Big Firm Hours and Expectations with Small Firm Pay
Pros
1. Great experience (except for the no trial part, see below) working in a variety of case types, handling everything from the answer up until trial. But experience is what you get when you don't get what you want, right? Which is a real salary commensurate with the job. 2. Pretty good training and education. Decent guidance on how to become a real lawyer and do what you don't learn in law school. 3. The respect and prestige of working at a big firm goes far in building your resume and looking for your next job. 4. Good job security. They really do not fire attorneys. I heard if they don't want to keep you, they'll encourage you to leave, allowing you to transition. 5. Good benefits -- health, dental, life, 401k (no match), FSA, CBA, corporate discounts. Fake PTO, though (see below). 6. Excellent support staff for attorneys. Many Secretaries are smart and know all procedures. File clerks handle files for you and do it very well. Brilliant IT people. Remote dictation and word processing service make life easy.
Cons
1. Baited and switched from before I even accepted the offer. After I got the offer, I asked about the work hours for attorneys and was told it varies, some attorneys work 9-6, some work more. I was not told about the insane 2100 billable hour requirement until after I started. Some nights, I worked past midnight. 2. Raises are so minimal. If you have not been there for a full year, expect around 1.5%. The maximum annual raise is 8%, and if you reach your hours, then bonuses, if they are given at all, are still only 4-figures. They are completely discretionary. 3. Constant hypocrisy in billing. All they want you to do is bill bill bill, but when you do, it's: a) you can't bill for this! b) why are you billing for this? c) how did you bill so much for this? Not to mention the tons of unbillable work you have to do that does not count towards your 2100. 4. The vacation time they give you is a mirage. You get 22 PTO days in your first year, then 27 each year thereafter, but you could never possibly take all of it and still meet your hours requirement. Every day you take is just hours you have to make up, and expect to be asked to work while sick or on vacation. Fakation. 5. They are a big law firm with 800 attorneys, and they pretend to be big law, but the salaries don't justify it. Don't expect to make 6 figures until at least your 6th year -- if you're lucky. Some junior partners don't even make the $160K that a first year associate makes at the real Big Law firms. 6. If you do happen to bring in business as an associate, don't expect it to mean much. I brought in a case from a big insurance company and it was barely recognized. They don't give commissions. 7. Don't expect to try a case as an associate. They only let partners do it. 8. Minimal work-life balance. Expect to be on call 24/7 and to cancel weekend plans on no notice.