I'm not an associate, and I don't work for a V3 firm, but I do work in biglaw at a white-shoe V20 firm in NYC. Frankly, I'm surprised that people aren't already aware that this is what biglaw is like...
That said, my impression is that associate life isn't as bad as that guy makes it out to be, but still infinitely worse than 0Ls think it is, and certainly not what 1Ls and 2Ls see as summer associates. From speaking with associates, it seems that what wears people down isn't so much the long hours (which you need to invest in pretty much all competitive careers), but rather the monotony and mind-numbing work you do as a junior associate, and the "lack of dignity" (for want of better word) that comes with being at the mercy of both the partners and the clients, whom you shape your life to appease.
I've seen a lot of departure memos (a staple in the revolving door business model of biglaw), and most people either go in-house (if they're lucky) or move to another, usually less "prestigious," firm with better options (hours, pay, partner-track, etc.). I don't think this is entirely because biglaw is driving them away, but rather because after a few years, the associates are at the age where they're looking to settle down and start a family.
I always tell people that if they're pursuing law to make money, they should turn around and work in the tech industry instead. You can learn more than enough coding in the 3 years you'd otherwise spend in law school to land a comfortable 6-figure, 9-5 job as a software developer. If you're good, you start at $200k+ in Silicon Valley (I know someone who did this out of a coding bootcamp) working a quarter of the hours you'd work in biglaw.
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I'm not an associate, and I don't work for a V3 firm, but I do work in biglaw at a white-shoe V20 firm in NYC. Frankly, I'm surprised that people aren't already aware that this is what biglaw is like...
That said, my impression is that associate life isn't as bad as that guy makes it out to be, but still infinitely worse than 0Ls think it is, and certainly not what 1Ls and 2Ls see as summer associates. From speaking with associates, it seems that what wears people down isn't so much the long hours (which you need to invest in pretty much all competitive careers), but rather the monotony and mind-numbing work you do as a junior associate, and the "lack of dignity" (for want of better word) that comes with being at the mercy of both the partners and the clients, whom you shape your life to appease.
I've seen a lot of departure memos (a staple in the revolving door business model of biglaw), and most people either go in-house (if they're lucky) or move to another, usually less "prestigious," firm with better options (hours, pay, partner-track, etc.). I don't think this is entirely because biglaw is driving them away, but rather because after a few years, the associates are at the age where they're looking to settle down and start a family.
I always tell people that if they're pursuing law to make money, they should turn around and work in the tech industry instead. You can learn more than enough coding in the 3 years you'd otherwise spend in law school to land a comfortable 6-figure, 9-5 job as a software developer. If you're good, you start at $200k+ in Silicon Valley (I know someone who did this out of a coding bootcamp) working a quarter of the hours you'd work in biglaw.