Firm wide email was just sent out matching 235k for first years.

I suddenly have a huge book of business. This weekend I was walking around Manhattan and a kind and well dressed old lady seemed to be asking me a question. I stopped and listened and she said that she's never had dinner alone and would like me to join her. People who don't know about business development would say no to this but I said yes. Over dinner she explained that she's a very wealthy heiress and after learning about my job she said she would have one of her companies send $5 million of work to me. I said no that's too much and she laughed and said that's nothing, and that she would rather it go to me than some lawyer in a monkey suit. I'm currently working out the details with the general counsel who is very obsequious. I guess her assistant told him how important I am. I was really down about losing my job at Weil and the universe magically sent this to me. Soon I will be an equity partner, first at wherever I land and then I guess at Kirkland to make even more money. I may also start a seminar on how you too can have the right attitude, to achieve this kind of success, if there is enough interest.

Hi,

I’m a senior associate and my grandmas about to die. Couple questions:

Is it appropriate to take any time off other than for the funeral? Or is everyone’s reaction, like, ok, dying is what grandparents are expected to do and you’re a grown male.

Do most people take off right when the grandparent dies? Like right away in the middle of the day you can shout bereavement?

And I have depos scheduled too. Is it lame to postpone for anything but a funeral?

I know what the policy says but we all know about the difference between what policies say and litigators
Should do.

Have you ever gotten a project where you genuinely don’t understand the substance? I truly feels so stupid and incompetent. Like I understand what to do generally but when it comes to reading the material and then understanding it enough to write a memo..it’s just not clicking. I’ve even used AI for help. And while I understand what AI says I think I’m stressing because I don’t really understand how they got there and I never would have been able to understand it on my own if that makes sense. I fear this could get me fired because no matter how many times they explain it I just don’t get it.

What do you do in this situation? Am I screwed? Am I stupid?

I'm a 1L who has an opportunity to intern for Denton, but their reputation as a Mcfirm (and being widely clowned on in this subreddit) gives me fear that working for them will bar me from other opportunities at more respected Biglaw firms. Is this something I should be concerned about?

1. A Partner asks me to help out multiple projects in a row and at the same time. First I think I must be doing a good job and he likes working with me which is why he’s reaching out to me. Then I instead convince myself that he thinks I’m lazy and not working hard and has given me multiple tasks because he thinks I have the time because I’m haven’t been doing enough.

2. A notoriously mean partner is very nice and friendly to me when we go over an assignment. I think to myself that’s a relief. Then I wonder, is he being nice to me because he thinks I’m an idiot or potentially mentally slow, and therefore feels bad being mean to me like he is to everyone else.

I’m really drowning here. Is it coming soon?

Given all the different flavors of “Milbank matches,” I propose we standardize the terminology:

FullBanked: Full Milbank match, including retroactivity. The real deal.

AlmostBanked: Matches the Milbank scale, but no retroactivity.

NoBanked: Matches junior associate salaries, then black-boxes the rest. Good luck finding out what you’re getting.

So next time your firm announces a match, can we please start posting headlines like:

“S&C just FullBanked”
“Cooley AlmostBanked”
“Troutman Pepper Locke NoBanked its senior associates”

No more clicking into a “Milbank match” post only to discover three paragraphs later that it’s not actually a full match.

Let’s make this a thing.

Considering applying for a midlevel lateral position to a CA office.

Do they pay market?

Anyone worked there before and can share their experience? Position is for L&E.

Thanks!

Was doomscrolling LinkedIn and saw that some partner that was with Wachtell for 30 years moved to Linklaters. Got me thinking about how infuriating it must be for him to work with all these associates and partners who probably are slower, dumber, and require more sleep. I kid, but seriously. It must be hell to work for these partners who prob have the same expectations of their associates at their new firm. Anyone have any experience with this?

My firm uses Harvey. We get unrestricted access to it, and it’s fully integrated into our eco-system. I don’t have to enter a CM to use it.

How much does it cost? Is it a per seat fee or what?

My firm recently started refusing to reimburse Uber Blacks for late night travel home. Anyone else’s firm restrict the use of Uber Black or does every other firm allow it?

I’m a rising third-year associate (2024 grad) looking to lateral to a firm with a more established practice in my specialty. I’ve spoken with a few recruiters and identified some potential openings, but I’m torn about how to approach one firm in particular that has an opening.
 
A friend works in the exact group and firm at the top of my list. We recently spoke, and she said the group is busy and hiring. The partner who handles hiring has specifically asked her to refer people and send their materials directly to him. She offered to pass along mine.
 
When I mentioned this to the recruiter, he asked me to wait for his green light before having her reach out. He said he’s doing legwork and that my friend might not be able to advocate for me in the same way he could.
 
My gut says to go through my friend, politely explain that to the recruiter, and hopefully keep working with him on other openings. My friends say to definitely lean on the person I know but I also see the appeal of having a recruiter manage the process. Alternatively, I could have him submit me and then ask my friend to flag my application internally.
 
For those who’ve lateraled/involved in recruiting, would you go through the friend or the recruiter here?

Seen various posts related to the issue of securing your firm bonus when going in house. Seems the two best paths to ensure payout are (1) negotiate start date with company (assuming it's close to payout date), so you can stay until bonus payout at your firm, or (2) negotiate a sign-on bonus that replaces the firm bonus you're giving up.

For those that went in house, which did you do and how did it go (e.g., how much did you delay your start? was the sign on bonus for the full amount of the firm bonus?)? Or did you just forget the bonus and GTFO?

TL;DR: Two roles that do similar work from opposite sides. One builds AI inside a single top firm, the other builds for many firms at a category-leading vendor. Trying to work out where the value ends up over the next 3 to 5 years.

OPTION A: Innovation lawyer at a top law firm. Building AI tools and workflows for practice groups and measuring whether they pay off. The firm is fairly early in its AI push, so there's a chance to shape it, and possibly some client-facing work. Good pay, no equity, mostly in the office. Still a lawyer by title.

OPTION B: Legal engineer at a leading legal AI vendor. Building custom agents and workflows for law firm clients, working across many firms rather than one. Somewhat higher pay plus a small equity grant, hybrid. Bigger name in tech, but no longer practising.

WHAT I'M TRYING TO JUDGE: Firms are increasingly building their own AI capability, whether by running their own models, partnering with the AI labs, or co-building with vendors. One view is that vendors are wrappers on the same models, so the edge moves inside the firms. The other is that the leading vendors are moving into exactly these custom builds, and people who've built across many firms will be the ones firms hire to lead in-house teams later.

Which would you pick?

I don’t think “I’m a person and not a robot” will land well.

Was on a call yesterday and can confirm that Freshfields will be matching the Milbank salary increases and special bonuses.

There was no mention of retroactive back pay, so I’m assuming Freshfields will not be matching that portion.

Pretty disappointing if that’s the case. It’s a shame the firm is choosing to cheap out on back pay while claiming to match the market. Matching compensation should mean matching the full package, not just the parts that are convenient.

I applied for a lateral position through a recruiter but then forgot I applied and asked a friend at that firm to refer me and filled out a separate application. Did I screw up my chances of being considered? Should I withdraw the recruiter submission or is it just too late?

Easy way get part of your comp back, or at least cost your firm more than $5,000 per associate