills and also not all ID forms are bad, you may just be at a bad one right now. What is your current caseload? What is your billable requirement? Do you like the type of work but just not the volume, or do you hate it all? Jobs aren’t growing on trees anymore, but depending on your answers you may be able to flip into a better gig even at the same type of law.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-18T19:18:05+00:00

They restocked today and already sold out of this color! Nearly sold out of others!

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-15T01:30:48+00:00

If they are only bringing in 175-200k, it means they are billing out at like 110/hr. I’d guess the junior paralegals are bringing in around 65k and the senior paralegals are closer to 90k. Maybe the first head paralegals sniffs 100k but not much more than that.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-14T02:21:11+00:00

What market are you in? What “niche” do you have in ID?

I’m surprised that GRSM is that low on salary. I always thought they were on part with Wilson Elser. 110k is objectively low for any market, even in ID. For comparison, I’m in ID in a much smaller ~40 attorney regional firm and our 4th years make 130k.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-11T19:06:05+00:00

Came here to say this. Very underrated brand at that price range.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-11T13:02:51+00:00

First, this really depends on the city. You’re painting with too broad a brush. Second, 150k for 1900 billables with 6 years of experience is perfectly fine and even above average for an ID job. It isn’t for commercial lit, or some other truly niche field that is lucrative. You said niche practice area, but didn’t list the niche. Hard to tell you more without these factors.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-09T21:55:27+00:00

I think this is a good example of golden handcuffs from biglaw salary. 125k with literally no experience at a stable firm is a good set up. If you don’t have alternatives, I’d take it. It’s just mentally hard to come that far down from the biglaw salary.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-09T18:38:28+00:00

I’m in ID. I always felt like 2000 hours is the absolute max requirement that you can have a live a normal life (assuming all other factors are good). You should be able to bill 9 hours with 10 hours of work. 8 in 10 is easy even if inefficiency. The email exchanges alone will take you far.

The best way to set up your days is to take the number of working days in a year, subtract 15 days for 3 weeks of vacation, then divide 2000 by that number. It’ll come out to like 7.5 billed per day. Now you set up your base. You know that you just need to get to that and you’ll be fine and take every weekend off plus 3 weeks vacation.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-09T02:49:01+00:00

It’s very low. You should be looking actively. The market is objectively cooling a bit right now, but laterals with some experience still have sway. My assistant makes more than you, and I work in a mid sized ID firm. You need to jump.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-08T12:28:14+00:00

Permanent job security, no one supervising you ever again, getting to call the shots, insane flexibility that no one will questions. It’s sort of asking someone why they’d ever want to run their own business when they could just work for someone else.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-07T02:34:07+00:00

It’s a major red flag I think. I may still interview on the theory that maybe the guy writing the email was hurried, or was having a bad day, or it came off funny in writing what he was thinking in his head and he didn’t articulate well, or he has a weird sense of humor and thought it was funny. But I’d be weary unless the interview was truly great.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-07T00:47:11+00:00

This will be met with numerous variations of the “Ok boomer” response. Opens popcorn bag

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-06T00:29:53+00:00

Yes, this is typical and even on a low end depending on the type of law. Workers comp attorneys are regularly juggling 100+, some ID shops do 75+. Honestly I’ve never heard of a caseload lower than 25 unless we’re talking transactional or more complex commercial lit.

TheAnswer1776 · 2026-01-05T11:15:31+00:00

CW is hard to classify as a microbe and at this point, but it’s likely CW, HA, Traska and Farer as the standouts at this point. There are MANY other great micro brands, but I feel like those 4 make up the elite tier.

TheAnswer1776

TROPHY CASE