Career Center

Career Center: Weekend WarriorsAt which firms can you expect weekend work?

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The new ATLCareer Center, powered by Lateral Link, is a useful resource for learning about law firms. Last week, we brought you information about partnership prospects at different firms.
This week, let’s talk about working on the weekend. Working on the occasional weekend is part of the experience at every big firm, but at some firms that experience is more frequent than occasional. (Of course, in this economy, some lawyers may welcome weekend work — staying busy is the best way to avoid being laid off.)
Quinn Emanuel takes the top prize for weekend workers, with 100% of associates surveyed saying that they regularly do some work over the weekends, and a full 14% saying that “weekends are just another workday.”
Also near the top are Sullivan & Cromwell, Simpson Thacher, Milbank, Kirkland, and Cleary — all firms where more than 80% of the surveyed associates said that it is common for them to work at least some portion of the weekends.
At Skadden and Gibson Dunn, the large majority of associates surveyed said that it is common for them to work on the weekends, but most associates reported that they do that work from home.
And what firms are more likely to leave associates free on the weekends?
Read about them, after the jump.


Some firms respect associate weekends more than others. Here are some places where you get to enjoy your “free” time a bit more.
At Jones Day, more than 60% of associates surveyed reported that working weekends is not common, unless you have work that needs to get done.
At Sidley, almost half the respondents said that working on the weekend is not common, absent pressing obligations.
Over 40% of O’Melveny, Akin and Ropes associates say that weekend work is rare, and at Ropes, 15% of the respondents say that on the weekends the firm is pretty much empty.
And finally, one-third of Latham associates attest that their weekends are not regularly infringed upon.
To see how all of the top firms compare on weekend work and other aspects of the associate experience, please visit our Career Center. You can use the drop-down menus to see different firm profiles, or use the comparison tool to see how various firms stack up on different measures. While you’re there, take a survey and tell us about your associate experience. Thanks!
Earlier: Welcome to the ATL Career Center!
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