GOOGLE YOURSELF

By Rich Janney

Social media is over-discussed these days.  Every five seconds you hear a story about it—Facebook, Twitter, etc., etc.  Even the angle I am taking with this article—that social media can make you look like a real idiot to a potential employer—has been beaten to death.  But I still feel the need to remind people about this topic because I believe that the message has not been received.

Assume that potential employers will be Googling your name if they get your resume and are interested in you as a candidate.  And, if you have a Facebook account—even if you lock down your security settings—or you have uploaded photos to Flickr, one of your photos might end up coming up in the search results.  And I’m sure it was funny when you came to a Halloween party wearing a Batman costume made out of black plastic garbage bags and some black construction paper (for the ears).  But the fact is that the first thing your potential employer sees is you, dressed up like a semi-melted Batman, holding a red plastic cup full of keg beer standing next to a girl dressed up like a Strawberry Shortcake hooker.

If you are going to pose in a Batman costume for your Facebook profile picture, you should at least go buy a good costume.  They sell awesome ones these days—ones that look just like the kind Christian Bale wears in the movie.  I saw a YouTube video of a guy in a Lamborghini driving around wearing a Batman costume.  He looked awesome.  You can get good costumes online:

http://www.amazon.com/Rubies-Costume-Co-Collectors-Batman/dp/B000A81P9M/ref=pd_sbs_a_5/178-0302624-4000223. 

The garbage bag Batman costume says, “I get things done sloppily and at the last minute.”  Strawberry Shortcake says, “I am a harassment suit waiting to happen.”  And the red plastic cup says, “I will be hung over on Friday morning, if you see me at all.”

You really should punch your name into the Google and see what comes up.  It may be a picture of you, dressed up as The Dork Knight.

In Defense of the Big Firm

By Rich Janney

Big law firms get a terrible rap.  When I was a student at Harvard Law School (I didn’t go to Harvard), we were constantly told by our peers that big firms were evil, though they paid well.  We were told that we wouldn’t get any practical experience at the big firms, that all we would be doing was document review and cleaning the toilets for the first three years.  We were told that they were sweat shops.  We were told that they ground up associates and then spit them out.  We were told that they would sneak into our rooms at night and kill us in our sleep.

At some point, it starts to sound like camp counselors telling spooky ghost stories around the campfire.  Yet, this ghost story has persisted over the years: “And then, when the associate got out of the cab on his way home at 4 a.m., he found a BLOODY HOOK STILL ATTACHED TO THE DOOR HANDLE!”  

[1^st year law students screaming and crying]

But I am here to tell you, as a former big firm attorney (I really did work at a big firm), that much of these stories are bunk or that they are not stories that are limited to life at the mega firm.  The following is a breakdown of many of the perceptions of big-firm life that attorneys and law students alike might want to take into account if they are considering joining a large law firm.

#1 You Will Work Crazy Hours

It can be true, yes, but it’s not always the case.  And though working long hours can happen at those mega firms, it can also happen at mid-sized and small firms too.  Sadly, this is the nature of the business these days, and it isn’t contained to the large firm.  For example, if you are working on a case that is going to trial, you are going to work long, grueling hours getting ready for it whether or not you work at a big or small firm.  If you are a transactional attorney and you’re working on a really big deal? Same thing.  And sometimes, at a small firm, because there are fewer attorneys who can bear the brunt of the case load, when it gets busy, it gets REALLY busy REALLY fast and there’s very little letup.

Furthermore, I have heard of plenty of tales of people who work at big firms and who maintain very good hours.  They bill 2000 hours and are not punished for failing to bill 2400.

Bottom line is that the practice of the law is a pretty tough life when you’re junior.  But it’s also pretty brutal if you’re a young doctor, or a young pup working at a hedge fund.

#2 You Won’t Get Any Practical Experience

Two main things determine how much hands-on experience you will get in your position if you work at a big firm: 1) your personality; and 2) who you end up working for.   With regard to point number one, if you are the type of person who is inclined to try and ‘hide’ at the big firm, you probably will be able to stay away from getting real hands-on experience.  And that, I suppose, is less stressful in the short run—if you are a ‘hider,’ that is.  However, hiding is not good for your career and it’s not the fault of the firm that you chose to avoid getting your hands dirty.  The most the big firm can be blamed for is providing a large enough biosphere in which you can successfully duck and cover.  With respect to point #2—who you end up working for—well, that’s out of your control to a large degree. If you work for partners who want to lock away their associates doing document review for the first year at the firm, then you drew the short straw, I am sorry to say.  At my former firm, I was lucky enough to be sent to court the day after I passed the bar and I never looked back; I went to court hundreds of times in my career.  But I was lucky—I worked for a great partner who really valued having associates who knew how to do stuff, so he made us do stuff (which is good, because I would probably have tended to be a ‘hider’). If, on the other hand, you have landed in a practice where they truly intend to keep the substantive work away from the young attorneys, then you really are in a bad situation (unless you are a ‘hider’, in which case you are working for a ‘hiding enabler’). However, again, this isn’t necessarily endemic to big firms—there are ‘hiding enablers’ at smaller firms too—the good news is that if you are at a big firm, you have a better chance of finding a different partner to work for because there are lots and lots of them there.  They can’t all be hiding enablers.  Use the size of the firm to your advantage.

#3 It’s a Sweatshop

Sweatshops exist in third world countries and the people who work there barely make enough money to live.  You will make enough money on your first day to buy yourself gold teeth.  Knock it off with the ‘sweatshop’ comparisons.

#4 You’re Just a Cog in a Machine

People think that at a big firm, they will be dehumanized, that they will only evaluated as a set of numbers that appear in a gigantic spreadsheet.  They think that if they don’t make their hours, they won’t be valued even if the work they do is outstanding.  Conversely, they complain that the inefficient attorney who bills 2300 hours will be considered a superstar even though their work is junk.

OK.  To some degree this is true.  Evaluating people by the numbers is more likely to happen at any organization where they have to manage hundreds and, perhaps, thousands of employees.  But doing high-volume, poor-quality work will only float for so long.  Eventually the system catches the clunkers, it just may react a little slower than the system at a small firm.  If you do good work and get good reviews, you will be recognized and rewarded.

Now, Let’s Talk Affirmatively About the Good Stuff

Don’t forget about all the good things that the big firm can provide that aren’t necessarily available at smaller firms.  Big firms provide a ton of CLE training right in the confines of the office.  There are experts from all over the firm who can provide amazing insight and guidance on a huge variety of subjects.  There are support systems in place that run 24 hours a day because, let’s face it, no matter where you practice, you are going to have late nights from time to time.  Better to have a whole staff of document specialists on hand to help you out when it gets super late.  Need a thousand copies at 2am?  They’ve got you covered.

The benefits are usually great too.  At some firms you will likely have vision, dental, health, 401k, 501k, and some sort of shark attack insurance (optional).

Then there’s the access to people.  While I was at DLA, I was able to meet a Secretary of Defense, a couple of congressmen, Michael Jordan’s lawyer (Jordan came to the office himself once, but I missed it), Gandhi, and also God.

Long story short, there are a lot of benefits of working for the mega firm.  Don’t let the camp counselors scare you.

START YOUR NEW JOB ON THE RIGHT FOOT

By  Sabrina C. Spitznagle

You made it through the interview process; obtained and accepted the new job; and gave notice and left your old job.  Now what?  It seems like the hard part should be over, but don't forget that the first few months of any new job really is a continuation of the interview process and that changing jobs is hard.  You will have to prove yourself all over again, and depending on where you are moving, you may experience some culture shock.  It is important that you are prepared for this, and that you don’t lose sight of the reasons you decided to make the move in the first place.  None of this is rocket science, but remembering the tips below can help ensure that your transition is as smooth and successful as possible.    

1)      First and foremost, make a good first impression.  You will earn so much credibility and buy yourself much flexibility down the road if you start off on the right foot.  You were hired -- so they obviously like you.  Keep up this momentum and hit it out of the park on your first assignment.  Exceed expectations -- do more than you otherwise would on the project; proofread it more than you otherwise would; and turn in the project earlier than they expect it.  Do this even if the project seems somewhat menial.

2)      Arrive early and stay late (at least initially).  You absolutely don't want to be the last one in the office, or the first one to leave. 

3)      Be responsive.  Respond to emails and voicemails as soon as humanly possible after you receive them -- even if it is just to acknowledge that you received the email and are working on getting an answer.  Attorneys tend to be somewhat masochistic, and misery loves company -- they will be pleased that someone else is working at 2:00 in the morning (or at some other odd hour).

4)      Make a concerted effort to get to know people in the office.  Ask people to lunch.  Accept invitations to happy hour if you can (But, don’t drink too much -- limit yourself to a 2-drink max.  Drink club soda with lime after that).  Make small talk, even if you’d rather just shut the door to your office, get your work done, and go home (Another but -- don’t share too much.  They don’t need to know all your weird habits, thoughts, politics, etc. right off the bat).

5)      Figure out the politics and hierarchy.  Determine this as soon as possible and do your best to develop a positive relationship with at least one of the firm or company’s decision makers as soon as possible.  If you do not get assigned a mentor, try to develop a relationship with someone who has been there for a long time to whom you can go with questions.

6)      Don't stand out in some weird way.  For example, if everyone keeps their door open, don't sit in your office with the door closed all day.  Don't work with your office lights off and only a lamp.  Dress conservatively and in line with the way everyone else in the office dresses.

7)      Be nice to everyone.  The first few months of any job are really a continuation of your interview.  Make sure that you are especially nice and friendly to the assistants for the attorneys with whom you work; your assistant; the people who work in the mail room; and the receptionists.  

8)      Follow their procedures.  If they have a certain way of doing things -- writing a brief, drafting documents, marking things up, keeping track of time, etc. -- do it their way.  If you think things could be improved, you can make a tactful suggestion, but don't go crazy trying to change their ways -- you will need to adapt.  No one likes a know it all.

9)      Go to the birthday celebrations. You don't have to eat cake, but you should show up and sing (and maybe pretend to eat the cake).

10)  Participate in the charities.  Pay the $5 to wear jeans on Fridays – you will be more comfortable anyway.

11)  Don't abuse privileges.  Figure out the rules and what the home grown people do, and then do a bit less than they do.  For example, if everyone charges through their car home and/or dinner if they are working past 7:00 pm, only charge your car home and/or dinner if you work past 8:00 pm.

12)  Be happy to be there!!  People like positive people -- try not to be a complainer. Don’t let yourself idealize your old job and forget all the reasons you left.  Instead, continue to remind yourself of the reasons why this new job is better. 

While these tips may sound exhausting and make you want to give up your job search before you even start, remember that this transition period is only temporary.  If you do all this initially, you will be able to quickly establish yourself and enjoy all the great things about your new job!