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FearAndAnxiety 27 - 08 Feb 2010 - Main.RorySkaggs
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| | When Eben talks about the fear and anxiety created by law school, grades, and dwindling firm jobs, does this resonate with you? How about fear that you won't find something that you are passionate about, that fulfills you, and that allows you to support yourself and your family?
I wished that Eben had spoken more to that fear and anxiety today in class, and more specifically, what to do about it. | | | Also, Ron: I like the law firm lobby thread. I think many firms need to create a false (and posh) reality for the bright young things working for them. You're right: no one outside of the firms has heard of most of these places. On a related note, I worked on the support staff at a big firm for a while and was shocked to really feel for the first time in my life the presence of a CLASS system. There was an amazing divide between "attorneys" and "staff," and it really shocked me. My background is privileged by no stretch, but I had never been in a situation where someone flat-out treated me as a total inferior without a second thought. The divide was reinforced by the firm in countless subtle ways that I think were designed to mask the anxiety and tell the associates that they were really important ("See! You're far superior to the secretaries and the receptionists and the woman who fixes your blackberry!").
-- CourtneySmith - 07 Feb 2010 | |
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As someone who worked at Skadden (in DC) for two years, I can't help but jump in. My first reaction would be this: there is a huge difference between law firms in DC and NYC. NYC is more fast-paced and often less appreciative of the work you produce. In NYC offices it is a given you will work very long hours and few people notice if you do (though there are some that do); in DC, you might work to death, but someone might at least say thanks. Granted this is only my experience and every person you interact with is different, but I've heard this stereotype repeated by many others, and I think it's just a different culture in the two cities.
I also think it's a little silly to be slamming law firms for having nice lobbies, etc. First of all, most big businesses do the same thing, be it law, i-banking, etc. Also, does it really make much of a difference? Most, if not all, law students know what life is like working at a BigLaw firm (and if they don't, they should ask). So how effective are they at selling this posh, glamorous lifestyle we are imagining? Is it possible that we are seeing the salaries and imaging that lifestyle ourselves, and we don't need any help from them to do it? Also, a) maybe clients like the pretty lobbies too; b) lawyers have big egos, so it's probably just managing partners competing amongst themselves; and c) Skadden DC had virtually no lobby, and didn't really try to shower anyone with love and affection; they just wanted the work done and done perfectly.
Lastly, from my experience Gtown has the same anxiety level as CLS, if not worse. Is there anyone else who thinks the anxiety probably did not start in law school, but is deeply rooted somewhere else? I've never been anxious about grades and haven't started to be here. It seems like 'grade panic' cannot have just started in law school. I look around me and see a total lack of self-confidence in many of my peers which baffles me. We have made it this far, why don't we believe in ourselves that no matter what happens here we can and will succeed? I've tried to impart this on people, often to no avail. How can we give up so easily? A couple 'bad' grades and it's all over? We can't really believe that, can we?
-- RorySkaggs - 08 Feb 2010 | | | |
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