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Day in the life of a Real Estate associate at a top CA firm

7:15 wake up 7:30 take a shower, check blackberry, get read...
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
What year?
hairraiser rebellious spot
  04/13/07
3rd year
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
this sounds like the perfect life.
lilac maniacal house
  04/13/07
you don't know how boring some of this shit is
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
Honest questtion-What do you get paid?
fishy trailer park
  04/13/07
I made 175k last year, but I got a 25k raise from the salary...
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
"Conference call regarding status of shit. Might do som...
irradiated garnet point factory reset button
  04/13/07
no. just time spent and what you did. standard protocol
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
holy shit it sounds exactly like law school
Charismatic travel guidebook
  04/13/07
How does BuyOwner make money for their ads if you sell it yo...
Silver pozpig
  04/13/07
volume
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
0+0+0+0 = 0?
Silver pozpig
  04/13/07
thats the joke. seriously, they charge a flat fee to help...
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
what about excessive masturbation and hatred towards women? ...
Salmon organic girlfriend theater stage
  04/13/07
my wife takes care of the first part. I like women. Surpri...
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
do you ever get paranoid that your boss is going to check an...
Salmon organic girlfriend theater stage
  04/13/07
I don't really have a boss. The partners don't give a shit ...
curious sandwich
  04/13/07
I've been there. I had the exact same experience last summer...
contagious sooty hall
  04/17/07
i need to move
milky hospital
  04/13/07
Go to your NY firm's Cali branch and pwn the OP when bonuses...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
the cali branch work the same hours as us though.
milky hospital
  04/13/07
Tax savings? I wonder if I do M&A or something in Cal...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
probably, just like how i subsidize all the shitty associate...
milky hospital
  04/13/07
Stop being such a sucker for work. I thought you were smart...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
i haven't been assigned any assignments since january
milky hospital
  04/13/07
I bill my 2000 hours. I am not that lazy either way, why...
curious sandwich
  04/14/07
FREERIDERPROBLEMPWNED Sucker. http://en.wikipedia.org/...
contagious sooty hall
  04/17/07
Is this true? I wish I could get a definitive answer on thi...
orchid step-uncle's house
  04/13/07
my firm's CA office is like that, i don't know about others....
milky hospital
  04/13/07
Verrry interesting. Thank you. Does the same hold true for...
orchid step-uncle's house
  04/13/07
definitely for corporate, i don't know anything about litiga...
milky hospital
  04/13/07
NY firms don't really have "real estate" practices...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
if i move to california, i doubt my firm's branch would be m...
milky hospital
  04/13/07
I think it really depends on practice area. The corporate l...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
I'm thinking about asking Latham, in an EIP interview, "...
orchid step-uncle's house
  04/13/07
Don't ask at EIP. You can bring it up during callback at lu...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
Tx for the advice--yeah, probably too forward for an EIP int...
orchid step-uncle's house
  04/13/07
There've been Latham threads on this board, you can do a sea...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
I've been on this board for a while, and I don't remember an...
orchid step-uncle's house
  04/13/07
OP is talking about O'Melveny, probably LA or Newport Beach ...
Sickened stag film
  04/13/07
You don't "walk to work" in either of those places...
Vigorous jade chapel tattoo
  04/13/07
Yeah, it's not SoCal.
contagious sooty hall
  04/17/07
Will you get laid off when RE goes south?
peach macaca ticket booth
  04/13/07
Doubtful. When RE goes south, he'll be doing loan workouts,...
hairraiser rebellious spot
  04/13/07
that, and residential RE already has gone south, but most de...
curious sandwich
  04/14/07
Seems like bankruptcy will be a good opportunity for firms t...
peach macaca ticket booth
  04/16/07
Can you tell me a little bit about RE in general? It seems ...
Mustard High-end Kitchen Pocket Flask
  04/17/07


Poast new message in this thread





Date: April 13th, 2007 5:02 PM
Author: curious sandwich

7:15 wake up

7:30 take a shower, check blackberry, get ready for work

8:05 walk to work

8:30 get to work

8:30-9: fuck around on tabloid websites, xo or espn unless there is something specific that I should be doing

9-10: do all the little shit that needs to be done (answering emails, sending docs that need to be sent, looking shit up for clients, etc.), all while taking numerous XO, hotmail and espn.com breaks,

10-12: draft a document that needs to be drafted, abstract a document, review diligence or markup documents, all while messing around on the internet every 5 minutes.

12-1: either go out to lunch with friends or eat lunch at desk and go on XO or espn.com. Catch up on Bill Simmons. Take calls as necessary, but don't answer them if you know the caller is a pain or will make your life worse.

1-2: Conference call regarding status of shit. Might do something else while I am on this call and double bill. And people wonder how you can bill 10 hours in a 10 hour day with breaks. Otherwise, surf the internet

2-3: Do stuff that arose from the conference call. Could be just thinking about how to solve a problem, or drafting a document or marking up someone else's. Either way, slow and steady wins the race and bills the hours.

3-6: buckle down and get the document done that you have been half assing for the last 3 days because you knew it didn't have to go out yet. Surf the net. Take calls if necessary, etc.

6-6:30 surf the internet

6:30 - walk home

sometimes the work goes until 7:30 or so, but normally it doesn't

Exciting, isn't it. This is a lot like Vault's, isn't it?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7926427)





Date: April 13th, 2007 5:39 PM
Author: hairraiser rebellious spot

What year?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7926618)





Date: April 13th, 2007 5:49 PM
Author: curious sandwich

3rd year

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7926657)





Date: April 13th, 2007 6:26 PM
Author: lilac maniacal house

this sounds like the perfect life.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7926816)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:30 PM
Author: curious sandwich

you don't know how boring some of this shit is

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927099)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:05 PM
Author: fishy trailer park

Honest questtion-What do you get paid?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7926990)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:21 PM
Author: curious sandwich

I made 175k last year, but I got a 25k raise from the salary wars and moving up a class, so with bonus probably around 205k this year

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927052)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:19 PM
Author: irradiated garnet point factory reset button

"Conference call regarding status of shit. Might do something else while I am on this call and double bill."

Aren't you required to put in the time you worked on each assignment, like 2:15-4:30?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927042)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:24 PM
Author: curious sandwich

no. just time spent and what you did. standard protocol

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927066)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:26 PM
Author: Charismatic travel guidebook

holy shit it sounds exactly like law school

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7928006)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:35 PM
Author: Silver pozpig

How does BuyOwner make money for their ads if you sell it yourself?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927112)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:38 PM
Author: curious sandwich

volume

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927122)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:39 PM
Author: Silver pozpig

0+0+0+0 = 0?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927124)





Date: April 13th, 2007 7:45 PM
Author: curious sandwich

thats the joke.

seriously, they charge a flat fee to help with supplies

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927153)





Date: April 13th, 2007 8:21 PM
Author: Salmon organic girlfriend theater stage

what about excessive masturbation and hatred towards women? isn't that standard in biglaw?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927319)





Date: April 13th, 2007 8:24 PM
Author: curious sandwich

my wife takes care of the first part. I like women. Surprisingly, most of the women at my firm are attractive (by any standards, not just law standards)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927331)





Date: April 13th, 2007 8:42 PM
Author: Salmon organic girlfriend theater stage

do you ever get paranoid that your boss is going to check an IT log to see how much web surfing you do? at my last job, i screwed around so much on the internet - everytime the internet went out, i thought they were finally pulling the plug on me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927428)





Date: April 13th, 2007 8:45 PM
Author: curious sandwich

I don't really have a boss. The partners don't give a shit as long as I do my work well, bill my hours and everything is reasonable. For all they know I work all night. Either way, they wouldn't pay attention unless they had a specific desire to fire me, which they don't

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927447)





Date: April 17th, 2007 4:30 PM
Author: contagious sooty hall

I've been there. I had the exact same experience last summer.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7949616)





Date: April 13th, 2007 8:56 PM
Author: milky hospital

i need to move

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927506)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:09 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

Go to your NY firm's Cali branch and pwn the OP when bonuses come around.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927551)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:13 PM
Author: milky hospital

the cali branch work the same hours as us though.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927563)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:19 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

Tax savings?

I wonder if I do M&A or something in Cali, if my salary is just subsidizing lazy real estate associates like the OP.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927597)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:30 PM
Author: milky hospital

probably, just like how i subsidize all the shitty associates (they don't get assigned much work) and all the associates in lazy groups

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927650)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:32 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

Stop being such a sucker for work. I thought you were smarter than that but I am losing all respect for you.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927662)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:33 PM
Author: milky hospital

i haven't been assigned any assignments since january

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927664)





Date: April 14th, 2007 1:20 PM
Author: curious sandwich

I bill my 2000 hours. I am not that lazy

either way, why would I work more than 2k hours. I am not trying to make partner and they don't adequately compensate me for additional hours.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7930492)





Date: April 17th, 2007 12:57 PM
Author: contagious sooty hall

FREERIDERPROBLEMPWNED

Sucker.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_rider_problem

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7948473)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:35 PM
Author: orchid step-uncle's house

Is this true? I wish I could get a definitive answer on this type of stuff by the time EIP rolls around. If NY-based CA firms work as much as NY firms, fuck the extra $$$. If it's somewhere in between the two, the extra $$$ could be worth it. And of course, if they work the same amount of hours, it's all about the benjamins, infant.

Of course, if you work in a branch office, is it less likely that you'll ultimately make partner?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927679)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:38 PM
Author: milky hospital

my firm's CA office is like that, i don't know about others.

partnership chances will in part depend on how fast the office is growing, so it could actually be better.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927692)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:41 PM
Author: orchid step-uncle's house

Verrry interesting. Thank you. Does the same hold true for all practice groups in your firm?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927719)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:19 PM
Author: milky hospital

definitely for corporate, i don't know anything about litigation.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927952)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:22 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

NY firms don't really have "real estate" practices in Cali either, at least not as far as I know.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927972)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:23 PM
Author: milky hospital

if i move to california, i doubt my firm's branch would be my first choice.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927981)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:42 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

I think it really depends on practice area. The corporate lawyers at Cali firms that I interviewed with pretty much said they bill as much as Skadden, etc. They attribute their better quality of life to better firm culture. But that could just be personal preference.

Partnership chances are not always clear. This has been brought up on this board before, maybe I'll find it later if I'm bored.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927722)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:55 PM
Author: orchid step-uncle's house

I'm thinking about asking Latham, in an EIP interview, "Seriously...*why* would I choose your firm over [STB, Skadden, etc.] when I would lose out on approx. $150k over five years?"

Would that be an inappropriate question? because I'd love to hear a straight answer from them. Would they just flat-out lie (if it's untrue in the first place), and say they work a lot less? That the culture is less intense and cutthroat? Hmmm...

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927813)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:57 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

Don't ask at EIP. You can bring it up during callback at lunch with associates if they seem cool. Associates are just as concerned about this as you are, maybe more so. And there's nothing else in the life of a biglaw lawyer other than work and money, so you'll be hitting on 50% of their favorite topics.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927830)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:01 PM
Author: orchid step-uncle's house

Tx for the advice--yeah, probably too forward for an EIP interview. Too bad there's not a Latham atty on the board who wouldn't mind chiming in...

How about you--you're planning on practicing in CA, right? Are you already heading to a traditional LA firm, or are you thinking about going to a NY-based firm too?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927857)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:18 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

There've been Latham threads on this board, you can do a search. Not sure if any of them are in Cali though.

I'm keeping my options open but it largely depends on how long I plan to stay in biglaw. Said this in another thread, but I like the idea of working in Asia for the higher pay and to get away from crime, poors, and taxes.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927941)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:25 PM
Author: orchid step-uncle's house

I've been on this board for a while, and I don't remember any threads of a *CA* Latham attorney talking about the subject, unfortunately. Asia? That would just freak me out too much, as a white dood. Good luck.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927995)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:53 PM
Author: Sickened stag film

OP is talking about O'Melveny, probably LA or Newport Beach office.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927803)





Date: April 13th, 2007 9:58 PM
Author: Vigorous jade chapel tattoo

You don't "walk to work" in either of those places (assuming OP is 100% truthful). I was thinking MoFo SF, maybe another Cali firm.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7927840)





Date: April 17th, 2007 4:26 PM
Author: contagious sooty hall

Yeah, it's not SoCal.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7949583)





Date: April 13th, 2007 10:28 PM
Author: peach macaca ticket booth

Will you get laid off when RE goes south?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7928023)





Date: April 13th, 2007 11:52 PM
Author: hairraiser rebellious spot

Doubtful. When RE goes south, he'll be doing loan workouts, foreclosures, refinancing...

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7928561)





Date: April 14th, 2007 1:23 PM
Author: curious sandwich

that, and residential RE already has gone south, but most developers are building on the assumption that it won't be south by the time their projects get out of the ground. I have done a lot of residential work lately. I have also done a lot of workouts

Hotels, industrial and office are just cyclical with the broader business market, so they are doing pretty well.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7930511)





Date: April 16th, 2007 10:16 PM
Author: peach macaca ticket booth

Seems like bankruptcy will be a good opportunity for firms to grow their practice.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7945108)





Date: April 17th, 2007 12:44 AM
Author: Mustard High-end Kitchen Pocket Flask

Can you tell me a little bit about RE in general? It seems like a good gig with nice hours (i'd be working at a non-NYC firm) and I've heard that exit options can be good. True?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=612738&forum_id=2#7946074)