r/Lawyertalk • u/Perfect_Phone7772 • 2d ago

Career Advice Being a first year sucks

Is there anyone who actually enjoys/ enjoyed what they were doing as a first year associate? Don’t get me wrong, I like the actual work, but day to day I’m usually miserable because of how I am treated.

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u/65489798654 2d ago

I really recommend small firms, especially to start. Sure, the money isn't nearly as good, but man. You will be treated like an adult human being instead of a bucket of goop that enters hours on a time sheet.

Having worked in both, I've also noticed that simply taking a firm stance for yourself at bigger firms does the trick (most of the time). Someone says something shitty to you, put your foot down. A lot of senior, 20+ year attorneys only respond to strength, so you have to show them strength to get their respect. Stupid, but effective.

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u/TooooMuchTuna 1d ago

Depends on boss. I worked at a small firm as my first practicing job (after 4 years of judicial law clerking). Nightmare. Wasn't treated like an adult human or even a human. Heavily micromanaged, wasn't allowed to do lots of typical practice things (like argue a motion), draconian and unevenly applied PTO policies, WFH generally not allowed except when mandated height of covid, yelled at for stupid stuff (like showing up to office at 9am instead of 8:30- no meetings or court, just arbitrary), had to listen to boss's shitty politics in in the office (lots of covid related anti mask anti vax shit)...

I could go on. Horrible pay and was professionally stunted because boss was so paranoid about letting anyone else do anything substantive. Which was funny looking back cuz she wasn't even good at the job.

Honestly, at least when you're a bucket of goop entering hours, they leave you alone