It's been more than two months since I started working at a law firm. I have a feeling that I have not learnt anything except otherwise irrelevant lingo. The only work I'm given is meaninglessly editing documents and mapping with precedents, involving no real understanding of the underlying transactions. There has been no relevant training. Seniors seem to be least bothered and often ignore. I'm overloaded with work from many transactions, which does not help especially when I don't even understand how much time to spend on what. I haven't went out in the last month without somebody constantly messaging or emailing about random stuff. Work has totally taken over my life, it seems. The pandemic is not helping. Does it get better? At this rate, thinking of serving six months just ffs and quitting.
Please spare me the "you have to be passionate, the first 2 years are awful..." speeches. Had enough of that BS
Law firms eat away waking and sleeping hours,self esteem,life.....Is the salary worth it?ask yourself......If you don't have financial obligations, can u fford to resign then do it ......... look at other options, don't work in this atmosphere and waste away the initial years on mindless work.These years are for learning.........pandemic makes you realise life is important, not for wasting in law firns editing works......people have quit and sit at home not having another job but wont go back to law firm job.
Sorry to be negative dude, but it will only get worse. The more time you spend, the more overloaded you will be with multiple transactions and never ending deadlines
I understand that taking time out for what I'm about to suggest is not always possible, but the following exercise was extremely useful for me.
Whenever I was made to work with templates and precedents, I took some time out to research WHY the clauses were phrased in the manner they were. I was also thankful to have bosses in the first couple of years who encouraged that and discussed variants of the similar clauses that they had seen in their years of practice.
Once I started doing that, the work actually started to interest me. Of course, there were times when this clerical mapping of drafts exchnaged between parties got annoying, but seniors do value it when you make some potentially useful inputs - and self-study is the way to start on that path.
On being overloaded with work -- I know this is much easier said than done, but you gotta put your foot down when you're assigned work after you're already bogged down. If the team is so toxic that it won't solve problems, then grit your teeth and work for some time, and then move out. Do you due diligence about what teams (not firms) are good to work for, and try applying.
As a 2020 grad, it's fucking surreal to see this post. I remember having very similar thoughts to this post and now I'm an A1. I still think this and it hasn't gotten better. Take care OP.
Usually everyone feels like this in the beginning. It all depends on what do you want to do. If you have something in your mind and you can get an opportunity, go ahead and make the move and consider this as a blip. However, if you need the money, you will have to suck it up and keep at it, like most of us do. Its a part of being an adult. It is awful but it makes ends meet.
But instead of just accepting our miserable fates, why can't we try to bargain for a little bit better? I'm sure most of us wouldn't have a problem with our jobs if it was restricted to 12 hours for five days and it can be easily implemented.
The excuse that "clients put pressure" is absolute crap. Bankers work on every single transaction that we work on. But nobody expects responses from them on a Sunday. Its us who have set unreasonable expectations for ourselves and cry in our own misery. You try to suggest reforms and the very people who are suffering will shoot you down calling you entitled.
Of course, by all means do that. Bargain for a better life. I do that every day by letting my seniors know that the deliverable will take longer or I can't take up more work than I already have. But to hope that you can bargain for a blanket five day week is just not practical. You may not be fired but the anxiety that will come from not working as much as other will be as ruinous. Point is it all depends on your circumstances. In the last three years, I have taken leaves of a grand total of 8 days, out of which I had send minor work related calls or had to answer calls from seniors on 5 days. Not in the mental state to advice but it is a tough life if you are not happy with the work and need the money.
Not disagreeing with your overall point in any way, but bankers have it just as bad as lawyers, sometimes worse. Bankers work through the weekends, particularly during deal closing times when their signoff is needed on every single document.
Man yall younguns think you’re all gods gift to the world or what?
I don’t get why there’s this much cribbing about grunt work. Everyone has to do things they don’t fully enjoy at work. Research and policy folks have to gather data/ network/ speak to babus, academics have to grade papers/ deal with students who don’t want to learn, and litigators have to carry water for their seniors and do grunt work for them. This is just what the start of your career is gonna look like. And even if you don’t notice it- you are learning something important- you are learning attention to detail and discipline and how to take pride in your work.
No one is gonna offer up opportunities to succeed on a plate to you guys. If you want to do more- do the work you’re assigned quickly and earn your superiors trust and ask for better work. Don’t whine on legally india and talk about quitting a few months in. You want them to trust you with your livelihood without earning that trust. How is that fair?
You say you’ve had enough of people lecturing you about how passion for the job is important- have you considered that all these people are lecturing you cause you might be coming across as entitled and apathetic?
Or you know what- if you are so brilliant give up the job and go start something on your own. We’ll see how long you last with this attitude.
I feel the same way even after 15 years! Bad part - i have felt this for last 15 years. Good part - though i have felt like this for 15 years and made some good money and now i dont care if the MP or clients are upset with me if i dont deliver something on a sunday or saturday or even a friday eve :).
I would say that you need to focus on developing your personal relationships with your peers and seniors. It sounds random, but it isn't. From my experience, seniors will take a lot more time out for someone who talks to them. Remember, they are also under enormous pressure, usually much more than our level, but 99% will still speak with you if you ask.
I've spent many long nights working with colleagues and having fun, even ones that I've never met in person before. All of us might be doing meaningless work, but having people in the same boat helps a lot. You do need to be somewhat assertive and extroverted to get people to notice you and be open with you.
Secondly, the work is as interesting as you want it to be. Mapping clauses is stupid when you start, but try and really pay attention to how clauses change with types of transactions. The documents themselves will usually give you a lot of context. Being familiar with them will make you a lot more valuable in a year or two when you get to tag along for negotiations. Put yourself in the shoes of your client, especially for reps and warranties or indemnity.
I was handed the responsibility of making first drafts of transaction docs even in my first year because I showed a lot of interest. I would volunteer to proof read docs for people who were overwhelmed, or spend sometime discussing why using different language in a clause might be better. People remember stuff like that.
Even due diligence is ignored by a lot of people who are just going through the motions. However, it is genuinely interesting, especially if you take up something like the material agreements or regulatory chapter, depending on the deal. Whether it is pharma, tech, gaming, whatever, every deal is something new. You can be as interested or detached from the commercial aspects of deals as you want. Most people don't even think twice.
If you don't think you will be interested in stuff like that, it will not get better ever. It's only a survivable job if you are genuinely interested, and not doing it just for the paychecks.
Pehla dhang ka comment dikha ye. Basically try enjoying what you do. Dont look at each task as a hurdle to something greater or simply a way to earn money. Find joy in working with your peers, build comaradarie. You will start enjoying it more and if you still don't, then ofc you are in the wrong line of work and place.
you sound overworked. change firms and see. life is too short- or will be too short. i don't see anything changing here unless you adapt to meet sub-human requirements for dull work in the name of adjusting.
Please spare me the "you have to be passionate, the first 2 years are awful..." speeches. Had enough of that BS
Whenever I was made to work with templates and precedents, I took some time out to research WHY the clauses were phrased in the manner they were. I was also thankful to have bosses in the first couple of years who encouraged that and discussed variants of the similar clauses that they had seen in their years of practice.
Once I started doing that, the work actually started to interest me. Of course, there were times when this clerical mapping of drafts exchnaged between parties got annoying, but seniors do value it when you make some potentially useful inputs - and self-study is the way to start on that path.
On being overloaded with work -- I know this is much easier said than done, but you gotta put your foot down when you're assigned work after you're already bogged down. If the team is so toxic that it won't solve problems, then grit your teeth and work for some time, and then move out. Do you due diligence about what teams (not firms) are good to work for, and try applying.
I wish you all the best!
Hum bhee pele gaye thai, tum bhee pele jaaoge.
The excuse that "clients put pressure" is absolute crap. Bankers work on every single transaction that we work on. But nobody expects responses from them on a Sunday. Its us who have set unreasonable expectations for ourselves and cry in our own misery. You try to suggest reforms and the very people who are suffering will shoot you down calling you entitled.
I don’t get why there’s this much cribbing about grunt work. Everyone has to do things they don’t fully enjoy at work. Research and policy folks have to gather data/ network/ speak to babus, academics have to grade papers/ deal with students who don’t want to learn, and litigators have to carry water for their seniors and do grunt work for them. This is just what the start of your career is gonna look like. And even if you don’t notice it- you are learning something important- you are learning attention to detail and discipline and how to take pride in your work.
No one is gonna offer up opportunities to succeed on a plate to you guys. If you want to do more- do the work you’re assigned quickly and earn your superiors trust and ask for better work. Don’t whine on legally india and talk about quitting a few months in. You want them to trust you with your livelihood without earning that trust. How is that fair?
You say you’ve had enough of people lecturing you about how passion for the job is important- have you considered that all these people are lecturing you cause you might be coming across as entitled and apathetic?
Or you know what- if you are so brilliant give up the job and go start something on your own. We’ll see how long you last with this attitude.
I've spent many long nights working with colleagues and having fun, even ones that I've never met in person before. All of us might be doing meaningless work, but having people in the same boat helps a lot. You do need to be somewhat assertive and extroverted to get people to notice you and be open with you.
Secondly, the work is as interesting as you want it to be. Mapping clauses is stupid when you start, but try and really pay attention to how clauses change with types of transactions. The documents themselves will usually give you a lot of context. Being familiar with them will make you a lot more valuable in a year or two when you get to tag along for negotiations. Put yourself in the shoes of your client, especially for reps and warranties or indemnity.
I was handed the responsibility of making first drafts of transaction docs even in my first year because I showed a lot of interest. I would volunteer to proof read docs for people who were overwhelmed, or spend sometime discussing why using different language in a clause might be better. People remember stuff like that.
Even due diligence is ignored by a lot of people who are just going through the motions. However, it is genuinely interesting, especially if you take up something like the material agreements or regulatory chapter, depending on the deal. Whether it is pharma, tech, gaming, whatever, every deal is something new. You can be as interested or detached from the commercial aspects of deals as you want. Most people don't even think twice.
If you don't think you will be interested in stuff like that, it will not get better ever. It's only a survivable job if you are genuinely interested, and not doing it just for the paychecks.