First of all, your understanding is incorrect insofar as the contractual relationship is concerned. Law firms take people as retainers akin to an exclusive consultant as opposed to a ln employee. The tests in the US clearly would lable them as employees, in my mind, as there are few tests which are important - for instance does the consultant use resources exclusively of the client for his deliverable, does the client have control over the mechanism in which the deliverable is to be produced, does the consultant work from the offices of the client and lastly does he is exclusive to the client. You apply this test, then every lawyer including in tier 1, becomes an employee.
1. If your work is not meeting standards or expectations often you will be just asked to find an alternative job without a specific deadline
2. In the above cases 3 months would be the normal expectation or if you find a job sooner you may leave
3. you may be given 1 month's notice if your work is hopeless or the team refuses to work with you because of communication issues or some other issues (such as dishonestly, refusal to work etc)
4. In some cases you are given 7 days of performance notice because your work is atrocious, especially if you are a new hire and it is clear you will never square up
5. people are fired on the spot with 0 notice if they made horrible mistakes that led to serious loss of clients or the client lost money or cases or your partner lost face - these are terminations with cause so require no notice period anyway and they can start a disciplinary proceeding if you insist on due process which is certainly no good for you
3 month notice rarely applies. Threat of PIP and sudden bad behaviour are your cues that they want you gone. Obviously, for legal reasons, they can't fire you for their whims and fancies. They have to show a reason. 99.99% the reason shown is how bad your work is. That can be true also. But it can also be economic cost cut down, politics, you can't fit in with the team, people refuse to work with you (happened to me), etc. Anything can happen in law firms in toto.
Or do they give a sufficient notice period, during which you have to work and will get paid normally ?
2. In the above cases 3 months would be the normal expectation or if you find a job sooner you may leave
3. you may be given 1 month's notice if your work is hopeless or the team refuses to work with you because of communication issues or some other issues (such as dishonestly, refusal to work etc)
4. In some cases you are given 7 days of performance notice because your work is atrocious, especially if you are a new hire and it is clear you will never square up
5. people are fired on the spot with 0 notice if they made horrible mistakes that led to serious loss of clients or the client lost money or cases or your partner lost face - these are terminations with cause so require no notice period anyway and they can start a disciplinary proceeding if you insist on due process which is certainly no good for you