Do you have Memorial Day off?
2
My client is gift-giving me things that are definitely over the ethical limit. It started with a nice bottle of wine, but today a high-end designer watch showed up as a thank you for a successful motion. I haven't opened the box because I know the second I do, I’m in a massive conflict-of-interest gray zone. My firm doesn't have a formal gift policy, but my gut says this is a play for special treatment on their next bill. What would you do?
How much of your “full self” do you bring to work? I was told that having a visible baby monitor in the background of a remote internal meeting looked uncommitted to the practice. We are an industry full of adults with families, aging parents, and personal lives, yet we’re expected to project this sterile, robotic image of total availability 24/7. I wasn’t interacting with my child at all, and I was fully paying attention to the meeting. But I’m not going to pretend that I’m not a parent.
I'm at a crossroads. Practicing 10 years, have a small book of my own clients and have a significant position for a huge client. I am the heir-apparent to the senior partner's book. I don't like the rainmaker pressure of a firm and would love to manage litigation in-house or something like that. But I feel like if I don't stay and take over his business that I'll be letting the whole office down and if I don't stay, the office would essentially be dead and have to close. Not sure what to do.
Why do we pay paralegals so little? A senior associate completely miscalculated a statutory deadline, and our lead paralegal caught it at 4:30 PM on the final day, staying late on a Friday to fix the caption and get it over the line. If she hadn't been paying attention, the firm would be facing a massive malpractice suit, yet she makes less than the associate who didn't even know what month it was.
Will anyone expect me to work? No. Is my life going to be miserable if I miss an entire day of billable work? Yes. So, I'll be working.
My office is “closed” and admin will be off, so kinda, but I need to meet my hours somehow so I’ll be working.
Yes and my boss told my team to basically phone it in today and just pay attention to email.
thats not vacation. all my devices are off
Our office is “closed” and a lot of people are traveling so suspect my emails will be quiet but I’ll probably sneak in a couple hours to catch up on stuff. In biglaw if that matters.
I’m in a mid sized law firm. Law firm is open 24/7, and also has three days in per week policy. So I assume I can work from home on that day ?
Why would you work on a major holiday?
Yes. Got all my work done before and just said I’m gonna be out today and Monday
Yes but I’m big law so nobody cares
Yes and I’m in big law and I’m taking it off because I’m leaving soon and don’t care.
Yes...but only because I was laid off. My last day is today.
Thank you. It sucks but there's nothing I can do about it.
Absolutely
Yep, closed and no emails reviewed.