Back then, in 12th grade, I was worried about whether I would graduate in due time from law school. All the LI posts talking about year-losses in NLS and the hectic culture in other law schools made me scared. I wouldn't say the posts were wrong, but after 5 years, I could say it wasn't the entire picture. Yes, there were tough times and horrible times, but there were good and chill times as well. In fact, in the fifth year, cigarettes and their kin, drinks, and parties were everyday things. I used to study only one week prior to the exams. Most students in my batch started their projects one or two weeks before submission. Bottom line: It wasn't that bad for me in Tier 1 NLU. In fact, other tier-1 NLUs were much more chill from what I heard. Things changed in the university curriculum as well, and it became more doable, I would say. Of course, you could say that since law school is now past for me, I think it was easy, just like our 10th grade boards or school exams.

Nevertheless, can this "not the entire picture" be true for some in T-1 law firms? There is so much written about no WLB, long working hours, toxicity, etc. in T1s. But is there anyone who has been there for a few years and thinks that posts in LI didn't portray the entire picture, at least for the person concerned? Someone who got most of the weekends off in a year, who mostly had to work about 10 hours a day or less, who managed to start a family and spend time to nurture it, who exercised regularly, and who was able to maintain decent health?

It is not the fault of LI. I guess there is only so much LI, or "words," can convey. You have to really go out and experience it for yourself. But if you have witnessed something good or at least "not bad" about your job, then please share. Though I have heard many money-minting engineers groan about the hectic work culture, yet there are a good number of engineers with the same pay who say their job is doable; working on weekends for many of them is not even a thing, and average work hours are about 10 and, on a few days, much less. Above all, they are happy with their jobs. I hardly see an associate here on LI who echoes the same.