This is a very simplified / generalized view on how law firm life plays out.
To be clear - after all the general gyaan about competence, legal skill, hard word etc etc. the corporate law firm career is a career where you are paid primarily for stress management.
Stress comes in various shapes and forms.
When you are an intern, it comes from the possibility of unemployment.
When you are an associate - it comes from your SA, PA / Partner.
When you are an SA, it comes from your associate not doing their job properly but also from your PA / Partner.
When you are a PA / Salaried Partner, it comes from your associates / SAs not doing their job properly, but also the client possibly complaining about the matter to your partner, and then your partner yelling at you.
When you are an partner, it comes from your client dropping you / not paying your fees etc. Your associates not doing their job properly etc. etc.
The more stress you can manage - the better you will be at being a corporate lawyer. That doesn't mean that just because you are good at stress management you will be a good corporate lawyer, but being a good corporate lawyer (or one who makes it up the chain of command) will inevitably mean you are good at managing stress.
From a "making it" point of view, what you need to know is that - everyone finds their balance / their place where they are happy to stabilize. Some folks move on from law firms to in-house jobs - this works out in some cases, and in some cases it does not.
For me - I moved on from a Tier 1 practice to a relatively new firm and it worked out great for me. I make roughly as much as my peers now (actually more in some cases) - and my life is entirely within my control. I sometimes get to take afternoon naps and most evenings I have time to read some parts of a book, go exercise etc. It works for me, and I know a few others who also have a decent life, but that's not the case for anyone working in a Tier 1 practice. You are there to make money for the main families / core partners - and till you are servicing their income, there will be no break.
To be clear - after all the general gyaan about competence, legal skill, hard word etc etc. the corporate law firm career is a career where you are paid primarily for stress management.
Stress comes in various shapes and forms.
When you are an intern, it comes from the possibility of unemployment.
When you are an associate - it comes from your SA, PA / Partner.
When you are an SA, it comes from your associate not doing their job properly but also from your PA / Partner.
When you are a PA / Salaried Partner, it comes from your associates / SAs not doing their job properly, but also the client possibly complaining about the matter to your partner, and then your partner yelling at you.
When you are an partner, it comes from your client dropping you / not paying your fees etc. Your associates not doing their job properly etc. etc.
The more stress you can manage - the better you will be at being a corporate lawyer. That doesn't mean that just because you are good at stress management you will be a good corporate lawyer, but being a good corporate lawyer (or one who makes it up the chain of command) will inevitably mean you are good at managing stress.
From a "making it" point of view, what you need to know is that - everyone finds their balance / their place where they are happy to stabilize. Some folks move on from law firms to in-house jobs - this works out in some cases, and in some cases it does not.
For me - I moved on from a Tier 1 practice to a relatively new firm and it worked out great for me. I make roughly as much as my peers now (actually more in some cases) - and my life is entirely within my control. I sometimes get to take afternoon naps and most evenings I have time to read some parts of a book, go exercise etc. It works for me, and I know a few others who also have a decent life, but that's not the case for anyone working in a Tier 1 practice. You are there to make money for the main families / core partners - and till you are servicing their income, there will be no break.