Associate Life Survey: Happy Thanksgiving?
On this, the day before Thanksgiving, our ATL / Lateral Link survey ponders just how many of you are actually giving thanks.
Back in April, we reported that many (but not most) associates were in decent spirits:
* 25.8% of respondents said their morale was “good.”
* 11.5% said their morale was “great.”
* And 3.3% of respondents thought their morale “couldn’t be better.”
But those were relatively light-hearted days, when Bear Stearns had only just collapsed, and Heller Ehrman and Thelen were still looking forward to their respective 119th and 85th birthdays.
Now that AIG and Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers have fallen, and various layoffs have unfolded, and a sobering half-Skadden bonus structure has spread to STB, how are you feeling today?
Update: This survey is closed. Click here to see the results.
—
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this Associate Life Survey.
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Comments
No more cats please.
stfu lolcats is awesome
Agree w/2 lolcats make me smile.
Question open to anyone:
Now I have heard rumors, but what are the actual criteria for becoming either "of counsel" or "special counsel" at one of the V100 firms? Also, what is the usual pay scale generally comparatively to partners? Now, I know that there are large ranges as to pay and criteria, but could someone just post a quick explanation?
THANK YOU
My dh works for AIG and my bro works for Merill Lynch. They both have jobs. These companies may be in dire straits, but they have not fallen.
4 = buzzkill
I'm with 2! Cat haters should die.
4 - Generally you have to be near retirement age and wanting to take a decreased pay for giving up your equity interest in the firm. The position you are looking for is what used to be called "Staff Attorney". That was a position that used to exist in a number of firms before the great lawyer layoff of 2008-2009.
please no more lolcats - it really makes this "tabloid" look and feel unprofessional. Plus, lolcats has been pretty uncool for about a year.
maybe you guys should start posting a bunch of FAIL photos..?
losers
4- Different firms use of counsel slots for different things. 8 is partly right. Some partners transition to an of counsel slot as a quasi-retirement. But most firms use it for talented people they want to keep (or recruit) but not make partner. Usually it is someone with a niche practice or unique background. Pay is between top end associate and bottom partner, closer to top end associate. 300K or so is typical in top firms.
I generally don't mind lolcats, but that one just isn't funny/doesn't make sense.
"staff attorney" is usually a below associate crap job, not at all like of counsel, which is a prestigious job in most forms.
I was supposed to start at Thelen in January. My life sucks.
Seriously, lose the lolcats. Lame, childish, and unamusing.
--1
LOLCATS GIVE ME LULZ
Since when has this "tabloid" looked and felt anything other than unprofessional?
am i the only one that loves the lolcats? keep them!
can keepz lolcats?
pls 2 keep lolcats. kthxbai.
(And Happy Thanksgiving! Too bad the football is going to suck.)
Thank you for the of counsel responses...lol to it being a "buzzkill" post. Actually, discussing a position higher than associate at this point is a BUZZ...considering how difficult it is to even keep a job nowadays!
20 - I was going to say something snarky, but am feeling charitable (possibly because I'll actually be making it home for Thanksgiving this year since I have no work): Lose "nowadays." Just never, ever use it. Leave it for grandparents.
21
I do not have any grandparents to use this (apparently antiquated) word. Thanks a lot. So, basically you are saying I do not deserve grandparents, a Thanksgiving or the word nowadays. That is not snarky, it's cruel
22 - Your reading comprehension is awful. Happy Thanksgiving to you anyway.
<3, 21
I was kidding, lol, you too!
Yay, cute LOL cat!
Also: to the LOLcat complainers: WE VOTED ON THIS ISSUE ALREADY. And the Lolcats, like Obama, won (handily). It actually restored my faith in the ATL readership: Who can really hate cute kittens?
Keep the Lolcats coming: They make me smile.
Cravath associate: I has a prestij.
enough of the surveys. Surveys plus all the other serialized bullshit that gets posted here (LEWW, Dear Abby, etc.) is making this place unbearable. just post fucking stories.
of counsel is generally a position for former Thelen deadweight partners.
11: TITCR
Daily Math Reminder:
Cravath = (Skadden/2) - prestige + (low associate morale) + reluctantly taking it in the a$$ + less pay than V50 firms soon to match Skadden
I can haz more lolcat plz?