\
  The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
BackRefresh Options Favorite

PSA: Problem with BigLaw is not the work...

It's the people. This dawned on me today. The work can be...
primrose mind-boggling travel guidebook
  03/04/15
are all practice groups equal when it comes to shitty people...
multi-colored institution incel
  03/04/15
all the non-annoying people left to go elsewhere
Cocky yellow digit ratio business firm
  03/04/15
...
beady-eyed dingle berry toaster
  12/22/16
...
Saffron liquid oxygen
  07/10/20
"The irony is all of the annoying people were juniors o...
topaz principal's office
  03/04/15
I duno bro I've basically turned into an asshole whereas I w...
Cerise startled feces chapel
  03/04/15
You're a manager in a profession that places no value on man...
Frisky stead depressive
  03/04/15
To be fair, I don't really manage anyone. It's not like I ha...
Cerise startled feces chapel
  03/04/15
completely fucking wrong. this is - in large part - an inte...
Drab Boiling Water
  03/05/15
whoa dude this is really harsh about northwestern
Irradiated church building
  12/22/16
This is wrong, but generally the common thinking.
judgmental rehab
  12/22/16
Then why do it?
Carmine appetizing casino
  03/04/15
"The work can be interesting at times," It's ra...
Cerise startled feces chapel
  03/04/15
Anyone who finds biglaw work truly interesting needs to have...
Carmine appetizing casino
  03/04/15
Deal work can be interesting at first in the same way a puzz...
Cerise startled feces chapel
  03/04/15
Same thing in certain types of litigation. Obviously large-s...
tan laughsome trump supporter persian
  03/04/15
cr.
carnelian weed whacker double fault
  03/05/15
transactional bros who left biglaw: at what point did the no...
splenetic goal in life gunner
  03/04/15
Yep. The work is dull as fuck. You'd have to be a pretty pas...
Up-to-no-good odious macaca ladyboy
  03/04/15
(Guy who doesn't work in tax)
peach gay wizard native
  03/05/15
Drafting sucks. Telling other people what to draft isn't nea...
Gay duck-like foreskin old irish cottage
  12/22/16
It's the people and the work, hth.
floppy prole rigor
  03/04/15
and the hours etc.
Shaky Galvanic Electric Furnace Hall
  03/04/15
It's not the seamless though
floppy prole rigor
  03/04/15
Idk sometimes food that's good at restaurants comes out all ...
Slimy Wine Goyim
  03/05/15
I like the people and the work a lot. My problem is the bus...
Talking embarrassed to the bone generalized bond
  03/04/15
Yeah the the fatal flaw is biglaw is the billable hour. The...
Slimy Wine Goyim
  03/05/15
FLAME ITS THE UNPREDICTABILITY
geriatric hilarious forum mental disorder
  03/04/15
IN BALANCE ON BALANCE
geriatric hilarious forum mental disorder
  03/04/15
...
seedy burgundy meetinghouse regret
  12/22/16
...
shivering set
  12/22/16
Can't speak to all legal work, but corporate/m&a work su...
big pea-brained party of the first part base
  03/04/15
god corporate sounds awful. but at least you have exit opps
Umber Confused Crotch
  03/05/15
I can deal with most of them--and in fact, many are decent. ...
peach gay wizard native
  03/05/15
gridding 100 deals out is pretty bad regardless of how chill...
Infuriating point skinny woman
  03/05/15
At least you're at a preftigious firm
Gay duck-like foreskin old irish cottage
  12/22/16
um, it's the work (which includes the hours, pressure, on-ca...
carnelian weed whacker double fault
  03/05/15
yea look researching the law and writing up your "findi...
Shaky Galvanic Electric Furnace Hall
  03/05/15
yeah, and your happiness is very variant based on what you'r...
carnelian weed whacker double fault
  03/05/15
the people in biglaw probably started out OK slowly but s...
frozen factory reset button
  03/05/15
As soon as the period began which had produced the present I...
Federal out-of-control hominid jew
  12/22/16
I never really understand why people complain so much about ...
aphrodisiac philosopher-king
  03/06/15
Weird post. The reason people conplain about then is because...
peach gay wizard native
  03/06/15
yea i think this is backwards...i find that most people in b...
Spectacular faggot firefighter fat ankles
  03/06/15
the people are 180. the work is 180. but people who don't un...
stimulating famous landscape painting
  12/22/16
I get a fucking RUSH when I start hitting the ground on that...
Irradiated church building
  12/22/16
...
blue thriller affirmative action
  12/22/16


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 7:52 PM
Author: primrose mind-boggling travel guidebook

It's the people.

This dawned on me today. The work can be interesting at times, if you're interested in the subject matter. But it's the people who make BigLaw unbearable.

The irony is all of the annoying people were juniors once and probably felt the same. Why did they turn out into the same annoying people they once hated?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430228)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 7:52 PM
Author: multi-colored institution incel

are all practice groups equal when it comes to shitty people?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430232)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:40 PM
Author: Cocky yellow digit ratio business firm

all the non-annoying people left to go elsewhere

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430495)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 10:57 AM
Author: beady-eyed dingle berry toaster



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204383)



Reply Favorite

Date: July 10th, 2020 2:11 PM
Author: Saffron liquid oxygen



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#40580944)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:01 PM
Author: topaz principal's office

"The irony is all of the annoying people were juniors once and probably felt the same. Why did they turn out into the same annoying people they once hated?"

The chill people who felt the way you do all left biglaw. Sounds like you will too. The annoying people who are within a couple of years of your class year? Breakfast, at this or some other firm, then the cycle begins again.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430270)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:11 PM
Author: Cerise startled feces chapel

I duno bro I've basically turned into an asshole whereas I was a chill bro when I started. I get extremely, extremely annoyed when some clueless lazy person under me isn't doing their job or tries to get me to do their job. And I do remember being a junior and feeling that seniors were assholes for treating me like that. But it's so hard not to when you feel like you ate so much shit and jumped through so many hoops being a little manservant bitch and then some dufus under you acts like he isn't being paid a ton of $$$ to figure shit out and actually do work, not get me to do it for them.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430337)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:35 PM
Author: Frisky stead depressive

You're a manager in a profession that places no value on management skills, so no wonder you suck at it.

My immediate boss is a former biglawyer and she's a godawful manager. Mba types at least have the basics down

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430460)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:39 PM
Author: Cerise startled feces chapel

To be fair, I don't really manage anyone. It's not like I have my own team or I have any personnel input. I'm in-house.

I have my doubts about how good the normal MBA shit is. It's just a bunch of corporate speak and "great job!" and issue avoidance and "that was a productive 3 hr meeting even though we decided nothing except that we'll talk about this more in the future" type of shit. I see it all the time in inhouse how absolutely worthless employees get to stick around getting paid almost the same or even more than useful people. At least firms are largely a meritocracy.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430486)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 7:58 AM
Author: Drab Boiling Water

completely fucking wrong. this is - in large part - an intellectual profession that requires long hours and responsiveness. there is no "managing" that solves for stupid grads of northwestern or northeastern or suffolk, and/or lazy fucks from anywhere.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27432848)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 10:34 AM
Author: Irradiated church building

whoa dude this is really harsh about northwestern

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204188)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 11:40 AM
Author: judgmental rehab

This is wrong, but generally the common thinking.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204747)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:07 PM
Author: Carmine appetizing casino

Then why do it?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430311)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:09 PM
Author: Cerise startled feces chapel

"The work can be interesting at times,"

It's rarely interesting after you've done it for a handful of yrs. You are looking at the same shit you've done over and over again. I agree though that the worst part of it is the people, by far.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430324)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:10 PM
Author: Carmine appetizing casino

Anyone who finds biglaw work truly interesting needs to have their head examined.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430327)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:15 PM
Author: Cerise startled feces chapel

Deal work can be interesting at first in the same way a puzzle is interesting. But then it's like being forced to sit down and put the exact same 50,000 piece puzzle together every single day and it sucks balls.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430355)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:32 PM
Author: tan laughsome trump supporter persian

Same thing in certain types of litigation. Obviously large-scale lit with tons of doc review is bullshit, but I've definitely been on some smaller cases that wound up having some pretty interesting legal issues.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430444)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:30 PM
Author: carnelian weed whacker double fault

cr.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438169)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:51 PM
Author: splenetic goal in life gunner

transactional bros who left biglaw: at what point did the novelty wear off?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430565)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 9:32 PM
Author: Up-to-no-good odious macaca ladyboy

Yep. The work is dull as fuck. You'd have to be a pretty passionless human being to not wish you were doing anything else.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430879)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 8:58 AM
Author: peach gay wizard native

(Guy who doesn't work in tax)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27432969)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 9:17 AM
Author: Gay duck-like foreskin old irish cottage

Drafting sucks. Telling other people what to draft isn't nearly as bad.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32203675)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:31 PM
Author: floppy prole rigor

It's the people and the work, hth.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430438)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:36 PM
Author: Shaky Galvanic Electric Furnace Hall

and the hours etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430469)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:54 PM
Author: floppy prole rigor

It's not the seamless though

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430585)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 6:38 AM
Author: Slimy Wine Goyim

Idk sometimes food that's good at restaurants comes out all soggy when I get it from seamless.

Plus eating dinner at your desk makes you a fat.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27432773)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 8:46 PM
Author: Talking embarrassed to the bone generalized bond

I like the people and the work a lot. My problem is the business of law: client demands, poorly run organization, hours, lack of incentive to bill honestly.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430521)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 6:41 AM
Author: Slimy Wine Goyim

Yeah the the fatal flaw is biglaw is the billable hour. The only way the firm maximizes profits is if people are working all the time, so the partners aren't happy unless people are working all the time. Hence the 5 pm fire drill calls on Fridays etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27432775)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 9:34 PM
Author: geriatric hilarious forum mental disorder

FLAME ITS THE UNPREDICTABILITY

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430888)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 9:35 PM
Author: geriatric hilarious forum mental disorder

IN BALANCE ON BALANCE

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27430894)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 8:53 AM
Author: seedy burgundy meetinghouse regret



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32203556)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 1:46 PM
Author: shivering set



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32205857)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 4th, 2015 10:37 PM
Author: big pea-brained party of the first part base

Can't speak to all legal work, but corporate/m&a work sucks. If you're working on a big deal with sophisticated clients, even the partners are mostly taking orders from the business people. And a lot of it is complicated, but not in an exciting way, in a shitty, it's hard to keep track of all these trivial details that are constantly changing kind of way. If you're working on small deals and the firm is more in control of the deal, the deal isn't interesting and the client just wants you to 'paper' whatever stupid transaction they think they've agreed upon and they don't understand why the 'legal stuff is so complicated and expensive.'

The people are often terrible too. Most of the lawyers in my office are decent enough, but the clients suck and the firm lawyers are going to do whatever the clients ask and let shit roll down hill.

The hours aren't always terrible, but they're always unpredictable.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27431331)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:13 PM
Author: Umber Confused Crotch

god corporate sounds awful. but at least you have exit opps

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438060)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 12:43 AM
Author: peach gay wizard native

I can deal with most of them--and in fact, many are decent. The only folks that routinely get on my nerves are certain mid levels in shitty practice areas, who can be hostile and imperious without knowing much of anything. Don't usually get that sort of deadly combination with more senior folks. Junior associates can be annoying at times, but usually it's understandable (e.g., they are just trying to figure out how to do their job and what that job is).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27432203)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:27 PM
Author: Infuriating point skinny woman

gridding 100 deals out is pretty bad regardless of how chill your supervisor is.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438151)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 9:19 AM
Author: Gay duck-like foreskin old irish cottage

At least you're at a preftigious firm

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32203682)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:47 PM
Author: carnelian weed whacker double fault

um, it's the work (which includes the hours, pressure, on-call, emergencies, etc.). most people at any job hates their boss.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438356)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:51 PM
Author: Shaky Galvanic Electric Furnace Hall

yea look researching the law and writing up your "findings" isn't intrinsically terrible. and same goes for "performing" the law in depositions and the like. but the typical biglaw shit makes it all awful.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438382)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 11:02 PM
Author: carnelian weed whacker double fault

yeah, and your happiness is very variant based on what you're working on. if you're working on a smaller case with interesting issues and getting to do cool stuff, it's infinitely better than working on some hell-hole megacase. so, in that sense, it is precisely the work. it's usually shitty, but it can be good if you're lucky.

also, even if you work with great people, if you're on a hell-hole case, it still sucks.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438472)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 5th, 2015 10:51 PM
Author: frozen factory reset button

the people in biglaw probably started out OK

slowly but surely, large portions of their lives were deleted

now they are old and sad and get really mad if u don't do the same thing

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438380)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 10:18 AM
Author: Federal out-of-control hominid jew

As soon as the period began which had produced the present Ivan Ilych, all that had then seemed joys now melted before his sight and turned into something trivial and often nasty.

And the further he departed from childhood and the nearer he came to the present the more worthless and doubtful were the joys. This began with the School of Law. A little that was really good was still found there — there was light-heartedness, friendship, and hope. But in the upper classes there had already been fewer of such good moments. Then during the first years of his official career, when he was in the service of the governor, some pleasant moments again occurred: they were the memories of love for a woman. Then all became confused and there was still less of what was good; later on again there was still less that was good, and the further he went the less there was.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204103)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 6th, 2015 12:15 AM
Author: aphrodisiac philosopher-king

I never really understand why people complain so much about asshole mid level or senior associates. Fuck them. They probably aren't making partner and if they are that horrible you don't want to work with them anyways.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27438930)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 6th, 2015 12:27 AM
Author: peach gay wizard native

Weird post. The reason people conplain about then is because they are forces to work with them. It's not elective.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27439012)



Reply Favorite

Date: March 6th, 2015 10:39 AM
Author: Spectacular faggot firefighter fat ankles

yea i think this is backwards...i find that most people in biglaw are super smart hardworking with families and community roots etc...sure theres an asshole here and there but what org doesnt have that...i think its the nature of the work and also the fact that law firm organization makes people compete with one another rather than collaborate on projects etc etc

oh who is this thread kidding its the HOURS

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#27440264)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 8:55 AM
Author: stimulating famous landscape painting

the people are 180. the work is 180. but people who don't understand the work is 120. and understanding the work without ur people is 120.

to make biglaw 180 u need to understand the TRUE ASSIGNMENT, then be able to TEACH IT to ur team, or put them on a path so they can get it.

i'm taking over, folks. i'm going to make biglaw 180 for everyone. and i'm going to do it all by just being the best cog i can be and not adding 2 much value at any level. it's 180.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32203561)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 10:39 AM
Author: Irradiated church building

I get a fucking RUSH when I start hitting the ground on that new deal or when its about to close and you can just feel the seams tightening when you're drafting that purchase agreement. people bitch about the seniors or partners but just do what they say its not that hard. I once heard the joke that "your boss isnt always right but hes always your boss!" Lmao. I think about that a lot and just chuckle a little but its so true. Just relax and keep the engine running because deals HAVE TO CLOSE.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204226)



Reply Favorite

Date: December 22nd, 2016 11:57 AM
Author: blue thriller affirmative action



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2822531&forum_id=2#32204895)