McDermott finally updated its previously draconian late night meals and uber policy to be slightly more generous to $50 (but still requires partner approval)- at least there’s no longer a requirement to have 10 billable hours for a hot meal! Wonder if this change was from all the pushback they got from the SRZ people after the merger (a lot of whom as expected have been leaving in droves recently).

Billables are low this month. Like I have 65 billable hours in so far. I’ve messaged partners over the last week to try and get more cases but there are tons of new associates who were just onboarded and were at a low point for business. I’m freaking out

When should a stub start getting worried about not having much work and low billable hours?
I’ve asked for work but no luck. I know they say this is normal for a stub but when should I start getting worried and consider looking for exit options? Fyi, I like my practice group, so I don’t want to change to a different group within my firm, hence would have to lateral, if I have to. Also, other co-1st years are churning in high hours.

Getting over heartbreak and having a full time job is torture lol. My boyfriend and I just broke up after almost a year of being together. It was such a beautiful relationship but ultimately he just didn’t love me. I love him so much. My mind knows that I deserve reciprocal love and I’m worthy, but I feel physically ill. My body hurts, my stomach is in knots, my head hurts. How is it that I have to mend a broken heart but also meet my billable hours lmao

Did anyone not meet their billable hours requirement during their first year of employment? If so, how did your firm react? 😬

I know some of my colleagues are recording their standard fees as time so that it counts towards their billable hours. It infuriates me but am I just being naive by not doing the same?

Any Deloitte people that can help with billable work for a BTA?

Anyone have slow months where you burn through a lot of your allotted pro bono/professional development hours to keep hitting minimum daily hours? The past few weeks have been like this for me. Should I be concerned (I.e., will this reflect poorly on me, come review time? Will I have dug myself too much of a hole if I keep burning my non-billable hours?) I’ve been asking partners if I can assist in any projects so I can fill my plate, but I’ve only gotten small (4-6 hour) tasks handed my way.

Does anyone know the billable hours goal for managers at EY?

3.5 years out of school, 2400 billable hours last year in TRS and just got promoted. what kind of year end compensation should I be expecting? Bonus and new salary

Can you share first year salary for midsize firms? I'm in NJ, but curious to hear other markets. Also billable targets? Thanks!

Anyone working as a 2 years + lawyer for Fragomen in Canada can share their salaries and working advantages? (holidays, billable hours etc). Got an interview coming up and want to make sure not to under-sale my profile!

I have an interview with Korn Ferry for an associate principal role and am curious about others’ experiences have been with work-life balance here. Also, I have an idea of what I should be compensated in this type of role, but any insights on how they pay compared to others would be helpful. Are you traveling during the pandemic or have client interactions been virtual? Lastly, if you are a consultant here, are you on billable hours? My current consulting role is not - so this would be new.

When your boss gives you 48 hours (clock hours not billable hours) to produce a viable objection to a MTD/compel arbitration in a complex commercial lit case, which is not my practice area, what kind of result is he expecting? From scratch, no template.

Folks that got a prenup. How and where did you get it? We have spoken to a couple of lawyers and it simply seems to be a back and forth they want to do to rack up billable hours/complicate the issue. My SO and I pretty much know what we want. We are doing it mainly to protect my SOs inheritance. Looking for the simplest way to execute this. TIA for any advice.

How many billable hours per week is considered at capacity? I’m getting pushback on boundaries I’m setting about additional matters and marketing work from my firm when I’ve been billing 60-75 hours per week for the last 6 weeks, and I’m still behind on my work. I feel like it’s reasonable to not kill myself further to fit in more/turn things around faster at this point, but am I being unreasonable? I expect my workload to remain at this level through the end of the year at least.

I currently work at a medium sized firm and have about two years experience in personal injury litigation. The billable hours and lack of work life balance are really getting to me and I am looking to switch to something else out of litigation, preferably in house. I am also looking to relocate to a different state. How do I go about properly marketing myself to companies that might not take my relocation and minimal experience seriously?

Obligatory financial info post. 1) size of firm, 2) billable requirements, 3) salary, 4) bonus, 5) quality of life, 6) debt, and and 7) family/married/single. Go!

What’s your firm’s billable hours requirement? Name + whether pro bono (or anything else) counts please

How many billable hours do people in prosecution tend to average each month? I’ve gone through waves of feeling like my billable hours requirement is reasonable to feeling like I’m drowning and can’t possibly do it for that long.

When lateraling to another defense firm, is it necessary to show billable hours at current firm?

Random question, my boss wants me to become a notary so I can handle notarizing all of the official documents myself. Has anyone else been asked to do this for their employer? Is it ethical?

Hi! I’m an assurance senior w/ a few engagements under my belt. Interested in moving into industry. Open to a lot of things - internal audit, forensic accounting, real estate or fixed asset accounting, or generally any kind of senior accountant role for an interesting company. I’m in the Philadelphia area - any company reccs?

Also, what should I say my salary expectation is? Already making in the range of $85-88k.

If I am searching for an external audit position as a senior associate in public accounting particularly in the healthcare industry what is a competitive wage? Currently I am 1 year in as a senior associate at a top 5 firm and making less than 80k. I do not have my CPA yet but working at it. I have 3 exams left to pass.

I have consulting experience and am looking for a startup to join! Any one know any good ones.

I am seeking new employment, I was recently laid off due to lack of work. I would very much appreciate any leads. I have a Bs in Construction Management and over 15 years experience with Revit and AutoCAD and 7 years of plumbing design. I have solid references and impeccable work ethic. I truly enjoy what I do. Working remotely the last three years has become a way of my life and supports our current situation well, therefore I am seeking a similar role but will consider other opportunities.

How is it working with tredence? What is the learning curve?
Any pros or cons about tredence?

Noob plaintif-side L&E lawyer here—how long should I wait for defense counsel to stall on a demand letter before I start getting ready to file?

I already have the SHRM-SCP. . would it be a value add to go for the SPHR as well?

What personalized SPG promos did everyone get? Got an email today, looking for a sense of what’s out there

Bonvoy-ers: anyone else get assigned a new ambassador today?

I’m a first-year MBB analyst. My dream role is helping energy / climate tech companies grow (more interested in ops/strategic work than in cutting checks). Are there funds that might be a good fit?

Has anyone asked for a refund for payments made towards student loans during the pandemic and actually received it yet?

There is demand of cyber security professionals in canada? Any recommendations on where to look for jobs with visa sponsorship?

Best option to finance a CPO car? Thru dealership? I don’t want to pay cash

Sharks and other fishes,
I need some career advice,
In my current company I think the development portion I've been given is kinda simple, I've asked my manager and seniors to level up my work and stuff, *which they did* but I kinda caught up.. now what should I do, should I ask them to level up again or look for better opportunities
Also, I had some Interest in CyberSecurity and I grinded it on my pre-final semester at Uni, should I try on that path as well or should I stick to development?

As realtors, our worst and best friend are the contractors, being friends with the contractor that remodelled a home you are going to sell is a plus because you can know for sure what kind of improvements were made to the house and why; and what kind of things are pending to be improved, that way you can provide real information to the client. You know what they say: a happy client always comes back to you.

Blast to the past - Anyone going to closing dinners and/or getting deal toys?

I moved from construction to coverage and I absolutely loathe the work. Is it unreasonable for me to want to enjoy the work I do?

Did you make a mistake working in BigLaw? Why?

I’m have a new theory about why juniors always feel like idiots and wanted to see if anyone else thinks this makes sense. I’m a third year, and am the most junior person all of my teams (generally me, a senior or two, and a partner or two), and I always feel like I’m messing something up. Is this just because I never get to work with other juniors and don’t see the mistakes they make, and that it’s relatively normal? And FWIW I went to HYS and I’ve had a clerkship so it’s not like I’m not smart

Are any bankruptcy lawyers having to do work outside their practice area during these times? I have zero partner supervision and don’t know how to do like diligence for finance deals..

Mid 2020, I turned down an opportunity to jump ship from my small law firm to a big law firm. At the time I had 4 years of practice under my belt with managerial experience. I thought the offer was reasonable, come in at a 2nd year level, but with the uncertainty of the times I played it safe. Now I regret it. What avenues do I have, if any, to jump into big law from a small firm?

White collar folks - how busy are you guys now?

Did anyone here turn down an in-house role for reasons other than money? I have SEVERE cold feet about succeeding in-house and it being more stressful and “busy” than firm life. Help!

What is the typical first level of “off grid” salary (ie 2022 base salary for class of 2013)? Asking for NY, M&A, AmLaw100 market.

People from K&E keep liking my posts, and I don’t know if that means there’s something wrong with me or if there are really just that many K&E lawyers.

I’ve made it 5+ years in a NY M&A practice and have consistent exceeding expectations reviews. I’ve had a few mental breakdowns because of work during this time, but thankfully made it through. I’ve been in a near constant depressive/anxious state for family reasons for the last year and half, and am soon having my first kid. I’m scared shitless that I’ll spiral out of control both at work and at home if something doesn’t change soon. Any suggestions on how to keep this job and keep it together?

Stop asking if we can unionize after being asked to work over the weekend.

After leaving BL, what salary do most people settle at or is that way to general of a question?

Associate at an AmLaw 100 firm doing patent work. I applied to a part time masters program to try to pivot to a different technical field (still doing patent work, but in something that interests me more than what I’m doing now). Do I try to stick it out at the firm while getting the masters, ask for a reduced hours schedule, or get a part time, non-legal job so I can focus more on the program (one year).

People who were lateraling without being on track for hours and seeking the year and bonus with the new firm, did the question of hours come up and how did you handle it during interviews to make sure you got the bonus from new firm?

Anyone at Nelson Mullins Boston willing to make a referral? I’d love to chat with you.

Are tech trans hours better/more predictable than M&A?

What’s the difference between an inefficient associate and a high biller? I know one is bad and the other is good, but aren’t they usually the same?

Kasowitz Benson - what is your opinion of them?