Hierarchy of Bill, More, & Hours
Anyone who tells you lawfirms do not have a hierarchy is lying. Flat out lying. Tell them their pants are on fire. My firm the secretaries are at the bottom of that pyramid, then the paralegals, then the clerks (just me), then associates, then partners.
The thing is, there are a few paralegals but they all know I will be an attorney some day, so they do not associate with me. The secretaries are all way older then me and are usually bitter I can still wear heels without it hurting my feet. A few ("Juan", who I think is trying to date me) of the associates are nice to me, but most of them have no idea who I am. All the partners are nice and always say hello...But for the most part nobody talks to me. I do not take lunches since I don't really have anyone to eat them with.
I know I'm paying my dues and all but it really sucks I have nobody to talk to at work...Additionally, I don't want to become one of the people who does not associate with the people below them.
2 comments:
Not sure how big your firm is, but you forgot about the folks under the secretaries. Big firms have "support people" in accounting/billing, research, mailroom, HR, PR...the list goes on. These people are under the secretaries in the firm caste system. I'm in that strata myself. But I do have to say that at my firm the secretaries often bond with the support people as we all suffer at the hands of those with the JD.
I've found that the worst caste members are associates, especially those in years 1-3. They are typically the rudest, nastiest people. I've had partners, even "named" partners, treat me with more respect than some associates or "new" partners. Some people seem to forget that I'm human too. Yet in a few years time when I have the same initials after my name suddenly they'll treat me like I'm human. Funny, ha ha.
Biggest thing everyone who knows I'm going to law school has said, "Please remember what it is like when you are a lawyer." Meaning, "Don't be a shit to everyone later. Remember we are people too." As if I'd ever forget!
So are your working part-time at a firm with full-time school or are you doing what I'm doing (work full / school part)?
Yeah, I did forget the support staff. At my firm it's like 4 guys. 2 of which only talk to each other, one who seems oblivious to the caste system, and one who is an "Administrator" so everyone talks to him.
Yeah some of our associates are total dicks, the one who just got hired for "my team" barely speaks to me. And the one who has to go by me to get to his office has never said hello. But yeah, outside of the associate who I think is trying to date me and the female one who is trying to be my mentor they're mostly assholes who do things like steal your favorite mug.
The secretaries are cool, but older are at this point are serving to remind me of what I most likely will never have-children.
I also agree that the partners are the nicest. Partners always say hello and ask how I'm doing, but I always understood it as them trying to make sure I took an offer if it was given. The other reason I think partners are nice (particularly the ones you do not work for) is that they're educated people who know that people work harder if they like their work environment, the more you work the more money goes into their pocket so they're trying to foster an atmosphere like they have time to say hello to you in the hall, when really they're going to be at the firm for 16 hours today and everyone knows it.
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