Law Students

My Life at a Big Firm: The First Three Weeks

By spencerl

My name is Laura, and I recently started at Bryan Cave LLP in St. Louis, Missouri.  Bryan Cave has over 800 attorneys in 15 offices worldwide, the largest office being in St. Louis with around 275 attorneys.  My summer class consists of 22 other summer associates from a variety of schools.  All of these numbers totaled up to one feeling the night before I started:  utter panic.  How was I going to fit in?  How was I going to keep track of things like client matter numbers and billable hours?  What are client matter numbers and billable hours?!

 I was always one of those kids who wanted to be a lawyer at a very early age.  I guess I saw A Few Good Men too many times back when we all still thought Tom Cruise was normal...just kidding to all you die-hard TomKat fans.   However, as time went on, I began to love the law because it was challenging and I was constantly encountering something new.  I've always worked hard, and I wanted to work at a place that handled big clients with complex issues.  A big firm just seemed like the right fit, so I figured this was my chance to find out whether I was right or just completely crazy (or maybe a little bit of both).

 My first day was kind of a blur, and I alternated between euphoria and complete mental exhaustion.  The morning started with a meet and greet in the lobby, where I had the opportunity to meet my fellow summer associates and several other attorneys.  They really do a great job of easing you into things, but there is so much to learn in the first week.  We had a full morning of orientation, where we were given a run-down on everything from billing hours to filing tax forms to library resources...oh yes, there is a library and you are expected to at least try to use it before racking up the time on Lexis or Westlaw.  I've come to discover that Westlaw is a lot like free cable.  Law schools give it to you just long enough to get you completely hooked, and then you realize how much those premium channels cost you when you have to start paying for it, but you're completely addicted!  Anyway, after a full morning of orientation, we were taken around to our offices.  After working at a cubicle last summer where I shared one computer with three other interns, I wasn't prepared to see where I would be working this summer.  My office is located on the 33rd floor of the MetLife building downtown, with a huge window overlooking the Arch!  I had a moment similar to Melanie Griffith in Working Girl or the Jeffersons, where I had that rush of adrenalin and I was like, "I have arrived!"

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Full post as published by Ms. JD on June 06, 2008 (boomark / email).