I hate people that do FIRST, until I saw this opening.

People in my high school used to smuggle cocaine all the time, it was no big deal

dude, my boys used to smuggle that shit all the time, it was no biggie.

drug mules to 190?

In related news the firm announced it will hold a song and dance competition to determine who takes over the decedent's book.

Maybe I should rethink my plans of wanting to work at Skadden Tokyo.

George Jung he is not.

Maybe I should rethink my plans of going into biglaw. I might be poor at the PDs office, but at least I won't have to deal with drugs.

I don't get it. Cocaine is much, much easier to score in Australia than in Tokyo. I've never heard of anyone every trying to smuggle drugs OUT of Japan.

"Cocaine and overwork are constant companions."

Could someone explain this to me? People use cocaine as a way to stay up and keep working? Or as a result of working soul-crushing hours, people try to make their leisure time really count by doing a bunch of coke?

Is Skadden really the penultimate sweatshop? Who else is like that? Is there a V20 firm that is more reasonable?

102 - I don't think those options are mutually exclusive.

That is so sad. You posters are real assholes.

106, the first option just makes absolutely no sense to me--from what I hear, it's not exactly a performance-enhancing drug.

No, you probably don't want to work there. They tout it as an M&A practice but in my experience they usually aren't very close to the deals.

The rumor is that things can be weird between the bengoshi and the US team there. Not as bad as Jones Day, but still pretty testy at times. The best dual practices in Tokyo are at MoFo and Linklaters. The best US practices are at Davis Polk and Simpson, hands down.

I've heard that it is a performance-enhancing thing...at least, it seemed to work for the valedictorian of my law school class...

wrong, 102. it's a stimulant. if you're not making a binge night of it, it's like very quick-acting coffee. or short-term ritalin.

1:05, you realize that "penultimate" means, "next to last," right? perhaps you meant "ultimate." the extra syllable doesn't make you sound smarter--it makes you sound dumber.

people do coke to keep working. its like adderal on adderal...

1:02
Cocaine = super stimulant. It's like speed on speed. Too bad it kills your boner - you've got to wonder if those twins are even his.

Seeing as this guy is a Skadden partner, I'd say the odds are pretty high that he picked up the habit in the 1980s Wall Street scene.

lol@coke being "speed on speed". speed is way more powerful than coke. thats why coke is more appealing. it doesnt fuck you up and you can still function semi-normally.

Skadden to higher PPP!!!!!!

Just how many lawyers get into this stuff? Is it super prevalent, especially in Biglaw?

1:20/22, in my experience, no. It was more prevalent in law school. But I'm in SF, not NYC.

i would think that some form of amphetamine, e.g. adderall, would be more useful as a working drug than cocaine. iirc, the military gives fighter pilots 'go pills' (dexedrine) before missions. (it was in the news because that us pilot destroyed a ski hill or something and he said his judgment was impaired. overall, though, i would think judgment would be far better than on coke.)

I work in Biglaw and I haven't seen it, but it seems like everyone is always talking about it.

ritalin would be a far better and safer choice.

Lat: a thread on the prevalence of illegal (and not) drug use in biglaw?

"Maybe I should rethink my plans of going into biglaw. I might be poor at the PDs office, but at least I won't have to deal with drugs."

This is totally true. Become a public defender and you will never have to deal with drug dealers or users. Hey, wait a minute...

Exactly how do you die from overwork? Does your body go into shock from lack of sleep and nutrients? I mean, I kinda want to know what the hell that means so I can file a worker's comp claim prior to that happening to me. Granted I don't work for Skadden Tokyo, but I do work for a NYC law firm, and all NYC law firms feel entitled to work you to death.

Funny, a headhunter *just* called me about a job in "the Tokyo office prominent NY firm, acting as a partner and drug mule."

Does Skadden offer EAP -- Employee Assistance Program -- or the like, for employees to have a confidential source to discuss substance abuse problems, stress, etc.?

being a drug mule is so TTT.

can't you get disbarred for doing cocaine?

wow - skadden partners are greedy!! such a high ppp and this guy was a smuggler on the side

This guy was penultimately stupid. You can get pentastic coke in Australia. I'm penserious.

If you are not doing on a stimulant then you are cheating yourself. It's like mental steroids. I rarely know a lawyer not taking Adderall xr. There is a reason it's called Vitamin A+.

2:05 - no, but you can get disbarred for stupid posts on ATL when you should be billing.

no booze but unlimited blow at Skadden's New Year's party!

What are the protections for search of an attorney's office if he gets busted with a little coke on him?

People . . . who overwork people . . . are the LUCKIESSSSST people in the WORLLLLLLLLD!

Have they searched his rectum? I would look there...

If you make partner at Skadden it should be legal for you to do blow. Who is this hurting? Oh, except Bronson. Stupid Aussies.

Have they searched his rectum? I would look there...

He wasn't a druge mule, he was a cokehead that got so comfortable with the drug that he forgot it was even in his bags when he tried to hop on an airplane. When they found it, he realized the consequences and had a drug abusers version of a heart attack.

He may have been poisoned. Calling him a smuggler is improper.

What was the final determination of Dan Weiser?

1:05: Go to Davis Polk. Top 5, reasonable hours (relatively speaking), and very respectful people.

It was bad puffer fish.. this board is disgraceful

I never liked doing coke. It always messed up my mustachios.

Thanks 2:20. I'm deciding where to go post clerkship and need a reasonable, yet somewhat prestigious firm in NYC. Any others besides Davis Polk?

I never liked doing coke. It always messed up my mustachios.

DPW and Simpson Thatcher have a reputation for being the non-sweatshoppiest of the top 10 firms. I don't think the hours are substantially different but they do seem to have fewer maniacs. To a lesser extent, Cleary.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Your mileage may vary.

You're the lamest troll ever, Cleveland.

Why would people risk their careers by using illegal drugs? Isn't there enough coffee or SOMETHING legal to help you stay sharp and alert?

"risk their careers"? what are you, five? what percentage of illegal drug use do you think actually gets caught? the better question is why would this idiot risk his career (and freedom from prison) by carrying coke on an international flight.

but its fun. and you can drink like a horse.

To risk something you don't actually have to get caught. Thats why they call it a "risk."

Why do people choke themselves to death while pleasuring self? Risk = reward.

Dan Weiser

So he ate plastic covered in cocaine... who cares?

So if the worry isn't about getting caught doing something illegal, you're just asking why anyone would ever do anything that's a health risk, and presuming that the key reason not to do any such thing is for the sake of a legal career? I don't know -- why would anyone risk their [sic] career by driving a car? Why would anyone risk their career by having a glass of wine?

I repeat, are you five?

I won't debate whether he used cocaine or not, but I interviewed and talked with Mark over the phone a couple of times when I was contemplating a move to Tokyo. I ended up deciding not to move forward with the move to Tokyo and he was really nice about it. Really couldn't have been a nicer and more understanding. He talked alot about his twins and I feel terrible.

Isn't it obvious that he swallowed a small baggie full of coke (choke?) to avoid giving it to the cops? Hello.

For gods sake I hope his children, family and friends cannot read this board... LAT STOP THE MADNESS

It was a Toyota worker that died from being overworked. It was all over the news.

Skadden = Death?

Or is it Biglaw generally?

You all should re-read your law school essays. To thine own self be true.

THIS IS THE MOST OFFENSIVE POST EVER -- IT COULD NOT POSSIBLY GET WORSE

Correction / Update: As we suspected, it appears that the news about Mr. Bronson was transformed by the rumor mill into this urban legend of death through overwork. We understand that no associate in Skadden's Tokyo office, or any other office for that matter, has died from overwork...YET

Skadden's reputation as a sweatshop (penultimate or otherwise) is undeserved.

In such a big firm, it's much easier to hide from work if you want to.