Stories of workplace bullying in BigLaw? You or someone you know? It would be helpful to include info about the parties (title/gender/ethnicity). My weirdest one yet- Yesterday a white male partner berated me (2 yr mixed race female) on an internal conference call bc I had made a PowerPoint to show the group on a recent legal development. He screamed at me to take the PowerPoint down and said I was “dense” and “doesn’t appreciate me using a PPT wo his approval”. I am just so confused by this.

like
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at
Highlighted IconHIGHLIGHTED

I don’t think this has to do to your gender or ethnicity. It is common practice to run things by your seniors before showing them to other people, even those other people are members of your firm. That being said, he was rude and this was not an appropriate way to tell you how things should be done but if the other people on the call were other partners. He was probably nervous that they would think your PPT was reviewed and approved by him first, so if wrong he would look bad, not you, given that you are still very junior and so in the heat of the moment he overreacted. Again, not justifying the rudeness, but I would also be pretty annoyed if someone junior to me that is part of my team on a certain matter unilaterally decides to prepare and show other people a document that wasn’t requested and reviewed by me. FWIW I am a somewhat senior Latinx female.

likesmart

A2 has it right. And it does sound like you went above and beyond and the partner handled the situation terribly. If I was the partner here I would have said something like “really appreciate your proactivity with preparing a PowerPoint for this! However please run it by me first next time as we want to have consistency and senior review with items that are being shown to the entire department and need to know in advance what’s on the agenda so we can plan accordingly with timing, other presenters etc”.

likefunny

You gender and ethnicity have nothing to do with this. Don’t present work without review of a senior internally or externally. We are responsible for you and your work and likely cover your behind far more than you appreciate. Also consider whether he is reacting to the fact that you decided to take time to prepare an unnecessary presentation instead of focusing on billable, pressing work. Again, whether you like it or not, also something that is not your decision.

likefunnysmart

You need implicit bias training seriously!

Recent IconRecent

I’d love to see the reaction if you had said “You seem to be getting really emotional. Perhaps we can discuss offline.”

likefunny

What’s the relevancy of your gender/ethnicity?

likefunny

I can’t speak to your experience, but as a straight white male in big law I have had my fair share of unpleasant experiences with workers senior to me and am fairly certain this same type of behavior predated biglaw firms hiring anyone other than white males

If you have the courage, it might be good to politely ask him not to yell at you next time this happens, pointing out that no one else speaks to you like this and you find it disturbing.

like

continued: The PowerPoint was short and to the point and was factually correct (it wasn’t a complicated development). I’m just wondering if this kind of thing happens to other people or what would be going on that he’s so triggered by this PPT.

like

That's... Insane. Once I made a PowerPoint without explicit approval by my partner for a client call and he was happy. No need to berate for something so asinine.

like

3rd year here and I have given (internal) PowerPoint presentations several times without senior or partner review. Why are you hiring people if they can’t give a simple informational presentation to coworkers without multiple levels of review? If the partner is asking juniors to present on an issue, you’d think they would have considered that some might make PowerPoints. Obviously if they had explicitly asked for a review first this would be out of line on the associates part, but they did not. Maybe associates at your firm have less autonomy, but it would never cross my mind to have multiple levels of review on the short informal presentation that *I* was asked to take care of.

like

OP, What you did in my mind is be proactive and thoughtful. I can see how some control freak partners would not appreciate you showing something to the client without their approval, but I hope this does not stop you from continuing down the path of being a great lawyer.

like

Thank you 😊

I disagree with the above comments. As a woman of color, I would felt bullied too and assume he might not yell to another white male junior associate in the same way.

like

A3, we know they are notorious liars and will say anything to stay in power. Their greatest achievement is crumbling capitalism and making money off free labor. There are way more deserving and qualified POC & women that are never given a chance. The few that do break through are mostly overqualified for the roles they hold bc they have to work twice as hard to get there. We know this bc of how hard the people in power fight against equality. Competition will be the end of the reign. It will be great for everyone but them and they know it. They are already losing their minds women aren’t into marriage anymore and being free cooks/cleaners/therapists/childcare when we can just get jobs instead. No wonder they stopped us from getting bank accounts until the 1974.

Is this a boomer? They have brain damage from lead pipes.

likefunny

That’s so sad to not have a medical excuse! He must be so threatened by technology. Poor guy. He would have been so much more successful if he just learned how to use basic computer programs. Take your 2022 skills to a modern firm.

like

Related Posts

Does anyone else feel guilty after withdrawing from a case? (Withdrew after Client ignored my legal advise and failed to comply with the Court’s Orders) but now I feel like I abandoned her.

like

Networking question here. A retired partner at the firm I used to work out reached out to me recently about attending an afternoon during the week (b4 4/30) with one of his long time clients. The partner and I have kept in touch since I joined my new firm and I feel like his invitation is a great networking opportunity since the client (who I have worked with before) is on a number of boards. Torn as how to request off as an S3. Could materialize to nothing but could be good for reconnecting.

like

I tried resigning and my company really doesn’t want to take no for an answer and is trying to offer to have me move to another team or make some sort of counter. However, I know I won’t accept the counter bc the culture has been so bad for my mental health and have already accepted another offer. Struggling how to be firm on the no with this! Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!

like

I’m planning on requesting my raise before my anniversary (in December). Any advice as to how to approach the conversation with my boss?

How do I transition from a Senior Executive Assistant role to Project Management? Ideally I would like to work in tech. How should I go about this? I currently work in the Real estate industry so it would be a totally new career path. The reason I want to move into tech is I feel like many of the companies I see have the same values as me (diversity & inclusion) and a good culture is so important to me.

like

Do you say something when you see a VP making out with an intern at happy hour? 😬

likefunny

You CAN be that leader that people want to work with. 1st, self assessment is required. Be honest: As a leader,have you engaged in/accepted Attribution Bias with a dash of gender &/or race bias? (See the pic) This is something we all need to be aware of as we lead our teams, provide performance feedback, & model the behaviors we'd like to see more of on our teams. Be on the lookout for Attribution Bias in yourself & on your team. It's a hindrance to creating a high-performing, inclusive culture.

Post Photo
likesmart

9 wks pregnant and interviewing for a job. I think I’ll get an offer. When should I let them know I’m pregnant? Wait till after I start? I don’t want to mislead them, but I haven’t even told my family

like

Question for folks in here who work at a company with unlimited PTO/vacation - how do you manage this from being abused by employees?

like

How honest is too honest in an exit interview? I am leaving because of problems with one partner in particular but I do not want to burn a bridge in case I ever need the firm in the future.

like

Hi, I am a single-parent with a 9 year old daughter. Is anyone else dealing with same gender sleepovers with sexual exploration occurring? Exploring as in my daughter says outright “I am going to kiss you,” to her bestie before bed. Then after 15 minutes of giggling in bed I go to tell them to be quiet and see my daughter’s bestie is showing her buttcheeks to my daughter. To top it off they start trying to tell me they are laughing because they are reading “belly laugh books for kids”. Help.

Can I wear Tudor GMT to client or do I need to bring my Seiko?

Post Photo
likefunny

What is your biggest challenge as a plus size professional ... wardrobing? Air travel? Perception/image? Energy/stamina? Outright discrimination?

like

How do you deal with teammates who don't take initiative or move things forward on a project without being told to do so?

We have a deliverable due on Friday with alot of things to get done before then and seems like no one cares? I ask for status updates and all I get is no, haven't done that, will do it now. Sure enough, ask next day and the response is no, haven't done it yet.

These folks are seniors as well. Partner looks to me to provide a status update, and all I can say is in process.

like

How do you deal with feeling guilty for leaving your current job in the middle of a project?

like

Just got out of a meeting with a client. Talk about uncomfortable- they'd fired their director that morning and he ran in screaming at the team. They ended up calling security to kick him out!

Hey fellow fishies! There have been some questions lately about men lurking in this bowl. I’ve reached out to Fishbowl and a rep reassured me that only users who identify as women are allowed access to this bowl. If any men have misrepresented their gender in order to gain access, please flag the user and/or reach out to a bowl leader or Fishbowl support asap! Definitely want to make sure this space remains safe and private so we can continue to share freely 🙏

likeuplifting

Clients with toxic cultures: how have you dealt with them? We have a compliance client with a serious culture issue- they regularly throw each other and our team under the proverbial bus, throwing escalations around etc. I am one of the junior partners and suggested having an open dialogue with our C-suite contact to discuss constructive ways of working, at the very least… but the senior partner has vetoed it. Our team morale is pretty bad and we’ve had a couple of people leave because of it.

like

More Posts

I can’t anymore. 🏳️🏳️🏳️🏳️🏳️

like

All -
I am interviewing for a Strategy leadership role at a SaaS company. A bit rusty on interviews so crowdsourcing from senior folks here, what are best practices or good examples of certain behavioral questions.

1. What is your weakness? I can talk at length about strengths but unclear what weakness to state so as to not mess up my chances.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This question is tough because there aren't very many levels above me so cannot say in an EVP role.

helpfullike

Which job will get me into corporate strategy faster? An Operations Analyst or a Financial Analyst?

Airlines should gameify reducing emissions by rewarding flyers with discounts/coupons/miles/etc if we choose a route with a certain % lower emissions. Reason being, most people don't "really" care about saving the environment enough to inconvenience themselves or prioritize their airplane emissions over factors like duration and arrival time, but introduce basic incentives and more people will seek the greenest routes just to save a few bucks, or at least consider it a major priority.

Post Photo
likesmart

Queridos creativos hispanos, por favor todos los días sin y con cuarentena veo que trabajamos duro y hacemos las cosas bien hechas (a veces hacemos más de lo que nos piden) y a la nuestros compañeros les gusta ynos siguen usando. Está bien que nuestro trabajo sea reconocido pero por favor no sean tímidos en decir que necesitamos un salario decente tan cuál como todos los demás que más bien hacen menos y todavía les pagan. Hay que insistir no solo para el individuo pero para ayudarnos a todos!

like

Caffeine alternatives to keep you going through long COVID shifts?

like

For those in Strategy & Ops roles - are there any Google certificates that would be a value add for an applicant to have?

like

In a bind. Needing help folks... I’m moving to a high col city and two cars is going to be hard 😫.. I have a 330i touring (for practicality, daily) and a Porsche 993 c4s (fun, weekend.. kills me to sell this car).
Together both are worth 120-140k.
What would you get if only one car?

like

Good Tuesday morning everyone 😊. This is your morning DJ spinning the tunes 🎶 to get you movin and groovin through your day. Today’s old school group gave us hits like, “La La Means I Love You, Didn’t I Blow Your Mind this Time, When you get Right Down to It and Ready or Not here I come.” Enjoy, stay safe, hydrated and have a blessed day 🤗. Put your hands together for the incomparable;

Post Photo
likehelpful

Anyone have a recommendation on a good portable monitor to connect to my laptop? Preferably no power cord required and a decent resolution to use with spreadsheets, pptx etc. Thanks!

like

I’ve been sick for two weeks and haven’t worked out and I feel shame. Normally I feel fine and have a positive attitude but I still have some lingering sickness making it hard to get the motivation to workout. How do you slowly get back into it? Also it’s cold Af outside still haha

like

Hi Fishes,

Suppose i don't have prior big data experience and i get self trained. And get offers from companies, should I join. I have 4yoe in SQL, Plsql side.

Just curious if I would be able to survive in a company..

Thanks

Hi Fishes,
Can someone tell me the package of experience Associate in independence practice?

Please help! I need some good precedent!! 😂🤣😆

Post Photo
likefunny
like

The general trend at my firm has been that most folks start work around 10 am. Even when going into the office, most arrive close that 10 am mark. Is this how it is with you? Or is this more of a NY thing?

like

Anyone an ADA who went private for a short period of time and missed the courtroom/day to day and then went back to public sector as an ADA or AUSA? If so, any thoughts, advice, tips?

like

I have applied for an instructional technology job in our district and am curious as to what the biggest need is for teachers when it comes to technology? Is it how to use or more application ?

like

Loving Eth right now but stressing me out that I should sell. Someone talk me out of it

like

Hi
Pol and 16k PLN per month gross vs 30Lakh Bangalore. Which one is good. Pros and Cons in poland? Please.
Tech stack : Devops AWS. 8+ YOE.
Both are Service based company

like

Additional Posts in Big Law

Has anyone ever been pushed out after billing over 2400 hours?

like

Does anyone have recommendations for Colorado recruiters? Currently a funds junior associate looking to make a move for family reasons.

like

I don't know who needs to hear this, but I have a few former classmates and colleagues sweating over lateral interviews. Take a deep breath and relax.

First, doing these interviews does not define you as a person.

Second, take it one day at a time; if they are moving forward, they see something in you.

Third, remember that the people interviewing you are human beings. Connect with them, be personable.

like

Recently passed the Massachusetts bar exam and I’m looking for some junior roles in Boston now. I graduated law school last year so I am very early into my legal career. Does anyone have recruiter recommendations or know someone that I could reach out to to help guide me through this process?

like

Lawyers that are sports agents: what do you really do?

likefunny

Any recommendations for CA bar exam essay subjects flashcards? I already have the Critical Pass cards for the MBE, but I'm having a difficult time finding any for CA specific essay topics.

like

Does anyone know of midsize or regional firms in the Bay Area that offer decent work-life balance without a 60% pay cut from biglaw?

like

(1) What firm allows mega back door Roth 401k? (2) which firm matches 401k contribution and up to what %?

like

Any idea why some big law firms are not on Chambers Associate?

like

Is the lateral market still firing with huge signing bonuses?

like

I’ve got a lateral interview for an AM 100 firm tomorrow. I’m currently at a tiny plaintiff employment litigation firm. The lateral would be to defense employment litigation. Advice on how to answer the question of “why are you switching from plaintiff to defense”?

like

I love my job and every minute of it!

likefunny

If you received a bar stipend and left before the end of your first year, did your firm treat the bar stipend amount like a clawback? If so, was it immediately due? Curious to see how other firms handle this

like

Hanging v. not hanging diplomas in office?

like

What does cap markets involve exactly?

like

Have any of you successfully transitioned from staff attorney to Big Law partnership track (or know of someone who did)? What was your experience? How did you do it? How did you start off as a staff attorney in the first place?

like

New associate and our firm is slowly returning to the office. I really like my work from home setup that includes an ultra wide monitor and a another monitor in portrait mode. Would it be frowned upon to replicate this in my office?

like

Any good resume resources? Updating mine just so I have it if needed but not sure if I should put pre-law school work. I worked for 2 years before switching careers

like

Any insight on what a 2012 lateral NEP should expect in the package at a v20? Anything specific to ask for?

like

Heard that Baker McKenzie has a tax practice group. Can anyone provide more information on this company and referrals? JD and currently in big 4 doing transfer pricing, looking to transition

like

New to Fishbowl?

Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
That was just a preview…
Sign Up to see all discussions
  • Discover what it’s like to work at companies from real professionals
  • Get candid advice from people in your field in a safe space
  • Chat and network with other professionals in your field
Sign up in seconds to unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.

Already a user?
Login here

Share

Embed this post

Copy and paste embed code on your site

Preview

Download the
Fishbowl app

See what’s happening in your industry
from the palm of your hand.

A phone with Fishbowl app

Send download link to your phone

OR

Scan your QR code to download
Fishbowl app on your mobile

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Messaging rates may apply

Download app

Sign up for free to view this conversation on Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Already have an account? Log in

Sign up for free to continue using Fishbowl

By continuing you agree to Terms of Use(New) and Privacy Policy(New)
Messaging rates may apply

Already have an account? Log in

For account settings, visit Fishbowl on Desktop Browser or

General

Legal