THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF LEGAL JOBS ON EARTH
LawCrossing Feature
Real Challenges of Working in a Large Law Firm When trying to understand what it is like to work in a large law firm, I once came across this smart quip: “All you do is work and sleep, and you don’t get enough sleep.” If you are a confirmed workaholic, a big law firm is both your heaven and haven – you are where you need to be.
When you work your way up the career ladder, the only
suppressed racism. Lawyers are smart enough to
thing that changes is the nature of work – you do less
avoid doing anything overly illegal and provable,
grunt work and work more on client management, and
and that’s what makes it more challenging and
may be sometimes you can get home early. The only thing, happily, that one can say has changed over the
more awful. •
The bureaucracy can drive you insane – but it
years is that your job is no more at stake if you fail to
will teach you the importance, priorities, and pat-
make partner. Big law firms, today, are happy to allow
terns of law practice
“senior associates” to slog on ad infinitum. Previously,
•
“Work-life balance” is a myth in big law firms,
if you did not become a partner within the expected
though it is present in boutique law firms that
timeframe, you were expected to leave.
lean more on learning and higher subject expertise than on mass delivery
Having said that, let’s consider the actual challenges
•
faced by people while working in a large law firm:
It is difficult to ignore senior lawyers carrying chips on their shoulders who are bent upon forming disgruntled lobbies. The problem is that too
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Pay is fine, if you manage to get paid, that is.
often the causes of grievance are too true, only
Now if you were an associate working for the nation’s eighth largest law firm, Dewy & LeBoeuf
the remedies differ case to case. •
– you know what that means. •
people need the same copier at the same time
Large law firms are extremely secretive in nature
•
looking to gather experience and put an employ-
big difference between policies that are preached
er brand on their resumes, along with good pay,
and announced on websites, and the policies that
for those who are on the partner track, the wait
control real decision making among partners and
can be too long •
Work is ultra-competitive and there are always The bottom line is always money. In smaller law
As mentioned in the beginning, irregular hours, long hours, and the stressful nature of work
small lobbies being formed around star lawyers •
Though most people who join large law firms are
about policies and planning – there’s always a
management. •
Conflicts over resources are common as several
takes a toll on both the mind and the body •
Lots of traveling can be expected in large law
firms, camaraderie and loyalty counts. In bigger
firms which have several offices across the coun-
law firms the person who can bring in the most
try or the world
money and biggest clients is worshipped regard•
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less of his/her professional integrity or learning
However, the worst thing in large law firms is the
In globalized law firms, there is a big amount
impersonal attitude and false warmth. Everybody
of culture shock and culture conflict, as well as
exudes love and warmth, but few, ever “feel” anything.
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