So it looks like no first years in corporate will make our hours for the year. Do firm usually still pay out full bonuses to first years, especially if their lack of hours are out of their control? (Assignment coordinator, rotation, etc)
Could a firm get away with not giving an entire class of associates in their group bonuses?

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You’re making $215,000 to twiddle your thumbs and are still asking for a bonus?

likefunny

I worked pretty much every weekend and holiday and was working most nights till 10 PM when I was a first year and still barely hit 1700 hours because people didn't assign me work until they were ready to go to dinner at 6 PM or 4 PM on a Friday.

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My firm would almost certainly not give bonuses in this situation. Most firms with hours requirements for a bonus also would not. This is one of the real benefits of being at a no-hours-requirement firm or one where unlimited pro bono hours are counted.

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A first year doing his best to get work in a choppy market, or who has to ramp up and down because of rotations is the epitome of why no hours requirements are a good thing.

My firm has an hours requirement. If you miss your hours you are SOL on a bonus. There have been extremely rare circumstances where I have heard that highly valued associates in a slow group have been given more credit for business development and pro bono hours to qualify for bonuses. But no offense, no first year is going to qualify for that kind of exemption.

You’re only missing out on a couple thousand after taxes at your level, you will barely notice in a few years.

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First year 👶here, don’t even know how to ask for work…

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Flip side, if you’re not going to hit the bonus don’t worry about it. 1800 is respectable enough to avoid negative career ramifications provided you aren’t turning down work or pissing people off

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Yeah enjoy this. in a few years you will wish you could make this a coase theorem equation and pay the firm some of your salary back to have to work fewer hours.

Depends on the firm. Some firms give a small bonus.

Thanks for all the responses. I’m on pace for about 1800( this include pro bono etc). Requirement is 2000. Not twiddling my thumbs A3 but I get it. The bonus in year one isn’t really that much to be worried about.

You should be able to make up the gap by year end with additional pro bono, OP. It’s worth hitting hours even if it takes some creativity to get there.

Most firms don’t. You should ask about your firm’s policy.

I just interviewed at a firm and when I asked about their billable hour requirement they looked confused. I was told they didn’t have one but if I’m billing less than 1800 I can likely take on more work and it will ultimately depend on the project. This is strange to me - do we not bill for everything we do?

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