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Reading reddit biglaw sub, is it easier to get fired now than it used to be?
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:17 PM Author: .,..,..,.,,..,..,,,,,,,,..,...,.,.,., There are lots of threads about low billers getting laid off, even as like 2nd years or mid-levels getting laid off in their first low billing year. I did biglaw for 10 years and it wasn't really this easy to get fired.
We used to have los of threads about "stealth" layoffs, but these aren't really "stealth."
Also, lots of talk of "PIP"s. I don't even remember such a formality being a thing in biglaw (as opposed to tech or F500 etc)
Does reddit just attract bottom of the barrel biglaw talent or is it even more cut-throat than it used to be?
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:20 PM Author: Wang Hernandez No if anything it is harder to get fired because of sensitivities to bad PR and lawsuits. But the associates are much dumber now either affirmative action infecting all educational and professional processes so firings are more common. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303217) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:25 PM Author: Gefilte Fish Vindaloo ITE kind of broke the seal on biglaw firms keeping low billers around for a couple of years and not letting people go until they're at least a 3rd year
Plenty of firms backtracked after ITE but some didn't. Given the general trend towards biglaw firms being more cutthroat, doesn't surprise me if it's spreading throughout even the better firms now that associates are out after their first rough patch and not given significant runway anymore. |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:40 PM Author: i gave my cousin head (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303265) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:32 PM Author: humphrey's (((executor))) ((zurich is stained)) associates became sps 3-4 years ago. they are lazy and don't really care about making partner. firms are probably dealing with them accordingly.
this profession is fucked, as are others, because of this. gen zers don't care about striving. |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:39 PM Author: prole 10yo with heartbreaking youtube channel quite possible your sample is suffering from selection bias. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303260) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:43 PM Author: richard clock it was always pretty easy to get fired from the top firms after like your second year, though it would be "stealth" typically. the business model was always dependent on a certain amount of attrition. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303272) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 7:13 PM Author: Wang Hernandez Attrition happens naturally usually as people who hate it or suck naturally move on before getting fired. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303331) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 7:43 PM Author: richard clock depends on the economy. when in house jobs are less plentiful (like today), they still need people to leave. they have never hesitated to force people out when needed. a lot of this happens without anyone knowing whats going on. people who get counseled out obviously arent incentivized to publicize it. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303421) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 8:06 PM Author: Wang Hernandez People do all sorts of things other than in-house. They lateral to smaller firms, they go into government, they leave law altogether. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303498) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 8:21 PM Author: Gefilte Fish Vindaloo Also kickboxing underworld (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303535) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 11:10 PM Author: Melted Crayon (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303981) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 9:04 PM Author: richard clock yeah most of these people are women or were fired (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303645) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 10:18 PM Author: Wang Hernandez I’ve never worked in a slow practice area where that type of shit happens. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303843) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 10:22 PM Author: richard clock at the v10 i worked at this was commonplace, otherwise people would just try to stay on forever (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303855) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 9:07 PM Author: CapTTTainFalcon jump out the window, feetfirst into a woodchipper, etc. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303653) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 6:51 PM Author: CapTTTainFalcon firings come as early as 2 years, yes (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303284) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 9:07 PM Author: Paralegal Amos a lot of associates these days just refuse to work. they'll say they're too busy to take matters and then bill 50 hours that month (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303654) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 10:03 PM Author: dentons (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303799) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 11:05 PM Author: abcxyzabc Its a few things:
- bad sample. reddit people are inherently lazier and/or less busy. I like reddit but frankly if I am swamped I dont have time to open it. These people are lazy internet addicts or are not busy.
- biglaw is not the same across all firms. A mediocre associate can last at a place like Clifford chance or hogan for 6-7 years before being pushed out if they are hitting hours. Sorry but you are not getting away with this at good firms. I dont think you ever did. Demands for responsibility kick in too early at top firms and you will get got.
- Covid era associates suck. They have no frame of reference for what hard work is, they lack true mentorship and honesty that tells them how to improve, they have no social skills, they just don’t get it. Etc. I’m excluding the top 25% which are good no matter what. But the rest are made up of people that HAD they gotten the right development and mentality may have made it to senior associate before recognizing the signs to leave. Most of these people are now reaching years 3-4 and it’s becoming clear you can’t hand a demanding deal to them, and they are too senior to do bullshit, and quite literally they have nothing firms can give them. It starts to fuck up staffing and junior training so they have to go. Good riddance too. Once they were gone some really promising juniors can finally get direct contact and start to advance/lighten the load.
(And in case it’s not clear I’m talking about people who either “summered” in 2020 or 2021. The former portion just never got any development. The latter portion snuck by due to fucked up covid grading or covid interviews + development issues.) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 11:08 PM Author: richard clock (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303973) |
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Date: September 25th, 2025 11:09 PM Author: Melted Crayon (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5780004&forum_id=2,#49303976) |