SAVED BY FIRST! THEN ZERO!!!

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. "In 2007, the median annual household income rose 1.3% to $50,233.00 according to the Census Bureau." Get over it, we get paid a lot, so we should work a lot!

1,900 responses! So much to COUNT!! AH AH AH!!!!!!

- Count Layoffula

3: yes, I agree. It's really silly the greed that is exhibited here. And don't say that partners make beaucoup dollars and therefore so should I. They made partner, you have not. And no, I'm not one myself, I'm an associate, and I give myself about a 40% chance of making partner (not because I'm not good, which I am, but because competition is incredibly fierce in big law for partnership). We all do just fine, and you should all stop complaining, grow up, work harder, or find a six-figure a year job that doesn't require you to work hard (check out Gary Marshall's scene in Lost in America).

......................crickets..............................
...........crickets........................................
...crickets................................................

seriously . . . if you want some to call all the shots and make money, then go start a firm or something. otherwise, stop crying. nobody is making you work crazy hours. life is full of choices, and most of the commenters here chose big law firms. do it or don't. but quit bitching.

#1/2 . . . very nice.

This agnostic fed didn't have enough leave to take the day after Thanksgiving, but will be taking the day after Christmas (stupid Christians)...just close the damn government for the week and save the taxpayer some dollars on energy use.

Everyone acknowledges that these surveys are useless, right? You can't have an accurate self-selecting survey. I'm sure it's much more likely that you'd respond to this survey if you were angry about working. People who didn't work won't feel the need to vent.

Thanks for the misleading numbers and the lame advertising for your recruiting agency.

Many surveys are based on self-reporting. It is better if they are not, but it isn't fatal.

@Count - I approve, push the schtick.

#10 - Self-reporting isn't fatal to survey accuracy. Self-selecting is.

5, the partners make that coin only because of the rate charged for OUR time and the inhuman humber of hours WE work. Expecting more money isn't greed when it merely equates keeping the same size share of an ever growing pie.

13: yes, expecting more money is greed. That's pretty much the definition right there. I mean, really, you are not some coal miner fighting for safe conditions or a living wage. You make multiple living wages.

If you are unsatisfied with the scheme the partners set up, you have options: (1) start your own practice; (2) go to a lifestyle firm and make less money; (3) get into a more profitable business, be an entrepreneur, etc.; (4) become a professor; (5) become a public interest lawyer; or (6) become a recruiter.

What you do not have a right to do (or more accurately, what you have a right to do but look foolish doing) is to take your huge paychecks twice a month, deposit them in the bank, and complain bitterly that it isn't enough. Don't you have any relatives or friends who work their asses off and scramble to make rent? You must because we all do. Think of what a whiner you would sound like to them if you weren't doing this anonymously.

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Why do you continue to post these "polls." This is like putting a poll for the presidency on huffington post and then when Obama gets 90%, posting an article entitled "EXTRA! EXTRA! OBAMA 90% LANDSLIDE"

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So 1 in 8 reported working on Thanksgiving.

How many of those responses do you think were from law students/associates that love for people to think that they work so much, are fucking around with your results, joking, lying, etc., etc, etc, etc,

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Breaking down the results of a poll with these obvious flaws and skewed results is an exercise in futility, and you should stop. Nobody cares.

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14, I knew WVA coal miners when I grew up. They had nasty, dirty , and dangerous conditions--but actually saw their familes (and the sun) more than I do. Again, expecting more money when one has done more work that has increased the profitability of the firm is not greed by any rational definition of the word. Asking for a bigger share of the pie baked by the firm could be called greed, but when the size of the pie has been grown by ever increasing associate hours, increased pay is necessary to keep a worker's share of that pie from shrinking.

You, however, seem to think that any compensation above a "living wage"--regardless of the hours, skill, or time consuming and expensive entry barriers involved--equates to unearned largesse. This isn't a socalist country yet, so go to Hell.

16: then try to get more of the pie. You are working at a major law firm. This is free market capitalism. You can accept the market rate, you can improve your marketability, or you can look to another market. You are a fool if you think anyone will think your salary + bonus is unfair, and a moron if you think complaining on a chat room will change anything. My view has nothing to do with socialism. Quite the contrary. I would be content to let the firms set market rates. How is that socialism? There's no government intervention! Your theory is complete malarky and underscores your confused thinking on the subject.

At the first firm I worked for, their 'billing year' ended Nov. 30 and bonuses were solely dependent on hours. Thus, I nearly always worked over Thanksgiving weekend in order to increase my hours and bonus.

At my current firm, bonuses aren't given until July (fiscal year end in June), so no encouragement to work over thanksgiving weekend unless there was something important to get out (which I would take care of in plenty of time so that I could have the long weekend).

I worked at one firm for a couple of years that was open on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I actually had to use a vacation day for that Friday when I went out of town to visit family. totally a rude awakening when I found that out.

"Try to get more of the pie [but don't you dare express a view that you might deserve more of the pie, that's just silly whining.]"

Whose thinking is confused?

19: no, I am not confused at all. My message: try to get more of the pie by: (a) changing the system (starting a new firm or other options listed above); or (b) becoming partner. Whining will do absolutely nothing. This is consistent with my prior posts. Do you disagree? If so, please explain.

20, if you think that (1) openly stating that associates are arguably undercompensated, (2) giving reasons supporting that argument, and (3) doing so on in a public forum frequented by other, similarly situated associates may not be a positive is small step towards "(a) changing the system," you really don't know much about the history of labor, much less logical reasoning.

*positive if small step

20 - the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If I learned nothing else from [privileged-redacted - figure out what kind of internal investigations yourself] it's that this holds true all the way up the ladder - including c-level.

Furthermore, your whole premise is wrong. In fact, I hear more compensation whining from partners than from associates, and I am an associate. Maybe associates are just safe venting outlets, but still, it is obvious to me that the problem does not go away just because you make partner, especially at the big shops.

20: your typos aside, I think I understand what you mean. But your fallacy is in assuming that I wish to change the system. I don't. If I don't make partner, I move on having gained valuable skills, paid off debt and saved some money. Sure, I worked hard, but I got a hell of a lot in return. You, apparently, are arguing for a change in the system. Let me ask you this: how many partners do you think will read rants such as yours and say, "Gee, now I've seen the error of my ways. Here's some huge bonuses for you, and you, and especially for you, Tiny Tim." Get real.

And yes, I do know much about the history of labor. But perhaps you do not understand that we are not laborers, we are professionals who are exempt from labor laws - for a reason.

And no, I don't think we are overcompensated. However, if I get a zero bonus this year, although of course I will be disappointed, I am not so much of a snot-nosed brat to complain about it when I know plenty of people living paycheck to paycheck. Do you really think you are UNDER compensated? Give me a break.

23: sure, partners complain, too. They used to be associates, after all. :) But then again, who really gives a shit when a partner bringing in a SEVEN figures complains about his or her earnings?

24 totally missed that 21 was talking about 21 making a statement, not 24. That's pretty harsh self-pwnage.

"self-pwnage"? Forget this board - I thought I was dealing with professionals, not skate punks.

"self-pwnage"? Forget this board - I thought I was dealing with professionals, not skate punks.

If you really want to bitch and moan, how about this: I'm in legal MARKETING. No bonus this year. Last year, my bonus (after 2 1/2 years at the same firm) was about $600. I enjoy my job and it's the choice I made but I of course wish I was getting an extra $10k+ at the end of the year. I suppose we should just be happy we're employed, J.D. or not, bonus or not.